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Special Web Discount Pricing in Honor of Black History Month In honor of Black History Month, we are offering special Web Site discount pricing on four of our new titles on African-American and African history. The four titles are Brownsville Black and White, Ota Benga: A Pygmy in America, Scattered Africa: Faces and Voices of the African Diaspora, and Urban Tribe. Purchase any of these four titles before March 14, 2003, and take 10% off the list VHS purchase price. Shipping and handling and California sales tax, if applicable, are extra. Please note our ordering information. If you have questions, please email us at ucmedia@ucxonline.berkeley.edu or call us at 510-642-0460. We appreciate your support and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Video Duplication, Licensing,
and Public Performance FAQ
Featured New Releases |
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Click on a film title to see more |
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Alcatraz
Is Not an Island After generations of oppression, assimilation, and near-genocide, a small group of Native American students and "Urban Indians" began the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in November 1969. This remarkable documentary interweaves archival footage and contemporary commentary to examine how this historic event altered U.S. Government Indian policy and programs, and how it forever changed the way Native Americans viewed themselves, their culture, and their sovereign rights. |
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The Ash
Barge Odyssey This eye-opening documentary chronicles the 16-year saga of a small mountain's worth of incinerated toxic waste from Philadelphia as it traveled on a barge around the world in search of a dumping place. |
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Boomtown
This fascinating and thought-provoking documentary chronicles the many challenges faced by Suquamish families in the fireworks business and explores the complex and often thorny issues of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness in Indian Country. |
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Borrowed Fire: The
Shadow Puppets of Kerala |
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Brownsville
Black and White This poignant and powerful documentary explores the complex history of interracial cooperation, urban change, and social conflict in Brownsville, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, from the 1930s to the present. |
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Cashing
in on Culture: Indigenous Communities and Tourism Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, and one of the most important forms of contemporary contact between different cultures. This insightful documentary, filmed in the small tropical forest community of Capirona, in Ecuador, serves as an incisive case study of the many issues and potential problems surrounding eco- and ethnic tourism. |
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Child Protective
Services An unprecedented order from a Juvenile Court Presiding Judge allowed award-winning producer Matthew Eisen to chronicle the raw and powerful day-to-day operations of a child-protection office in San Diego. The film follows frontline workers in an Emergency Response Unit, shows social workers helping to re-unite torn families, and sits in on emotionally charged final courtroom decisions. |
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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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Confederacy
Theory This powerful and thought-provoking documentary explores the complexities of a controversy steeped in American history and racial divisiveness: the debate over the Confederate flag in South Carolina, the last state to fly the flag on its capitol. |
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Crashing
the Parties In the wake of the chaotic Presidential election of 2000, Americans are asking: Does every vote count? Is voting your conscience a wasted vote? These and other critical related themes are explored in this cogent and thought- provoking documentary, which examines in depth the 2000 campaigns of six third-party Presidential candidates. |
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Creating
Community: Lafayette Park The community of Lafayette Park, in downtown Detroit, is one of the most important prototypes of urban planning in postwar America. This engaging documentary chronicles the evolution of the neighborhood and illustrates how each member of the team of designers, under architect Mies van der Rohe, contributed his unique expertise and vision to create a successful community. |
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Different
from You This unflinchingly honest and humane documentary follows the medical rounds of an urban family physician as he services the homeless mentally ill, demonstrating that only a small societal effort is needed to help keep people off the streets, relieve unnecessary misery, and improve the conditions of our cities. |
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Discovering
Dominga This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers. The film follows her remarkable journey of transformation and discovery as she returns to Guatemala in search of her heritage and ultimately joins efforts to bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice. |
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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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Gender and
Relationships: Male-Female Differences in Love and Marriage This often humorous, often poignant, and always profound video explores the differences in the ways that men and women experience the love relationship. It features men and women from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds who provide eloquent -- and sometimes rueful -- testimony on how gender differences affect love, courtship, "couplehood," marriage, emotions, understanding, and sensitivity. |
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The Hall
of Man Commissioned by Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History in 1930 to sculpt "The Living Races of Mankind," American artist Malvina Hoffman traveled around the world to find models and created 104 life-sized figures, busts, and heads in bronze and stone for "The Hall of Man," the museum's resulting anthropology exhibit. |
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In Beauty
I Walk: The Navajo Way to Harmony Set amid the stunning environs of Arizona's rugged Canyon de Chelly, this compelling documentary explores traditional Navajo Indian spiritual practices and thought. |
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Inipi: Breath
of Life This innovative and reflective documentary explores one of the most widespread of all Native American rituals -- the sweat lodge ceremony. |
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Kawitan:
Creating Childhood in Bali This informative and compelling documentary systematically examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali. The focus of the film is both ethnographic and ethnomusicological as it explores the relationship between Balinese music, movement, ritual, and identity. |
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The Last
Stand: Ancient Redwoods and the Bottom Line This powerful and thought-provoking documentary explores the dramatic history of the 15-year battle to save the last remaining ancient redwoods in northern California's Headwaters Forest. This riveting history is one of junk bonds and endangered salmon, car bombs and clear-cuts, corporate takeovers, collusion, corruption, greed, and murder. It is also one of courage and conviction, vision and values. |
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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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Nubia and
the Mysteries of Kush Hidden away in the Butana region of northern Sudan lie the ruins of ancient Nubia, a once-great African civilization that for many centuries was the rival of Ancient Egypt. Its golden age, the Kingdom of Kush, existed from about 800 BC to 350 AD and left behind a rich legacy of political power, cultural achievements, and technological innovation in the Nile Valley. |
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Ota Benga:
A Pygmy in America This wrenching documentary relates one of the saddest episodes in the shameful history of racism in America. In 1904 the pygmy, Ota Benga, was "bought" in his native Congo by the explorer, Samuel Verner, and brought to this country to be one of many "anthropological" attractions at the St. Louis World's Fair. |
