Since the death of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in February 2008, long-time practitioner of Transcendental Meditation and well-known film director David Lynch has been embraced as the movement’s chief international ambassador. Filmmaker Sebastian Lange, who himself was raised in the movement, presents an intimate look at this new phase in the movement’s evolution.
What does a beauty pageant in Suva, Fiji have to do with climate change? Quite a lot, as it turns out. 'Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea' is a short documentary film about the 2009-2010 Miss South Pacific Pageant that brought contestants, or Queens, from all the major Pacific Island Nations to compete in a week long pageant for the crown of Miss South Pacific. Addressing the theme of Climate Change and its impact on Pacific Island countries, the Queens eloquently and passionately implore judges, spectators, and the world at large to reduce global carbon emission lest their island homes will be lost to rising seas. Is it too late to turn back the tide? Watch Miss South Pacific and see.
Don McGlynn's uncompromising and soulful documentary look at the tumultuous life of musician and rebel Charles Mingus is fascinating stuff. Mingus said of himself "I am half black man, half yellow man, but I claim to be a Negro. I am Charles Mingus, the famed jazz musician--but not famed enough to make a living in America." His statement summed up the conflict that plagued this musical genius his entire life: volatility, pain, prescience, and raw rage roiled inside a complex man, composer, bass player, and trombonist who transcended labels and refused to be pigeonholed into a single musical style--and who did not achieve real fame until late in his career.
Embracing Dyslexia is a thought-provoking exploration of dyslexia from and insider's perspective, weaving together interviews with parent, adult dyslexics, and experts to provide an accurate portrayal of a learning difference that affects 15 to 20 percent of the population. Parents share emotional stories of their children's struggles with reading, writing, and spelling and the impact the word dyslexia had on their lives. Adult dyslexics speak candidly of the struggles and successes they had in school. And experts define what dyslexia is and illustrate how effective tutoring, classroom accommodations, and recognizing and fostering the natural strengths of a child with dyslexia can take them from feeling stupid and experiencing failure on a daily basis to believing in themselves and knowing that they can be successful.
Echoes of the Invisible interweaves a mosaic of profound quests: a blind man running alone from the lowest point in the western hemisphere to the highest mountain peak in the U.S.; artist Rachel Sussman’s struggles to photograph the oldest continuously living things on Earth; journalist Paul Salopek’s 21,000-mile walk retracing the migration route through which our ancestors first discovered the planet; astronomers and physicists attempting to see into the furthest depths of time; and monks probing the most extreme environment of all - the human heart. They discover, in their own way, something that transcends all that divides us in a world lost in the speed and noise of the digital age.
Examines how the Immigration and Naturalization Service decides who will be granted asylum in the United States. The applicant must have a "well-founded fear" of persecution in his or her home country. Despite true and terrifying stories of torture and mistreatment, it's often up to how well the translator presents the case and how sensitive are the ears of the asylum officer to decide a person's fate.
The stories of several women in the Boston music scene and their struggle to achieve equality and success while embracing their identities and finding a voice in the community.
In Minnesota’s unforgiving North Country, hockey is life. Over the course of a season, two rival high school programs—one an emergent dynasty, the other steeped in a proud legacy—strive for a coveted state championship. With the hopes of their towns behind them, boys on both sides cope with the pressures of adolescence along with the added burden of bringing glory to one of the country’s most hockey-crazed communities.
NASA launches its most ambitious hunt for traces of life on Mars, landing a car-sized rover in a rocky, ancient river delta. The rover will stow samples for possible return to Earth and test technology that may pave the way for human travel to Mars.
Christmas morning memories captured in a series of incredible locations - including Rockefeller Center, a home where Christmas trains and decorations fill every room, an around-the-tree layout featuring the Polar Express, the Lionel Christmas layout on the NBC Today Show, the Christmas displays at Macy's, Grand Central Terminal, and FAO Schwarz. Pure holiday enchantment.
The Fight of Our Lives - Defeating the Ideological War Against the West is a hard-hitting new documentary film by Gloria Z. Greenfield that examines the internal and external threats facing the West. "There are two threats facing the West, and they are linked. There's the threat from within, and the threat from without," states Melanie Phillips. "And the threat from without is made much more threatening by the threat from within."
Yogi Roth never wanted to say 'I wish I'd spent more time with my Dad.' After realizing he had not dealt with the emotion stemming from his father's battle with prostate cancer, Yogi invites his Dad on a walk along the Camino de Santiago that would change their lives forever.
"The Apology" explores the lives of former "comfort women," the more than 200,000 girls forced into sexual slavery during World War II. Today, they fight for reconciliation and justice as they struggle to make peace with the past.
Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny is an irreverent look at Western Civilization through Inuit eyes. Inspired by the satirical essays of Zebedee Nungak, the film turns the tables on generations of anthropologists, teachers, adventurers and administrators who went North to pursue their Arctic Dreams. Now it’s their turn to be poked, prodded, examined and explained. A new generation of Inuit is ready to take on the Qallunaat at their own game. Grounded in their own traditions but educated in the South, they have a unique perspective on the culture that has come to dominate the planet. And they are not afraid to speak their minds.
Billions of dollars are generated each year in the sports memorabilia and trading card industry, but who are the buyers and sellers? What is the actual value of what is being sold? Hobby Hustle follows three separate people who became involved in the polarizing obsession that changed their lives forever.
No House to Morehouse: The Untold Story chronicles the incredible journey of Dr. Lester A. McCorn. During his tumultuous childhood, he battled unthinkable challenges including living in abandoned buildings and standing in soup lines. Dr. McCorn overcomes all of his challenges and gets accepted into Morehouse College which changes his life forever. Dr. McCorn turns his trials into triumph and goes on to become an esteemed pastor and the 13th President of Clinton College.
A warts-and-all character study of a struggling 58-year-old New York actor who has been in over a hundred unheard-of films. This tragic, comedic documentary explores the nature of performance and the complexity of self-truth.
A 60 minute documentary on one of the greatest video stores in the country, Video Headquarters, from Keene, New Hampshire that existed for 32 years from 1983-2015. It's owner, Ken McAleer, was a prominent figure among independent video store owners and the documentary examines how one man, with a single video store, can have such a big impact in the industry. A labor of love from a first time filmmaker and former employee, this nostalgic look back at the video store era includes interviews with VHQ owner Ken McAleer, employees, comic artist and former video store owner, Stephen Bissette, and a treasure trove of archival photographs and documents from the store.