Documentary
The Carter Family: Will the Circle be Unbroken: American Experience
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The Carter Family: Will the Circle be Unbroken: American Experience

2005
Decades ago, The Carter Family changed the face of folk music and lifted the spirit of the nation by singing tunes that gave voice to the struggles of everyday Americans during the soul-weary Depression years. Discover their roots and learn how this influential group managed to capture the imaginations of music lovers throughout the nation. This documentary features interviews with such artists as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

Directed by:

  • Kathy Conkwright
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Shelter Dogs
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    Shelter Dogs

    2003
    Each day, hundreds of thousands of stray and unwanted dogs are born around the world. How society should care for these homeless animals -- many of whom end up at animal shelters -- is a controversial topic with significant humanitarian and public health implications. Filmed over the course of three years, this award-winning documentary provides a fresh, provocative look at the complex, morally ambiguous world of animal sheltering.

    Directed by:

  • Cynthia Wade
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
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    Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives

    1977
    First released in 1977, this landmark documentary chronicles the experiences of some two dozen gay and lesbian Americans living throughout the country during the early days of the gay rights movement. Directed by a coalition of gay and lesbian filmmakers, the movie features interviews with poet Elsa Gidlow, activist Harry Hay and others who reflect candidly on growing up in a country that was still deeply and almost uniformly anti-gay.

    Directed by:

  • Nancy Adair
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Right to Exit: Kevorkian
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    Right to Exit: Kevorkian

    2004
    Determined to help people die with dignity, Dr. Jack Kevorkian refused to conceal or halt his participation in assisted suicides until the government stopped him with a 1999 murder conviction. This film chronicles his struggles. Through interviews with key players in the trial as well as a prison phone chat with Kevorkian himself, director Anna Terean provides an illuminating study of both the doctor and the politics of euthanasia.

    Directed by:

  • Anna Terean
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Abel Raises Cain
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    Abel Raises Cain

    2005
    After launching a phony crusade to clothe animals using the slogan "A nude horse is a rude horse," Alan Abel ended up on the front pages of newspapers across America. He became a legendary professional prankster -- and the nightmare of reporters everywhere. In this touching and amusing documentary, Abel's daughter, Jenny, turns a critical lens on her father to reveal the truth behind his gleeful exploitation of the media's gullibility.

    Directed by:

  • Jeff Hockett
  • Jenny Abel
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Neshoba: The Price of Freedom
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    Neshoba: The Price of Freedom

    2008
    Forty-some years after the Klu Klux Klan killing of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Miss., the mastermind of the slaughter is indicted for murder -- and filmmakers Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano are there to document what comes next. Following Edgar Ray Killen from indictment through trial, the filmmakers juxtapose Killen's words with those of the victims' families and the community to illuminate the scars of a racist past.

    Directed by:

  • Micki Dickoff
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    The Heretics
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    The Heretics

    2009
    Tracing the history of the Heresies Collective, a group that published a feminist journal of art and politics from 1977 to 1992, this compelling documentary examines its role as an influential part of the broader women's movement. Hundreds of the group's members went on to become accomplished artists of all stripes, and many of them discuss the work they did during those transformative decades for women.

    Directed by:

  • Joan Braderman
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Absolute Wilson
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    Absolute Wilson

    2006
    This provocative documentary from Katharina Otto pays homage to famed stage designer Robert Wilson, who overcame childhood learning disabilities growing up in Waco, Texas, and rose to become one of the most respected avant-garde artists in late 1960s New York. As much a tale of social injustice as a portrait of an artist, this mix of interviews and live performance is testimony to how Wilson's early challenges influenced his creative expression.

    Directed by:

  • Katharina Otto
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Phyllis and Harold
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    Phyllis and Harold

    2008
    Most people know the story of how their parents met. But for better or worse, filmmaker Cindy Kleine digs even deeper to expose every aspect of her parents' 59-year marriage, revealing touching details and a few painful family secrets. Mixing on-camera interviews with archival photos and creative animation, Kleine's candid documentary looks at the evolution of a dissonant union -- and the harsh truth about love.

    Directed by:

  • Cindy Kleine
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Enlighten Up!
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    Enlighten Up!

    2008
    Armed with the belief that yoga can positively transform anyone's life, documentarian Kate Churchill tracks journalist Nick Rosen's investigation into the ancient discipline, which launches the yoga cynic on a journey halfway around the world. Searching for the true meaning of yoga, Rosen meets a variety of yogis, devotees and gurus who espouse widely different views on the purpose and significance of the age-old practice.

    Directed by:

  • Kate Churchill
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Jesus Camp
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    Jesus Camp

    2006
    This riveting Oscar-nominated documentary offers an unfiltered look at a revivalist subculture in which devout Christian youngsters are being primed to deliver the fundamentalist community's religious and political messages. Building an evangelical army of tomorrow, the Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, N.D., is dedicated to deepening the preteens' spirituality and sowing the seeds of political activism.

    Directed by:

  • Heidi Ewing
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Luckey
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    Luckey

    2008
    Paralyzed sculptor-architect Tom Luckey employs his architect son, Spencer Luckey, to help him finish the design and installation of a multilevel children's play structure, which he started prior to his life-altering accident. In 2005, Luckey fell through a window at the top of a three-story building, and although he's paralyzed from the neck down, his fate does not derail the determination he has to finish his trademark masterwork.

    Directed by:

  • Laura Longsworth
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    30 for 30: The House of Steinbrenner
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    30 for 30: The House of Steinbrenner

    2010
    Yankees owner George Steinbrenner proved to be as iconic to the team as its pinstripes. Through all the ups and downs of his reign, "the Boss" managed to link the legends and legacy of Yankees past to Yankees present.

    Directed by:

  • Barbara Kopple
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    The Yes Men
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    The Yes Men

    2003
    This humorous documentary monitors the exploits of a group of jokester liberals who make names for themselves as they mimic members of the World Trade Organization at various venues across the globe. The absurd facade gets started when two members of The Yes Men create a web site that looks quite similar to the WTO site, resulting in the group being invited to high-level meetings and being mistaken for WTO officials.

    Directed by:

  • Dan Ollman
  • Sarah Price
  • Chris Smith
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
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    The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls

    2009
    Trace the fascinating lives of New Zealand's provocative music and comedy duo Jools and Linda Topp through this enjoyable documentary, which details the lesbian twins' rural upbringing, political activism and immense popularity at home and abroad. Featuring hilarious interviews with several of the sisters' most outrageous alter egos, this joyous celebration also includes brilliant insights into New Zealand's history.

    Directed by:

  • Leanne Pooley
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


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    Patrick
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    Patrick

    2004
    Liam Neeson narrates this absorbing docudrama about St. Patrick. Shot in the Emerald Isle and featuring commentary by best-selling author Frank McCourt, the film chronicles the 5th-century saint's life from his meager beginnings to his rise as a Catholic revolutionary who helped synthesize Christianity and Celtic tradition. The film also explores the facts behind the colorful religious icon's worldwide popularity.

    Directed by:

  • Pamela Mason Wagner
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 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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