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The Return
of Navajo Boy Set in the stunning landscape of Utah's Monument Valley, this unforgettable, universally acclaimed documentary chronicles the extraordinary saga of how a rediscovered 1950s silent film reel leads to the return of a long-lost brother to his Navajo family. |
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Salsa in
Japan: A Japanese and Latino Mix This remarkable documentary on multiculturalism explores the growing subculture of salsa dancing in Japan, where salsa dancing and salsa clubs serve as a source of interaction and cultural mingling between Japanese and Latino immigrants to Japan. |
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Sand Painting:
Sacred Art of Tibet The ancient art of Tibetan sand painting has been preserved in the monasteries of India and Tibet for some 2,500 years. Traditionally practiced in seclusion, this unique art form has only been practiced publicly in the last decades. In this beautifully photographed and fascinating documentary, Tibetan monks from the Dalai Lama's personal monastery, Namgyal, create the mandala of Kalachakra, the most sacred of all Buddhist sand paintings. |
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Scattered
Africa: Faces and Voices of the African Diaspora This eye-opening documentary examines the African Diaspora, from the violent scattering of African people away from their continent of origin to their contemporary participation in a global community. The film focuses on the contributions of Africans and their descendants to the wealth and power of the Americas, and portrays elements of African culture that characterize everyday life throughout the Americas today. |
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Shifting
Traditions Through the diverse voices of interfaith couples and rabbinical leaders, this incisive and balanced documentary examines interfaith marriages and the controversies surrounding them in the contemporary Jewish American community. |
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Sir: Just
a Normal Guy This candid, intimate, and courageous documentary insightfully explores the difficulties and alienation faced by transsexuals, as well as the hopes and motivations of individuals who undergo this profound experience. |
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Sounds Sacred
This remarkable filmic essay explores the unique and powerful ways that human beings around the world manifest their spirituality through sound and music. |
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Type/Caste:
A Secretary with a Camera Although the early 20th century "working girl" epitomized independence and modernity, by the end of the century the "secretary" had become the symbol of female subservience. Loosely structured as a "day in the life" of a secretary, the film is a funny and compelling look inside the traditional female role in the American workplace. |
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Urban Tribe This keenly observed documentary profiles an African-American natural hair salon in Chicago. Biko, the articulate and energetic proprietor, specializes in natural-hair styling of "locs" (otherwise known as dreadlocks) and braids, sculpting complex and magnificent arrangements of hair that can be interpreted as political and cultural statements. |
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Wedding
Advice: Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace With an engaging blend of humor, personal testimony, and expert analysis, this thought-provoking documentary explores the history and contemporary relevance of the institution of marriage in America. |
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When You're
Smiling: The Deadly Legacy of Internment This powerful and widely acclaimed documentary skillfully blends personal reminiscence, archival footage, and poignant commentary to explore the harsh post-war "resettlement years" of Japanese Americans. Growing up in the conformist 1950s and coming of age in the tumultuous 1960s, the children of internees often paid a steep price for their parents' internment and subsequent silent assimilation: Many turned to drugs, gangs, and, ultimately, suicide. |
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Womanhood
and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives. |
| Alcatraz Is Not an Island |  |
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For Native Americans all across the United States, the infamous Alcatraz is not an island... It is an inspiration. After generations of oppression, assimilation, and near-genocide, a small group of Native American students and "Urban Indians" began the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in November 1969. They were eventually joined by thousands of Native Americans, retaking "Indian land" for the first time since the 1880s. This remarkable documentary interweaves archival footage and contemporary commentary to examine how this historic event altered U.S. Government Indian policy and programs, and how it forever changed the way Native Americans viewed themselves, their culture, and their sovereign rights. The story of the occupation of Alcatraz is as complex and rich as the history of Native Americans. In the 1950s, after decades of failed policies and programs, the Eisenhower administration implemented the "Relocation and Termination" programs as official Federal Indian policies. These programs were designed to lure Indian people off the reservations and into major cities, such as San Francisco, in order to complete their assimilation and acculturation into "mainstream" America. By the mid-1960s, the San Francisco Bay Area's urban Indian community was one of the largest and best organized in the country. Rather than dissolving into the urban "melting pot," Bay Area Indians clung tenaciously to their cultures, formed social and political organizations, and began to mobilize. Echoing the Free Speech, Civil Rights, and anti-war movements and other Sixties' struggles for social justice, Bay Area Indians began their own protests of Indian treaty and civil rights abuses, protests that eventually led to the occupation of Alcatraz. "Alcatraz Is Not an Island" examines the personal sacrifices and individual tragedies experienced by those involved in the occupation, focusing on the dramatic story of occupation leader Richard Oakes. It also explores the impact of the occupation on Native Americans nationwide. Out of Alcatraz came the "Red Power" movement of the 1970s, which has been called the lost chapter of the Civil Rights era, and more than 70 other Indian occupations of Federal facilities. But the occupation was more than a political event: it is now widely regarded as the turning point in a renaissance for Indian culture, traditions, identity, and spirituality. More than 30 years after the takeover of Alcatraz, "Alcatraz Is
Not an Island" provides the first in-depth look at the history, politics,
personalities, and cultural reawakening behind this historic event. This
gripping film is essential viewing in any course in Native American studies,
and it will inspire reflection and discussion in a wide variety of courses
in American history and studies, cultural anthropology, sociology, political
science, and ethnic studies. It was produced by Jon Plutte and directed
by James Fortier (Metis-Ojibway) in association with the Independent Television
Service and KQED Television. Noted actor Benjamin Bratt (Quechua) delivers
the eloquent narration. |
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| The Ash Barge Odyssey | |
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This eye-opening documentary chronicles the 16-year saga of a small mountain's worth of incinerated toxic waste from Philadelphia as it traveled on a barge around the world in search of a dumping place. The film relates this revealing and ultimately shocking tale of global environmental injustice through candid and poignant personal accounts, archival supportive material, and footage shot on location in Philadelphia, Florida, and Haiti. The well-traveled toxic ash that left Philadelphia in 1986 on the cargo vessel Khian Sea was caught in a tangled web that involved government agencies at every level and a host of private companies. Players in the drama included the U.S. State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, and a New York City commission charged with rooting organized crime from the commercial trash-hauling industry. When the ship illegally dumped 4,000 tons of the ash, described as fertilizer, on a beach in the small impoverished port town of Gonaives, Haiti, Greenpeace and other environmental groups demanded it be brought back to the United States. But ten long years elapsed before the ash was finally removed from Haiti. As a result, the people of Gonaives are still suffering from the devastating effects of the toxic ash. "The Ash Barge Odyssey" serves as an instructive and cautionary case
