2010
new releases
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A triptych of film essays exploring the photographic medium, Cinevardaphoto is a wonderfully potent and incisive work from Agnes Varda, director of The Beaches of Agnes and The Gleaners and I, who began her career as a photographer before turning to film.
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The incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars was found in the desert of Uzbekistan develops into a larger exploration of how art survives in times of oppression. A fascinating documentary about a group of visionary artists and one man who risked his life to rescue their work.
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Subjects: Latin American Studies, Political Science
When a young Fidel Castro rescued his friend, Father Llorente, from drowning, he said it was a miracle and prayed to the Virgin Mary. Gabriel Garcia Marquez once gave Castro a copy of Stoker's Dracula which kept him up all night. A witty, engaging collection of personal anecdotes offers new insight into the Cuban leader.
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Deep in the Amazon rainforest, three cities form a unique triple border between three South American countries: Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Beautifully photographed, Lands examines the impact of borders, commerce and urbanization on the lives of the local and indigenous population as well as the surrounding ecology.
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Subjects: African American Studies, American Studies, Sociology, Urban Studies >>
Beyond Babyland seeks to understand the causes behind the troubling rate of infant mortality in African-American communities while introducing us to the people and organizations working tirelessly to turn around this tide.
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In the age of Photoshop, Typeface explores the centuries-old tradition of hand-making wood type and the role it played in American graphic design. The latest documentary from award-winning production company Kartemquin Films, Typeface further examines the surprising resurgence of this analog craft in a digital age.
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Subjects: African Studies, Environmental Studies, Political Science, Media Studies >>
An award-winning documentary, Sweet Crude examines the humanitarian, environmental and economic devastation caused by 50 years of oil extraction in Nigeria's Niger Delta. Filmmaker Sandy Cioffi - imprisoned by the Nigerian military during the shoot and released only after an international outcry - uncovers an international web of oil politics, big business and media manipulation.
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On a small island in central Russia, inside a former monastery converted into a high security prison, inmate Boris Bezotechestvo is serving a life sentence in solitary confinement. This startling documentary chronicles one day in his life, advancing a complex and troubling assessment of crime and punishment.
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Subjects: Native American Studies, Gay & Lesbian Studies, Anthropology, American Studies >>
An exploration of gender and sexuality in Native American culture, Two Spirits interweaves the story of the life and brutal murder of a Navajo teenager with the largely unknown history of the 'two-spirit' tradition - the acceptance, even celebration, among indigenous cultures of people with both masculine and feminine traits.
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Subjects: American Studies, Art History, Urban Studies, Media Studies, Architecture >>
From fugitives to gallery artists to darlings of corporate America, SprayMasters profiles four prominent graffiti writers who trace the unique history of graffiti over these past three decades, discussing its meaning, relevance, global reach and impact on art, fashion and advertising.
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A beautifully rendered portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care and child abuse. Winner of multiple awards, October Country intimately examines the forces that unsettle the working poor and the violence that lurks beneath the surface of American life.
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Subjects: Anthropology, Cultural Studies
An extraordinary and exquisite work of anthropology, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rolf de Heer, Twelve Canoes paints a vivid portrait of the people, history, culture and place of the Yolngu people whose homeland is the Arafura Swamp of north-central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia.
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Subjects: Anthropology, Asian Studies, Women's Studies, Human Sexuality, Cultural Studies >>
A fascinating documentary on the unique sexual culture of the Mosuo people, a small minority situated in the southwest of China, and one of the last remaining matriarchal societies in the world. The Fall of Womenland explores their history and present reality as well as the dangers that threaten their inherited way of life.
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Most of us rarely think twice about being able to buy a fruit or vegetable at any time of year or season. Campesinos... We Will Inherit the Earth profiles three children in Central America whose farming families are responsible for sustainably growing products that are everyday staples in our society - and are available every day.
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Subjects: Women's Studies, American Studies
Every year, mothers from all over America leave their families and homes behind (albeit briefly) to compete in the "Mother of the Year" pageant - in the hope of becoming the reigning representative of American motherhood. A surprising documentary that both explodes and reinforces feminist ideals.
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For countless generations, Western ranchers have ranged their animals on public lands. An extraordinarily beautiful, critically-acclaimed documentary, Sweetgrass follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture.
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For generations, Cairo has relied on the Zabelleen or "garbage people" to collect the city's trash - resulting in the world's most efficient recycling program. A multiple award-winning documentary, Garbage Dreams considers the environmental and social repercussions when the city suddenly decides to outsource their trade to multinational waste disposal companies.
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