And Then There Were Four
The incidence of grandparents raising their grandchildren as primary caregivers has increased 30 percent since 2000. This film depicts such a situation as we see the daily life of a frail 77- year-old grandmother who is raising four grandsons aged 5-8. (more)
Critical
Condition
What happens when you're sick and uninsured? The unforgettable people
in this film discover that it can cost you your job, health, home, savings,
and even your life. Critical Condition puts an intimate human face
on America's growing health care crisis by chronicling the struggles of
a diverse group of uninsured Americans as they battle critical illness
over a two-year period. (more)
Prison Town, USA
In America, there are more people per capita in prison than any place
in the world and the sentences are longer than else where.This is the
story of a small California town that tried to revive its lagging economy
by building a prison -- with unanticipated consequences. (more)
Two Square Miles
When a proposed multinational coal-fired cement plant threatens to change
the character and possibly contribute environmental waste to the small
city of Hudson, N.Y., its citizens are galvanized into action. (more)
Adoption and Foster Care
And Then There Were Four
The incidence of grandparents raising their grandchildren as primary caregivers has increased 30 percent since 2000. This film depicts such a situation as we see the daily life of a frail 77- year- old grandmother who is raising four grandsons aged 5-8. (more)Aging Out
Navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for even the most mature and privileged youth. For three young people in New York and Los Angeles, making the transition to independent living is considerably more difficult as they "age out" of the foster care system. They suddenly discover that they¹re on their own for the first time. Aging Out chronicles the daunting obstacles that these veterans of foster care encounter as they are forced to fend for themselves. (more)End of the Line: Orphan Trains.
The poignant, depression-age story of abandoned children from big cities who were sent West to live and work with farm families. It was the idea of Charles Loring Brace, founder of the Children's Aid Society, as an alternative to institionalization. (more)Fallen Women.
Before the sexual revolution, women who got pregnant before marriage brought shame on themselves and their families. Often, they were pressured to give the babies up for adoption; the emotional ramifications were severe. (more)Hardwood: A Black Family's Story
Former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis fathered two sons. One was with a white woman with whom he was in love but felt he couldn't marry in the racial climate of the sixties. The other was with a black woman with whom he had an unhappy marriage. Hubert Davis, the film director, was the mixed-race son who for many years did not know his father. This film movingly explores the pain of sons growing up with an absent father and its effect on their mothers. (more)Little Brother, Little Sister
Some people have very big hearts! We meet an Australian couple who have adopted several Ethiopian orphaned children. We see how they help the children overcome the pain of their past as they adjust to a new country. (more)Precious Cargo.
Operation Babylift in 1975 helped thousands of South Vietnamese children to escape to America where they were adopted . Now in their mid -20's, the adoptees return to their birthplace in search of their roots. (more)The Struggle for Identity
This powerful video focuses on issues of race, culture and identity in families in which there have been transracial adoptions (more)Taken In
Almost half a million children in the United States are in foster care. They were taken from their parents who were deemed unfit to care for them. This is a sensitive exploration of the long term emotional and psychological costs of this policy. (more)When the Bough Breaks: Children of Mothers in Prison.
A sensitive study of the effect on children when their mothers are incarcerated. (more)Whose Child Is This?
After the Indian tribes were vanquished, the governments of the U.S. and Canada destroyed their cultures as well. For generations, youngsters were separated from their Indian parents and adopted by both well-meaning and exploitive adoptive families. This film reveals some of these complicated stories. (more)Why Can’t We Be A Family Again?
Shot over a three year period, this emotionally wrenching story reveals the bond that develops between two brothers who long to be reunited with their mother. Despite the neglect and disappointment they suffer, these extraordinary boys never give up hope that they will some day live with their mother and be a family again. This powerful new film chronicles the mother’s agonizing battle with crack addiction and the grandmother’s struggle to keep the family together. (more)
Criminal Justice
Drug Policy & Substance Abuse
Coca Mama.
Shows the disastrous effects of US drug policy on farmers in Bolivia and Colombia. (more)Dealing with Drugs
Is drug abuse a health problem or a criminal justice problem? This program shows how the drug problem is being addressed in four major cities: New York, Toronto, Amsterdam and Liverpool. (more)Drug Mules.