study of global dumping and of a society that generates more waste than
it can safely dispose of. It will stimulate thought and discussion in
a wide range of courses in environmental studies, Third-World and development
studies, and planning and public policy. It was produced by Joanna Michael
and Eric Thomas for Michael Thomas Productions. |
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| Boomtown | |
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Suquamish, Washington, is a small Pacific Coast reservation town in the heart of the Port Madison Indian Reservation. At the start of every summer, tribal members from the Suquamish Nation transform the quiet seaside village into a volatile marketplace devoted to the sale of fireworks for the upcoming Fourth of July. This fascinating and thought-provoking documentary chronicles the many challenges faced by Suquamish families in the fireworks business and explores the complex and often thorny issues of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness in Indian Country. Although most Americans celebrate July Fourth by simply watching fireworks displays, for many of the Suquamish the selling and setting off of huge displays of fireworks for Independence Day is a vital summer ritual. It is also big business and an important part of the local reservation economy. The main character in the film, Bennie Armstrong, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribal Council, has sold fireworks for three decades. For Armstrong and others, selling fireworks entails calculated risk and detailed planning. One first-time stand owner puts her house in the balance by using mortgage money to buy a stock of fireworks. A veteran seller has long depended on fireworks sales to make up the income shortfalls between salmon runs. Another couple uses income from their stand to start a Baptist Church on the reservation. For Armstrong, the right to sell fireworks is symbolic of a larger political context in which tribes throughout the United States struggle to maintain their sovereignty. In his view, the sale of fireworks is a justly poetic blend of politics, economics, and independence. Nevertheless, the irony of celebrating Independence Day is not lost on Armstrong and other tribal members. But while some see the history of Indian- white relations as a litany of displacement, broken treaties, and cultural destruction, others see a story of Native deeds and contributions to the strength and development of the country as a whole. In reality, Armstrong and other Indians are dual citizens. As both American entrepreneurs and as Indians with an outlook unique to their experiences and traditions, they walk in two worlds. In a place where federal, state, and local policies routinely collide
with Native sovereignty, "Boomtown" provides a multi-layered, subtle,
and often- poignant portrait of contemporary Indian life, showing that
Native tradition can meet today's economic realities with unexpectedly
successful results. "Boomtown" will motivate discussion in classes in
Native American studies, American studies and history, cultural anthropology,
and sociology. It was produced by Bryan Gunnar Cole. |
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"A very good example of a documentary that celebrates and at the same time upholds a critical interpretation of our society. This is a work to be shown to all students." -- Mary Ellen Davis, Prof. of Cinema, Concordia Univ.
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| Borrowed Fire: The Shadow Puppets of Kerala | |
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This deft and engaging ethnographic documentary examines the life and art of Krishnankutty Pulavar, the last surviving master of "Tolpava Koothu," a thousand-year-old form of shadow puppetry found only in Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India. The film includes exclusive footage of Kerala shadow puppet performances of the ancient Hindu "Ramayana" epic, the training of the puppeteers, the puppeteers at work backstage, the making of puppets, and interviews with the key members of the puppet ensemble. This unique film provides outsiders a rare opportunity to view and learn about a traditional and sacred performance art that takes place only in Kerala's Hindu temples, and that is in danger of disappearing after the current generation. The film illustrates the passing on of this oral tradition, its aging patrons and performers, and the palm manuscripts on which its repertoire is written. Flat buffalo-hide puppets and a special puppet house in temple compounds create a show that few watch, but since it is a ritual offering for the goddess Bhadrakali, who is always in attendance at the temple, the show goes on all night long, sometimes requiring as many as 21 nights to complete. The "Ramayana," one of Hindu's major epics, is the basis for episodes performed year after year during temple festivals. The film focuses on the precarious future of this art amid the rapid process of social and cultural change in India. Pulavar's three sons, while learning from him and performing in the troupe with him, look to other mundane professions to survive and may not continue the tradition. Nevertheless, the old Pulavar has discovered a personal sense of peace and retained his belief in his art as a spiritual quest. A year after the making of the film, Krishnankutty Pulavar died, making
"Borrowed Fire" the only detailed record of this art available
on video. It is a must-see in many courses in Indian studies and will
inspire thought and discussion in a variety of courses in Asian studies,
cultural anthropology, religion, and performing arts. It was produced
by Salil Singh and Anurag Wadehra. |
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"A clear and poetic documentation of the shadow theatre of Kerala, India. The film communicates the cultural context of the theatre and documents its changes in this generation. The camera work is visually pleasing and the coverage deft. The video gives pertinent information on the text, drawn from Kampan's twelfth-century Tamil version of the Ramayana. It is admirable how concisely the story line is conveyed in a few brief episodes from the complex epic. Overall the film is an admirable accomplishment." -- Kathy Foley, Prof. and Chair of Theater, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, in "The Asian Theatre Journal" "Exceptionally helpful in teaching about the almost endless variety of Indian theatre. The video is especially useful in pointing out the multiple forms that shadow puppetry has taken and above all is valuable in preserving a form that is on the verge of extinction. The video is given much added depth by including so fully the context in which this particular form of shadow puppetry exists, giving it a very human as well as artistic interest. Few of us would ever have the opportunity to observe this particular dramatic form and it seems a special blessing that it allows the viewer to enter into the experience on so many levels. It contributes greatly to an appreciation of the complexity of Indian theatre." -- Oscar G. Brockett, Distinguished Prof. of Theatre, Univ. of Texas at Austin
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| Brownsville Black and White | |
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This poignant and powerful documentary explores the complex history of interracial cooperation, urban change, and social conflict in Brownsville, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, from the 1930s to the present. A case study of the tragedy of urban American race relations, the film recounts the transformation of Brownsville from a poor but racially harmonious area made up largely of Jews and blacks to a community made up almost entirely of people of color. Dubbed "The First American Ghetto" by historians and the press, Brownsville today is afflicted by poverty, gangs, drugs, decay, and unemployment. In the 1940s Brownsville was famous for its grass-roots integration. But it later achieved notoriety for one of the most divisive and bitter black-white confrontations in American history, the 1968 Ocean Hill Brownsville School War, in which the African-American (and Hispanic) community battled the predominantly white and Jewish Teachers Union. "Brownsville Black and White" examines some of the most troubling and
perplexing issues facing America and its cities and raises a multitude
of discussible questions. The film will provoke reflection, analysis,
and debate in a variety of courses in sociology and social issues, American
history and American studies, African American studies, urban studies,
race relations, cultural anthropology, Jewish Studies, and education.
