Documentary
Deadline
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Deadline

2004
On January 11, 2003, in a gesture rare in the annals of jurisprudence, outgoing Illinois governor George Ryan granted clemency to all 156 inmates on the state's death row. Death sentences previously imposed on almost all the inmates automatically became sentences to "life in prison without the possibility of parole." This documentary addresses the literal issue of "life and death" that Ryan faced and how he came to make his historic decision.

Directed by:

  • Katy Chevigny
  • Kirsten Johnson
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Blood, Sweat & Cheers
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    Blood, Sweat & Cheers

    2009
    In the small cheerleading-crazy town of Burlington, Mass., girls start training at age 7 to master the acrobatic sport. Their dedication has generated many national championships, but will this year's crop measure up to their sisters' achievements? Filmmakers Al Ward and Laura Molta explore the price and glory of being the best in this adrenaline-pumping documentary, which culminates in a breathless two-and-a-half-minute showdown at nationals.

    Directed by:

  • Laura Molta
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election
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    Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election

    2002
    Filmmakers Joan Sekler and Richard Ray Perez rehash the dramatic events of the 2000 presidential election, exposing a chain of incidents they claim led up to the battle for the presidency in Florida and the undermining of democracy in America. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this revealing documentary examines an allegedly suspicious pattern of irregularities, injustices and voter purges -- all in a state governed by the winning candidate's brother.

    Directed by:

  • Richard Ray Perez
  • Joan Sekler
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Crips and Bloods: Made in America
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    Crips and Bloods: Made in America

    2008
    Through archival footage and first-person accounts from members of both factions, filmmaker Stacy Peralta's riveting documentary examines the culture of the infamous Los Angeles street gangs known as the Crips and the Bloods. Probing the deadly rivalry's genesis, Peralta explores the late 1960s conditions that have given rise to decades of bloodshed and heartache for generations of black Angelenos.

    Directed by:

  • Stacy Peralta
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    This Is What Democracy Looks Like
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    This Is What Democracy Looks Like

    2000
    Narrated by Susan Sarandon and Michael Franti, this powerful documentary recounts the story of more than 100 activists who gathered to promote economic justice and turned cameras on police during the 1999 World Trade Organization summit in Seattle. During a days-long massive demonstration, violent clashes with the cops were broadcast by news outlets around the world as the protestors shut down the WTO.

    Directed by:

  • Rick Rowley
  • Jill Friedberg
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Forgiving Dr. Mengele
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    Forgiving Dr. Mengele

    2006
    During the Holocaust, Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, were selected for a series of horrifying genetic experiments at the hands of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. Ironically, because of these experiments, the girls were able to survive Auschwitz; much of their family did not. In this documentary, Kor returns to Auschwitz on a quest to heal her wounds with an astonishing and controversial act of forgiveness.

    Directed by:

  • Bob Hercules
  • Cheri Pugh
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    America: The Story of Us
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    America: The Story of Us

    2010
    Experience American history like never before with this television miniseries, narrated by Liev Schreiber, that highlights such momentous events as the arrival of the Pilgrims, the American Revolution, the Civil War and the incredible lunar landing.

    Directed by:

  • Nick Green
  • Marion Milne
  • Andrew Chater
  • Jenny Ash
  • Clare Beavan
  • Renny Bartlett
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
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    The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

    2005
    This poignant documentary chronicles the true story of a modern-day St. Francis of Assisi, a homeless San Francisco street musician by the name of Mark Bittner who adopts a flock of wild parrots as he searches for meaning in his life. With a surprise ending that left festival audiences cheering, director Judy Irving's film celebrates urban wildness -- human and avian -- and links parrot antics to human behavior.

    Directed by:

  • Judy Irving
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    NOW on PBS: Fixing the Future
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    NOW on PBS: Fixing the Future

    2010
    Actor David Brancaccio leads an exploration of new opportunities in the wake of 2008's financial meltdown. From Maine to Washington State, Brancaccio shares stories of regular Americans reinventing their way out of the Great Recession, including leaders of cooperatives, entrepreneurs, and activists committed to buying and hiring locally. Nobel Prize winners and economists also offer reflections on this new era's challenges.

    Directed by:

  • Ellen Spiro
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Ground Truth
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    The Ground Truth

    2006
    Director Patricia Foulkrod's powerful documentary spotlights American soldiers sharing -- with aching honesty -- their experiences on the battlefield in Iraq and back home as they try to reassemble their lives. These men and women discuss the anguish of war, the difficulties of readjusting to life after their tours of duty and the often callous treatment returning troops receive from the military and the Veterans Administration.

    Directed by:

  • Patricia Foulkrod
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Chuck Jones: Extremes and in Betweens, a Life in Animation
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    Chuck Jones: Extremes and in Betweens, a Life in Animation

    2000
    This "Great Performances" biography examines the life works of one of Hollywood's most celebrated animators, Chuck Jones -- best known for the Warner Brothers cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig and the Road Runner. Featured are behind-the-scenes descriptions of how an animated film is made, plus clips from Jones's most endearing and enduring cartoons.

    Directed by:

  • Margaret Selby
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Children of Leningradsky
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    The Children of Leningradsky

    2005
    Nominated for an Academy Award, this gut-wrenching 2004 documentary examines the plight of homeless youngsters who've made Moscow's Leningradsky train station their sanctuary. While post-Cold War Russia rises as an industrial and economic power, its children continue falling through the cracks into a chasm engulfed by drugs, violence, sexual predators and the soul-killing dance of survival played out on the streets.

    Directed by:

  • Andrzej Celinski
  • Hanna Polak
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Story of the Weeping Camel
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    The Story of the Weeping Camel

    2003
    This unique documentary follows a Mongolian camel that's rejected her newborn white colt. Now, all hope lies with two young shepherd boys, who must travel across the Gobi desert to find a healing musician. Will the violinist's ritual do the trick? This Oscar-nominated film moves beyond its narrative structure to offer a keenly observed portrait of nomadic herders who are preserving an ancient way of life.

    Directed by:

  • Byambasuren Davaa
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Manufactured Landscapes
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    Manufactured Landscapes

    2007
    More than a simple portrait of an artist, this documentary about celebrated photographer Edward Burtynsky is also an examination of industrialization and globalization. Known for finding strange beauty in large industrial vistas, Burtynsky searches for great shots on trips to China and Bangladesh. In contrast to his seemingly impersonal aesthetic, the film focuses on individuals, revealing the dreariness and dangers of industrial work.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Baichwal
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Cat Ladies
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    Cat Ladies

    2009
    One constructs a shrine to a dearly departed feline friend. Another opens her home to more than 100 of them. These are just two of the eccentric characters in this quirky cinema vérité-style documentary about "cat ladies." Turning a compassionate lens on four feline-friendly gals, filmmaker Christie Callan-Jones goes beyond cat lady stereotypes to explore the emotional needs that drive the deep connections between these women and their cats.

    Directed by:

  • Christie Callan-Jones
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Ashtanga, NY
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    Ashtanga, NY

    2003
    Yoga enthusiasts take their practice to a higher level in this fitness documentary that reveals the power of Ashtanga, a high-energy regimen that works the mind, body and soul and promotes strength and healing. Filmed around the same time that tragedy struck the city of New York on September 11, 2001, Ashtanga, NY shows how yogis and other practitioners helped a populace find peace during a terrible and taxing time for the city's denizens.

    Directed by:

  • Caroline Laskow
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 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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