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American Impressionists
and Realists: In Search of the New In the period between the Civil War and World War I America underwent great social and technological change. This lively documentary combines fascinating archival film footage and photographs as well as beautifully shot images of paintings to portray this vibrant era of American history and the response to it of many important American artists. |
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Andrew Lytle: The
Steady Sense of Time This delightful biographical portrait profiles one of the South's greatest 20th-century literary figures. |
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The Beach This exceptional documentary portrays the history of San Francisco's North Beach in the 1950s, focusing on the artists, writers, and "Beat" hipsters who made "The Beach" legendary. |
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The Bikini Atoll On July 1, 1946, less than a year after atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. military began a program of 12 years of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. This poignant documentary places the massive Bikini nuclear experiment in historical context and explores its enduring legacy on Bikini and on the exiled Pacific Island people who once inhabited it. |
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Birth of a Community:
Jews and the Gold Rush This unique video relates the history of Jewish pioneers to California during the Gold Rush period. |
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The California Gold
Mining Series Three films on California gold mining -- then and now. |
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The China Call This "pioneering piece of filmmaking" (Journal of Asian Studies) uses unique, never-before-shown personal film collections, archival photos, and diaries to explore the often controversial history of American missionaries in China during the 19th and 20th centuries. |
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Chronicle
of an American Suburb This fascinating, multifaceted documentary is an extraordinary portrait of one of America's quintessential postwar suburbs, Park Forest, Illinois, from its founding to the present. |
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Clementine Hunter:
American Folk Artist This outstanding video profiles the life and work of one of America's greatest African-American folk artists. |
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The Democratic
Promise: Saul Alinsky & His Legacy This exceptional and compelling documentary, narrated by Alec Baldwin, examines the life and legacy of legendary community organizer Saul Alinsky. |
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Dreams of a City:
Creating East Palo Alto East Palo Alto is a racially and ethnically diverse low-income community located south of San Francisco. In 1992 it gained widespread notoriety as "the nation's murder capital." This incisive, in-depth case study digs beneath the media cliches to examine the dreams and goals of the community's residents and show what happens when they decide to begin taking control of their future. |
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Edward James: Builder
of Dreams This remarkable documentary profiles the life and times of Edward James, one of this century's most extraordinary and yet least-known architects and artists. |
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Elizabeth Gurley
Flynn: The Rebel Girl Biographical portrait of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964), who was one of this country's most famous and important labor leaders, radical activists, and defenders of civil rights. |
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Fences & Neighborhoods Atlanta's political and business leaders promised to cooperate with community groups and use the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to foster widespread urban revitalization, particularly in the city's poor, African-American neighborhoods. This probing documentary explores the reality behind those promises. |
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Fools and
Heroes The attack on Pearl Harbor radically altered American consciousness. George Rarey and Bob Harvey were both artists in Greenwich Village until that day changed their lives forever in radically different ways: one became a decorated fighter pilot and the other a conscientious objector to the War. |
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For Which
It Stands In 1989 the Supreme Court ruled that flag-burning is a form of political speech protected by the First Amendment. Since then, members of Congress have repeatedly tried to pass a Constitutional Amendment that would grant Congress the power to ban desecration of America's most cherished emblem. |
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Forever Activists:
Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade One of the most honored and acclaimed films of the early 1990s, this documentary explores the ongoing social and political activism of the Americans who fought for democracy in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. |
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Forgotten Fires This riveting exploration of the devastating consequences of racial hatred shines a profoundly revealing light into the darkest reaches of America's heart and soul. The film investigates the burning of two African American churches in rural South Carolina by a young convert to the Ku Klux Klan. |
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1492 Revisited
This remarkable documentary features provocative artwork from the widely touring exhibition, Counter Colon-Ialismo, to provide an alternative perspective on the quincentenary of Columbus's "discovery" of the "New World." |
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Freedom
Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore This powerful historical documentary, narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, explores the life and times of America's first assassinated Civil Rights leader. |
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From Fields of Promise Ossie Davis and John O'Neal narrate this outstanding, widely acclaimed historical documentary. The film chronicles the story of the African-American farmers of Gee's Bend, Alabama. |
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Halsted Street,
USA Nowhere in America does a stretch of pavement slice through a more vibrant and diverse cross-section of humanity than Chicago's Halsted Street. Along its length one can view a dozen nationalities, a thousand lifestyles -- the American melting pot at full boil. But who are the people who make up the stew? This riveting, kaleidoscopic "road movie" traces this unique thoroughfare nearly 400 miles, from its origin in the cornfields of southern Illinois to its terminus in the city's boisterous heart. |
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Ishi, the Last Yahi
This renowned film recounts one of the most extraordinary and important stories in American history and explains its contemporary relevance with power and eloquence. |
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Jones Beach:
An American Riviera This documentary chronicles the love affair some half a billion people have enjoyed over the last seven decades with the treasured New York City public beach that has been described as "the finest seashore playground in the world." |
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Just for the
Ride This multifaceted and universally acclaimed documentary will spur the kind of discussion, analysis, and interpretation that are central to any class that deals with the history, psychology, or sociology of women or the history of the West. The film is born of a Boston-bred young woman's desire to find and join the heroines of her childhood: the rugged and courageous cowgirls of the Western rodeo circuit. |
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The Land Is Ours This superbly dramatic documentary depicts the history and culture of the Tlingits and Haidas, coastal Indians of southeastern Alaska. |
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Last Images of War
Noted actor Ben Kingsley narrates this compelling and internationally acclaimed story of four young photojournalists -- one American, one Russian, one British, and one Japanese -- who were all killed while covering the Afghan war. |
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The Main
Stream Humorist Roy Blount, Jr., takes an offbeat journey down the Mississippi River, and explores the full range of American diversity and eccentricity -- from a wedding ceremony at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, to a rodeo at America's toughest prison in Angola, Louisiana. |
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Mazes and Labyrinths:
The Search for the Center This fascinating, wide-ranging documentary explores the historical and cultural aspects of mazes and labyrinths worldwide. |
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The Moravian Massacre This powerful and thought-provoking documentary blends artwork, interviews, readings from primary documents, and contemporary footage of the massacre site into a mesmerizing account of what is considered one of the most brutal atrocities in American history. |
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Pink's Famous
Chili Dogs This deft and delightful documentary is a concise, economical, and frequently humorous case study of the unlikely survival of Pink's, a 60-year-old hot dog stand that has attained landmark status in Los Angeles, a city notorious for tearing down landmarks and replacing them with parking lots. It explores the importance of community history and landmarks -- however modest or humble -- to the quality of the urban experience. |
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Pipe City
This excellent historical documentary explores a fascinating episode of the Depression era, when a community of homeless men lived in unused portions of sewer construction pipe in Oakland, Calif. |
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Point Bonita Lighthouse This beautiful documentary traces the history of one of America's most important lighthouses -- at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. |
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Prisoners
in Paradise This fascinating documentary recounts the experiences of Italian prisoners of war interned in the United States during World War II and places those experiences into a broad historical and social context. |
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Riding the Rails This superb documentary provides an unforgettable account of the lives of teenage freight-train riders during the 1930s. In so doing it also offers a visionary perspective on the supposed romanticism of the road and a cautionary warning on the legacy and effects of the Great Depression. |
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Riding the
Tiger This stunning cinematic essay delivers an unforgettable evocation of the hubris, despair, and devastation of the American war in Vietnam. |
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Sermons and Sacred
Pictures This multi-award-winning documentary profiles the life and work of Reverend L.O. Taylor, a black Baptist minister from Memphis, Tenn., who was also an inspired filmmaker with an overwhelming interest in preserving a visual and aural record of the social, cultural, and religious fabric of black American life in the 1930s and 1940s. |
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Streetcar Stories This exemplary historical documentary explores the social and cultural history of New Orleans streetcars and illustrates the vital role that streetcars once played in the everyday life of cities all across America. |
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Superchief:
The Life and Legacy of Earl Warren Earl Warren was one of the most beloved and one of the most hated Supreme Court Chief Justices this nation has ever known. This universally acclaimed documentary explores the eternal tension between what is legal and what is right by examining a man who spent his life seeking a balance between the two. |
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Tierra o Muerte:
Land or Death This powerful documentary explores a land rights battle that has been raging in northern New Mexico for 150 years. |
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Unfinished
Symphony: Democracy and Dissent Set primarily in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1971, this profound film examines a protest by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War that still reverberates today, spurring discourse over civil dissent and its place within a democratic society. |
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The Voice of Yellow
Ribbon Patriotism This highly original video essay was born of director Lisa Millimet's reaction to the Persian Gulf War and her need to understand the enormous outpouring of public emotion when the troops returned from the Gulf. |
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Westward to China
This fascinating documentary provides a vivid account of one of the most important periods in Chinese history by recounting the American experience in China during the decade prior to the Sino-Japanese War. |
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When I Was Fourteen:
A Survivor Remembers This profoundly inspiring and deeply humanistic documentary chronicles the Holocaust experiences of Gloria Hollander Lyon, a Czechoslovakian Jew now living in America. |
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American Impressionists and Realists: In Search of the New |
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| In the period between the Civil War and World War I America underwent great social
and technological change. Waves of immigrants arrived, bringing new cultures with
them. Industrialization brought wealth for some, poverty for many, and the rise of
a working class. Cities grew enormously, the automobile replaced the horse and carriage,
electric lights replaced candle lights, and Americans began going to movies. In the
midst of this dramatic change, two groups of American artists stood out from the
rest: the American Impressionists and the Realists. Although long perceived as very
different in style and philosophy, both groups shared a similar vision and wanted
to capture the energy and vitality of modern America. This lively documentary combines
fascinating archival film footage and photographs as well as beautifully shot images
of paintings to portray this vibrant era of American history and the response to
it of many important American artists. Includes works by Sargent, Cassatt, Chase,
Sloan, Bellows, and many others. By Katina Simmons and Mayah Productions. 22 min. Color 1994 Catalog #38294 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $50 |
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An excellent introduction to the richness and complexity of one of America's most dynamic eras. It can be used to advantage by instructors of history, art history, and American studies. -- Mark Thistlewaite, Prof. of Art History, Texas Christian Univ. |
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Andrew Lytle: The Steady Sense of Time |
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| This delightful biographical portrait profiles one of the South's greatest 20th-century
literary figures. Andrew Lytle was a successful novelist, literary critic, teacher
(including students such as Flannery O'Connor, Harry Crews, and James Dickey), and
witty spokesman of a rural Southern sensibility. In the 1920s and '30s he was one
of the original Agrarians (along with John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, and Robert Penn
Warren), a literary movement centered around Vanderbilt University whose members
argued that the South should reject industrialization and cling to its rural identity.