It was produced by Richard Broadman and Laurann Black. |
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"An excellent introduction to the history of 20th-century American race relations that resonates with the issues facing the country today. The film illuminates, and provides a basis for discussion of, the role of race and class in shaping the lives of working Americans, but it also reveals the power that committed individuals have to change society. The film also contributes greatly to our understanding of urban change, and is a great resource for teachers interested in urban issues." -- Wendell Pritchett, Asst. Prof. of Law, Univ. of Pennsylvania Law School, Asst. Prof. of History, Baruch College, City Univ. of New York, and author of "Brownsville, Brooklyn: Blacks, Jews and the Changing Face of the Ghetto" "Offers a fresh entry into an explosive debate, by revisiting the late 1960s Ocean Hill Brownsville school battles between the largely white teacher's union and black and white community school activists. It sets these conflicts in the context of Brownsville's history as a crowded, racially mixed neighborhood of progressive politics, youth gangs, and poverty. Wonderful historic footage and photographs and black and white narrators' memories bring to life a neighborhood in the 1930s and 1940s where racial boundaries were routinely crossed and racial antagonisms were not inevitable. The film provides a rich backdrop for exploring the social changes that made it so hard for the two sides in the school wars to know or recognize each other. Highly recommended for any classes in twentieth-century urban history, history of education, or racial and ethnic conflict." -- Judith Smith, Director, Graduate Program in American Studies, Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston
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| Cashing in on Culture: Indigenous Communities and Tourism |
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Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, and one of the most important forms of contemporary contact between different cultures. Eco-tourism and "ethnic" tourism, designed specifically to bring affluent and adventurous tourists into remote indigenous communities, are among the fastest-growing types of tourism worldwide. This insightful documentary, filmed in the small tropical forest community of Capirona, in Ecuador, serves as an incisive case study of the many issues and potential problems surrounding eco- and ethnic tourism. Those issues are shown to be simultaneously cultural, economic, and environmental, and are complexly intertwined for both indigenous communities and tourists. The film interweaves illuminating sequences featuring the Quechua-speaking Capirona Indians, Ecuadorian tour operators, anthropologists and other academics, and college-age American tourists to examine the benefits and negative costs of such tourism to everyone involved. The film focuses in particular on how tourism has changed the lives of members of the indigenous community, which took eight years to decide to admit tourists into their villages. The cash flow from tourism that is managed directly by the Indians bypasses the fees normally exacted by travel agencies and tour operators and may be able to sustain the community if revenues are distributed equitably. But how do indigenous communities, in the context of global tourism and business interests, set up and run successful tourist operations without compromising their own cultural traditions and despoiling their environment? "Cashing in on Culture" explores some of the most perplexing issues
facing indigenous communities and raises a multitude of thorny questions.
The film will generate discussion in a variety of courses in cultural
anthropology, development and Third-World issues, and Latin American studies.
It was produced by Prof. Regina Harrison, Univ. of Maryland. |
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"This film is perfect for teaching about the complexities and contradictions of globalization as experienced on the ground by indigenous people who are themselves cultural and political actors on a local and global stage. It will engage students profoundly in complicated questions which the film persuades you to care about deeply." -- Brett Williams, Prof. of Anthropology, American Univ. "This heartfelt essay on eco-tourism should elicit lively and informed
discussion on the ethics, economics, and cultural issues involved, especially
for the indigenous peoples." -- Pat Aufderheide, Prof. and Dir., Center
for Social Media, American Univ.
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| Child Protective Services | |
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This sensitive and sometimes anguishing documentary ventures where no cameras have been before: behind the closed doors of our nation's child-protection system. An unprecedented protective order issued by a Juvenile Court Presiding Judge allowed award-winning producer Matthew Eisen to chronicle the raw and powerful day-to-day operations of one child-protection office in southern California. The film follows frontline workers in an Emergency Response Unit, shows social workers helping to re-unite torn families, and sits in on emotionally charged final courtroom decisions. Students in a wide range of courses in sociology, social welfare, and
social psychology will find much food for thought and discussion in remarkable
scenes capturing a young child being removed from his parents and taken
into protective custody; social workers and police serving a search warrant
to a parent accused of neglect; a "model" foster-care family suddenly
being investigated by child welfare workers; a social worker "burning
out" from frustration; and a mother's struggles to stay off drugs and
regain custody of her children. The film is a co-production of Matthew
Eisen Productions and KPBS-TV, San Diego. |
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| Chronicle of an American Suburb | |
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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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| Confederacy Theory | |
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| This powerful and thought-provoking documentary
explores the complexities of a controversy steeped in American history and
racial divisiveness: the debate over the Confederate flag in South Carolina,
the last state to fly the flag on its capitol. Using never-before-seen archival
footage and exclusive interviews with politicians, pundits, activists, and
scholars, "Confederacy Theory" traces the impact of the Confederate
emblem on Southern culture, history, and identity -- from the Civil War
to the front lines of a modern-day secessionist movement.
