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Fidel
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Fidel

2002
This documentary by director Estela Bravo takes a look at the political and social impact the immensely powerful Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has had on the world during the 40-plus years he's been in power. Through interviews with politicians (Nelson Mandela, Arthur Schlesinger), friends (Gabriel Garcia Marquez), and other cultural experts (Alice Walker), Fidel's personality and work are explored and discussed.

Directed by:

  • Estela Bravo
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Frontline: A Death in Tehran
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    Frontline: A Death in Tehran

    2009
    PBS's influential documentary series "Frontline" tackles a heartrending subject in this exploration of the death of Neda Agha Soltan, an Iranian woman killed while watching a protest of the controversial 2009 Iranian presidential election. Soltan's death was filmed on a camera phone and uploaded to the Internet, documenting the extent of the political turmoil in Iran and how new methods of communication are changing the way news is reported.

    Directed by:

  • Monica Garnsey
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Kicking It
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    Kicking It

    2008
    Filmmaker Susan Koch's touching documentary follows six homeless soccer players battling poverty and addiction as they prepare to compete in the Fourth Annual Homeless World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. Hailing from places as far reaching as Afghanistan, Kenya, Ireland, Spain, Russia and North Carolina, 500 dispossessed athletes use the level playing field of competitive sports to regain their dignity and transform their lives.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Koch
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Beyond Belief
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    Beyond Belief

    2006
    Two strangers, Patti Quigley and Susan Retik, formed a common bond in their grief when both lost their husbands on Sept. 11, 2001. This documentary chronicles how the two coped with their unimaginable loss, traveling to Afghanistan to meet women there who were also widowed by violence. Director Beth Murphy follows Quigley and Retik as they discover that they share a kinship with their Middle Eastern counterparts, even though they're worlds apart.

    Directed by:

  • Beth Murphy
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Body of War
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    Body of War

    2007
    Tomas Young left for Iraq a gung-ho soldier. He returned home paralyzed, struggling to deal with his physical limitations and his changing feelings about the war. This eye-opening documentary looks at the raging debate over the war in Iraq through the eyes of this courageous young hero who signed up for the military two days after Sept. 11, only to be sent to Iraq where a bullet shattered his life physically and emotionally.

    Directed by:

  • Phil Donahue
  • Ellen Spiro
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train
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    Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train

    2004
    Matt Damon narrates this documentary chronicling Howard Zinn's commitment to social change through archival materials, commentary from Zinn and interviews with contemporaries Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and Alice Walker, among others.

    Directed by:

  • Deb Ellis
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Mad Hot Ballroom
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    Mad Hot Ballroom

    2005
    Ballroom dancing goes from lame to cool for a group of New York City students in this insightful documentary, which follows a group of 11-year-olds as they learn to dance old-school styles including the merengue, rumba, tango, foxtrot and swing. Candid interviews capture the kids' initial reluctance at learning ballroom dance and their transformation into serious competitors determined to win a citywide competition.

    Directed by:

  • Marilyn Agrelo
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Frontline: The Released
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    Frontline: The Released

    2009
    Five years after their landmark documentary The New Asylums, filmmakers Karen O'Connor and Miri Navasky return to the Ohio prison system to chronicle the next chapter in the journey of mentally ill inmates: what happens when they leave prison. The film traces the stories of six mentally ill offenders who face daunting obstacles and slim odds as they struggle to transition from life behind bars to life on the outside.

    Directed by:

  • Karen O'Connor
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Harp Dreams
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    Harp Dreams

    2010
    Blythe Danner narrates this music-driven documentary about the prestigious USA International Harp Competition, a discriminating contest held every three years that attracts talented harpists from all over the world. With footage shot in the United States, Paris, Moscow and Zurich, Switzerland, the film follows a handful of young contenders all vying for the coveted grand prize: a lucrative recording contract and a priceless instrument.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Schwibs
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Frontline: Digital Nation
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    Frontline: Digital Nation

    2010
    Exploring how the Internet and digital media have completely transformed contemporary life, this fascinating installment of PBS's "Frontline" examines its effect on relationships, careers, daily life, education, the military and more. The documentary includes a unique interactive element, incorporating the stories of people who visited and posted to the Digital Nation Web site over the period of a year.

    Directed by:

  • Rachel Dretzin
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    A Model for Matisse
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    A Model for Matisse

    2005
    This charming documentary explores the friendship between legendary artist Henri Matisse and the woman who inspired him to create some of his best-loved works, Dominican nun Sister Jacques-Marie. The 83-year-old nun discusses her days as a model and muse for Matisse, including her role in what he considered his life's masterpiece: the paintings and stained-glass windows of the Chapel of the Rosary in the French Mediterranean village of Vence.

    Directed by:

  • Barbara F. Freed
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    All in This Tea
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    All in This Tea

    2007
    Few people know the fascinating history of tea growing and making. This intriguing documentary aims to change that by following renowned tea importer David Lee Hoffman as he scours the far-flung corners of China to find the richest teas on earth. Tea making is an art and tradition that goes back generations in the East, and Hoffman makes it his goal to bring to the rest of the world the exquisite teas produced by struggling small farmers.

    Directed by:

  • Les Blank
  • Gina Leibrecht
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    After Innocence
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    After Innocence

    2005
    With the emergence of DNA evidence, the justice system is seeing a wave of reversed criminal convictions. But what happens to those who are set free, sometimes decades after being imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit? Jessica Sanders takes a close look at some of these people in this gripping documentary that's both a harsh criticism of the current judicial system and a touching look at those profoundly affected by it.

    Directed by:

  • Jessica Sanders
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    The Corporation
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    The Corporation

    2003
    Filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott explore the genesis of the American corporation, its global economic supremacy and its psychopathic leanings, with social critics like Noam Chomsky and Milton Friedman lending insight in this documentary.

    Directed by:

  • Mark Achbar
  • Jennifer Abbott
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Chevolution
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    Chevolution

    2008
    This intriguing documentary charts the history of photographer Alberto Korda's iconic portrait of Argentinean revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, from the moment the picture was taken to its spread as an international symbol of rebellion. Using archival footage, filmmakers Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez take a fascinating look at how a single image helped galvanize a generation of counterculturists.

    Directed by:

  • Trisha Ziff
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    The Fall of Fujimori
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    The Fall of Fujimori

    2006
    Ellen Perry's true-life political thriller documents the reign of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, a man who ran on a ticket to fight poverty but whose rule was ultimately marked by violence, corruption and controversy. With promises to restore stability and crush terrorist insurgents, Fujimori won popular support -- and the 1990 election -- but his administration eventually dissolved under the weight of political abuses and scandal.

    Directed by:

  • Ellen Perry
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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