Sociology

Against a backdrop of social unrest that led to the ouster of Indonesia's long-time dictator President Suharto, The Eye of the Day begins filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich's award-winning trilogy Sun, Moon, Stars. It introduces us to an ordinary family living in the slums of Jakarta; a family Helmrich would return to and document for more than a decade.

An extremely insightful examination of the psychiatrist-patient relationship, this innovative documentary uses role-playing techniques that allow patients to express their innermost thoughts about their psychiatrist and experience in mental institutions. People in White offers a fresh look at the mental health industry and the treatment methods used by mental health care professionals.

What values define the institution of marriage? Can social convention be upended successfully? Quadrangle is a fascinating documentary about two 'traditional' couples, coming out of the free love era and struggling with the monotony of suburban life, that swapped partners and lived in a group marriage in the early 1970s.

A portrait of three women over the age of 50 earning a living as prostitutes, Silver Girls approaches this oft-explored subject from a refreshingly different perspective; discussing sex, sexuality, social mores, aging, female empowerment and independence in a candid, insightful but non-exploitative manner.

What role should genetics and one's social environment play in the legal defense of a minor on trial for murder? This engrossing documentary explores the question by following the controversial case of Cyntoia Brown, a 16-year-old girl forced into prostitution, who faces life without parole for killing one of her clients.

From Steve James, acclaimed director of Hoop Dreams, and Alex Kotlowtiz, bestselling author of There Are No Children Here, The Interrupters is an epic documentary work exploring violence in America, a look at an innovative program in which former gang members disrupt violent situations as they happen.

The idea of intelligent machines has captivated humankind's imagination for centuries. But recent breakthroughs are poised to make this fantastical dream a reality. Featuring interviews with leading scientists and thinkers, Plug and Pray is a deeply fascinating, occasionally frightening journey into the new world of artificial intelligence, an exploration of what's possible today and what it will mean for us tomorrow.

An engaging, informative and fascinating documentary, Lunch Line chronicles the political and social history of the National School Lunch Program, one of our nation's most successful social programs, from the factors that led to its creation in 1946 to the current debate over its nutritional standards.

What does it mean to be young and Muslim in today's America? An invaluable and especially timely documentary, Abraham's Children takes us into the lives of 10 Muslim American adolescents, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old, to share their experiences and hear their stories in their own words.

A harrowing investigation into China's legal system, this documentary takes us inside the world of 'petitioners,' people who come to Beijing from all over the country to seek justice against corrupt local officials and courts, only to find themselves waiting months or years (in some cases more than 10 years) for a hearing.

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, three cities form a unique triple border between three South American countries: Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Beautifully photographed, Lands examines the impact of borders, commerce and urbanization on the lives of the local and indigenous population as well as the surrounding ecology.

Beyond Babyland seeks to understand the causes behind the troubling rate of infant mortality in African-American communities while introducing us to the people and organizations working tirelessly to turn around this tide.

A fascinating documentary on the unique sexual culture of the Mosuo people, a small minority situated in the southwest of China, and one of the last remaining matriarchal societies in the world. The Fall of Womenland explores their history and present reality as well as the dangers that threaten their inherited way of life.

Narrated by actress Glenn Close, this heartfelt documentary follows Cody Unser, a remarkable young woman left paralyzed from a rare neurological disorder, as she learns to live with her disability while working to raise awareness, improve quality of life and find a cure for those afflicted with spinal cord related paralysis.

Weaving together sequences of hair-braiding salons in Ghana, voice-over of Oprah rhapsodizing brown-skinned dolls and animated clips of signature hairstyles, Me Broni Ba (My White Baby) is an artfully composed, thought-provoking work that investigates the fraught relationship between images of beauty and power.

A behind-the-scenes look at the dangerous world of wartime news gathering, this incisive documentary tells the story of 24-year-old Ajmal Naqshbandi, a 'fixer' - someone hired by foreign journalists to gain access for their stories - who was kidnapped, along with an Italian reporter, by the Taliban in 2007.

Taking its title from the last line in the first stanza of the National Anthem, O'er The Land is a haunting meditation on the connection between patriotism and violence in American culture. It raises timely questions about the hallowed concept of freedom, including how its evolved since 1776 and what it means to Americans today.

When gold was discovered on a remote hillside in Burkina Faso, a bustling city quickly sprung up around it, replete with gold-diggers, prospectors, merchants, holy men, gamblers and prostitutes. The Hillside Crowd profiles the inhabitants of this improvised gold town and their efforts to escape the surrounding poverty.

Through a passionate mixture of private videos, uncensored interviews and school-day adventures, the young children of Singleton Charter Middle School, the first school to open in New Orleans after Katrina, have created a revealing portrait of urban youth at the heart of an ongoing American crisis.

Part city symphony, part visual poem, The Solitary Life of Cranes explores the invisible life of a city, its patterns and hidden secrets, seen through the eyes of crane drivers working high above its streets. Referencing both Ruttmann and Vertov as well as Jane Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," it's a beautiful meditation on how our existence is shaped by the spaces we inhabit.