Although the Civil War ended long ago, across the American South this century-old defeat holds a prominent place in the popular psyche, to the point that talk of the "war between the states" often peppers daily conversation. Now a contemporary cultural war has erupted over the meaning and use of the Confederate battle flag, which many see as a racist symbol celebrating the Southern defense of slavery during the Civil War and Southern resistance to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. The flag's defenders, meanwhile, cling to the notion of a Southern "lost cause" and in many respects echo the resentments of their Confederate ancestors. Today this heated controversy has become one of the most contentious issues in the South since desegregation. With its engaging attention to detail and its deft, even-handed treatment
of its thorny subject matter, "Confederacy Theory" will spark analysis
and discussion in a wide variety of courses in sociology and popular culture,
social psychology, American history and studies, and African-American
studies. It was produced by Ryan Deussing. |
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 "A subtle, intelligent and provocative exploration of the rise of the contemporary neo-Confederate movement. Simply by letting its subjects speak for themselves, the film makes the racial animus that drives many flag supporters clear -- but without issuing any blanket condemnations of white Southerners interested in their past. This is the first film to seriously examine an important phenomenon that should concern all Americans. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the state of our nation." -- Mark Potok, Southern Poverty Law Center "I found this excellent film to be a uniquely valuable exploration of how a powerful symbol, in this case the Confederate Battle Flag, can 'mean' different things and evoke dramatically different emotions in people who have lived side by side for generations but belong to different racial or ethnic groups. A strength is that the viewer can identify, however uneasily, with both proponents and opponents of the flag because the film presents them as everyday humans caught up in the passion of the battle. In undergraduate classrooms, at least in a Minnesota liberal arts college, the film stimulates illuminating conversations about individual and group identities and the responsibility groups in a multicultural society have to understanding, respecting, and responding to the meanings and evaluations that other groups attribute to their words, symbols, and actions." -- Roxane Harvey Gudeman, Adjunct Prof. of Psychololgy, Macalester College "A surprisingly even-handed portrait, not only of a pivotal moment in the political history of South Carolina, but of a moment of crisis in the South's understanding of itself." -- Eddy Von Mueller, Film Critic, Atlanta
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| Crashing the Parties | |
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In the wake of the chaotic Presidential election of 2000, Americans are asking: Does every vote count? Does every vote matter? Is voting your conscience -- for a candidate you know cannot win -- a wasted vote? These and other critical related themes are explored in this cogent and thought-provoking documentary, which examines in depth the 2000 campaigns of six third-party Presidential candidates -- each of whom garnered enough votes to have tipped the 2000 election. The six campaigns profiled are those of Ralph Nader (Green), Pat Buchanan (Reform), Harry Browne (Libertarian), John Hagelin (Natural Law), Howard Phillips (Constitution), and David McReynolds (Socialist). The film also relates the historical contributions of third-party candidates on American politics (such as the abolition of slavery and the women's right to vote), studies the pros and cons of the Electoral College process, and probes the challenges that third-party candidates face in gaining ballot access, debate access, media attention, and funding. Commentators include CNN's Wolf Blitzer, former Presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, and Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. "Crashing the Parties" is a vital and timely case study that asks students
to consider whether a two-party or a multi-party system is best for our
democracy. It will generate analysis and discussion in a variety of courses
in American government, history, and studies; sociology; and political
science. It was written and produced by Darren Garnick and directed by
Al Ward. |
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"A thought-provoking look at the role of third parties in American elections. It is particularly effective in connecting contemporary third-party movements with broader historical and political trends." -- James B. Millikan, Assoc. Prof. of Political Science, Stonehill College "I loved this production, which required a great deal of research and which treated the candidates respectfully while not missing the humor and conflict in the 2000 election. This was excellent journalism in a year when a third-party candidate probably did determine the outcome of the election. A great choice of topic treated in an informative and entertaining way." -- Norman Sims, Prof. and Chair of Journalism, Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
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| Creating Community: Lafayette Park |
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The community of Lafayette Park, in downtown Detroit, is one of the most important prototypes of urban planning in the postwar decades in the United States. Created in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the remarkable design team of architect Mies van der Rohe, developer Herbert Greenwald, city planner Ludwig Hilberseimer, and landscape architect Alfred Caldwell, Lafayette Park still demonstrates how sections of crowded, unmanageable cities can be transformed into small and eminently liveable neighborhood units. Lafayette Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of the excellence of its urban design and the quality of its community planning. This engaging documentary chronicles the evolution of Lafayette Park
and illustrates how each of the designers contributed his unique expertise
and vision to create a successful community. The film also sensitively
explores Lafayette Park from the viewpoint of current residents, some
40 years after it was built. "Creating Community: Lafayette Park"
will stimulate discussion in a wide range of classes in architecture,
urban planning, and landscape architecture. It was produced by June Finfer. |
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"I enjoyed this video immensely and I plan to use it in my own classes. The story of Detroit's successful 'city built within a city' is too little known. The video provides a detailed look at this early experiment in "New Urbanism." It is an inspiring tale and should be an integral part of design education for architects, landscape architects, and city planners today as a landmark case study of urban redevelopment." -- Robert E. Grese, Director, Nichols Arboretum, and Assoc. Prof., School of Natural Resources and Environment, Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor "This excellent work will be very useful in a classroom setting. Students with professional ambitions or just interested from a humanistic standpoint would learn a lot from the exceptional character of the project and the deftness with which it is portrayed. With the greater attention being paid lately to the issue of city planning in an architectural context, the documentary seems to me a valuable effort. Its presentation instructs the viewer and clarifies the importance of the team effort of the planner, architect, landscape architect, and developer. The video is worth the attention of anyone interested in any of these fields." -- Franz Schulze, Architectural Historian and Prof. of Art, Lake Forest College, author, "Mies van der Rohe: A Critical Biography"
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| Different from You | |
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One of the most glaring social problems of American cities is homelessness, but only recently have we realized that most homelessness reflects psychiatric disease. This unflinchingly honest but humane documentary follows the medical rounds of an urban family physician as he services the homeless mentally ill. Through his interactions and through commentary by the mentally ill and by mental health professionals, the film illustrates how patients experience symptoms, deal with vagrancy, drug abuse, and societal hostility, and maintain hope and aspirations. "Different from You" demonstrates that only a small societal effort is
needed to help keep people off the streets, relieve unnecessary misery,
and improve the conditions of our cities. It will foster understanding
of the mentally ill, living on and off the streets, in their struggle
to find self-respect amid a flawed social-support system. The film will
provoke thought and discussion and will reward viewing in a wide variety
of courses in psychology, sociology, mental health, medicine, and public
policy. It was produced by Milt Kogan, M.D., and produced and directed
by Demetrio Cuzzocrea. |
