Through experimentation, direct observational filmmaking, and performative play, filmmaker Amy Reid rides and films with women truckers who have fled domestic violence, the stigmas of being formerly incarcerated, and mental health issues. The three subjects -- Sandi, Lori, and Tracy -- each share how they started trucking and what keeps them trucking.
After three decades as the colorful bandleader to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, master trumpeter Doc Severinsen defies nature with a relentless schedule of touring, teaching and performing into his nineties…
The history of the East Lake Meadows public housing project in Atlanta and the people who lived there from 1970 to its demolition in 2000, with special emphasis on the activism of Eva Davis asserting the rights of the tenants.
Six people live for a year on “Mars” in a NASA experiment studying what happens to humans when they are isolated from Earth. Shot by the subjects themselves over the course of the mission, Red Heaven vividly captures six people pushed to their limits in an exploration of our most fundamental needs as human beings.
COMEDY CONFESSIONS takes you on a journey into the lives of three struggling comedians who have decided to pursue their dreams of careers in stand-up comedy despite the harsh realities of being homeless. For these comedians, their cars are lifesavers providing safety and shelter at night and transportation to auditions and performances during the day. Their daily struggle to avoid sleeping on the street is startlingly juxtaposed with the extravagant wealth of the opulent mansions they park in front of at night. One of them, Tiffany Haddish will achieve her dreams to become a true Hollywood movie star, the other two, Doc Jones and Steve Lolli find the lure of the spotlight takes an unforgiving toll on their hopes and ambitions. This honest and touching movie is told in their own words revealing the passions, dedication and pains that drive them.
In the Philippines, the journalist Maria Ressa fights a battle for democracy against president Duterte and his 'war on drugs', which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Ayouni follows two high profile figures of the Syrian revolution and asks how do you rebuild country when its civil society has been disappeared, killed and scattered across continents?
When a peace agreement between the FARC rebel movement and the Colombian government looks like it will put an end to half a century of conflicts, 30-year-old Yira visits her mother in Colombia after spending 10 years in exile in Cuba. Yira has herself become a mother and wants to give her daughter the family she never had. She confronts her mother, Ruby, with a neglected childhood in the shadow of her parents' political struggles and persecution. She wants her mother to join her in exile in Canada, so that they can finally be together in safety. But Ruby can't let go of her political ideals and choose her family instead. It is not just Yira's childhood that has been sacrificed. She has also sacrificed her own life and safety to such an extent that she has to drive around in an armoured car, constantly protected by armed guards. As the peacetime death toll continues to rise, Ruby is faced with a difficult dilemma. If she chooses her daughter, she gives up on her people.
In “Shade Grown Coffee” you’ll learn about the coffee-making process, all the way from harvesting the ripe cherries to preparing your favourite cup of coffee. Visiting the passionate farmers, roasters and baristas you’ll get rarely shared insights on the business of coffee, and learn how you can enjoy a more sustainable cup – and a brighter tomorrow. A documentary film for coffee enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, “Shade Grown Coffee” aims to deepen your understanding and appreciation of your next cup of coffee.
Leading health experts examine the history of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and question decades of dietary advice insisting that saturated fats are bad for us.
In 1991 a group of countercultural visionaries built an enormous replica of earth’s ecosystem called Biosphere 2. When eight “biospherians” lived sealed inside, they faced ecological calamities and cult accusations. Their epic adventure is a cautionary tale but also a testament to the power of small groups reimagining the world.
When a Chinese-American family travels from California to Mississippi to visit the grave of their ancestors, they stumble upon surprising revelations. Along the way, they meet a diverse group of local residents and historians, who shed light on the racially complex history of the early Chinese in the segregated South. Their emotional journey also leads them to discover how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 impacted their family and how deep their roots run in America.
An intimate portrait detailing The Matches' promising career, defeating break up, and inspiring reunion as they reflect on what success truly means for musicians in today's digital industry. The Matches' story overlaps with the drastic changes the music industry has undergone in the past several years. From declining record sales, to excessive touring, to illegal downloading and streaming.
As sexy as it is smart, Naughty Books examines the steamy world of erotic romance, following three self-published authors who go from living at the margins to making millions by transforming their fantasies into best-selling fiction—and wrestling with the stark realities of what comes after sudden success.
The story of how Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, along with the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, combined community health with radical politics to create the first acupuncture detoxification program in America in 1973 — a visionary project eventually deemed too dangerous to exist in America.