Lytle never abandoned that position. This documentary, which was shot a year before
his death, captures the spirit, the humor, and the passion for life and storytelling
of this remarkable individual in his 90th year. Produced by Vernon Taylor. 25 min. Color 1996 Catalog #38336 Sale: video $150; Rental: video $50 |
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Certainly he was a great writer, but this film reveals another kind of art which
Andrew Lytle perfected: the art of living. If you want to knowwhat it means to live
life by the heart, you couldn't have a better teacher. -- Thomas Carlson, Prof.
of English, Univ. of the South  Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award Atlanta Film and Video Festival honoree |
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The Beach |
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| This exceptional documentary portrays the history of San Francisco's North Beach
in the 1950s, focusing on the artists, writers, and "Beat" hipsters who
made "The Beach" legendary. The artists who came to The Beach rejected
conformity, complacency, and mainstream morality. "The Place," Vesuvio's,
and a galaxy of bars, coffee houses, and studios were their hangouts. They loved
poetry, jazz, and jug wine, and they presaged a profound change in American cultural
attitudes. All of it is captured in this fascinating film, which will be of interest
to all teachers and students of American history, art, literature, and culture. Produced
by Mary Kerr. 57 mins. Color 1996 Catalog #38340 Sale; video $195; Rental: video $70 |
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 This is that rare item, a true-to-life history of the San Francisco bohemian scene as particular people made it -- truer because some of them, the more localized, still do make it, and 'Oh yeah,' as one says rightly, 'Ginsberg and Kerouac were around and about, too....' -- Bill Berkson, Dir. of Letters & Sciences, San Francisco Art Institute Mary Kerr has done a magnificent job of researching the facts and filming the actual sites where so much history has taken place. As an artist who lived and worked there for many years, I can attest that in addition to her astute documentation of the history of that time, she has also captured the true flavor, sights, and sounds, just as I so fondly remember them. -- Charles Modecke, painter |
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The Bikini Atoll |
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| On July 1, 1946, less than a year after atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
the U.S. military began a program of 12 years of nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll,
part of the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. This poignant documentary places
the massive Bikini nuclear experiment in historical context and explores its enduring
legacy on Bikini and on the exiled Pacific Island people who once inhabited it. The film covers a 50-year period, from the forced exodus of the Bikinians to the current clean-up and resettlement efforts. It includes archival footage of the nuclear tests, interviews with scientists who developed the bombs used at Bikini, and first-hand accounts from Bikinians who were forcibly displaced to other islands. The film relates the political squabbles between the Army and Navy in the midst of the testing, shows the devastating effects of the series of nuclear explosions, and examines the conflicting visions of the future of Bikini and its native people. The film also includes spectacular underwater footage of the large naval "atomic graveyard" (now the basis of a scuba-diving resort run by Bikinians) left behind by the testing, and documents the $90 million decontamination and repopulation program's successes and failures. This outstanding documentary will provoke discussion in a variety of classes in history and in Asian and Pacific Islands studies. Produced by Nick Versteeg. 47 min. Color 1998 Catalog #38449 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $70 |
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 A wonderfully informative account of the human side of the Bikini story, including not only the human side of the native peoples who were roughly displaced, but also the humans involved in the nuclear tests. This documentary is an important resource for anyone interested in the history of the Pacific Islands. -- Dr. W. Talbert, Los Alamos National Laboratory A first-rate production that examines the plight of the atoll and its native residents. As a nuclear physicist and teacher, familiar with the subject, I found the telling of the story to be compelling and the production outstanding. It deserves to be seen by a very wide audience. -- Dr. Erich Vogt, Prof. Emeritus of Physics, Univ. of British Columbia |
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Birth of a Community: Jews and the Gold Rush |
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This title is no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: Bill Chayes 40 min. Color 1994 Catalog #38274 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $50 |
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The California Gold Mining Series |
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These titles are no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: David Grieve Save More Than 20% Special Series Price: $299 |
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CINE Golden Eagle Awards American Film Festival finalists |
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Gold Dredge Hard-Rock Gold Mining Hydraulic Gold Mining |
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The China Call |
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| This "pioneering piece of filmmaking" (Journal of Asian Studies)
uses unique, never-before-shown personal film collections, archival photos, and diaries
to explore the often controversial history of American missionaries in China during
the 19th and 20th centuries. It examines the varied roles of evangelists, missionary
teachers and doctors, and Christian social reformers and includes commentary by first-hand
participants, children of missionaries, historians, and critics of the missionary
movement. Produced by James Culp for the Film History Foundation (see also Westward
to China). 58 min. Color 1994 Catalog #38283 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
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Places each stage of China mission development squarely within its larger historical
context. This careful framing... makes the film a valuable teaching tool. --
Journal of Asian Studies Hawaii Intl. Film Festival honoree Assn. for Asian Studies honoree |
| Chronicle of an American Suburb | |
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| This title is no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: Berkeley Media LLC This fascinating, multifaceted documentary is an extraordinary portrait of one of America's quintessential postwar suburbs, Park Forest, Illinois, from its founding to the present. The film deftly interweaves remarkable archival footage and contemporary interviews to explore the ideals and aspirations of the town's builders and residents, the sociology of the suburban "Organization Man" as documented in William H. Whyte's famous Park Forest research in the 1950s, and the town's subsequent struggles to survive economic, racial, and societal change. Looking at the real-estate situation after World War II, a group of Chicago businessmen saw a huge population of returning veterans, but little available housing. Why not, they thought, build an entire new community for these people? They bought up 2,400 acres of cornfields 30 miles south of Chicago and designed clusters of rental apartments around a central shopping mall, with ranch-style and split-level houses for sale on the periphery. They marketed affordable homes and the promise of happiness. Park Forest opened in 1948. Unlike the Levittowns, Park Forest was planned and built to be a complete, self-contained village. It provided housing, utilities, local shopping, and a citizen-based town council -- all designed to create a new way of living. The idea seemed to work. In the 1950s Park Forest became famous through William H. Whyte's social analysis in "The Organization Man." Park Forest, he wrote, was "like every other suburb, only more so... a harbinger for the way America is going to be." By the 1960s the schools were excellent, the median educational level was the highest of any Illinois community, and the population had grown to 30,000, including a cross-section of races and religions. While much of the country was wrestling with segregation and discrimination, Park Forest became a model of peaceful integration in suburbia. But societal changes in the late 1960s and 1970s hit Park Forest hard. The companies that had promised "The Organization Man" a lifetime of employment security reneged on their promises. Big shopping malls were springing up, and the central shopping plaza that had been the heart of the village failed. As quickly as Park Forest had been built, it had become outdated. Many residents eagerly left town in search of newer suburban utopias offering four-bedroom houses, two-car garages, and half-acre lots. For better or for worse, Park Forest helped create the suburban nation
that America is today. Award-winning filmmaker and former Park Forest
resident H. James Gilmore returned home during the town's 50th anniversary
celebrations to interview the pioneers of the planned community and
document the rise, fall, and attempted revival of a unique American
dream. "Chronicle of an American Suburb" will stimulate thought and
discussion in a variety of courses in American history and studies,
sociology, urban and regional planning, social psychology, and political
science. It was produced by H. James Gilmore. |
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Clementine Hunter: American Folk Artist |
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| This outstanding video profiles the life and work of one of America's greatest African-American
folk artists. In 1940, when she was already in her 50s, Clementine Hunter began to
paint her memories of her life in the early part of this century. The resulting images,
painted until her death at age 101, are vivid remembrances, pictures "put in
her head by God," of a hard but joyous life. Shot on location in northwestern
Louisiana, this program shows many of Hunter's colorful paintings and includes commentary
by the artist herself and by those who knew her well. By Katina Simmons for the Museum
of African American Life and Culture, Dallas. 28 min. Color 1913 Catalog #38237 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $50 |
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 Natl. Educational Film Festival Award Global Africa Intl. Film & Video Festival Award |
| The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky & His Legacy | |
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This title is no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: Berkeley Media LLC The first half of the film focuses on Alinsky's organizing methods and is filled with a rich combination of archival film clips and photographs as well as eyewitness testimonials. It provides case studies of three key Alinsky organizations to show the development of his methods over time. The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council in Chicago's stockyards neighborhood was the pioneering first organization, started by Alinsky in 1939. The Woodlawn Organization, in Chicago's predominantly African-American South Side, was founded in 1959 and won several landmark concessions in important battles with Mayor Richard Daley's powerful Democratic Party machine. In the mid-1960s, the FIGHT organization in Rochester, New York, took on the Eastman-Kodak company over racist hiring practices and won a series of impressive victories. These three organizations show how Alinsky's ideas, in turn, influenced the Civil Rights Movement, the farmworkers' struggle, and many Vietnam-era political protests. The second half of the film jumps forward to the late 1990s and examines two contemporary organizations that share Alinsky's enduring legacy. The East Brooklyn Congregations is shown struggling with various New York City administrations to fulfill its goal of building 1,200 low-income housing units in one of America's most blighted neighborhoods. In Dallas, members of Dallas Area Interfaith are shown lobbying state legislators in an effort to increase funding for an innovative public education program called the Alliance Schools Initiative. "The Democratic Promise" will inspire discussion and analysis in a wide
variety of courses in American history and American studies, sociology,
urban studies, political science, and African American studies, among
other disciplines. It was produced by Bob Hercules and Bruce Orenstein
and is a presentation of the Independent Television Service. |
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 "A powerful and revelatory documentary on one of the pioneers of grassroots organizing.... It could never be more timely than now." -- Studs Terkel "At a time when community activism is needed more than ever, this film will give both guidance to organizers and inspiration to young people wanting to advance the cause of justice and equality. The experience of the extraordinary Saul Alinsky can instruct us all, and we are fortunate that it has been captured so engagingly in this film." -- Howard Zinn, author, "A People's History of the United States" "Alinsky's message was simple: The heart of democratic government lies not in court decisions, party conventions, or costly TV messages, but in the organized struggles of ordinary people. By showing how people organized in their own interests from the 1930s to the present, this film points the way to resuscitating democracy in our own times." -- David Montgomery, Prof. of History, Yale Univ.
