American Studies

A documentary that uses the rat to explore the complicated history of Baltimore and how racial segregation, redlining, and environmental racism built the American city we see today.

Follow the day-to-day lives of Mexican migrant workers as they travel the United States to work for the struggling carnival industry. They are legally employed through the controversial H-2B work visa program and may be the last hope for the carnivals. Farewell Ferris Wheel takes a good hard look at the crossroads between economic need and human rights through one of the most emblematic symbols of Americana.

Humorous and candid, Kartemquin Films' documentary Almost There is a fascinating portrait of eccentric "outsider" artist Peter Anton. Living in a home that has been consumed by mold and filth, the octogenarian has produced a startling collection of unseen paintings, drawings, and notebooks. The film’s remarkable journey follows this witty and gifted artist through startling twists and turns.

Recorded over six years, Raising Bertie delivers an authentic and tender portrait of the lives of three young boys as they face a precarious coming of age within Bertie County, a rural African-American community in North Carolina. Another harrowing work from the acclaimed documentary powerhouse Kartemquin Films, the film shows the process of growing up in a place afflicted by generations of economic and educational segregation.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, a poll revealed that 91% of Americans support comprehensive background checks that could prevent thousands of similar gun violence tragedies nationwide. 91%: A Film about Guns in America allows for those permanently affected by the aftermath of gun violence to have a voice.

A complex tale of social justice, urban forestry and community politics, City of Trees portrays the struggles of a DC non-profit to challenge the cycle of poverty and violence in blighted urban areas by implementing an ambitious "green jobs" program that hires 150 unemployed residents to plant trees in underserved parks.

Here Come the Videofreex tells the enthralling story of a pioneering collective of video journalists known as the Videofreex who in the 60s and 70s became the forerunners of public access television and the modern internet news era as they deployed the first handheld video cameras to report and observe the world around them.

A kaleidoscopic study of the recent oil boom in North Dakota, Deep Time is an award winning documentary that focuses on the impact the fossil fuel business has on the environment and on how it affects local landowners, state officials and the Indigenous Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. A complex take on a timely issue by the director of Crude Independence.

A captivating documentary that depicts the history of New York’s garment center, Dressing America explores how this business grew from humble beginnings into an industry that’s dressed America.

A sensational portrait of a rebel who defied society’s prejudices and pinched her own version of the American Dream, The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne relates the fascinating story of how a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated West Virginia became the world’s most notorious jewel thief.

An essential documentary about the birth of the women's liberation movement. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and new interviews, She's Beautiful When She's Angry tells the story of one of the most important social movements of the 20th century, bringing to light the efforts of lesser-known activists and grassroots organizations from across the country who played a pivotal role in the struggle.

This award-winning documentary tells the poignant story of Richard Adams and his husband, Tony Sullivan, who in 1975, became one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the world. Limited Partnership recounts their 40-year struggle to stay together as it parallels the history of the LGBT marriage and immigration equality movements.