This film exposes the plight of poor, foreign-born women who are languishing in jail for carrying drugs into the United States. (more)A Family in Recovery
This is a portrait of a family deeply troubled by alcoholism but in denial. After a family tragedy they seek counseling, and each person finds new self esteem and confidence. (more)The Forbidden Plant: Hemp
Although hemp is used to make rope, paper and even food and oils, a war has been waged against the plant because of its drug properties. Yet there are thirty five maladies and symptoms on which marijuana has a beneficial effect. (more)My Friend Jenny: Portrait of An Addict.
Twenty-year-old Jennifer Wittberger, an attractive young woman from an affluent family, destroyed herself with her heroin addiction. Her story is told through the eyes of her best friend who was helpless to save Jenny. (more)Out of the Past.
This film shows that the adult children of alcoholics may be profoundly affected by the parent's illness. The need to confront and accept the pain of their childhood before living an emotionally healthy life. (more)Reefer Madness II.
This report, with David Suzuki,decries how the "war on drugs" has criminalized even the palliative use of marijuana. (more)Sister Helen
Sister Helen, a tough, 69-year-old Benedictine nun, runs the Travis Center, a clean and sober halfway house for recovering addicts and ex-convicts in the South Bronx, New York. (more)This Time, Next Time.
This film shows the frightening and irreversible effects that alcohol consumption can have on the brain. Educated, middle class people who think they are "social" drinkers may be, in fact, causing damage to the brain. (more)Vietnamese Miracle Cure.
A pilot program for curing drug addiction through the use of herbal medicine was developed by a doctor in Vietnam. We see astonishing recoveries. It is now being researched in the United States. (more)Eugenics
The Lynchburg Story
This haunting film tells the story of what happened at The Lynchburg Colony for the Epileptics and Feebleminded, in Virginia. Between 1927 and 1972, over 8,000 children were forcibly sterilized in an attempt to "purify the racial stock." Hitler's eugenics policy was inspired by this example, and its proponent was awarded an honorary doctorate in Germany in 1936. (more)Health Policy
Borderline Medicine.
This documentary compares the Canadian system of national health insurance with health-care delivery in the United States. It shows that although routine health care is more accessible in Canada, there are high technology procedures for which patients come to the United States. (more)Critical Condition
What happens when you're sick and uninsured? The unforgettable people in this film discover that it can cost you your job, health, home, savings, and even your life. Critical Condition puts an intimate human face on America's growing health care crisis by chronicling the struggles of a diverse group of uninsured Americans as they battle critical illness over a two-year period. (more)Health Care on the Critical List
This documentary shows that the attempt to contain medical costs can reduce hospital stays and unnecessary tests, but may compromise the quality of care. (more)What's Ailing Medicine?
This program looks at the human side of the health care crisis where millions of Americans lack insurance or are underinsured. (more)Who Lives, Who Dies?
Despite America's extraordinary medical resources, our health care system fails a large part of the population. While denying routine preventive care to millions, dying patients are often given expensive care they do not want. (more)Immigration
Agent Yellow
Agent Yellow is a powerful indictment of the U.S. government’s systematic prejudice against Chinese-American scientists. The film focuses on the mistreatment of Chinese scientists who contributed significantly to American military research, specifically describing the tragic cases of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and Dr. Tsien Hsue-Sher. (more)
The Guestworker
When President Bush and some members of Congress proposed guest worker programs as part of new immigration reform legislation, it was as though nothing like this had existed before. Yet since 1986, thousands of Mexican men have legally entered the United States to work here, because of the little known H-2A guestworker program (more)Out of Status
In post 9/11 America, civil liberties have been curtailed in the name of national security, and immigrants have been separated from their families. This film follows four families whose lives were permanently altered. (more)Rosevelt's America
After being tortured and narrowly escaping execution during Liberia's civil war, Rosevelt Henderson makes his way to America to start his life over again in a strange country. After years of struggle and deprivation, Rosevelt and his family are finally able to enjoy the prosperity and freedom that drew them to this country. (more)Walking the Line
Walking the Line offers a harrowing view of the chaos, absurdity and senseless deaths of Mexican illegals along the U.S. - Mexico border because some American citizens are taking the law into their own hands. (more)Whose Children Are These?