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Dreams of a City: Creating East Palo Alto |
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This title is no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: Stanford University – Office of Technology Licensing 55 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38414 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $70 |
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 I found this film invaluable in teaching my Introduction to Sociology course this semester. It's a perfect tool for integrating many of the central themes of the course. The film stimulated excellent discussions of such crucial issues as class structure, inequality, race and ethnicity, and culture and social movements. -- Betsy McEneaney, Dept. of Sociology, Stanford Univ. A powerful teaching tool. The film tackles some of America's most entrenched conflicts and problems, recounts voices and viewpoints seldom heard in the classroom, and triggers remarkable discussions of a variety of issues. I recommend it for courses in sociology, urban issues, ethnic studies, education, and American history and social problems. -- Pat Aufderheide, Prof. of Journalism, American Univ. Natl. Educational Film Festival Award American Cinemateque's "Rediscovering America" Series honoree Film Arts Foundation Festival honoree Council on Foundations Film Festival honoree |
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Edward James: Builder of Dreams |
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| This acclaimed documentary explores the world of the Surrealists by profiling the
life and accomplishments of the surrealist collector, poet, and architect Edward
James. James built one of the 20th century's most remarkable and yet least-known
architectural monuments in the jungles of Mexico -- a fantastic and visionary sculpture
garden with no obvious purpose. These sprawling 80 acres, known as Las Pozas
(the pools), contain 36 extraordinary surrealist concrete structures, some more than
100-feet high. Las Pozas was built by 40 full-time workmen and craftsmen employed
by James over the last 24 years of his life at a personal cost that exceeded five-million
dollars. Born into extreme wealth and luxury (he was rumored to be the bastard son
of King Edward VII), James turned his back on the rigid aristocratic circles of Edwardian
England and befriended, supported, and collaborated with many fledgling artists and
intellectuals who would later define their era, including Dali, Magritte, Leonora
Carrington, Kurt Weil, Bertolt Brecht, Aldous Huxley, Man Ray, George Balanchine,
and Sigmund Freud. He even commissioned Igor Stravinsky to write a requiem for his
dying pet alligator. Although he was called "a legend among the legendary,"
few people now recognize his name or know of his artistic achievements. This outstanding
film should help change all that. It was produced by Avery Danziger. 58 mins. Color 1996 Catalog #38338 Sale: video $195; Rental: video $70 |
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Highly recommended! Edward James is an astonishing figure, more so for being virtually
unknown and yet absolutely central to his day. It would not be an exaggeration to
say that James ushers in the modern world, along with others who are more famous
than he, yet not more important. He was there to make them known, to save their work,
to help them do their work, to help determine much of what we consider the modern
sensibility in art as well as life. This film is an indispensable part of our understanding
of the years in which James lived and during which so much of our world underwent
enormous change. -- Leonard Michaels, Prof. of English, UC Berkeley My students loved it! This film captures the essence of surrealism while higlighting the life and artistry of one of this century's most extraordinary and yet least known individuals. It is an extremely valuable teaching tool for courses in 20th-century cultural history, architecture, art history,or the humanities. -- Jo Stealey, Chair, Art Dept., Univ. of Missouri Natl. Educational Film Festival Award Columbus Film Festival "Chris" Award CINE Golden Eagle Award Biennale Intl. du Film sur l'Art (Paris) honoree |
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Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: The Rebel Girl |
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| Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964) was one of this country's most famous and important
labor leaders, radical activists, and defenders of civil rights. This affectionate
but insightful biography of Flynn contains an extensive collection of rare archival
photographs, historical film footage, and recordings of her speeches. It emphasizes
her role as union organizer, orator, and self-proclaimed revolutionist and also conveys
a sense of her as a complicated woman of her times. Produced by Leah Siegel. 19 min. Color 1993 Catalog #38234 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $50 |
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An excellent film for classes in American history, women's studies, and labor history. It packs all the important events and background into a short space and still keeps your interest. It's all there: Flynn herself; the Wobblies; the major strikes in Lawrence, Paterson, and Passaic; the free speech cases, Sacco and Vanzetti, the ACLU, and the Communist Party. The script also integrates Flynn's political speeches and poems and gives us a sense of the joys and hassles of her daily life. -- Rosalyn Baxandall, Prof. of American Studies, SUNY, Old Westbury American Film Festival honoree |
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Fences & Neighborhoods |
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| Atlanta's political and business leaders promised to cooperate with community groups
and use the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to foster widespread urban revitalization,
particularly in the city's poor, African-American neighborhoods. This probing documentary
explores the reality behind those promises, showing that projects that benefited
the downtown business community were completed, while improvements to the neighborhoods
adjacent to the Olympics venues were minimal. The film provides historical background
and context to the thorny issues it examines, and serves as an illuminating case
study of the social, economic, and development dilemmas facing all American cities
today. Produced by Roger Torda and Kathleen Sullivan. 58 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38415 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
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 The compressed timeframe and the visibility of the five-year run-up to the Olympic Games drew Atlanta's typically hidden decision-making processes into the light. This outstanding film accurately captures the full political and social drama of the struggle -- between poor African-American neighborhoods on the one hand and the allied forces of the city's black elected officials and its business elite on the other -- over who would bear the costs and who would reap the profits from the 1996 Summer Olympics. All of the plays, ploys, and players are on camera. -- Larry Keating, Prof. of City Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology A powerful aid to courses in urban sociology and urban planning, social psychology, cultural anthropology, economic development, and African American studies. The film uses the Atlanta Olympics as a lens to study crucial dilemmas that face all American cities. Its excellent interviews and visuals reveal the many different constituencies and their varied stakes in urban development efforts today, while posing for viewers such challenging questions as 'what do poor communities want?' 'who really speaks for such communities?' and 'how is community input obtained?' The film eloquently shows how the city's power elite works and how it can bypass community groups while claiming neighborhood participation. -- Peggy Bartlett, Prof. of Anthropology, Emory Univ. |
| Fools and Heroes | |
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| The attack on Pearl Harbor radically altered
American consciousness. George Rarey and Bob Harvey were both artists in
Greenwich Village until that day changed their lives forever in radically
different ways: one became a decorated fighter pilot and the other a conscientious
objector to the War.
In this fascinating and dramatic documentary the granddaughter the two men had in common tells their illuminating stories. Rich with rare archival footage, songs, and artwork from the period, as well as interviews with those who shared Rarey and Harvey's experiences, the film provides an intimate and unique study of "The Good War" and how it affected the lives of individual Americans. It intricately weaves the histories of isolated U.S. work camps for
conscientious objectors and the air war over Europe with the stories of
two exceptional men who were tragically caught up in the events of the
times. Ultimately, words such as "hero" and "fool" lose their
meaning as the consequences of Rarey and Harvey's choices make tangible
the dilemmas that war presents to men and women everywhere in every age.
This unusual film will spark discussion and reflection in a variety of
courses on American history, World War II, and political science. Produced
by Ondine Rarey and Luigi Falorni. |
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| For Which It Stands | |
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| In 1989 the Supreme Court ruled that flag-burning
is a form of political speech protected by the First Amendment. Since then,
members of Congress have repeatedly tried to pass a Constitutional Amendment
that would grant Congress the power to ban desecration of America's most
cherished emblem. This intelligent, insightful, and compelling documentary
explores the controversies surrounding flag desecration and legislative
attempts to criminalize it. "For Which It Stands" provides a fair and balanced account of the cultural, social, and political meanings of both the flag and the First Amendment, and powerfully conveys the controversies that can arise when the two collide. The film also examines the flag's history, its symbolism, and its multifaceted use in this country, with a keen and often witty eye for the many ironies that surface when the lines between substance and symbolism become blurred. "For Which It Stands" illustrates that the flag is a unique national symbol, commanding its own etiquette, maintenance, and retirement ceremonies. The film investigates the passionate affection felt by most Americans toward the flag -- an affection so strong that the flag is used to adorn everything from socks and underwear to discount malls and car dealerships. The film deftly interweaves observational footage and memorable interviews with a flag dry cleaner, the Philadelphia Flag Day Assn., scholars, a former POW, flag artists, a George Washington re-enactor, U.S. Senators, and workers at a flag-manufacturing company. Proper flag etiquette is demonstrated at a government sanctioned flag-retirement ceremony at which Boy Scouts burn flags. With its outstanding and entertaining blend of information and irony, "For Which It Stands" will stimulate analysis and discussion in a wide variety of courses in sociology, American history and studies, social psychology, and law and political science. It was produced by Roger Sorkin. 25 min. Color 2002 Catalog #38540 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $75 |
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Forever Activists: Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade |
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| One of the most honored and acclaimed films of the early 1990s, this documentary
explores the ongoing social and political activism of the Americans who fought for
democracy in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. In 1936, some 3,000 Americans joined
the Abraham Lincoln Brigade and went to Spain to fight against the fascist uprising.
For most of them, this was only the first in a lifelong series of battles against
social injustice. In 1986, a contingent of Brigade veterans, now in their 70s and
80s, returned to Spain for the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. This film
recounts the stories of seven of these remarkable men and women and in so doing provides
an extraordinary portrait of our times. Produced by Judith Montell. 60 min. Color 1992 Catalog #38240 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $75 |
|
A visually powerful film that helps us understand the meaning of citizenship in twentieth-century America. By following the lives of these remarkable individuals through 50 years of struggle, we gain a deep insight into American history, society, and politics. -- Robert N. Bellah, Prof. of Sociology, UC Berkeley This film will help students understand there is a legacy that is inspiring
and exciting. An important part of the story is that these people stayed in the struggle.
