Examine the lives of eight extraordinary women who define the courage and spirituality it takes to lead a life of the sea. A Big Wave Surfer, a Freediver, a Midwife, a scientist, a fourteen years old surfing prodigy, even a Cliff Diver.
In the early 1970s a young guitarist from Austin, Texas began to make his name on the local blues circuit, committed to a musical form many thought outdated. A decade on, that same guitarist became an international superstar. A player of passion, energy and awe-inspiring technical virtuosity, Stevie Ray Vaughan not only brought the blues heritage of his home state to a global audience, he reinvigorated the genre itself, introducing it to a new generation of listeners in the process. This film reveals and dissects the formative years of Stevie Ray Vaughan's career; his influences, his first recordings and the bands with whom he honed his craft and traces the history of Texas blues itself, identifying Vaughan's place within this larger tradition. It is the journey of both a musical form and the single-minded musician who brought it firmly back into the spotlight after decades of neglect.
Using rare archive, live and studio footage and brand new interviews with many of those who worked with Van across the decade covered by this program, a rare glimpse into the world of this very private musician, performer and writer is revealed - one that many fans of his music may find both surprising and enlightening.
Through the first province-wide First Nations Spelling Bee in Saskatchewan, a group of students have an opportunity to compete against the nation’s best at the Toronto finals.
It’s 1984 and Venice Beach, CA, is at the epicenter of a pop culture explosion. Young people of color seeking refuge from the turmoil of inner city life flock to the eclectic ocean community to create a brand new phenomenon: roller dancing! The talent and vibrant personality of this multicultural roller ‘family’ draws massive crowds and influence Hollywood. But just as roller dancing flourishes, politics, money and gentrification conspire to take their dreams away.
Gil Cardinal searches for his natural family and an understanding of the circumstances that led to his becoming a foster child. An important figure in the history of Canadian Indigenous filmmaking, Gil Cardinal was born to a Métis mother but raised by a non-Indigenous foster family, and with this auto-biographical documentary he charts his efforts to find his biological mother and to understand why he was removed from her. Considered a milestone in documentary cinema, it addressed the country’s internal colonialism in a profoundly personal manner, winning a Special Jury Prize at Banff and multiple international awards.
A documentary about Cairo Jazz Festival's Amr Salah and his struggle every year to bring people and arts together in a country where 70% of people are under 30 and the Officials do not care about culture too much.
Witness volunteers from the U.S. Army’s most elite ceremonial unit take on the intense training cycle at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Journey with the ‘New Men’ as they progress through a 9 month gauntlet of instruction, correction, and the endless pursuit of perfection. Watch as these soldiers are exposed to the rich history and honorable traditions of the brotherhood of Sentinels who guard the Tomb, as they learn what it means to protect our Nation’s Patriots amidst America’s most hallowed grounds.
In the late 1970s, a stranger named R.C. Christian arrived in the sleepy town of Elberton, Georgia and ordered the construction of a very imposing granite monument. Since 1980, the mystery of the true identity and purpose of R.C. Christian has fascinated all who visit or even know about The Georgia Guidestones. This documentary explores the project, those involved, and most importantly, R.C. Christian himself.
Finding unexpected beauty in the discarded and decayed, photographer Rosamond Purcell has developed an oeuvre of work that has garnered international acclaim, graced the pages of National Geographic and over 20 published books, and has enlisted admirers such as Jonathan Safran Foer, Errol Morris and Stephen Jay Gould. AN ART THAT NATURE MAKES details Purcell’s fascination with the natural world—from a mastodon tooth to a hydrocephalic skull—offering insight into her unique way of recontextualizing objects both ordinary and strange into sometimes disturbing but always breathtaking imagery.
Lloyd Daniels was one of the most gifted basketball players ever to emerge from New York City. He was born in Brooklyn in 1967 and grew up in the poorest neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens. His mother died when he was three, and his father deserted the family, leaving Lloyd an orphan to be raised by his two grandmothers. Virtually unsupervised, Lloyd learned early-on how to hustle to survive. Hustling came easy for him because he was a charming and likable kid. He still hustles to this day.