This film examines the harrowing experiences of three Muslim-American teenagers effected by Special Registration, a post-9/11 security measure.(more)Labor
At Your Service.
A look at attitudes towards service, such as waiters and salespeople, in four different Western countries, and how service is affected by class and culture. (more)Coal Wars
Documents a violent clash between miners and two giant coal companies in an isolated hollow of West Virginia over a decade ago. (more)The Future of Work
A provocative film based on the work of economist Jeremy Rifkin who foresees a calamity of global proportions as our workforce is marginalized by new technology. (more)The Guestworker
When President Bush and some members of Congress proposed guest worker programs as part of new immigration reform legislation, it was as though nothing like this had existed before. Yet since 1986, thousands of Mexican men have legally entered the United States to work here, because of the little known H-2A guestworker program (more)Occupation: The Harvard Living Wage Sit-Ins
In the last decades, colleges around the country have faced student protests over the wages paid maintenance employees. Harvard, the richest university in the world, is no exception. Students launched a peaceful protest and then a sit-in to win concessions. (more)The Rouge
The Ford motor plant in Detroit was the largest industrial complex in the world when it was built in 1918. This film traces the struggle of the United Auto Workers under Walter Reuther to improve the lot of the workers. (more)The Secret to Change by Millie Jeffrey.
A portrait of Millie Jeffrey, an indomitable activist for social change, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom by former President Clinton. (more)Standing Tall
This historical documentary chronicles the risky but successful effort of a few women working at Delta Pride Catfish to organize a union at their plant. The mostly black female workforce had worked in noisy and wet factories for minimum wage and without benefits. (more)Those Who Know Don't Tell.
This lively documentary traces the history of the struggle to rid the workplace of occupational hazards. Archival footage and interviews with labor activists and doctors make this a powerful discussion starter. (more)Tobacco Blues
Smoking has become a polarizing issue in America, with manufacturers health professionals, legislators, insurance companies and consumers embroiled in controversy. But a voice seldom heard is one central to the debate, that of the small American tobacco farmer. (more)Tobacco Money Feeds My Family
While tobacco related illnesses kill millions of people each year, for some, growing tobacco is their livelihood. Going beyond the moral debates, the film takes us on a journey into the world of tobacco farming families. (more)Waging A Living
Waging A Living chronicles the day-to-day battles of four low-wage earners struggling to make work pay their bills. Shot over a three-year period in the northeast and California, this observational documentary captures the dreams, frustrations and accomplishments of a diverse group of people who strain to live from paycheck to paycheck (more)Who Cares for the Children?
This award-winner addresses the concerns of working parents, the needs of both children and day-care providers, and the social risks of day-care shortage. (more)Lifestyles
The Amish: Not to be Modern
An exclusive portrait of a rarely-filmed religious community that separates itself from the world. It captures the day-to-day life of a people who have preserved their rural traditions. (more)Amish Riddle
This view of the Amish shows a dynamic people who have modified their rules so that they can prosper in commercial enterprises. Modern conveniences, such as telephones, that they shun at home they use in their businesses. (more)Slow Food Revolution
Traditional foods are at risk of disappearing forever, as a speed-obsessed world turns increasingly to fast foods. To counter this trend, there is an international movement known as Slow Food. (more)Voluntary Simplicity
Voluntary Simplicity is a movement founded in resistance to the overwhelming consumerism in our society. Its advocates reject material comforts for more spiritually rewarding, basic pleasures. (more)Where Have All the Children Gone?
Rural communities face a crisis as farms are abandoned and young people leave for cities where there is more opportunity. Hard economic realities could reduce whole regions to wasteland if preventive measures are not taken. (more)Where is My Future? Generation X
Many young people in their twenties face an uncertain future because of poor job prospects and emotional stress. This is a sobering look at this generation which will ultimately become the leaders of their country. (more)Poverty
BackWards to Back Streets
When the Supreme Court ruled that mental patients could not be kept in institutions against their will, it was assumed that there would be community support available. Instead, the newly released people ended up on the streets, impoverished and without help. (more)A Brooklyn Family Tale
This powerful documentary by Roger Weisberg (Sound and Fury) profiles the struggle of a family to raise teenage children in a troubled neighborhood in Brooklyn. Faced with violence, teenage pregnancy, truancy, and attempted suicide, the family is held together by the support of The Center for Family Life, a social service agency that has helped two generations. (more)Ending Welfare As We Know It.