It's important for young people today to understand that idealism needn't stop at
the age of 30.-- Barbara Epstein, Prof. of History, UC Santa Cruz |
|
Forgotten Fires |
|
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| Every few years a new documentary comes along that is so powerful, so illuminating,
and so unforgettable that it is deemed an instant classic and an essential classroom
teaching tool. Forgotten Fires is such a film. This riveting exploration of
the devastating consequences of racial hatred shines a profoundly revealing light
into the darkest reaches of America's heart and soul. The film investigates the burning
of two African American churches in rural South Carolina by a young convert to the
Ku Klux Klan. Told through remarkably frank interviews with both the victims and
the perpetrators of these racial crimes, the film puts a surprisingly human face
on racism, transforming a seemingly simple story of blacks and whites into a complex
tale filled with endless shades of gray. What begins as an investigation into the
church burnings becomes an extraordinary meditation on race relations in America
today. Filmed over a one-year period in Manning, South Carolina, Forgotten Fires goes behind simplistic news headlines and examines the historical, economic, and social contexts to the epidemic of church burnings in the 1990s. Skillfully interweaving Ku Klux Klan home movies with gripping live sequences, informative historical footage, and startling confessional testimony, the film traces the coming of the Klan to this sleepy rural town and shows how the group's twisted logic of racial enmity found fertile ground among the region's dirt-poor whites. In a place where blacks and whites had lived side by side for years, the fiery oratory of the Klan attracted eager white converts ready to blame their black neighbors for their own lost opportunities and impoverished lives. One young man who found purpose in the Klan's seductive rhetoric was Timothy Welch. As a boy, he would perch in the pecan tree outside Macedonia Baptist Church and listen to the Sunday service, waiting for his black friends to come out and play. At age 23, Welch would burn that same church to the ground. He now resides in a federal prison, sentenced to 12 years for civil rights violations. Through his remarkable commentary Welch initially emerges as a starkly candid homegrown white supremacist, but his portrait gradually softens to reveal a troubled youth, with deep ties to the black community he betrayed and a burdoned conscience turning from hatred toward remorse. Equally compelling is the quiet fortitude of black pastor Jonathan Mouzon, whose musings on the meaning of the church to the black community and its ties to the past give us a profound insight into the roots of community. His compassion for the perpetrators of the church burnings is a marvel of racial tolerance and empathy. Rarely has a film on race relations granted such deep humanity to all its participants, and it is this inclusiveness that gives Forgotten Fires its overwhelming impact. It will inspire thought, discussion, and analysis in a wide variety of courses in American history and studies, African American studies, sociology, psychology, criminology, and multiculturalism. Forgotten Fires was produced by Michael Chandler and Vivian Kleiman for the Independent Television Service with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Forgotten Fires is a presentation of the Independent Television Service. 57 min. Color 1999 Catalog #38447 Sale: video $295, Rental: video $95 |
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 If we wanted a real dialogue about race in America, we'd start with this film. Its strong dose of reality begs for an honest response from a wide audience. -- Bill Moyers A remarkable journey into a young racist mind. This film is a disturbing reminder of the attractiveness of hate to the vulnerable among us. -- Morris Dees, Southern Poverty Law Center The furor over church burnings in recent years often seemed to decline into the sort of political squabble in which each side merely presents the facts it deems most advantageous to previously staked-out ideological positions. This film allows us to go deeply into the interior of one of these tragedies and witness, with our own eyes, the human cost of such an event. With excruciating even-handedness and generous compassion -- even for those who might not deserve it -- the film shows us the victims and the victimizers, the blacks whose church was burned and the Klansmen who burned it, and in the process reveals the true, heartbreaking dimensions of the tragedy and the ongoing suffering and struggle for redemption of all involved. The film provides a clear window into the connections and disconnections of a small southern American town, which becomes, as the film plays on, a microcosm for the nation as a whole. It is a stunning film, deeply felt, deeply moving, and worthy of repeated viewings. -- Anthony Walton, author of Mississippi, An American Journey and Visiting Asst. Prof. of English, Bowdoin College Golden Spire Award, San Francisco Intl. Film Festival Gold Medal, Flagstaff Intl. Film Festival Juror's Choice Award, Charlotte Film Festival PBS National Broadcasts |
|
1492 Revisited |
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| This remarkable documentary features provocative
artwork from the widely touring exhibition, Counter Colon-Ialismo, to provide
an alternative perspective on the quincentenary of Columbus's "discovery"
of the "New World." In the 500 years that we have been celebrating
Columbus's "discovery" of the "New World," the effect
of that event on America's native peoples has been overlooked for the most
part. This compelling documentary changes that by providing an alternative,
"indigenous" perspective on the quincentenary of Columbus's arrival.
It features provocative artwork from the touring national exhibition Counter
Colon-Ialismo as well as challenging commentary by artists and scholars.
In addition to presenting remarkable art pieces that address various aspects
of the colonial encounter in the Americas, the film also raises important
questions about the nature of history and its construction. In the words
of one of the artists interviewed in the program, "Is it enough in
a society such as ours to look at history strictly from a single point of
view? Is there a need to introduce other voices?... Not so much for the
purpose of getting at a single truth, but for the purpose of realizing that
history, like everything else involving human beings, is ultimately a negotiation."
This is essential viewing for anyone studying American history, multicultural
or Native American issues, ethnography, the media, or art. Produced by Paul
Espinosa for KPBS San Diego. 28 min. Color 1992 Catalog #38155 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $50 |
|
Teachers need materials that not only engage
students but help them in the hard work of critically re-visioning the received
traditions of our society. This artful film does this in a most refreshing
way. It is a visually and intellectually engaging production that helps
us see a different Columbian legacy. -- Roger Simon, Ontario Institute
for Studies in Education, Toronto A powerful statement, much like the art it features. -- Los Angeles Times Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award American Studies Assn. honoree National Assn. of Latino Arts Organizations honoree |
| Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore | |
|---|
| In 1951, after celebrating Christmas Day, civil
rights activist Harry T. Moore and his wife Harriette retired to bed in
their white frame house tucked inside a small orange grove in Mims, Florida.
Ten minutes later, a bomb shattered their house and ended their lives; it
also shattered any hope that the South was ready -- without a bloody fight
-- to give up centuries of white supremacy for a new era of racial equality.
This powerful historical documentary, narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, explores the life and times of America's first assassinated Civil Rights leader. Combining murder mystery, incisive biography, and an eye-opening investigative account of Jim Crow Florida, the film sheds new light on one of this country's earliest and most fearless fighters for civil rights. Harry T. Moore was an enigmatic leader. He was a distinguished school teacher and Executive Director of the Florida chapter of the NAACP whose passionate crusade for equal rights could not be discouraged -- either by the white power structure or the more cautious factions of his own movement. Although Moore's assassination was an international cause celebre in 1951, it was overshadowed by later events in the Civil Rights movement and eventually almost forgotten. Moore paved the way for the '60s Civil Rights movement. He was a tireless organizer and an ardent champion of equal pay for black teachers and voter registration; during his tenure in the Florida NAACP he raised the number of Florida's black voters to twice that of any other Southern state. He was also an eloquent and prolific letter writer, constantly petitioning government officials to right the many injustices committed against his people, including numerous instances of lynching and police brutality. It was his outspoken fervor about one of these cases, the notorious case of the Groveland Four -- black youths accused, under murky circumstances, of raping a white woman -- that many believe finally pushed the local Klan to silence him once and for all. The fascinating story unfolds through archival footage and photographs, music and narration, and interviews with Moore's surviving daughter, authors and journalists, former NAACP leaders Julian Bond and Myrlie Evers-Williams, and many others. Through the testimony of numerous historians, FBI agents, and many of MooreŐs contemporaries, the film examines the still- unsolved bombing that killed Moore and his wife. Although the bomb was undoubtedly set by Florida Klansmen, the actual perpetrators were never brought to justice. "Freedom Never Dies" paints a vivid picture of the ugly history of race relations in Florida -- the state that to this day, despite its image of palm trees, Mickey Mouse, and prosperity, boasts the second-highest number of Klan chapters in the nation. The film was produced by Sandra Dickson and Churchill Roberts for the
Documentary Institute of the Univ. of Florida. It features The Ballad
of Harry Moore, with lyrics by Langston Hughes, performed by Sweet Honey
in the Rock. |
|
 "Everyone must see this film! If you've never heard of Harry T. Moore, this film will not let you forget who he was and what he lived and died for. The film tells many stories at once: It is about a courageous individual committed to justice, an aggrieved but close-knit black community willing to stand up to Florida's white supremacists, a local grassroots movement whose vision was way ahead of its national leaders. It is also a love story about a couple whose dedication to their people and to each other cost them their lives. This is a Must for courses in African American studies and American history, and for any courses dealing with civil rights, discrimination, racism, or ethnic studies." -- Robin D.G. Kelley, Prof. of History and Africana Studies, New York Univ. "I would say this to a whole new generation of young people who have never heard of Medgar Evers or Harry T. Moore: Learn as much as you can about these people, for they were the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement." -- Myrlie Evers- Williams, former Chair, NAACP
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From Fields of Promise |
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| Ossie Davis and John O'Neal narrate this outstanding, widely acclaimed historical
documentary. The film chronicles the story of the African-American farmers of Gee's
Bend, Alabama. First as slaves, then as "freed men," and finally as landowners,
the Black farmers of Gee's Bend and their descendants have lived on and farmed the
same land since 1845. They have experienced the demise of slavery, struggled with
Jim Crow, were felled by the Great Depression, were enfranchised by a "social
experiment," and participated at the center of the Civil Rights movement. Today,
their region remains one of the poorest in America, but the farmers of Gee's Bend
have carved out a modest existence for themselves, sent their sons and daughters
to college, and quietly stand as a symbol of dignity and a beacon of hope for the
nation. Produced by John DiJulio and Bruce Kuerten. 56 min. Color 1995 Catalog #38328 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
|
 Compelling and powerful. This is documentary filmmaking at its best! -- J. Wayne Flynt, Prof. of History, Auburn Univ. Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award Intl. Film & TV Festival of New York Gold Medal CINE Golden Eagle Award SECA "Best Historical Documentary" |
|
Halsted Street, USA |
|
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| Nowhere in America does a stretch of pavement slice through a more vibrant and diverse
cross-section of humanity than Chicago's Halsted Street. Along its length one can
view a dozen nationalities, a thousand lifestyles -- the American melting pot at
full boil. But who are the people who make up the stew? This riveting, kaleidoscopic
"road movie" traces this unique thoroughfare nearly 400 miles, from its
origin in the cornfields of southern Illinois to its terminus in the city's boisterous
heart. Along the way the film presents a fascinating and profoundly American cultural
mosaic with Halsted Street as the thread that links a multitude of seemingly disparate
communities. The film journeys northward from the heartland of rural Illinois to the mostly African-American and impoverished south side of Chicago; from Bridgeport, home to five generations of an Irish family named Daley, to Pilsen, hub of Chicago's Hispanic community; from the colorful chaos of the Maxwell Street Market to the high-rise ghettos of the Cabrini Green public housing project; and from the yuppie boutiques and blues clubs of Lincoln Park to Lakeview, where Halsted is the backbone of Chicago's gay community. A varied and colorful cast of characters guides viewers along the route: kids in a rural town, a Latino street-muralist in Pilsen, a junk scavenger in Cabrini Green, revelers at the gay pride parade. Their impressions and anecdotes bring into focus vital issues that simmer up from the asphalt of main streets all across the country: tolerance and racism, immigration, class disparity, ethnic and cultural identity. Narrated by Studs Terkel, Halsted Street, USA is a thought-provoking crash-course in American cultural geography that will enhance a variety of courses in American studies and history, popular culture, sociology, and ethnic studies and multiculturalism. It was produced by David E. Simpson. 57 min. Color 1999 Catalog #38450 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $70 |