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"An exceptional film! In fact, I've never seen a more authentic, more gripping portrayal of Schizophrenia, and I have watched dozens of such films over the years. I look forward to showing this film both to my undergraduate and graduate students." -- Gerald C. Davison, Prof. and Chair, Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Southern California "A clearer picture of what mental illness is than 'A Beautiful Mind.' This film expresses what it is really like in the trenches of the fight against mental illness." -- Mark Powers, M.D., Chief, Emergency Psychiatric Services, Glendale Adventist Hospital, Glendale, California "This film gives a voice and a face to the often silent and private struggles of people with mental illness. Hearing their personal stories is an invaluable educational tool for all who wish to learn about or work with people coping with mental illness." -- Marian Williams, Ph.D., Exec. Vice President, Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center
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| Discovering Dominga | |
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This unforgettably dramatic and powerful documentary relates the extraordinary story of a young Iowa housewife who discovers she is a survivor of one of the most horrific massacres in Guatemalan history, committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers who resisted a dam project funded by the World Bank. The film follows her remarkable journey of transformation and discovery as she returns to Guatemala in search of her heritage and ultimately joins efforts to bring the perpetrators of the massacre to justice and to promote peace and reconciliation in her native country. Dominga Sic Ruiz was nine years old when, during the bloody Guatemalan civil war, she escaped while paramilitary and army forces murdered her mother and 76 other women and 107 children in the Maya village of Rio Negro. She was eventually adopted and grew up in small-town America, where she became a "normal" teenager named Denese and later married. She buried her past so deeply it became transformed in adulthood into doubts and nightmares, until events brought her to face the truth. Beautifully photographed in Iowa and amid the stunning landscapes of the Guatemalan highlands, the film follows her emotional reconnection with lost relatives, with a rich indigenous culture, and with the violent history in which her beloved adopted country -- the United States -- played a sinister role. Dominga joins the Maya community in the dangerous effort to demand the exhumation of a clandestine mass grave, and later provides testimony in a landmark genocide case, thus becoming part of a global grassroots struggle for justice and human rights. "Discovering Dominga" is a compelling and inspiring story that will engage
student interest and provoke reflection and discussion in a wide variety
of courses in Latin American studies, cultural anthropology, Third World
studies, human rights, women's studies, American history and studies,
and sociology. It was produced and directed by Patricia Flynn and co-produced
by Mary Jo McConahay for the Independent Television Service in association
with KQED Television. |
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"A perfect film for anthropology classes! In a moving and beautifully filmed story, a young American woman finds that her search for her own identity is inextricably entwined with the indigenous culture of her Guatemalan family, the history of ethnic violence in that country, and the international political context that gives her personal journey a wider meaning. These are essential themes for anthropology today, as we continue to explore the meanings and multiplicities of cultural and ethnic identities. I plan to use this compelling film in my intro cultural anthropology classes, as well as in courses on multiculturalism and ethnic politics." -- Nancy Postero, Asst. Prof. of Anthropology, Univ. of California, San Diego "This amazing and powerful film is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It is a valuable tool for teaching students about the relationship between gender roles and culture and the gendered lens through which adult women seek to understand and recover from traumatic childhood events." -- Norma Stoltz Chinchilla, Prof. of Women's Studies, California State Univ., Long Beach "Dominga's journey of self-discovery is one of the great untold stories of the Third World. I consider it an indispensable teaching tool in my comparative politics and American government courses to compel students to understand and ask questions about the tragedy of those affected by U.S. foreign policy." -- Cobie Harris, Assoc. Prof. of Political Science, San Jose State Univ. "This is an excellent video for instructional purposes, and will be an essential addition to my teaching materials concerning human rights and international justice." -- Amy Ross, Asst. Prof. of Geography, Univ. of Georgia, Athens "A major event in documentary ethnographic filmmaking. Dominga's road through remembrance, regret, outrage, and ultimately to recovered dignity and political awareness, and the role of U.S. complicity in the senseless war, will leave viewers stunned. It will be a welcome addition to college classrooms in anthropology, history, women's studies, and Latin American studies." -- Jeffrey Ehrenreich, Prof. and Chair of Anthropology, Univ. of New Orleans |
| 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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| Gender and Relationships: Male-Female Differences in Love and Marriage |
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One of the most important journeys in human life is the quest for a satisfying, enduring love relationship. This search is nearly universal, and a lasting love is the goal of most people in most societies. This search has an unparalleled power and immerses us in many of the strongest emotions we will experience in our entire lives. This often humorous, often poignant, and always profound video explores the differences in the ways that men and women experience the love relationship. It goes beyond mere analysis and examines ways to make a relationship work better for both men and women. Some potential problems reflect important gender differences and needs, while others involve gendered expectations about the love relationship itself. The video features men and women from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds who provide eloquent -- and sometimes rueful -- testimony on how gender differences affect love, courtship, "couplehood," marriage, emotions, understanding, and sensitivity. In powerful and revealing interviews, they discuss what women believe is the most important thing a man needs to know about women, and what men believe is the most important thing a woman needs to know about men. The video begins in infancy, with the ways society constructs boys and girls with gendered ideas about who we are, what is important about us, and what we need. It goes on to illustrate how the differential treatment of boys and girls ensures that they will bring to a love relationship different gifts, needs, and goals. Our search for love relationships is also influenced by deep-seated ideas about how women and men "should" behave in courtship, love, and marriage. The video examines this socialization process by looking at "etiquette" guidelines for women and men. One hilarious scene follows a young woman as she tries to use the advice she has read on how to attract a man -- but with dubious results. The video also explores how women and men detect "attraction signals." These are subtle, fleeting, critical nonverbal cues that can lead to a relationship -- but only if they are detected and accurately interpreted. Verbal communication is also examined, especially the presumed goals of conversation. The video demonstrates how gender differences can lead one partner to regard a conversation as enjoyable, while the other person sees the very same exchange as confusing, enigmatic, or even irritating. In powerful sequences, children give their views on love and relationships and adults describe lost loves and their devastating impact on their lives. The video also introduces non-traditional couples, considers evolving meanings of "marriage," "family," and "parent," and reveals the anguish and problems caused by the denial to non-traditional couples of the rights and privileges routinely given to traditional couples. There is a consistency, power, and persuasiveness in these revelations,
and all viewers of "Gender and Relationships" will emerge with an enhanced
understanding of what women and men bring to a love relationship, and
-- just as important -- what they need to get from it. This work is destined
to become a classic and a "must-see" for students in many disciplines,
including psychology, sociology, women's and gender studies, communication,
nonverbal behavior, anthropology, and many others. It was produced by
Prof. Dane Archer, of UC Santa Cruz, and is imbued with the same flair,
instructional effectiveness, and vitality that have made all of his best-selling
videos on nonverbal behavior, cultural differences, and communication
favorites of students and faculty alike. | |
