Documentary
Left Lane: On the Road with Folk Poet Alix Olson
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Left Lane: On the Road with Folk Poet Alix Olson

2005
In this intimate documentary, you'll tag along with fiery folk poet and progressive lesbian activist Alix Olsen as she and filmmaker Samantha Farinella -- who's also Alix's tour manager -- hit the road. Stopping in such places as Lincoln, Neb., and Charlotte, N.C., Alix delivers dynamic performances and champions the fight for independent thinking and tolerance. Also included are insightful interviews with her feisty grandmother and mom.

Directed by:

  • Samantha Farinella
    • rating:3.0.png 3.0 Average Rating


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    The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island
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    The Rainbow Warriors of Waiheke Island

    2009
    In this politically charged documentary, survivors of the 1985 attack on the Greenpeace ship the &NFi;Rainbow Warrior&NFi_; recount the vessel's history and its key role in increasing public awareness of nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific. What began as a "rusty old ship" became a symbol of Greenpeace's environmental activism -- and eventually attracted the attention of the French secret service.

    Directed by:

  • Suzanne Raes
    • rating:3.0.png 3.0 Average Rating


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    Bird
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    Bird

    2006
    In this entry in the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness series, Martin Sheen narrates an amazing look at the world of birds, from their prehistoric past to their evolution into the thousands of different feathered creatures that live today. Stunning footage of birds in the wild reveals how these winged wonders have evolved -- and thrived -- in every part of the world, whether they fly, swim or run.

    Directed by:

  • Alisa Robbins
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    Motherland
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    Motherland

    2008
    Six women, who have all suffered the death of a child, set out on a mission to help poor children in rural South Africa. As they interact with kids and share their feelings with each other, the women begin to discover hope and experience healing. This character-driven documentary profiles the compelling stories of paramedic Debbi, actress Helena, volunteer Anne, suburban mom Kathy, nursing student Barbara and college student Lauren.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Steinman
    • rating:3.0.png 3.0 Average Rating


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    Full Frame: Documentary Shorts
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    Full Frame: Documentary Shorts

    1999
    Full Frame, a highly selective documentary film festival chaired by none other than the iconic Martin Scorsese, is now releasing highlights from its collection of shorts. Catch the work of a diverse group of filmmakers, from recent film school grads to veterans such as Mira Nair (who directed Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala).

    Directed by:

  • Mira Nair
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    The Young and the Dead
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    The Young and the Dead

    2001
    An entertaining documentary about the enterprising world of undertaking. The grave business of tending to the dead took a lively turn in Los Angeles recently when a cemetery in decline was revamped. The Hollywood Memorial Cemetery was a decaying burial ground until it was modernized -- with interactive features, touch-screen kiosks and even a gift shop -- and turned into the Hollywood Forever, a popular new tourist hot spot.

    Directed by:

  • Shari Springer Berman
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    The Angola 3: Black Panthers and the Last Slave Plantation
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    The Angola 3: Black Panthers and the Last Slave Plantation

    2008
    This startling film exposes how speaking out against prisoner abuse led the Angola 3 -- Robert King Wilkerson, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox -- to be unjustly convicted of murder and forced to spend over three decades in solitary confinement. Featuring interviews with activists such as Geronimo Pratt, the documentary chronicles the trio's ongoing struggle for prisoners' rights while incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.

    Directed by:

  • Scott Crow
  • Ann Harkness
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    The Pervert's Guide to Cinema
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    The Pervert's Guide to Cinema

    2006
    Philosopher and culture critic Slavoj Zizek dissects the hidden messages embedded in cinema classics from the likes of David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock and the Marx brothers in this compelling documentary directed by Sophie Fiennes. Against the backdrop of iconic movie locales and replica sets, Zizek probes filmmakers' appeal to deep-seated human fears, the role of fantasy in sexual relations and the interplay between illusion and reality.

    Directed by:

  • Sophie Fiennes
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    Family Portrait in Black and White
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    Family Portrait in Black and White

    2011
    Sixteen black orphans adopted by Olga Nenya struggle against racism in the Ukraine. Constantly on guard against overtly racist neighbors and skinheads, the kids look to their own inner strength and the help of Westerners to attain a brighter future. Tensions rise when a European couple offers to adopt one of the children, an offer that Olga resists as she attempts to bravely hold her family together.

    Directed by:

  • Julia Ivanova
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    Cinévardaphoto
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    Cinévardaphoto

    2004
    How potent is the power of a picture? Filmmaker Agnès Varda asks this question and attempts to answer it in three separate vignettes. In the first, a female artist, Ydessa, collects photographs of teddy bears. But why? Next, the director examines her snapshots from the 1950s, taking a step back in time. The final short captures Cuba after the revolution, full of possibilities and on the brink of otherness.

    Directed by:

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    2012: The Odyssey
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    2012: The Odyssey

    2008
    Some believe that the Mayan calendar will end in December 2012 -- and the world with it. In a departure from ubiquitous doomsday predictions, this documentary explores the metaphysical reasons for modern humankind's fascination with apocalypse. Host and new age writer Sharron Rose travels the country, interviewing spiritualists such as José Arguelles, Gregg Braden and John Major Jenkins about the furor over the prediction and what it means.

    Directed by:

  • Sharron Rose
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe
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    Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe

    1995
    Science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke hosts this program in which highly respected scientific experts travel the globe seeking the truth behind mythical creatures, ancient legends and hair-raising rituals. They'll take you beyond the realms of the known world and into the mysterious, fantastic universe of ghosts, UFOs, zombies, unexplained disappearances and much, much more.

    Directed by:

  • Fiona Greig
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating
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    Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating

    2004
    Crazy Legs Conti -- a man who would (and did) eat his way out of an 8-foot box of popcorn to promote a movie -- is the subject of this documentary about the world of competitive eating. Following Conti on his journey from passionate fan to serious contestant on the competitive eating circuit, the film reveals a fascinating subculture dominated by capacious-stomached giants like Mo Ribs, Crawfish Nick and Cooke Jarvis.

    Directed by:

  • Danielle Franco
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    A Father ... a Son ... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
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    A Father ... a Son ... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    2005
    Aiming her camera lens at Oscar winners Kirk and Michael Douglas, Academy Award-winning actress and filmmaker Lee Grant captures an extraordinary portrait of a father and son whose lives have intersected as frequently as they've diverged. Relying on candid interviews with the actors as well as conversations with their family and friends, Grant also incorporates film clips to illustrate examples of their parallel lives.

    Directed by:

  • Lee Grant
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    American Mullet
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    American Mullet

    2001
    Documentarian Jennifer Arnold hit the streets of America to see how people really feel about the mullet -- the 1980s short-on-top, long-in-back hairstyle (also known as "the ape drape" and "hockey hair," among other things). The results are hilarious and reveal that there are champions of this oft-maligned style in more American backwaters than you might expect.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Arnold
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


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    Summercamp!
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    Summercamp!

    2006
    Break out the s'mores for this engaging documentary chronicling several weeks in the lives of campers and counselors at Wisconsin's Swift Nature Camp, including youthful rites of passage such as campfire sing-alongs and the poignancy of first love. Anyone who's been to summer camp will recognize the dramas as they unfold, from dealing with fear and homesickness to forging new friendships with campers and counselors.

    Directed by:

  • Sarah Price
    • rating:2.9.png 2.9 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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