|
 Students really get the lowdown on Chicago's complex social life while traveling up Halsted Street. Rural and urban, red neck and blue blood, racists and radicals all find a place along the journey. The film explores even the nastiest social conflicts and still finds cause to celebrate the diversity of cities. Students will find the mix of gritty tales and urban pleasures hard to ignore. Stereotypes dissolve along the journey. Who would believe that traveling a straight ribbon of aging asphalt could provide such powerful insights about the twists and turns of real city life? But it does. Bravo! -- Charles Hoch, Prof., College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Offers stark rural-urban contrasts and vivid portrayals of ethnic and cultural differences. The robust inclusion of class and racial divisions provides plenty to discuss in courses in urban sociology, social problems, and introductory sociology. Best of all, the documentary style lets the people show the viewer a social landscape no textbook can ever hope to convey."-- Susan Stall, Prof. of Sociology and Women's Studies, Northeastern Illinois Univ. A pioneering way of looking at history and civic life: from the perspective of one street. The film provides a slice of Americana, as well as an affectionate look at an incredibly diverse metropolitan community. But it's about more than just Chicago: It's about our increasing diversity, and the pride that people take in that diversity as something positive rather than something divisive or threatening. -- Charles Branham, Dir. of Education, DuSable Museum of African American History More than just a story with the city as a great, uncompromising character.... It's a State of the Union address for America at the end of the century. -- PerformInk Nat'l Social Science Assn. honoree Council on Foundations Film and Video Festival honoree |
|
Ishi, the Last Yahi |
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This widely acclaimed film recounts one of the most extraordinary and important stories in American history and explains its contemporary relevance with power and eloquence. In 1492, there were more than ten million Native Americans in North America. By 1910, their numbers had been reduced to fewer than 300,000. In California, massacres of Indians in the 1860s and 1870s had nearly exterminated the Native peoples in the state. Therefore the sudden appearance in northern California in 1911 of Ishi, "the last wild Indian in North America," stunned the nation. For more than 40 years, Ishi had lived in hiding with a tiny band of survivors. When he walked into the white man's world, he was the last Yahi Indian alive. For young anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, Ishi's appearance was a windfall. Kroeber had been searching for years to find "wild, uncontaminated Indians" who could document their traditional way of life. Through Kroeber's invitation, Ishi left a jail cell and lived out the remaining four years of his life as an informant and teacher at the Museum of Anthropology in San Francisco. Ishi dedicated those years to relating Yahi stories and demonstrating the traditional way of life he knew so well. His quiet dignity and remarkable lack of bitterness toward the people who had destroyed his tribe greatly impressed everyone who met him. Using Kroeber's meticulous notes and recordings taken at the time, the film provides a unique look at indigenous life in America before the arrival of Europeans. It features a compelling narration by Oscar-winning actress Linda Hunt and interweaves a lively mix of still photographs, archival film footage, dramatic readings of articles and letters by Ishi's contemporaries, and Kroeber's wax recordings of Ishi's voice. It also includes commentary by historians and anthropologists, an 89-year-old man who met Ishi, and Native Americans who discuss the meanings of Ishi's songs and myths and the importance of Ishi's legacy today. Kroeber believed that American Indian cultures were destined to vanish, but Native Americans were to prove him wrong. Today, the Native American population has grown to more than two million, and Native peoples have demonstrated the same ability to adapt and determination to survive that Ishi exemplified. Ishi is essential viewing for a wide variety of classes in American history, Native American studies, ethnic studies, and anthropology. In all courses, the film will deepen students' appreciation of Native American traditions and impart a lasting impression of the troubled history of Indian-white relations. There are logical stopping points every 15 minutes to facilitate its educational use with younger students. Ishi was produced and directed by Jed Riffe and Pamela Roberts and written by Anne Makepeace. It is a Rattlesnake Productions Presentation. Major funding for the program was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 57 min. Color 1993 Catalog #38245 |
|
A tour de force of cinematic ethnohistory. This superb and honest film is no simplistic ennobling of the Red Man; quite the contrary. Ishi is presented as he probably was, warts and all, as are the anthropologists and other characters who interacted with him during his brief sojourn in 'civilized' society. This is a tragic tale that is leavened with thoughtful, gentle, and sometimes humorous insights into Ishi's assessment of the world that first hunted and then embraced him. This should be required viewing for all students of American history and anthropology. -- Dr. Frank A. Norick, Hearst Museum of Anthropology, UC Berkeley "Best of Festival," Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Hugo Award, Chicago Intl. Film Festival "Best Documentary Film (short)," American Indian Film Festival Audience Choice "Best Film," Munich (Germany) Film Festival Margaret Mead Film Festival honoree Society for Visual Anthropology honoree |
| Jones Beach: An American Riviera | |
|---|
| This documentary chronicles the love affair some
half a billion people have enjoyed over the last seven decades with the
treasured New York City public beach that has been described as "the
finest seashore playground in the world." Set against a backdrop of the
social history of the first half of the 20th century, the film places the
pioneering design and construction of noted urban planner Robert Moses'
masterpiece, Jones Beach, in the context of the urban history and Depression-era
politics of New York, and follows the beach and the evolution of its working-class
clientele through World War II and after.
Narrated by noted actor Eli Wallach, the film interweaves rarely seen
archival newsreels, evocative still photos, period music, and personal
commentary by celebrities and common people to chronicle the history and
impact of master builder Robert Moses's grandest achievement. Historian
Robert Caro and urban planner Lee Koppelman provide fascinating and detailed
background on the project, which transformed an isolated island into one
of America's most influential urban landmarks. Jones Beach will provoke
discussion and analysis in a range of courses in urban planning and design,
American history, and sociology. It was produced by George Pozderec. |
|
 "Offers important lessons for students of planning, urban affairs, and social history. This film reminds us that in a democracy, there can be no higher calling than public works, and no more deserving an audience than the American public. The images evoke more than nostalgia. They illustrate an alternative to the contemporary fashion of criticizing the public sector and blaming the government for our problems. As 'Jones Beach' delightfully shows, government can be the solution. And above all, this film is fun!" -- Timothy Coogan, Prof. of History, Rutgers Univ. "Making excellent use of rare archival footage, the film includes outstanding images of Manhattan's tenements, the technology of heavy construction, and the rise of a working-class aesthetic of recreation. The film provides a springboard for discussion and is particularly effective with today's media-oriented students who are studying American social or urban history, changing patterns of recreation, or the rise of a middle-class sensibility in the first half of this century." -- Barbara M. Kelly, Prof. of History, Hofstra Univ.
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Just for the Ride |
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| This multifaceted and universally acclaimed documentary will spur the kind of discussion,
analysis, and interpretation that are central to any class that deals with the history,
psychology, or sociology of women or the history of the West. The film is born of
a Boston-bred young woman's desire to find and join the heroines of her childhood:
the rugged and courageous cowgirls of the Western rodeo circuit. Out of this personal
odyssey, filmmaker Amanda Micheli weaves an illuminating, compelling, and keenly
metaphorical filmic tapestry composed of personal essay, historical investigation,
and artful portraiture. On the surface, this is an entertaining and at times poignant
look at the past and present of women's rodeo, as seen through the experiences of
the young filmmaker with two inspirational and legendary women's rodeo champions:
Fern Sawyer and Jan Youren. The filmmaker narrates in the first person, merging her
childhood obsession with horses and her adult fascination with these tough, fearless
women of the rodeo world. By the film's end, this fascination has become so strong
that she is compelled to try to ride a wild bronc herself. But there is much more
to this film than its narrative. Beneath its engaging surface, "Just for the
Ride" explores an array of powerful feminist, historical, and psychological
themes that have dazzled critics and academic reviewers in a variety of disciplines
nationwide. Viewers are guaranteed a stimulating, enjoyable, and richly discussible
ride. 53 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38404 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $75 |
|
 Cinematically rapturous... the images send us into the rush. -- Robert Koehler, Los Angeles Times A gem of a documentary. -- Jane Ganahl, San Francisco Examiner Part history, part self-portrait, and part homage, this film transcends the documentary genre. It uses women's rodeo as a... metaphor for the history of the American West and a phenomenon that defies traditional perceptions of American women. -- Jonathan Silverman, Lecturer in American History, Concordia Lutheran Univ. A compelling personal journey into the myth-laden contemporary American West. -- Prof. Robert Bednar, Dept. of Communication Studies, Texas Lutheran Univ. Student Academy Award Winner Chicago Intl. Film Festival Gold Hugo Award Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award Best Documentary, Big Muddy Film Festival Best Film, Sinking Creek Film Festival Intl. Documentary Assn. Achievement Award PBS Natl. Broadcasts on POV Selected for screening at some two dozen film festivals worldwide |
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The Land Is Ours |
|
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| This superbly dramatic documentary depicts the history and culture of the Tlingits
and Haidas, coastal Indians of southeastern Alaska. Since time immemorial, the two
tribes dominated the North Pacific coast, trading and warring all the way to California.
Early Russian colonists could only establish a weak toehold in their territories.
But 19th-century Americans brought devastating epidemics and nearly wiped out the
enormous salmon runs that supported the Native peoples' complex societies and monumental
art. Still, they refused to be powerless victims. In the 1920s, they organized to
win the vote and integrate public schools - achieving America's first civil rights
victories decades before the Civil Rights Movement. Their leader, a brilliant young
Native attorney named William Paul, challenged the all-powerful canned salmon industry
and vindictive white power brokers in Alaska and Washington, DC. But the very strengths
that made Paul a heroic legal warrior offended many of his own people and in the
end proved his own undoing - even as he launched the historic land claims suit that
would change Alaska forever. This important work is a must for a variety of courses
in anthropology, Native American studies, American history, and civil rights. Produced
by Laurence A. Goldin. 56 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38372 Sale: video $250, Rental: video $75 |
|
 Exceptionally accurate and balanced.... An excellent teaching tool to use as a starting point for discussions on history, acculturation, discrimination, and persisting and changing cultural values. -- Wallace Olson, Prof. of Anthropology, Univ. of Alaska A meaningful, significant production that is both instructional and historically important for schools today and for generations to come. The film provides a wealth of information that would lend itself well to secondary (grades 6-12) classrooms and beyond. -- Ronalda Cadiente, Native Studies Coordinator, Juneau Public Schools "Best Documentary Feature Film," American Indian Film Festival Chicago Intl. Film Festival Award CINE Golden Eagle Award Columbus Intl. Film Festival Award PBS National Broadcasts |
|
Last Images of War |
|
|---|
| Noted actor Ben Kingsley narrates this compelling and internationally acclaimed story
of four young photojournalists -- one American, one Russian, one British, and one
Japanese -- who were all killed while covering the Afghan war. The film explores
the personal and professional motivations and ideals of three men and a woman who
felt an intense commitment to expose the horrors of this "hidden war" and
provide the world with the dramatic images it craved - -until they were ultimately
consumed by the story and conflict they were covering. Against the haunting physical
and cultural landscape of Afghanistan, these four personal and deeply moving stories
are intercut and interwoven to tell a larger and more universal story about the ongoing
human tragedy of war. This extraordinary documentary is essential viewing for anyone
interested in journalism, photojournalism, contemporary history, or the decline of
the Soviet Union. Produced by Stephen Olsson and Scott Andrews. 64 min. Color 1993 Catalog #38319 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
|
An intensely moving celebration of the bravery and idealism of the journalists
and the rebels…. The film is beautiful and brutal, a glorification of 'pure' (as
opposed to corporate) journalism, and a vivid snapshot of war at its most atrocious.
