Titles tagged 'cultural studies':

The Ground Between Us

The Ground Between Us is the story of three families fighting for their future in Alaska, Oregon, and Utah as executive orders and presidential  proclamations threaten to change their lives forever. As public land throughout the country makes the headlines of nearly every community  newspaper and television station in the country, we are left to ask, how public lands can become the uniting factor in a divided America?

Little White Lie

Little White Lie tells Lacey Schwartz’s story of growing up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity — despite the open questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin. She believes her family’s explanation that her looks were inherited from her dark-skinned Sicilian grandfather. But when her parents abruptly split, her gut starts to tell her something different.

Tattoo Nation

For years people saw tattoos as a sign of rebellion. A middle finger salute to the rest of the world. Outlaw bikers got tattoos. Sailors on leave in Singapore got tattoos.
Lifers in the joint got tattoos. But now in the United States one out of every three adults under forty has a tattoo! So what happened? How did tattoo go from something that was put on you to an expression that comes from within you? ​

The Fight For Water

The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle documents the impact an environmental decision had upon a  farming community when their water supply was shut off.  An environmental decision, intended to protect an endangered fish species, had unintended consequences upon the community who needed it to farm, have jobs and be able to provide for their families.

Connected By Coffee

Connected By Coffee tells the story of Latin American coffee farmers and how our daily brew is deeply connected to the region's troubled past and hopeful future. 
Following a 1000-mile journey from Mexico to Nicaragua, the film shows how equitable trading relationships are helping empower communities and take a step towards social justice. 

Above All Else

ABOVE ALL ELSE is an intimate portrait of a group of landowners and activists in East Texas who tried to stop construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a 7 billion dollar project slated to carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. 
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Look Away, Look Away

Look Away, Look Away is the story of the five-year battle over the state flag of Mississippi, the last of the original Confederacy to still have the Rebel flag in its design – a fact that warmed the hearts of many white Mississippians, and pissed off most of their African-American and progressive white neighbors.  The film captures the fierce battle to remove the Mississippi state flag, and sheds light on how race, heritage, and long-simmering grievances over the Civil War shapes our sense of who we are as Americans. ​

Real Boy

Real Boy is an intimate story of a family in transition. As 19-year-old Bennett Wallace navigates early sobriety, late adolescence, and the evolution of his gender identity, his mother makes her own transformation from resistance to acceptance of her trans son. Along the way, both mother and son find support in their communities, reminding us that families are not only given, but chosen.

My Own Man

​David is about to become a father and he's terrified. How can he bring his son into manhood if he feels like he hasn’t arrived himself? He tries various methods of tapping into his masculinity, but all roads lead back to the complicated relationship with his own father. My Own Man is a funny and original look into the timeless tug of war between fathers and sons, and a moving story about the transformative power of forgiveness.

The Yes Men Are Revolting

For 20 years, notorious activists the Yes Men (Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum) have staged outrageous hoaxes to hijack public dialogue about the issues of the day. In their third cinematic outing (after The Yes Men and The Yes Men Fix the World), they’re well into their 40s, and mid-life crises are threatening to drive them out of activism forever – even as they prepare to take on the biggest challenge yet: climate change.

Spark

Each year, 60,000 people from around the globe gather in the Nevada desert for the week-long Burning Man festival, where they party and collaborate on large-scale art before burning a giant effigy in a ritual frenzy. Rooted in self-expression, self-reliance and community effort, Burning Man has grown famous for stirring ordinary people to shed their nine-to-five existence and act on their dreams. ​

The Outrageous Sophie Tucker

The rags to riches story of Sophie Tucker, the iconic superstar who ruled the worlds of vaudeville, Broadway, radio, television, and Hollywood throughout the 20th century. Before Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Bette Midler, Marilyn Monroe, and Mae West, Sophie Tucker was the first woman to infatuate her audiences with a bold, bawdy and brassy style unlike any other.

Loving A Stranger

Four North American women take a chance on love… falling for younger Muslim men from Morocco, Pakistan and Guinea. What follows are years of longing, affection, heartbreak and betrayal. Two cultures clash leaving the women question themselves and the honesty of their partners’ motives. 

We Don't Deserve Dogs

A contemplative odyssey across our planet, looking at the simple and extraordinary ways that dogs influence our daily lives.
Former child soldiers in Uganda. The local pub in a Scottish town. A dog walker on the streets of Istanbul. A kaleidoscope of unconventional portraits from fascinating locations. People need dogs, and perhaps they need us, but what do humans do to deserve the unconditional love they provide?

To Be A Miss

Blessed with breathtaking landscapes and abundant natural resources, the South American country of Venezuela has also become renowned in recent years as the home to uniquely beautiful women celebrated in international beauty pageants. Indeed, Venezuela has claimed title to more global beauty competitions than any other nation in the world, successfully taking 6 Miss Universe, 6 Miss World, and 5 Miss International crowns. ​

Slaughter Nick for President

When an out-of-work actor discovers through Facebook that he’s been wildly famous in Serbia for almost two decades, he sets out to discover why. SLAUGHTER NICK FOR PRESIDENT examines how Rob Stewart became a symbol of freedom for non-violent Serbian protests through his role as Nick Slaughter on CBS’s Tropical Heat (aka Sweating Bullets). 
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The Anatomy of Hate

The Anatomy of Hate: A Dialogue to Hope reveals the shared narratives found in hate, and how we as a species can overcome them. With unprecedented access to the White Supremacist movement, Christian Fundamentalism, Muslim Extremism, the Palestinian Intifada, Israeli Settlers, and US Forces in Iraq the film juxtaposes this footage with interview from leading social scientists and intersperses stories told by former "combatants" - weaving a tapestry revealing what makes us all susceptible to acts of hate, and demonstrates how we are equally capable of overcoming them...

Made In China

At a time when the world's eyes are focused on China, Made in China uncovers a rare glimpse of America's connection to Chinese culture. This critically-acclaimed documentary follows the filmmaker on an international journey to uncover his white American father's remarkable childhood in pre-Mao China. 

Glacial Balance

​Water and its sources have historically been the key factor in the establishment of cities, of civilizations. But we are at a critical point in the environment and mankind’s existence. Farmers are having to adapt to increasingly more difficult weather patterns, populations are relocating in a search of potable water, and the infrastructure of large cities is becoming overwhelmed by this population influx.

Culture In Decline

Culture in Decline is a satirical yet serious social issues series that challenges modern cultural phenomena that have been normalized by society. Designed as a crude, “public access” TV style parody, each documentary episode tackles a different theme and guides the viewer toward a fresh perspective on current issues.