This film follows six welfare mothers over the course of a year as they struggle to comply with new work requirements, find reliable child care, battle drug addiction and try to make ends meet in the new era of welfare reform. (more)It Was A Wonderful Life
The stories of six educated, articulate women who are among the "hidden homeless"; those who have lost a job, lost a home, and refuse to go to a shelter. (more)Making Welfare Work
This documentary examines the current wave of welfare reform in America. It looks at the effect of new legislation on people’s lives, searching for initiatives that have proven effective. (more)Michael Harrington and Today's Other America.
In 1962, Michael Harrington’s book The Other America was a groundbreaking study of poverty that was probably the driving force behind the "war on poverty." Archival footage and fascinating interviews explore why such poverty still exists despite a booming economy. (more)No Hunger in My Home
A portrait of one suburban community which took steps to alleviate and eradicate hunger when their neighbors were in need. (more)Our Children At Risk
This film examines why millions of today’s poor young children may fail to reach their full developmental potential and considers positive steps that may be taken to address this crisis. (more)Our Families, Our Future
Here is a portrait of the American family in crisis. Half of marriages now end in divorce, and 70% of children are brought up in single parent households. Yet there is a family support movement which is trying to solve social problems by strengthening families. (more)Shelter
Examines the causes of homelessness through moving interviews and portraits of the homeless. (more)Skid Road
Chronic alcoholism is rapidly destroying lives and slowly claiming the streets of our cities. This film examines the moral and political issues cities face in combating this growing problem. (more)Subway City.
Three and a half million people ride the New York subway system daily. This film explores this underground world in all its diversity. (more)Take It From Me: Life After Welfare
The stories of several women show that welfare reform has made the system less responsive to individual needs and circumstances.(more)Temporary Dwellings
A heartening look at a group of Seattle’s homeless community who took matters into their own hands and erected a series of large tattered tents, until the mayor finally provided a shelter. (more)Pornography, see Women
Religion & Society
Full Circle
One of the first films to show the revolutionary social experiment, the attempt to create sexual equality between men and women on the Israeli kibbutz. Through archival footage and interviews with several generations, the film follows the evolution of family life and work roles from pioneering days to the present. (more)Living for Tomorrow.
First-hand accounts of the pioneering women who settled the Israeli kibbutz.(more)Onward Christian Soldiers
The film follows the phenomenal growth and influence of the Christian Right, not only on American politics and diplomacy, but on American culture. (more)Our Lady's
This is the story of how one Boston suburban parish, energized by a dynamic leader, rose up against the powerful Church hierarchy to demand their voices be heard. Horrified and saddened by the revelations of child abuse and cover up they became a part of what's been called the first full-scale laity revolt in the history of the Catholic Church. (more)Rajneeshpuram
Tells the fascinating story of the controversial community founded in central Oregon by Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (more)Urban Issues
71 West Broadway
Like thousands of New Yorkers who lived downtown, the filmmaker witnessed close-up the horrific events of 9/11. She grabbed her video camera and documented what it was like to reconstruct one's living space and life after the devastating event (more)American Dreaming: Atlantic City’s Casino Gamble
This film traces the rise, the fall, and the current attempt to revitalize this famous resort city with gambling. The film raises disturbing public policy questions about the attempt to use gambling as a panacea for deep-seated urban problems (more)Annie: Street Orphan in New York
Street tough and very vulnerable, this young girl has honed her survival skills (more)
The Double Dutch Divas!
