American Studies

JFK inauguration; first man in space; Kennedy meets Khrushchev; East Germany builds the wall; Bay of Pigs invasion; trial of Adolf Eichmann; Civil Rights Freedom Riders; the pill; Chubby Checker and the Twist.

Presidential Election: Kennedy vs. Nixon; U-2 spy plane incident; African independence and the Congo; Sharpeville massacre in South Africa; Caryl Chessman executed; Ban the Bomb demonstrations; Payola scandal; Elvis Presley is drafted.

Short was a poor man's Jesse James, a Confederate Army deserter who took to raiding and robbing in and around Turkey Neck Bend, just above the Tennessee border in Kentucky. His memory is alive today not because of history books--nothing was written about his exploits for over 100 years--but due to a tradition of oral history and local storytelling.

This video examines the phenomenon of time capsules, tracing their evolution from ancient times to modern days, and exploring the human impulse to leave messages for the future.

This unusual documentary reveals the "friendly" face of modern-day discrimination in America. A lesbian and a gay man from San Francisco, in an effort to discover why the Religious Right perceives homosexuality as a threat to civilization, embark on a road trip into the heartland of religious bigotry in America.

From the first concept to the final rivet, The Statue of Liberty was the creation of volunteers. Strange to say, no government was involved. This documentary tells the exciting story of who was involved: hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens from all walks of life, even children, gave their small earnings to realize Miss Liberty, first in France and then in the U.S. It took 14 years to consummate.

Examines the problem of child abuse and its root causes and shows methods of treatment and prevention. The film includes interviews with parents, doctors, counselors and other professionals, as well as former victims of child abuse, stressing the need for an interdisciplinary approach to this far-reaching problem.

Examines the problem of illiteracy among America's prison population by portraying a peer-tutoring program in which long-term, educated inmates fill teaching positions left vacant due to budget cuts.

Examining the case of Martin Sostre, a black Puerto Rican bookstore owner in Buffalo, New York who was framed on drug possession charges in 1967 and sentenced to prison, this film shows how the American justice system can be abused for purposes of political repression.

Examines the nature and function of the Grand Jury system and explores the relationship of the grand jury to the rest of the criminal justice system by following a case from arrest through indictment.

Reveals the shocking conditions at the Female High Security Unit at the federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky, where three women political prisoners, currently serving sentences ranging from thirty-five to fifty-eight years in solitary confinement, have been subjected to psychological experimentation (including sensory deprivation and constant video surveillance) and other forms of cruel and unusual punishment.

This behind-the-scenes documentary follows police officers in Houston and New York City on their daily patrols, showing the demanding and often dangerous situations they confront regularly.

This documentary offers a revealing, inside look at the structure of prison society in America, particularly its class, racial and sexual aspects, by focusing on the San Francisco County Jail.

Filmed at New York City's House of Detention for Men on Riker's Island, this documentary examines the constitutional issues and human problems that accompany pretrial detention.

Examines the high level of deadly violence in American society focusing on three types of murder--those of the mass murderer, the serial murderer, and the political assassin--and analyzes not only why these acts are committed but also why they are peculiarly American.

Examines the growing phenomenon of serial murders in the U.S., their underlying causes, and ways in which the killers can be more quickly identified and apprehended.

Depicts life in Cuatro Flats, a housing project in East Los Angeles, as seen through the eyes of Chicano gang members, or "homeboys."

Chronicles the remarkable life of 89-year-old Pedro J. Gonzalez, from his early years as a telegraph operator for Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution to his pioneering career as a radio and recording star in Los Angeles, his 1934 arrest on trumped-up charges and subsequent imprisonment, his deportation to Mexico and eventual return to the U.S. some thirty years later.

Chronicles the history of Chicano Park, famous for its giant murals painted on freeway pillars, which became the focus for the revitalization of San Diego's Chicano community in the 1970s and '80s.

Based on actual historical events, this docudrama, which blends archival photos, dramatic reenactments and interviews with former students, portrays the efforts of the Mexican- American community in Lemon Grove, California, to challenge local school segregation practices and racial discrimination in Depression-era America.