"Undergraduate students will find this film accessible and engaging. It looks at gender and relationships from multiple viewpoints across age, sexual orientation, and race. I can use it in my 'Introduction to Women and Gender Studies' course to open up dialogue about constructions of masculinity and femininity, roles within relationships, and notions of privilege. The section that raises the question: 'If you (women) suddenly had a chance to tell one million men one thing that would help them understand women better, what would that one thing be?' was particularly interesting in terms of the consensus among the women and the lack of consensus/response among the men. Given that dating is a 'hot' topic among undergraduates, the sections pertaining to 'Who calls first or not?'; 'How did you know s/he was the one?'; 'How did you meet?'; (etc.) will certainly spark interest!" -- Charlene Tung, Prof. of Women's and Gender Studies, Sonoma State Univ. "Students will love this video because it hits them where they live. What does it mean to be male and female today and what does that have to do with forming and sustaining a close relationship? Teachers will love this video because it raises provocative issues in a way that will make students think. The video features an amazing variety of people who talk about themselves and their relationships. It is filled with humor, pathos, and challenging issues and it virtually guarantees lively and stimulating classroom discussions." -- Mark L. Knapp, Jones Centennial Prof. in Communication, Univ. of Texas, Austin, co-author of "Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction" "Students will appreciate this film's authentic look and feel: these are real people talking about life and love in ways that will generate useful discussions about underlying sociological principles. The film lays bare the essential features of gendered communication and mis-communication. How do men and women talk, act, and feel differently, and why do they seem to talk past one another? The video provides an illuminating window on relationships that allow students to integrate their own experiences with an understanding of the social forces that produce gender inequality on the most intimate levels. Because the video presents such raw honesty from both men and women, the discussions it will stimulate are likely to further students' education more than any message received from a standard lecture." -- Scott Coltrane, Prof. of Sociology, Univ. of California, Riverside, author of "Gender and Families" and "Family Man: Fatherhood, Housework, and Gender Equity" "Students will find this video real, honest, down-to-earth, and above all, provocative. Rather than focusing on abstract discussions, it foregrounds average folks who speak candidly about what works and what doesn't in their relational lives. Students will see themselves in this film. Its strength lies in the voices of the subjects who speak for themselves "from the gut." I would use this film to initiate spirited class discussion about the differing ways men and women approach all phases of relationships, the realities of straight privilege, and the persistence of gender norms over time. Finally, the film could nicely serve as a springboard for discussions of gendered power dynamics in relationships by guiding students through what was both said and left unsaid by the interviewees." -- Chris Bobel, Prof. of Women's Studies, Univ. of Massachussets, Boston |
| The Hall of Man | |
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Commissioned by Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History in 1930 to sculpt "The Living Races of Mankind," American artist Malvina Hoffman traveled around the world to find models and created 104 life-sized figures, busts, and heads in bronze and stone for "The Hall of Man," the museum's resulting anthropology exhibit. The task required the artist to travel to remote areas of the world. Many of her subjects had no previous contact with people outside their small villages and had taboos against having their images recorded. The Hall of Man was a key attraction of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and a favorite of visitors to the Field Museum until 1968, when it was dismantled. This remarkable documentary includes fascinating archival footage of Hoffman's difficult travels and a rare interview with the artist. Photographs and films of the people she sculpted are compared with her sculptural portraits. The film also focuses on the changing concept of "race" and the validity and significance of Hoffman's achievement. When she was commissioned to sculpt the works, the prevailing body of anthropological thought held that it was possible to identify "pure" and "mixed" races. Anthropologists, educators, and artists comment on Hoffman's work and its anthropological context in the light of contemporary scientific knowledge of human races and modern sensibilities regarding cultural and ethnic diversity. "The Hall of Man" will provoke reflection and discussion in
a variety of courses in cultural and physical anthropology, art history,
popular culture, and ethnic studies, and in any course that considers
the interaction of art and science, changing concepts of race, and the
evolution of modern anthropology and museum exhibits. It was produced
by June Finfer and Lost and Found Productions with the cooperation of
the Field Museum and the archives of the Getty Research Institute. |
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"I was particularly impressed with the footage of the fieldwork undertakings and of the artistic production. The material is so valuable that it could be used in a graduate anthropology class dealing with ethnology and ethnography. The film conveys a good sense of the dedication that it took for the artist and her husband to undertake and complete this monumental task. The beauty of the statues, and their basic humanity, their ability to convey the dignity of individuals as human beings rather than abstract and idealized types, also comes through magnificently. This is a first-rate job. It is certainly a film that I could use in my cultural preservation/museology class or my research methods class." -- Nancy Parezo, Prof. of American Indian Studies and Anthropology, Univ. of Arizona "Brings to life an incredible woman artist and her artistic vision.
Through commentary by leading contemporary anthropologists, and historical
film footage produced by Hoffman herself, the film creates a fascinating
stage from which to learn about Hoffman's Hall of Man commission, her
travels around the world, her creative process, and her humanitarian vision,
which guided her in creating timeless likenesses of people of all races
and ages. In a parallel way in which Hoffman's figures go beyond being
mere documents or models of racial types but instead monumental tributes
to the beauty and diversity of mankind, this documentary is constructed
so that it conveys the same magic." -- Jane Milosch, Curator, Cedar
Rapids Museum of Art
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| In Beauty I Walk: The Navajo Way to Harmony |
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| Set amid the stunning environs of Arizona's rugged
Canyon de Chelly, this compelling documentary explores traditional Navajo
Indian spiritual practices and thought. The film examines Navajo art, cosmology,
and culture and illustrates how the traditional way of life, called "walking
in beauty," seeks to replicate the innate order and harmony of the universe
within each individual. The film features Navajo medicine man Johnson Dennison,
Navajo philosopher Harry Walters, and noted anthropologist Peter Gold.
"In
Beauty I Walk" will stimulate thought and discussion in a wide array of
courses in Native American studies, cultural anthropology, comparative religion,
and philosophy. It was produced by Sheri Brenner. |
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"In the narrator's words, 'though times have changed, the ancient patterns
of life, beliefs and ceremonies continue to be observed,' and this video's
Navajo participants, Harry Walters and Johnson Dennison, each give reasons
why this should be so. The video depicts with credibility how a Navajo
faces life's challenges, which deter him from the Beauty Way, and how
he has access to prayers and ceremonies so that he stays on the path of
Beauty. The attentive viewer will receive a powerful message here. As
the anthropologist, Peter Gold, observes in this program, the world has
much to learn from the Navajo and others who have preserved their ancient
ways of living." -- Grace Anna McNeley (Navajo), Humanities Faculty, Dine
College |
| Inipi: Breath of Life | |
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This innovative and reflective documentary explores one of the most widespread of all Native American rituals -- the sweat lodge ceremony. In deference to the dignity and spirituality of the ritual, no scenes of the ceremony are actually shown. Rather, the film draws the viewer in to experience firsthand the subjective sensations of a sweat lodge. To do so, the film incorporates and mirrors the same formal structure as a sweat lodge ceremony. Four rounds of darkness and heat are each followed by a period of light and rest, during which sensual imagery of the four elements is complemented by richly evocative and informative commentary by ceremonial leaders of four different tribes: Chickasaw, Dineh (Navajo), Lakota Sioux, and Yaqui-Isleta. The film also provides the audience with a vivid and imaginative soundtrack filled with steam, traditional songs, and the shared wisdom of sweat lodge participants, combined with stunningly beautiful "visions" of the natural landscape of the Southwest. "Inipi: Breath of Life" will engage students deeply and stimulate
reflection and discussion in a wide array of courses in Native American
studies, cultural anthropology, and comparative religion. It was produced
by Brian Johns. |
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"A lyrical documentary that arrives at an understanding of the mystic
experience of the sweat lodge ceremony through interviews, Native American
art, views of the elements and landscapes, and a cinematic form that mirrors
the subjective structure of the ceremony. The film has many potential
uses in studies of anthropology, culture, and religion." -- Warren
Bass, Prof. of Film and Media Arts, Temple Univ.
