American Studies

When the Loyola basketball team started four African-American players in 1963 they were suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. The Game of Change reaches far beyond sports, demonstrating this particular event's significance in the battle for race equality in a largely segregated country.

The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2008, it is still racially segregated. A fascinating investigation into our nation's history and traditions, this acclaimed, award-winning documentary illuminates the complexities of race relations in 21st century America.

How a small labor dispute at the Ravenswood Aluminum Plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia erupted into a national boycott and media campaign that changed the way unions deal with management.

An urgent, beautifully crafted examination of urban sprawl and its impact on the environment, The Unforeseen is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning documentary from director Laura Dunn and executive producers Terrence Malick and Robert Redford.

A social history of one of our most recognizable national symbols - the residential lawn. Humorous, but thought-provoking, Gimme Green considers the impact of this uniquely American obsession on the environment, our health, and our way of life.

As small farms continue to disappear at an alarming rate, a growing number of women are venturing into this tradition-bound, male-dominated industry - and revitalizing it from within. Ladies of the Land explores the recent emergence of the woman farmer and its connection to the boom in organic agriculture.

It's hard to run for office - even in high school. Frontrunners follows the recent elections at the ultra-competitive Stuyvesant High School in New York City, and explores how politics works at its most nascent level.

How are ideals of beauty influenced by race, history, and geopolitics? And how are these ideals reinforced in ethnic communities? With a rich selection of film clips and archival footage, Never Perfect examines the dramatic rise in popularity of cosmetic surgery among Asian-American women.

For most of us, pageants conjure up smiling beauty-queen hopefuls parading around in bathing suits or glittery gowns. But most of us have never witnessed the Miss Navajo Nation competition - a unique pageant established in 1952 to celebrate women and tradition in Navajo culture.

An eye-opening look at a pioneering program in which victims of violent crimes meet face-to-face with their perpetrators. This documentary, featured on Oprah, introduces us to a process that could have far-reaching repercussions for the ways we approach crime, criminal justice, and conflict resolution.

Could this man be the next President of the United Sates? This incisive documentary examines Rudolph Giuliani's rise to power, his policies, and their effect on the city he referred to as the 'Capital of the World.'

Over 20,000 American soldiers have been wounded in the war in Iraq. This powerful documentary gives a face and a voice to these under-represented soldiers by telling one family's heartbreaking and inspiring story.