American Studies

In chronicling the career of the political activist and former NY Congressman, this documentary vividly recreates the Civil Rights and antiwar struggles of the '60s and '70s. It traces Lowenstein's life from his formative childhood influences to the political causes that motivated his adult life right up to his assassination in 1980.

This video portrait of John "Bob" Stockwell, the son of Protestant missionaries, a former Marine Corps officer and corporate manager, reveals the planning and shaping of a CIA covert operation by focusing on his efforts to overthrow the newly-installed MPLA government in Angola in 1975.

Potlatch People looks at the culture of the Indians of the Pacific Northwest and the importance of the ceremonial potlatch feast in their culture.

Indian Country contrasts the past and present life of the five tribes--the Seminoles, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Cherokee--in the southeast U.S.

Pueblo Renaissance provides an authentic view of the sacred traditions, ancient religious and agricultural ceremonies of the Pueblo Indians.

The Six Nations looks at the Iroquois League of upstate New York--consisting of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga and Tuscarora tribes--which considers itself to be a sovereign, independent nation which rejects the American way of life in favor of a traditional Indian lifestyle.

Looks at the modern Cherokee's efforts to preserve Indian traditions, including a performance of ancient ceremonies.

Navajo - Race for Prosperity offers a contemporary view of life on the Navajo reservation, focusing on the Navajos' development of industries.

Civilized Tribes looks at the revolution of attitudes among younger American Indians leading to a new mood of militancy and also reviews the current government policy regarding the American Indian.

They Promised to Take Our Land looks at the U.S. Government's encroachment on land owned by Indians, forcing them onto smaller and smaller reservations, and discusses the white man's basic misunderstanding of the meaning of land to the Indian.

How the West Was Lost looks at the history of the Plains Indians and the effort of their contemporary descendants to maintain their cultural identity.

Trail of Broken Treaties looks at how over 400 treaties with Native American tribes have been broken by the U.S. Government. Examines past and present injustices and the attempts of Indian leaders to improve their situation.

This prize-winning musical comedy/documentary, blending documentary, musical theater and personal memoir, is about three Native American sisters growing up in Brooklyn during the 1930s and '40s.

This video explores the issue of racial identity among Native Americans and African Americans, and the coalescence of these two groups in American history.

Examines the feasibility, illegality and political implications of TV Marti, a U.S. government broadcast service beamed into Cuba by way of an intricate satellite and weather balloon link-up in clear contravention of international law and broadcast regulations.

Probing behind the scenes at the top-rated New York City news program, this documentary examines the processes and values of contemporary broadcast journalism. Through interviews with station staff and dissections of story coverage, a candid portrait emerges of America's primary news source, the `Six O'Clock News' program.

Examines American media coverage of the war in El Salvador and how journalists cover a war in which the U.S. is deeply involved.

This unusual video examines the ways in which corporate representations have shaped Americans' ideas about Third World countries.

Reveals a hidden dimension to the media coverage of the Gulf War, showing how a group of wealthy Kuwaiti citizens hired the American PR firm Hill and Knowlton to develop a multi-million dollar ad campaign to promote U.S. military intervention in the Gulf on behalf of Kuwait.

This compilation video-using material shot in the early Seventies on _" open-reel, black and white, battery-operated portapaks-provides a provocative portrait of the early years of public access television, when community activists throughout the nation began producing local television programs, placing local needs above ratings and commercial interests.