H4 translates Shakespeare's Henry IV plays to contemporary Los Angeles to explore political struggles in the community. By killing a popular black leader, Henry hopes to cement his family's political dynasty, but his reckless son, Hal, seems more interested in hijinks than politics. Will the "Prince of Watts" follow in the footsteps of his powerful father, or will he succumb to the criminal life championed by Falstaff? Performed in Shakespeare's original language, H4 will appeal to Shakespearean aficionados and newcomers alike.
To many African Americans, soul food is sacrament, ritual, and a key expression of cultural identity. But does this traditional cuisine do more harm to health than it soothes the soul?
Through the eyes of funeral director Isaiah Owens, the beauty and grace of African-American funerals are brought to life. Filmed at Owens Funeral Home in New York City's historic Harlem neighborhood, Homegoings takes an up-close look at the rarely seen world of undertaking in the black community, where funeral rites draw on a rich palette of tradition, history and celebration. Combining cinéma vérité with intimate interviews and archival photographs, the film paints a portrait of the dearly departed, their grieving families and a man who sends loved ones "home."
A powerful documentary about five women whose lives have been irrevocably altered by the Rwandan genocide. With the country left nearly 70% female in the wake of the massacres, "God Sleeps In Rwanda" is a lucid portrait of the much larger change affected by women in the East African country.
A white authoress, looking for a story in the outback, is kidnapped by an Afghan slaver, betrothed to a white jungle-man, and menaced by a jealous half-caste rival, a hostile witch-doctor, his crazed-killer son, and opium smugglers!
Noa (Achinoam Nini), a popular Israeli singer of Yemenite descent, prepares for a concert in Jerusalem. She is interrupted by an old Arab man who claims to have been a close friend her great grandmother. He tells her about Mazal, a Jewish child-bride (Hadar Ozeri) from Yemen, who preserves her religion, culture, family and her unique art, surviving the harsh, violent conditions of Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the late 19th through the mid-20th centuries. She becomes the mother of two, a young widow (Galit Giat), and the family's breadwinner through her skills as a jeweler in gold and silver. In time, a woman of property (Timna Brauer) and an ardent patriot, she prevails through the unfolding bloody decades while living in the Old City of Jerusalem. She heads a family of extraordinary, unforgettable characters and grows old in strength and determination, remaining true to her traditions and ideals.
Old Goats is a gentle comedy about the indignities of aging. Meeting at a weekly coffee klatch for the local over-70 set (no girls allowed!), three "old goats" from different social strata develop an unlikely friendship. One's a married, golf-playing, sports-car-driving businessman recently forced into retirement. Another is a salty octogenarian World War II vet and (still) devoted womanizer. The third is a shy bachelor car mechanic, just fired, who lives on a squalid sailboat . Theirs is the common tragedy of losing one's vocation, one's purpose in life. There's talk of sailing adventures, online dating, and a condo in Palm Springs, but these three live in common terror of the question, "What's next for you?" They know damn well what's next! And they're determined to avoid it for as long as possible.
Funny, passionate, exciting, and smart: ‘Muse Of Fire’ will change the way you feel about Shakespeare forever. This unique feature documentary follows two actors, Giles Terera and Dan Poole, as they travel the world to find out everything they can about tackling the greatest writer of them all. Together they have directed and produced an inspiring film that aims to demystify and illuminate Shakespeare’s work for everyone: from actors, directors and students of all disciplines, right through to the? man on the street? Denmark with Jude Law, Baz Luhrmann in Hollywood, Prison in Berlin, and on the street with Mark Rylance. Think Shakespeare is boring? Think again!
Can one person really make a difference? This documentary explores the work of two non profits started by women in Recife, Brazil. Through their grassroots efforts, they help kids get off the streets and women break the cycle of domestic violence, to find a second chance.
Is sand an infinite resource? Can the existing supply satisfy a gigantic demand fueled by construction booms? What are the consequences of intensive beach sand mining for the environment and the neighboring populations?
James Baldwin was at once a major 20th century American author, a Civil Rights activist and, for two crucial decades, a prophetic voice calling Americans, black and white, to confront their shared racial tragedy.
WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES takes us on an up-close and personal journey, exploring the complex interactions between contemporary Tibetan Buddhism and western culture. The film goes in-depth to portray the experiences and insights of both teachers and practitioners in the US and around the world. Along the way, it illuminates the wide ranging dialogs taking place between Buddhist teachings and science, psychology, gender theory and the arts. The film creates a vivid and entertaining portrait of the world of Tibetan Buddhism, as it is manifesting in the West and asks the vital question - 'In these increasingly chaotic modern times, can these age old teachings help us to find genuine happiness and create a saner, more compassionate 21st century world?'
Hard Problems is about the extraordinary gifted students who represented the United States in 2006 at the world's toughest math competition: The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). It is the story of six American high school students who competed with 500 others from 90 countries in Ljublijana, Slovenia. The film shows the dedication and perseverance of these remarkably talented students, the rigorous preparation they undertake, and the joy they get out of solving challenging math problems. It captures the spirit that infuses the mathematical quest at the highest level.
FLYIN' CUT SLEEVES, completed in 1993, portrays street gang presidents in the Bronx. Their world was the streets, set against a backdrop of uprooted families, cultural alienation, drugs and violence. Neighborhood teenagers responded by organizing into street groups known to the members as "families", but labeled in the most alarming terms as violent gangs by the press. The documentation of these lives over a twenty-year period offers a remarkable perspective on life in the ghetto (spanning four generations), and the means that people devise to cope from the time that they are children to when they serve as parents and role models for a new generation.
The Roma, commonly referred to as Gypsies, have been both romanticized and vilified in popular culture. Dozens of Roma from 11 countries—including Holocaust survivors, historians, activists, and musicians--bring Romani history to life through poetry, music, and compelling first-hand accounts.