Documentary
The Boys of Baraka
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The Boys of Baraka

2005
In an experimental program to reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency, the city of Baltimore sent a group of 12-year-olds deemed "at risk" to a boarding school in Kenya, affording the boys the rare opportunity to turn their troubled lives around. Focusing on four of the youths, this compelling documentary follows the students as they struggle to overcome the obstacles of their past in their hopeful bid for a shot at a brighter future.

Directed by:

  • Heidi Ewing
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Independent's Day
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    Independent's Day

    1998
    At once enlightening, humorous and brutally honest, Marina Zenovich's documentary, which was originally broadcast on the Sundance Channel, explores the world of independent filmmaking by taking us behind the scenes at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. The film compiles interviews with the likes of Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith and festival head Robert Redford as it probes the many obstacles indie filmmakers faced in the mid-1990s.

    Directed by:

  • Marina Zenovich
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Two Horses of Genghis Khan
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    The Two Horses of Genghis Khan

    2009
    Carrying out a promise she made to her family, noted Mongolian musician Urna Chahar-Tugchi seeks out a renowned instrument maker to repair the cherished violin her grandmother was forced to smash during China's Cultural Revolution. Urna then sets out on a revelatory journey through Mongolia to recover the missing verses of "The Two Horses of Genghis Khan," an ancient song inscribed on the violin's neck. Byambasuren Davaa directs this documentary.

    Directed by:

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


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    Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
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    Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

    2012
    This documentary follows six teenagers who formed a skateboarding team in the 1980s, revitalizing the sport and becoming its top athletes: Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain and Rodney Mullen.

    Directed by:

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


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    50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs
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    50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs

    1999
    Including interviews with top statesmen from both sides, this comprehensive PBS documentary traces the course of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, from the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 to the 1993 Oslo Accords and beyond. Leaders such as Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat; generals and soldiers from both camps; and even Jimmy Carter, George Bush and Bill Clinton all share their perspective on this contentious conflict.

    Directed by:

  • Norma Pery
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children
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    Small Voices: The Stories of Cambodia's Children

    2008
    A revealing look at the difficult challenges street children in Cambodia face every day, this documentary chronicles the stories of Charam, Leakhena, Meng Ly, Layseng and Hov Nhagn, five youngsters struggling to overcome their illiteracy and poverty. This emotional tale of heartbreak and hope profiles how one local shelter, the Cambodian Children's Fund, works hard to help a population the rest of the country ignores.

    Directed by:

  • Heather E. Connell
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Life and Debt
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    Life and Debt

    2001
    Director Stephanie Black's documentary examines how policies of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other aid organizations have altered the Jamaican economy over the past 25 years, leaving the locals to struggle in poverty. Author Jamaica Kincaid narrates passages from her book on the topic, &NFi;A Small Place&NFi_;, with Belinda Becker to a reggae soundtrack that includes songs by Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Mutubaruka and Peter Tosh.

    Directed by:

  • Stephanie Black
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    What Are Dreams?: Nova
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    What Are Dreams?: Nova

    2009
    The stuff of dreams -- not just the content, but the circuitry and neurological coding, too -- is the subject of this penetrating "Nova" inquiry into the most mystifying of human activities. Researchers are taking a variety of investigative tacks, from "eavesdropping" on sleeping rats to methodical studies of thousands of dreams, in an effort to fill in the blanks of understanding. Their findings give tantalizing glimpses of the mind at rest.

    Directed by:

  • Charles Colville
  • Sarah Holt
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Ralph Nader: An Unreasonable Man
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    Ralph Nader: An Unreasonable Man

    2006
    Thought-provoking and revealing, this biographical documentary profiles the personal and professional life of Ralph Nader, one of America's most controversial consumer advocates and political activists. Interviews and archival footage help illuminate the career of an influential public figure whose willingness to take on big industry earned him a reputation as both a working-class hero and a public pariah.

    Directed by:

  • Henriette Mantel
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    American Photography: A Century of Images
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    American Photography: A Century of Images

    1999
    Photography has played an integral role in American history -- from the treasured family snapshot to Dorothea Lange's powerful images of the Great Depression to the front-page photo of man's footprints on the moon. This documentary explores its impact in America from 1900 to 1999 -- from the time everyday Americans could own cameras to photography's increasingly important role in shaping public opinion and its development as an art form.

    Directed by:

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


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    Arctic Tale
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    Arctic Tale

    2007
    Following the epic struggle of a tenacious young walrus and a polar bear, this saga of survival amid the rapidly changing Arctic wilderness comes from the creators of March of the Penguins and An Inconvenient Truth. Queen Latifah narrates the life journey of Seela the walrus and Nanu the polar bear, from birth through maturity and parenthood, where the cycle begins anew and they pass what they've learned to the next generation.

    Directed by:

  • Sarah Robertson
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Blindsight
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    Blindsight

    2006
    Six blind Tibetan teenagers set off on a gripping adventure as they attempt to climb the 23,000-foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. Considered cursed in Tibetan culture, blind children are often hidden away to live as pariahs. Determined to challenge that perception, the kids gear up for a demanding expedition led by climber Erik Weihenmayer -- the first blind man to scale Everest -- and learn some lessons about life along the way.

    Directed by:

  • Lucy Walker
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    What Darwin Never Knew: NOVA
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    What Darwin Never Knew: NOVA

    2009
    Travel to the Galapagos Islands and the Arctic, examine the dramatic increase in animal variety half a billion years ago and visit research labs to explore questions Darwin couldn't answer in this fascinating installment of "Nova." More than a century after the publication of Darwin's groundbreaking &NFi;On the Origin of Species&NFi_;, scientists in the exciting new field of "evo devo" have begun linking evolution to embryo development in unexpected ways.

    Directed by:

  • John Rubin
  • Rushmore DeNooyer
  • Serena Davies
  • Sarah Holt
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    My Reincarnation
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    My Reincarnation

    2011
    While fighting to preserve his spiritual legacy, a Tibetan spiritual master must also do battle with his own son, who has no interest in his destiny. The story that unfolds is a fascinating father-son conflict.

    Directed by:

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


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    The Persuaders: Frontline
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    The Persuaders: Frontline

    2004
    PBS's long-running television series "Frontline" examines the inner workings of advertising and public relations and the men and women -- dubbed "persuaders" -- whose job it is to influence the buying habits of today's consumers. See how they research the preferences of shoppers, pique their interest, entice them to part with their hard-earned money, and get their own messages across in an increasingly complicated and tech-savvy world.

    Directed by:

  • Barak Goodman
  • Rachel Dretzin
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Other City
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    The Other City

    2010
    In this illuminating documentary, director Susan Koch both examines the spread of AIDS through the neglected neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., and celebrates the grassroots activists devoted to helping those who suffer from the disease. As politicians in nearby halls of power ignore the plight of the afflicted, a mother, a recovering drug addict and others work against racism, poverty and other social injustices fueling the city's HIV epidemic.

    Directed by:

  • Susan Koch
    • 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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