This brilliant film… succeeds in being both riveting and edifying. -- John Haslet
Cuff, Toronto Globe and Mail Emmy Award Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award Sundance Film Festival honoree Houston Intl. Film Festival Special Jury Award Chicago Intl. Film Festival Award American Film Festival Blue Ribbon PBS National Broadcasts on P.O.V. |
| The Main Stream | |
|---|
| Roy Blount, Jr., "in serious contention for the title of America's most cherished humorist" according to The New York Times, takes an offbeat journey down the Mississippi River, the literal and figurative Main Stream of America. Blount's unpredictable odyssey celebrates the full range of American diversity and eccentricity -- from a wedding ceremony at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, to a rodeo at America's toughest prison in Angola, Louisiana. Like Mark Twain, Blount is a displaced Southerner with the wit and wisdom to capture contemporary life on the great river Twain immortalized over a century ago. While floating downstream on an assortment of canoes, rowboats, rafts, steamboats, towboats, and fishing vessels, Blount introduces an unforgettable cast of characters and explores what holds this wildly diverse country together. Blount throws himself into unique Mississippi River events such as National Tom Sawyer Days (which "Life" magazine called "an orgy of wholesomeness"), the King Biscuit Blues Festival, the Cleveland Mississippi Annual Barbecue Contest, and the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. Viewers meet such memorable characters as Garrison Keillor, who challenges Blount to a stone-skipping contest; Winona LaDuke, an Ojibwe activist who twice ran for Vice President of the U.S.; Kenny Salway, a reclusive environmentalist who spent 28 years living alone in the swamp; Leonard Kuhnert, a fisherman who catches giant catfish with his bare hands; Leslie Eaton, a hippie nomad who makes a living reading palms; and Wilbert Rideau, an award-winning newspaper editor serving a life sentence for murder. Many of the communities and individuals featured in the film are struggling with beliefs and lifestyles that fall outside of mainstream culture. There are Native Americans battling to reclaim tribal lands and traditions; African Americans working with Greenpeace to fight environmental racism; and homesteaders contending for the right to live in old boathouses. Many have distinctly non-mainstream professions as well, including a Mark Twain impersonator, a musician on a mission to teach the blues to children in the Delta, and a trumpet player who is being heralded as the next Louis Armstrong. As one self-proclaimed river rat remarks, "The Mississippi River needs
the backwaters." Blount comes to realize that the unconventional and embattled
characters and communities he encounters in America's backwaters are critical
to the vitality of the mainstream. Ultimately, the film celebrates diversity,
eccentricity, and freedom of expression, as Blount concludes that America
is not nearly as homogeneous as he feared. With its unusual blend of humor,
irreverence, and insight, "The Main Stream" will grab student interest
and stimulate animated discussion in a range of courses in American studies
and American history, sociology, ethnic studies, and cultural anthropology.
It was produced by noted documentarian Roger Weisberg, whose earlier work,
"Road Scholar," has achieved the status of a classic. |
|
"Do we want the United States to resemble a stew or a puree?, asks an Ojibwe activist in this effective documentary. The film follows Roy Blount, Jr., down the Mississippi River as he explores this theme through his encounters with communities and individuals who live 'outside the mainstream' either by intention or circumstance. The film makes the case for appreciating the people he interviews as sources of creative energy that feed 'mainstream' culture. This appealing film would make a useful starting point for discussions about the contribution of local knowledge to national culture, and would be particularly suited to introductory courses in cultural anthropology and sociology, and to courses at all levels in environmental studies and American culture." -- Judith L. Goldstein, Prof. of Anthropology, Vassar College "I found the video very informative, especially the sections on the
origins of the river and its history. I also appreciated the conclusion,
which emphasized what has been done to alter and threaten the river's
integrity." -- Tom Roy, Prof. of Environmental Studies, Univ. of Montana
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|
Mazes and Labyrinths: The Search for the Center |
|
|---|
| This fascinating, wide-ranging documentary explores the historical and cultural aspects
of mazes and labyrinths worldwide. From the mythological Minotaur on the island of
Crete through the tombs of the ancient Egyptian pharoahs, from "primitive"
stone and turf labyrinths through hedge and church mazes and contemporary constructions,
the film reveals mazes and labyrinths to be much more than simple pastimes or puzzles.
This symbolic and highly metaphorical artform has spanned the ages and continents
and represented birth, death, the paths of the planets and stars, God, and the journey
through life and our search for ourselves. This work is an excellent discussion-starter
in a wide range of history courses. Produced by Scott Campbell. 28 min. Color 1996 Catalog #38344 Sale: video $150; Rental: video $50 |
|
A most impressive, thoroughly enjoyable, and thought-provoking work that captures the essence of our search to create order out of confusion. Because it examines the deep symbolism of mazes and labyrinths and demonstrates how this symbolism is shared across time and cultures, the video is great for stimulating classroom discussion in a wide array of classes, including history surveys, introductory cultural anthropology, sociology, social psychology, art history, and folklore.-- Lyla Campbell, Dept. of Psychology, UCLA School of Medicine |
|
The Moravian Massacre |
|
|---|
| On the morning of March 8, 1782, in the seventh year of the American Revolution,
at the Moravian mission of Gnadenhutten, a group of Pennsylvania militia forced 90
Christianized Indians of the Delaware tribe into two cabins. Within a few hours,
all of the converts, most of whom were women and children, were beaten to death by
militia members. Why did it happen? This powerful and thought-provoking documentary
blends artwork, interviews, readings from primary documents, and contemporary footage
of the massacre site into a mesmerizing account of what is considered one of the
most brutal atrocities in American history. The story depicts a dark side of the
American Revolution that is rarely discussed: the war on the frontier. It reveals
the politics, bigotry, and hatred that permeated the early American wilderness and
that has left an indelible stamp on all of American history. Directed by Randall
Wilkins for Wapatomika Productions. 48 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38405 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $60 |
|
 As an American Studies teacher, I find it a constant challenge to present the multifaceted and complex issues which molded our American heritage. This is particularly true with our first topic of the year -- the melding and clashing of European and Indian cultures. Such a topic involves questions of religion, politics, economics, culture, and race. In no single incident in the colonial history of the country is this complexity more evident than in the Moravian Massacre. This comprehensive video vividly captures the entire scope of the various influences which led to that awful event, and it has become the centerpiece of our class discussions concerning European and Indian interactions in the colonial period. And this has not been solely my decision, but the choice of my students as well, for this stirring video causes them to stop and ponder all that has molded our American culture. -- Mark Baker, Fred J. Page High School, Franklin, Tenn. Natl. Educational Film Festival Award Columbus Intl. Film Festival Award Chicago Intl. Documentary Film Festival honoree San Luis Obispo Intl Film Festival honoree |
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Pink's Famous Chili Dogs |
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| This deft and delightful documentary explores the importance of community history
and landmarks -- however modest or humble -- to the quality of the urban experience.
A concise, economical, and frequently humorous case study, the film relates the unlikely
survival of Pink's, a 60-year-old hot dog stand that has attained landmark status
in Los Angeles, a city notorious for tearing down landmarks and replacing them with
parking lots. Pink's attracts the rich and famous, the poor and struggling, and everyone
in between. It is one of the few truly democratic institutions in Movieland, and
one of the few that appeals to both young and old and to all of the many cultures
that make up the city. Pink's was founded during the Depression, when a young couple named Paul and Betty Pink borrowed $50 to buy a hot dog cart and planted it at the corner of Melrose and La Brea -- now a fashionable property worth millions. From the beginning, Pink's served high-quality hot dogs and became a popular hangout for actors, musicians, and local characters. Perhaps the most colorful of all these characters was wise-cracking owner Paul Pink, who became a constant fixture and as familiar to loyal patrons as his savory "dogs." Despite many offers over the years to sell out or franchise, Paul Pink has opted for the pleasures of running his one hot dog stand. Pink's survival proves the enduring power of a great chili dog, and illustrates the crucial importance of neighborhood landmarks everywhere in establishing and maintaining vital communities. Produced by Elise Pearlstein. 20 min. Color 1998 Catalog #38431 Sale: video $150, Rental: video $50 |
|
 Captures a remarkable temporal and cultural slice of Los Angeles. So often maligned as a city without a 'there,' Los Angeles is shown here to have heart and rootedness and interacting social groups. The video is a model of compression, the image carrying the tale. It flows with a seamless grace and seeming effortlessness, and it will inspire student discussion, reflection, and writing in a variety of disciplines. -- Marilyn Sutton, Prof. of English, California State Univ., Dominguez Hills A snack-sized documentary that delivers a delightful taste of pure, urban, roadside Americana... A gem of a film. -- Jim Heiman, Lecturer in Popular Culture, Art Center School of Design, Pasadena, Calif. Natl. Educational Film Festival Award Los Angeles Independent Film Festival honoree Newport Intl. Film Festival honoree Los Angeles Freewaves Film Festival honoree |
|
Pipe City |
|
|---|
| This excellent historical documentary explores a fascinating episode of the Depression
era, when a community of homeless men lived in unused portions of sewer construction
pipe in Oakland, Calif. The residents of Pipe City, as it was called, created a unique
cooperative that set them apart from the other shacktowns and "Hoovervilles"
prevalent at the time. They bartered for food, maintained their community, searched
for work, and even elected their own mayor and police chief. The story is told through
rare archival film footage and photographs and commentary by historians and former
Pipe City neighbors. By Richard Heeger. 30 min. Color 1993 Catalog #38228 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $50 |
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|
Point Bonita Lighthouse |
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| This beautiful documentary traces the history of one of America's most important
lighthouses -- at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It employs old photos, quotes
from memoirs and letters, and anecdotes and stories to bring the history of the lighthouse
to life and to show the importance of lighthouses to historical events. Covers the
period from the Gold Rush, when increased shipping made such aids to navigation necessary,
to the recent past when automation put an end to manned lighthouses. Produced by
Kathleen McDonough. 13 min. Color 1992 Catalog #38149 Sale: video $125, Rental: video $40 |
|
An excellent video to show to elementary-level students studying the Gold Rush era and its effect on California and American history. -- Carlene Searway, 4th-grade teacher, Silveira School, San Rafael, Calif. Natl. Educational Film Festival Award Marin Natl. Film and Video Festival honoree |
| Prisoners in Paradise | |
|---|
| This fascinating documentary recounts the experiences
of Italian prisoners of war interned in the United States during World War
II and places those experiences into a broad historical and social context.