The Double Dutch Divas are women who have mastered the art of jumping and dancing double Dutch during their twenty years together. They are a sisterhood of diverse ages and talents; they inspire audiences here and abroad with their spirit of "can-do". (more)Heart Broken in Half
Based on Dwight Conquergood’s research, this documentary challenges stereotypes about street gangs in urban America, while revealing their underground culture. (more)High School of American Dreams
A portrait of the International High School in New York City where recent immigrants from 43 countries create the most multicultural classroom imaginable. The film shows how cultural and racial differences can be reconciled within an educational system. (more)Lavender Lake
South Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, opened in 1866, was once hailed as one of the shortest and most important waterways in the world. It is also one of the world’s dirtiest. With humor, the film shows how the community is trying to clean up the canal. (more)No Justice, No Peace
In the wake of civil unrest in Cincinnati, September 11, and escalating violence in the Mideast, four children of 1970s activists define their own roles in the fight for justice and equality. (more)Rebuilding of Mascot Flats
This is an inspiring story of a group of homeless people who renovate an abandoned building in New York’s Lower East Side in order to obtain an affordable place to live. They are helped by Habitat for Humanity. (more)Shelter
Examines the causes of homelessness through moving interviews and portraits of the homeless (more)A Sound Education
Dr. Chen Ho Yun teaches violin to ghetto kids in South Central, L.A.(more)South Central, L.A.
This documentary exposes issues of prejudice, racism and class as they affect the multicultural community of South Central. (more)Subway City
Three and a half million people ride the New York subway system daily. This film explores this underground world in all its diversity. (more)Temporary Dwellings
A heartening look at a group of Seattle’s homeless community who took matters into their own hands and erected a series of large tattered tents, until the mayor finally provided a shelter. (more)That Old Gang of Mine
Using archival footage and interviews, the filmmaker creates a multi-layered portrait of growing up in New York’s El Barrio in the ‘30s and ‘40s (more)Two Square Miles
When a proposed multinational coal-fired cement plant threatens to change the character and possibly contribute environmental waste to the small city of Hudson, N.Y., its citizens are galvanized into action. (more)Who Cares for the Children?
This award-winner addresses the concerns of working parents, the needs of both children and day-care providers, and the social risks of day-care shortage. (more)Violence and Sexual Abuse
Youth
Aging Out
Navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for even the most mature and privileged youth. For three young people in New York and Los Angeles, making the transition to independent living is considerably more difficult as they "age out" of the foster care system. They suddenly discover that they¹re on their own for the first time. Aging Out chronicles the daunting obstacles that these veterans of foster care encounter as they are forced to fend for themselves. (more)Beyond the Mirage
This film raises awareness about the cult phenomenon by introducing us to two former cult members who explain why the joined and how they broke away. (more)Colors Straight Up
An uplifting documentary about ghetto kids of South Central, L.A. who discover their talents and self dignity through "Colors United", a performing arts group created for inner city youth. (more)Green Chimneys
A film about three abused inner city boys who are given the opportunity to heal at a unique facility in rural New York. The philosophy at Green Chimneys is that troubled children can be "reached" through giving them responsibility to care for an animal. (more)Invisible Revolution
This disturbing documentary profiles a chilling subculture among American youth. Racist and "anti-racist" groups have been at war with each other, assaulting and even murdering one another to the consternation of their communities and the police.(more)The Last Dance -- Next Steps.
Six young men and women were filmed as they prepared for their high school prom, and then six years later as they reconcile their current lives with their former hopes and dreams. (more)My Friend Jenny: Portrait of An Addict.
Twenty-year-old Jennifer Wittberger, an attractive young woman from an affluent family, destroyed herself with her heroin addiction. Her story is told through the eyes of her best friend who was helpless to save Jenny. (more)Sex, Teens and Public Schools
Explores the conditions that have led to escalating rates of teen pregnancy and examines the role that public schools can play in stemming the tide of early and unwanted pregnancy. (more)Straight Up Rappin'
This compelling documentary is about rap as it is declaimed in the streets of New York, straight up -- without music. It expresses the political consciousness of a generation of disadvantaged young people. (more)Talk 16 and Talk 19
Five sixteen-year-old girls were interviewed and filmed at home, in school, at work and with friends. They were filmed again three years later. What emerges is an insightful portrait of growing up female (more)Tough Love
Looks at a strict rehabilitation program that confronts delinquent young people with physical and emotional challenges. It works for some, but others drop out. (more)Where is My Future? Generation X
Many young people in their twenties face an uncertain future because of poor job prospects and emotional stress. This is a sobering look at this generation which will ultimately become the leaders of their country. (more)Who Cares for the Children?
This award-winner addresses the concerns of working parents, the needs of both children and day-care providers, and the social risks of day-care shortage. (more)
