Lost in time, the Himalayan Kingdom of Mustang is one of the last sanctuaries of authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture. But, long isolated by geography and politics, the people struggle to survive and the center of their culture, the fifteenth century monasteries and the art within are dangerously close to collapse. Mustang - Journey of Transformation, tells the compelling story of the efforts to rescue this ancient place from the brink of extinction and help spark a cultural renaissance. Storytellers include His Holiness the Dalai Lama; the King of Mustang; and Luigi Fieni, the chief art restorer.
The puppeteers, performers, and magicians of the Kathputli colony in Delhi are the last slum-dweller–artists of their kind. When their land is sold to high-rise developers, they must fight for the only home they know. Fending off relocation, they struggle to keep their mystical Indian folk arts alive and to conserve what beauty remains as they are forced into someone else’s vision of the future. Tomorrow We Disappear is not just documentation, but ultimately becomes an extraordinary act of preservation. In Hindi with subtitles.
For most, the idea of Jewish resistance or defiance during the Holocaust is limited to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and a few isolated acts throughout WWII. "Unlikely Heroes", narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, highlights 7 previously unknown stories of extraordinary men and women who exemplified the highest levels of courage and human dignity during the most desperate days of the Holocaust.
The fire of revolution has spread to Cuba! Director Jesse Acevedo risked his own freedom; using hidden camera methods, he brings viewers inside the brewing Cuban revolution. Those filmed are at risk, even now, of imprisonment but through the courage of those willing to speak out we see the new Cuba rising to the beat of Los Aldeanos. In a small town outside Havana two young brothers, are beaten and arrested in their own home and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for listening to rappers Los Aldeanos, banned by the government. We follow the intermingled stories of the Cruz brothers and the band they love. From the streets of Havana comes the sound of struggle and the voice of a new revolution - Los Aldeanos.
Learn the origins and rise of modern day hula-hooping through eight extraordinary stories of hoop devotees who have embraced it as an art form, a teaching aid, and even an instrument of redemption. From the streets, to intimate clubs, to giant arenas, we alternate between self-filmed video diaries, verité documentary footage, and spectacularly filmed performances in an attempt to celebrate the healing power of movement and the spirit of human inventiveness.
Powerful, direct and heartrending, The Starfish Throwers explores how three of the world's most fiercely compassionate individuals struggle to restore hope to the hopeless in unexpected and sometimes dangerous ways. Continents apart, a sixth grader, a top chef and retired school teacher fight what seems an unwinnable war until they discover their impact may reach further than their action
Colton Harris-Moore, best known as the Barefoot Bandit, was on the run for nearly three years after hot-wiring a Cessna, flying 400 miles before crashing in a field and vanishing into the wilderness. His crimes included a half dozen stolen boats, at least 10 cars and five stolen airplanes.
A river's dreams and memories told from the perspective of the water that runs through it - a visual journey from prehistoric times to the modern era along what is now known as the San Marcos River.
Half a million people descend upon a tiny Serbian village for the 50th anniversary of the world's largest trumpet festival. Brasslands chronicles the cultural and musical collisions through the personal journeys of 3 musicians - American, Serbian, Roma - whose lives are bound to Balkan brass for very different reasons.
For over 60 years, Studs Terkel elevated the voices and experiences of everyday Americans through his skillful interviews on radio, in books and on TV. This documentary takes a fond and illuminating look back at one of America's most influential authors and media personalities whose curiosity about people never dimmed over the course of a long and brilliant career.
Thirty years after Ford Motor Company began dumping toxic waste in their backyard – and after one too many premature deaths – the Ramapo Mountain Indians filed a major class-action lawsuit: Mann v. Ford. This tiny tribe and their team of passionate lawyers took on the 'big dogs' – Ford and the Environmental Protection Agency.
At a time when the world is discussing the impact of human actions on the environment, Amazônia Eterna presents a critical analysis of how the world's largest tropical rainforest is understood and appreciated.
An intimate look at the history of Brazilian drivers from the '70s to the '90s, an era in which Brazil dominated Formula 1 racing, from the colorful point of view of its protagonists, especially Fittipaldi, Piquet and Senna, but without forgetting the drivers who failed to reach the profession's pinnacle, and the many behind-the-scenes helpers.
Four young Americans who've each suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury emerge from their comas at a New Jersey medical facility. Their eyes may be open, but now the real challenge for each of the patients, their families, their doctors and their therapists begins. Brain healing isn't predictable, we're told, and certainly is not guaranteed. So with each 'major' step forward that is observed (opening one's eyes, bending a thumb upon command, vocalizing a word, answering a question correctly) comes a sense of jubilant relief and hope from the families of these patients, but as we soon see, the more a patient progresses, the more difficult things can be for all involved. Moments of faith & hope contrast with disappointments & frustrations, moments of confidence with moments of doubt. It's difficult to watch, and unimaginable to have to ever live through.
Celebrates Sister Rose Thering, for 67 years a Dominican nun. Her passion is fighting anti-Semitism. Archival footage looks at her growing up in Wisconsin and taking the veil in her teens. Interviews with scholars and common people capture the extent to which "Christ killers" was a standard Catholic description of Jews. Sister Rose's research at Saint Louis University in the 1950s into the presentation of Jews within Catholic educational materials leads to the publication of "Nostra Aetate," a document released in 1965 by the Second Vatican Council. Since that time, she's dedicated herself to eradicating anti-Semitism. The film ends with a critique of Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ."
1968 was a time of soul searching for the band - with three badly performing singles behind them they needed a big new idea to put them back at the top and crucially to hold them together as a band. Inspired by Indian spiritual master Meher Baba, Pete Townshend created the character of Tommy, the 'deaf, dumb and blind boy'. Broke and fragmenting when they started recording, the album went on to sell over 20 million copies. In this film, the Who speak for the first time about the making of the iconic album and how its success changed their lives.