The film focuses on six of the more than 51,000 Italian men held prisoner,
exploring their feelings, their treatment, and their decisions over whether
or not to collaborate in the Allied war effort. The film also examines the
prisoners' multifaceted relationships to the communities in which they found
themselves, including their romances with local American women, usually
of Italian descent.
This compelling documentary illuminates an important but little-known aspect of the war and provides valuable insights into American attitudes toward ethnicity, nationality, and immigration. To facilitate classroom use and discussion, the film is structured in three sections. The first, "Italy at War," introduces the featured Italian men and portrays their backgrounds, war experiences, capture, and first encounters with American soldiers. The second section, "Prisoners in America," shows how the men are shipped to America and are amazed by the vast landscapes and abundance. They are faced with a crisis of loyalties when Italy officially switches sides in the war, and they must decide if they will collaborate with the American war effort. In the end, the majority choose to collaborate, and assume the contradictory roles of ally and prisoner at the same time. Contact with Italian-American communities across the country eases the tension of their strange situation and romances between Italian POWs and American women crop up everywhere. Section Three, "Going Home," begins with jubilation and repatriation at the end of the war. But the devastation they find in Italy shocks most returning POWs. They grapple with the question of whether there is a life for them in Italy, while the American women they left behind struggle to keep love alive against all bureaucratic barriers. The film features several American women who traveled to Italy in order to marry the Italian POWs they loved and return together to America. The film ends with a meditation on where the cultural identity of these former prisoners now lies, after decades of being associated with two different nations. "Prisoners in Paradise" will stimulate discussion in a variety
of classes in history, sociology, cultural anthropology, immigration,
diversity, gender studies, and multiculturalism. It was produced by Camilla
Calamandrei. |
|
 "Engaging and moving... This skillful documentary presents men discovering a new world and new loves while remaining very Italian in warmth and temperament. A valuable and memorable film." -- Stanley Kauffmann, Film Critic, The New Republic "Very strongly recommended on its strength and historical interest, as well as its subject, one that has been ill-served by professional historians and documentarians. This is clearly a film not only of heartfelt conviction but also of professional skill. As for the historical dimension, the producer has assembled an advisory committee that consists of virtually all the scholars who have done any serious work on the topic, and it shows." -- Robert Abzug, Prof. of History and American Studies, Univ. of Texas at Austin "A carefully designed and well-researched documentary that I look forward to using in the classroom. This is a very important aspect of U.S. participation in the War, as well as of immigration history, but it rarely, if ever, appears in history textbooks. Highly recommended!" -- Janet Worrall, Prof. of History, Univ. of Northern Colorado "A valuable resource for my classes because of its emphasis on the complexity of the human relationships explored, the interviews with individuals who experienced this little-known but important episode of the war, and the variety of original sources uncovered in the film." -- Charlotte Rike, Prof. of History, North Lake College, Texas "Impressive and moving.... Deftly interweaving rare newsreel clips and archival footage of the actual POW camps with present-day interviews conducted with many surviving prisoners and their spouses, the film moves beyond mere history to become a more all-encompassing take on the immigrant experience in America." -- Variety "Tells us a great deal about attitudes during the War... It is perfect for my courses on Modern America." -- R. Hal Williams, Prof. of History, Southern Methodist Univ. "Excellent for use in classes dealing with ethnicity as well as in classes dealing with the period of World War II." -- Phil Roberts, Prof. of History, Univ. of Wyoming
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|
Riding the Rails |
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| This universally acclaimed documentary provides an unforgettable account of the lives
of teenage freight-train riders during the 1930s. In so doing it also offers a visionary
perspective on the supposed romanticism of the road and a cautionary warning on the
legacy and effects of the Great Depression. The Depression forced some four million
Americans onto the tracks in search of work, food, and lodging. Of these transients,
more than 250,000 were children. Through painstaking research and with tremendous
sensitivity, the film relates the experiences and painful recollections of these
now-elderly survivors of the rails. Seamlessly interweaving archival footage, personal
photos, and interviews, the film recounts the children's "trade secrets"
for survival and their stories of dank miseries, loneliness, imprisonment, death,
and dispossession. What emerges is a heartbeaking portrait of transformation and
loss in a land of bankrupt promises and vacant opportunities. As it reveals the astonishing
post-Depression fates of the now-80-year-old survivors, Riding the Rails illuminates
the irrevocable repercussions of a bitter chapter in American history. It will encourage
discussion and research in a wide range of courses in both sociology and history.
Produced and directed by Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell. 53 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38413 Sale: video $250, Rental: video $95 |
|
 Striking in its detail and depth of emotion, this is that rare documentary that will inform, dazzle, and move its audience to tears. -- Rebecca Yeldham, Sundance Film Festival "This is simply one of the best documentaries ever made. -- Zade Darwish, Florida Film Festival The film is one of enormous power and subtlety. It addresses the broad question of the human condition effectively and without dogma or preaching. It calls upon the viewer to reflect on our society and to look inside him or herself to find who we really are and where we are going. It does not permit the viewer to leave the film with a feeling of complacency. -- Michael Cassity, Prof. of History, Univ. of Wyoming A rich, varied, and close-to-the-ground look at an extraordinary period in American history. The focus on children makes the story compelling at the outset and widely accessible. -- Barbara Clark Smith, Curator, Dept. of Social and Cultural History, Smithsonian Institution This film is wonderful, very moving, and beautiful. It's one of the vital, terribly unreported sagas of the thirties. With today's homeless kids, it's a contemporary story of overwhelming importance. The analogy may awaken a public conscience that has been too long asleep. -- Studs Terkel Natl. Educational Film Festival Gold Apple Award "Best Documentary Feature Film," Worldfest Houston Sundance Film Festival honoree "Documentary Jury Award," Cinequest San Jose Film Festival "Best Documentary Feature," Great Plains Film Festival Wise Owl Award, Retirement Research Foundation Selected for screening at more than two dozen film festivals worldwide |
| Riding the Tiger | |
|---|
| This stunning cinematic essay delivers an unforgettable
evocation of the hubris, despair, and devastation of the American war in
Vietnam. Archival film footage -- both gorgeous and chilling -- and haunting
contemporary scenes of a vast and sorrowful B-52 graveyard are interwoven
with the voices of GIs, villagers, and journalists to add a dramatic human
counterpoint to the remarkable images on-screen.
"Riding the Tiger" is not a treatise, nor a polemic, but an artful and
thought-provoking reminiscence that makes eloquent sense of a dark and
troubling time. It will move and engage students through its emotional
and intellectual power and inspire animated discussion in courses in American
history and studies, 20th-century history, Peace studies, environmental
issues, and Southeast Asian studies. It was produced by John Haptas and
Kristine Samuelson. |
|
 "A visual and aural triumph! The filmmakers pare the longest war in American history down to its essence, carefully arranging important facts and impressions into a cinematic time-capsule and providing a thought-provoking distillation of the conflict. This coherent and dramatic presentation has a powerful intellectual and emotional dimension and it should be required viewing in all American history classes." -- Susan Tavernetti, Instructor, Film and TV Dept., De Anza College, and Film Critic, Palo Alto Weekly "The vivid, poignant, and haunting images and narrative in the film provide an assessment of the Vietnam war while unraveling its underlying stereotypes, misunderstandings, and blunders. This stunningly edited film serves as an exclamation point to the notion that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it!" -- Mike Torney, Social Studies Teacher, York Community High School, Elmhurst, Illinois "A visually stunning film that vividly illustrates the ravages of aggression and war upon the environment and people. The contrast between the beautiful Vietnamese countryside and the mechanized assaults created by the armed forces is powerful and creates a strong base for provocative classroom discussion." -- Suzanne Aldridge, History and American Studies Teacher, Piedmont High School, Piedmont, California
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|
Sermons and Sacred Pictures |
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|---|
| This multi-award-winning documentary profiles the life and work of Reverend L.O.
Taylor, a black Baptist minister from Memphis, Tenn. In addition to his ministry
work, Rev. Taylor was also an inspired filmmaker with an overwhelming interest in
preserving a visual and aural record of the social, cultural, and religious fabric
of black American life in the 1930s and 1940s. This stylistically innovative work
combines Taylor's black-and-white films and audio recordings with color images of
contemporary Memphis neighborhoods and religious gatherings. Commentary by members
of the Memphis community forms an intertwined narrative focusing on Rev. Taylor as
a pioneering documentarian and social activist. Essential viewing for all courses
in African-American history and culture. A film by Lynne Sachs, in association with
the Center for Southern Folklore. 29 min. Color and B&W 1991 Catalog #38109 Sale: video $195, Rental: $50 |
|
A dramatic portrait that will be especially useful for teachers and students interested in the black experience and the American South. -- Dr. William Ferris, Dir., Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Univ. of Mississippi, and Co-Editor, Encyclopedia of Southern Culture Margaret Mead Film Festival honoree "Best Short Documentary," Athens (Ohio) Film Festival CINE Golden Eagle Award American Anthropological Assoc. selection Black Cultural Expo (Memphis) honoree Robert Flaherty Film Seminar honoree |
|
Streetcar Stories |
|
|---|
| This exemplary historical documentary explores the social and cultural history of
New Orleans streetcars and illustrates the vital role that streetcars once played
in the everyday life of cities all across America. Although they are often dismissed
as nostalgic icons, New Orleans' streetcars are shown to be "moving monuments"
that reveal a riveting series of stories both about a less-hurried past and about
some of the most contentious moments in New Orleans and U.S. history. Highlights
include the violent 1929 streetcar strike, the experiences of women streetcar operators
during World War II, the segregation and integration of the streetcars, and the role
of the automobile companies in the demise of streetcar lines throughout the nation.