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| Kawitan: Creating Childhood in Bali |
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This informative and compelling documentary systematically examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali. Through ceremonies, Balinese culture and performance are linked, with specific musical expression as a common characteristic. The focus of the film is both ethnographic and ethnomusicological as it explores the relationship between Balinese music, movement, ritual, and identity. To illustrate the centrality of performance to Balinese belief and ritual, the film opens with a compact prologue in "wayang" (shadow-play) and sacred song, recounting the creation of the universe, the five elements, and the first humans. In the first early-life ceremony, a pregnant woman bathes where sacred springs meet. This provides for a safe delivery, and associated ceremonies transform sexual energies into parental devotion. The film shows daily offerings to spirits surrounding a newborn, and depicts in detail the protective calendrical ceremonies: past-life debts are released in a holy-water purification at six weeks; a first step on the earth is celebrated at three Balinese months; a first haircut and naming ceremony take place at one Balinese year; and an elaborate ceremony to strengthen the spirit guardians is held on a child's third Balinese birthday. The symbolism and significance of the ceremonies are explained by the distinguished priests who actually officiate. In addition, the film affords a rare view of a family consulting a traditional
psychic channeler to learn which ancestor has reincarnated in a newborn
child, and follows a six-year-old as he commits to serious music study.
Renowned musician I Wayan Suweca comments on the intergenerational transmission
of artistic power ("taksu") in Balinese life. "Kawitan" is the first film
in a projected cycle of documentaries portraying the seven life ceremonies
and seven after-life ceremonies in Balinese Hindu-Buddhist religion and
culture. The film is a collaboration between ethnomusicologist Linda Burman-Hall
and director Eli Hollander, both of UC Santa Cruz. It will stimulate thought
and discussion in a variety of courses in Asian and Balinese studies,
cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, and religion. |
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"I was very much taken by this documentary. It contains beautifully filmed and thorough footage -- the most complete I have ever seen -- of critical Balinese life-cycle ceremonies, and, best of all, sensitive and reliable translations of nearly everything that was said. The whole thing was most impressive and I would certainly want my university to have a copy that I could use in teaching." -- Michael Tenzer, Prof. of Music, Univ. of British Columbia, author, "Balinese Music" "A classic documentary. Through evocative images and a resonant soundtrack, rituals of pregnancy, birth, and childhood are made extraordinarily present to us. The camera tactfully participates, up-close, in a range of family occasions, recording many luminous gestures and listening to Balinese describe what they are up to. The rituals are explained without effacing their intimate, everyday mystery." -- Prof. James Clifford, History of Consciousness Dept., Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, author, "The Predicament of Culture"
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| The Last Stand: Ancient Redwoods and the Bottom Line | |
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| It is rare for one social issue, however controversial,
to encapsulate many of the most profound and far-reaching themes of the
contemporary world. It is also rare for a documentary film, however incisive
and thoughtful, to examine such an issue and successfully illuminate the
full scope of its thorny, multifaceted complexities. "The Last Stand" is
such a documentary. And the struggle to save our planet's few remaining
ancient forests is just such an issue -- for in it can be found the interrelated
questions of global economic forces and bio-diversity, of private property
rights and the public good, of species extinction and natural resource management
and development.
Along the fog-shrouded coastline of Northern California are the tallest and oldest living beings on earth: the Coastal Redwoods. These giants can live more than 2,000 years, measure a colossal 22 feet in diameter, and reach heights of more than 360 feet. Although this towering species once blanketed the entire Northwest coast of the continent, it has been decimated by decades of relentless logging. Today, fewer than four percent of the pre-historic redwoods remain standing. The profound human and biological ramifications behind this environmental tragedy are nowhere more evident than in the Headwaters Forest of Humboldt County. A pristine grove of old-growth redwoods in the heart of northern California's boom- and-bust timber region, the Headwaters is the largest unprotected redwood forest in the world. "The Last Stand" explores the dramatic history of the 15-year battle to save these trees. This riveting history is one of junk bonds and endangered salmon, car bombs and clear-cuts, corporate takeovers, collusion, corruption, greed, and murder. It is also one of courage and conviction, vision and values. There's a broad social and historical sweep and an unforgettable cast of characters, including Texan financier and corporate raider Charles Hurwitz; his accomplice, convicted securities manipulator Michael Milken; Daryll Cherney, Earth First! activist and target of a deadly car-bombing campaign; Julia Butterfly Hill, whose two-year tree sit-in gained international attention; and such notable environmentalists as David Brower, Paul Hawken, Fritjof Capra, and David Harris. Calling for the emergence of a social-ecological literacy, the film goes beyond environmental issues such as deforestation, bio-diversity and sustainability. With intellectual clarity and investigative rigor, it disentangles the web of government policies and corporate agendas that compromise the public interest and threaten our nation's natural heritage. Through striking testimony from economists, scientists, forest activists, and the Humboldt County residents who have seen their communities and back yards torn apart, "The Last Stand" questions how we as a society will value our relationship to the environment as we enter a new millennium. "The Last Stand" will provoke spirited discussion in a variety of courses
in environmental studies and issues, sociology, American history and studies,
development studies, public policy, and law and political science. It
was directed by Holiday Phelan and produced by Todd Wagner. |
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 "An extraordinarily poignant and stirring portrayal of the efforts by citizens and environmental activists to preserve some of the last remaining old-growth Redwood forests in the world. An effective and carefully prepared case study, this film is ideal for provoking discussion and reflection in the classroom and I'd recommend it for any curriculum dealing with the environment, conservation, or natural resource management." -- Steven R. Beissinger, Chair and Prof., Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Univ. of California, Berkeley "A clear, concise, and compelling exploration of an extraordinarily complex issue. With clarity and conviction, the film |
