In her final piece at film school, Longinotto and her partner take us into the "Theatre Girls Club" in Soho, London–a hostel for elderly and destitute women and the only shelter in London that would take in any woman at any time. The filmmakers lived in the hostel for more than two months, establishing an extraordinary level of trust with their “cast” —from the home’s feisty cook to an elderly resident who was a terminal alcoholic. In what will later be recognized as a signature style, Longinotto films without judgement and finds the humor and humanity in situations and characters that might otherwise be seen as tragic. This stunning film debut earned awards at several European festivals and screened to acclaim in the US and Asia.
Through different legal cases and the complexity of the State of Florida’s legal processes involving minors, the film shows how delicate legal resolutions can be for children, who are ultimately the ones most affected by these judicial decisions.
In the Image explores the daily lives of Palestinian women living in the occupied West Bank. The film portrays their stories in a novel and eye-opening manner; through video footage captured by the women themselves.
When the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed an ordinance separating industrial hemp from its illegal cousin, marijuana, Alex White Plume and his family glimpsed a brighter future. Having researched hemp as a sustainable crop that would grow in the inhospitable soil of the South Dakota Badlands, the White Plumes envisioned a new economy that would shrink the 85% unemployment rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They never dreamed they would find themselves swept up in a struggle over tribal sovereignty, economic rights, and common sense.
A poetic short featuring the voice of an undocumented young Latina woman who was brought to the U.S. as a child. The film introduces viewers to a personal voice on the immigration debate: DACA, the Dream Act, and other immigration reform, speaking about what it's like to grow up and face an uncertain future as a young undocumented person in America.
Discovering Cary Grant will not only momentarily bring back the actor's glory days in Hollywood, but it will also thoughtfully examine his life away from the rolling cameras. Get to know Cary on a more personal level through a well-assembled montage of classic film clips punctuated by perceptive commentaries and amusing anecdotes from a panel of highly regarded showbiz resource persons.
Cane Fire examines the past and present of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, interweaving four generations of family history, numerous Hollywood productions, and troves of found footage to create a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast Indigenous and working-class residents as "extras" in their own story.
An extended Black family living in View Park-Windsor Hills, California experience changes due to gentrification and reflect on their shifting community.
The Odd Monk is a personal journey through modern day Buddhism. German first time Filmmaker Jesco Puluj travels around the world, meeting a variety of monks and nuns to discover the essence of Buddhism.
This film tells the complex story of men in prison, victims of crime, and an artistic partnership that helps break down barriers between them. As prisoners, victims, and victim advocates collaborate on a mural about healing from crime, their views on punishment, remorse, and forgiveness collide, sometimes harshly. But as the project progresses, mistrust begins to give way to surprising moments of human contact and common purpose. The project challenges each side to recognize and respect the other’s essential humanity and worth – a small, but significant step toward a more healing and restorative form of justice
The FBI attempts to bring down the world's greatest autograph forger after he joined a counterfeit ring that took off during the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
Harley, a successful criminal attorney who represents the most despised people in society in Paterson, NJ, embarks on a quest to win the woman of his dreams and defeat the bully who antagonized him as a child.
The Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana is shaken to its core by a teen suicide epidemic that claims 22 Native lives in a single year - including two high school basketball team members. 'For Walter And Josiah' follows the team during their season as the surviving members play to honor their fallen brothers and uplift their community.
Anxious over moral choices, angry at growing wealth inequality, insecure about employment and personal relationships... welcome to life in the world of liquid modernity. This film is a journey through the life and work of Professor Zygmunt Bauman, one of the twenty-first century's most influential thinkers whose ideas help us to understand the trouble with being human these days.
The 'Gauchos del Mar' brothers pursue their goal of surfing at the Isla de los Estados. They wander the Patagonia for six months, sharing their experiences with the locals, getting to know their ways. They face hard weather conditions before getting to Ushuaia and later they sail through the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Le Maire on their way to the uninhabited island.
In Southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats—all male bodies which apply Islamic Sharia law to cases without allowing women to be present, even to defend themselves. Recognizing this fundamental inequity, a group of women in 2004 established a women’s Jamaat, which soon became a network of 12,000 members spread over 12 districts. Despite enormous resistance, they have been able to settle more than 8,000 cases to date, ranging from divorce to wife beating to brutal murders and more. Deepa Dhanraj follows several cases, shining a light on how the women’s Jamaat has acquired power through both communal education and the leaders’ persistent, tenacious and compassionate investigation of the crimes. In astonishing scenes we watch the Jamaat meetings, where women often shout over each other about the most difficult facets of their personal lives.
The Jamaica flower and tamarind are iconic ingredients in Mexico, but their history comes from a place much further away. In Jamaica & Tamarindo: Afro Tradition in the Heart of Mexico, we meet five people who explore African heritage in Mexico City, an identity that goes beyond the color of one's skin.
What if you are made to feel ashamed when you speak your "mother tongue" or ridiculed because of your accent? "Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i" addresses these questions through its lively examination of Pidgin - the language spoken by over half of Hawai'i's people.