This fascinating film will enhance a variety of courses in American history, including
ethnic, urban, transportation, women's, and labor history. Produced by Michael Mizell-Nelson. 57 min. Color 1997 Catalog #38379 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $70 |
|
 Deeply informed, balanced, and fast-paced, this film richly deserves a national audience. It is not only a superb evocation of New Orleans history, but it touches on many of the central themes in modern U.S. history. Race relations, labor-management relations, urbanization, the struggle for gender equality, the impact of the Depression and wars -- all receive careful attention in this admirable documentary. -- Patrick Maney, Prof. of History, Tulane Univ. A work of rare artistry and profound scholarship... which both entertains and instructs. In using local history to help its viewers find 'common ground,' it is a model of local history at its best. -- Joseph Logsdon, Prof. of History and Dir., Center for New Orleans Studies, Univ. of New Orleans Full of great stories and -- best of all -- its structure keeps one hooked without anticipating when it will end. I want to see it again with my class to figure out just how it managed this.... -- George Stoney, Prof. of Film and Television, New York Univ. American Assn. for State and Local History Award Natl. Educational Film Festival Award American Film Institute Videofest honoree Museum of Modern Art honoree |
| Superchief: The Life and Legacy of Earl Warren | |
|---|
| Earl Warren was one of the most beloved and
one of the most hated Supreme Court Chief Justices this nation has ever
known. His activist policies unleashed a torrent of change on sleepy
1950s America, giving rise to a series of landmark decisions that continue
to reverberate today. This classic and universally acclaimed documentary
explores the eternal tension between what is legal and what is right
by examining a man who spent his life seeking a balance between the
two.
"Super Chief" seamlessly interweaves thought-provoking archival interviews with Warren himself and commentaries by people who worked with and against him, analysis by important scholars and commentators who reflect on his contributions and legacy, and discussions with friends and family members who provide insights into the private man. Through poignant and powerful stories, the film also introduces "ordinary" people whose lives were profoundly affected by the decisions of the Warren Court. Among those who appear in the film are former Supreme Court Justices William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, author Irving Stone, playwright Arthur Miller, and former Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, whose defiance of the Warren Court's civil rights decisions brought the National Guard to Little Rock in 1957. The outstanding narration is expertly presented by Gregory Peck. When it was originally released in 1989, "Super Chief" was hailed as an "enlightening, illuminating masterpiece" of historical filmmaking. However, it is perhaps even more relevant today, because at heart it is a powerful inquiry into the very meaning of our nation and its system of law and justice. The controversies explored continue into the present with all of their passions intact. And they will persist, since, despite the admonitions of the advocates of judicial restraint, the American people continue to seek justice and redress grievances through the courts. "Super Chief" is essential viewing in a wide range of courses in
American history, sociology, political science, and law. It was produced
by renowned documentarians Bill Jersey and Judith Leonard. |
|
 "Simultaneously illuminates the man, his times and, most valuably, the background of some of the Warren Court's most historic and explosive decisions. The film has more dramatic appeal than Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson combined." -- Nat Hentoff, The Washington Post "A great contribution to the understanding of law and the Supreme Court.... The phrase 'the Warren court' will have meaning for everyone who sees this film." -- Anthony Lewis, The New York Times "Highly recommended. The film makes a major contribution, both to the understanding of Chief Justice Warren and the work of the Supreme Court." -- Bernard Schwartz, Earl Warren biographer and Prof. of Law, New York Univ.
|
|
Tierra o Muerte: Land or Death |
|
|---|
| This powerful documentary explores a land rights battle that been raging in northern
New Mexico for 150 years. To local residents of Mexican descent, their ongoing struggle
is not just for property rights, but for cultural survival and a community's right
to determine its own future. Narrated by Luis Valdez. Produced by Carolyn Hales for
KBDI-TV, Denver. 59 min. Color 1992 Catalog #38249 Sale: video $195, Rental: video $60 |
|
The land grant struggles of northern New Mexico have tested the resolve of a traditional
Hispanic community to live out an ancestral dream and remain upon the land against
all odds. This superb film... can be used with great success in classes in American
history, Hispanic or Chicano studies, sociology, political science, or multiculturalism.
-- Prof. Enrique Lamadrid, Univ. of New Mexico Latin American Studies Assn. Award of Merit duPont-Columbia Award for Broadcast Journalism CineFestival San Antonio honoree Intl. Film & TV Festival of New York Award |
|
The Voice of Yellow Ribbon Patriotism |
|
|---|
| This highly original video essay was born of director Lisa Millimet's reaction to
the Persian Gulf War and her need to understand the enormous outpouring of public
emotion when the troops returned from the Gulf. Driven by unforgotten images of the
Vietnam War, she sought to express what she found to be a nationwide reaction to
feelings as yet unresolved from that experience. Religion, education, militarism,
racism, and the roles these forces served in fueling the "Support the Troops"
phenomenon play themselves out on screen against a backdrop of lingering frustration,
guilt, and grief. Edited in a thought-provoking, collage-like style that often juxtaposes
conflicting visuals and voice-overs, the film slowly reveals the complexity of the
phenomenon and ultimately lays bare the soul of the country. An outstanding discussion-starter
for courses in popular culture, social psychology, social movements, and American
studies, history, and institutions. 38 min. Color 1996 Catalog #38396 Sale: video $175, Rental: video $60 |
|
 A unique and chilling documentary that reveals the painful legacy and long-term effects of unbridled militarism. -- Larry Radway, Prof. Emeritus of Government, Dartmouth College A compelling visual history of Gulf War patriotism and a meditation on the moral peril of celebrating and embracing 'contentless' images of war. The film juxtaposes the 'rush to non-judgment' of Gulf War hysteria against the quieted moral lessons the nation failed to learn from Vietnam and raises the question of how the patirotic impulse is dangerously conflated with the imagery of war in public culture. A valuable tool in studying a complex phenomenon. -- Phil Cox, Prof. of Philosophy, Univ. of Massachusetts at Dartmouth An extremely powerful portrayal of an American view of patriotism. This beautifully crafted film is a must for all serious and thoughtful Americans. -- Montford H.R. Sayce, Styles Bridges Prof. of Political Science, New England College |
| Unfinished Symphony: Democracy and Dissent | |
|---|
This title is no longer distributed by UC Extension. For distribution information, contact: Berkeley Media LLC Set primarily in Lexington, Massachusetts, over the Memorial Day weekend of 1971, this profound and thought-provoking film examines a protest by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War that still reverberates today, spurring discourse over civil dissent and its place within a democratic society. Planned as a rally against the Vietnam War, Operation POW was an event staged to confront suburban residents; it retraced the ride of Paul Revere from Concord to Boston and culminated with a huge demonstration on the Boston Common. The second night's bivouac on the Battle Green of Lexington became the site of yet another historic act of civil disobedience. More than 400 veterans and townspeople were carted off and incarcerated in the town's garage, resulting in the largest arrest in the history of the state. The act of civil disobedience intentionally took place on America's sacred ground, the birthplace of the American Revolution. Against the backdrop of a growing national dissatisfaction with the U.S. commitment in Vietnam, the film depicts local meetings documented over that weekend that became vigorous and angry debates not just about the war, but about the rule of law, local authority, civil disobedience, and patriotism. While rekindling the memories and anguish of the Vietnam War, the film illustrates the passion and courage of citizen leadership on all sides of the issues. Henryk Gorecki's "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" provides a powerful and resonant musical voice and becomes the principal narrative structure in a film that probes the nature of public and individual conscience and challenges viewers to ask themselves what the lessons of the Vietnam experience are today. Along with extensive footage from the era and the event, the film also interweaves contemporary commentary culled from interviews with many of the participants as well as analysis by noted scholars and commentators, including Boston Univ. Professor Howard Zinn. "Unfinished Symphony" will generate thought and discussion in a
range of courses in American history and American studies, sociology,
social psychology, political science, and ethics. It was produced
by Bestor Cram and directed by Cram and Mike Majoros for Northern
Light Productions. |
|
 Best of Festival, New England Film and Video Festival 2001 Best Short Documentary, Nashville Independent Film Festival 2001 Special Recognition, Arizona Intl. Film Festival Sundance Film Festival honoree Human Rights Watch Intl. Film Festival honoree Selected for screening at more than a dozen major international film festivals |
|
Westward to China |
|
|---|
| This fascinating documentary provides a vivid account of one of the most important
periods in Chinese history by recounting the American experience in China during
the decade prior to the Sino-Japanese War. The Americans were missionaries, entrepreneurs,
military men, journalists, and diplomats. They lived and worked in large cities and
remote villages. They witnessed the Nationalists attempt to crush the Communists
and later saw the Japanese launch all-out war on China. Their lives became intertwined
with the events that surrounded them. Their eyewitness accounts of this complex era
are illustrated by remarkable personal film collections and archival photographs
never before available to educators and scholars. Features Harrison Salisbury, John
King Fairbank, Jack Service, Maud Russell, and the words of Edgar Snow read by Ed
Asner. Produced by James Culp for the Film History Foundation. 58 min. Color 1994 Catalog #38282 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
|
Rich, troubling remembrances of Americans in China during some of the most significant
events of the 20th century. Highly recommended for students, scholars, and citizens
alike. -- Lyman van Slyke, Stanford Univ. Hawaii Intl. Film Festival honoree Assn. for Asian Studies honoree |
|
When I Was Fourteen: A Survivor Remembers |
|
|---|
| This profoundly inspiring and deeply humanistic documentary chronicles the Holocaust
experiences of Gloria Hollander Lyon, a Czechoslovakian Jew now living in San Francisco.
When she was 14 her family was rounded up and sent to Auschwitz, where she narrowly
and by chance managed to escape the gas chambers. Gloria survived six other concentration
camps before she was liberated by the Swedish Red Cross and "restored to life"
in the home of a remarkable Swedish family. In 1947 she immigrated to America, where
she married, raised a family, and lived a "normal" life. But a pamphlet
she saw that claimed the Holocaust never happened motivated her to speak publicly,
mainly in schools and colleges, about her experiences and to urge her listeners to
fight racial hatred and to respect all humanity. To teach today's youth the lessons
of the Holocaust, in this film Gloria recounts that traumatic period, revisits the
camps in which she was imprisoned, reunites with her Swedish "family,"
and celebrates survival and life. Produced by Marlene Booth and James Goldner. 57 min. Color 1995 Catalog #38326 Sale: video $225, Rental: video $70 |
|
This film is perfectly suited for classrooms at all levels. It is a personal story, humanly rich and easy to identify with. No one of any age can fail to be touched, enlightened, and inspired by this magnificent film. -- Mary Felstiner, Prof. of History, San Francisco State Univ. An exceptional achievement that will have an enormous impact on students. Although the film deals with anti-semitism, it is easily generalizable, making it an excellent addition to ethnic studies, American studies, and gender studies classes at all levels. In addition, the film's 'eyewitness' aspect makes it excellent for history classes dealing with the 20th century. -- Mary Redick, Prof. of Anthropology, City College of San Francisco CINE Golden Eagle Award Film Arts Foundation Festival honoree Boston Jewish Film Festival honoree San Diego Jewish Film Festival honoree |
