American Studies

2014 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Short Subject, Prison Terminal is an extraordinary chronicle of death and dignity behind bars, an incredibly moving story of a terminally ill prisoner's final days and the hospice volunteers (prisoners themselves) who care for him. Issues surrounding America's aging prison population and the profound impact hospice programs can have on the lives of the incarcerated are explored in this remarkable film.

A forbidden love story played out in a decade that would soon spawn the sexual revolution, Suitcase of Love and Shame reconstructs a mesmerizing and erotic narrative from 60 hours of reel-to-reel audiotape discovered in a suitcase purchased on eBay. A fascinating, one-of-a-kind documentary, it addresses issues of morality, sexism, privacy vs. exhibitionism, and the impact of technology in yesterday's America as well as today's.

Blending autobiographical monologues, intimate conversations, and staged performances, Lynne Sachs' Your Day Is My Night documents the lives of Chinese immigrants sharing a "shift-bed" apartment in the heart of New York City's Chinatown, offering a deeply felt portrait of the Asian-American immigrant experience.

A documentary about greed, politics, urban development and renewal, the award-winning Zipper: Coney Island's Last Wild Ride is an absorbing chronicle of the efforts to redevelop an iconic American landmark, Coney Island.

Featuring extensive interviews, rare photographs and archival footage, this is a fascinating, candid portrait of Dennis Banks ("Nowa Cumig" in Ojibwe), co-founder of the American Indian Movement. The film chronicles the history of the American Indian Movement, from the Custer Trail to Wounded Knee to the Longest Walk.

Clinging to the last affordable housing in a rapidly gentrifying city, a determined group of neighbors come together when the city claims eminent domain over their land in order to build a new school. An absorbing look at the complex issues surrounding urban planning, gentrification and economic renewal.

A wonderful exploration of the life and work of groundbreaking director, actor and artist Andre Gregory. A witty and often hilariously funny raconteur, Gregory looks back on a career that spanned decades, from his influential theatre work to the making of the Louis Malle-directed classic My Dinner with Andre, in which he starred and co-wrote.

An up-close and emotionally resonant look at a diverse group of veterans, from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, who come together to participate in a healing retreat. The Welcome offers an intimate view of life after war: the fear, anger and isolation of post-traumatic stress that affects veterans and family members alike.

The Young Ancestors explores the growing movement within American Indian communities to revitalize their native languages before they become extinct. An inspiring documentary, it follows a group of teenagers, who as part of a pilot program created by the Indigenous Language Institute, are learning their native language for the first time.

With efforts to recall newly elected Governor Scott Walker making national news, As Goes Janesville provides an in-depth account of the struggles and hopes of union workers, business leaders and elected officials in Janesville, WI to rebuild their town's economy following the closure of the local General Motors plant.

In 1983, Time magazine bestowed its coveted person-of-the-year award to the computer. Since then, technology has advanced at an amazing speed, and people have been replacing their old machines at the same rate, creating a cyclical stream of hazardous e-waste. Terra Blight is an eye-opening documentary that examines the environmental implications of this global problem.

When FSA photographer Arthur Rothstein came to Virginia in 1935, his assignment was to photograph local residents displaced by Shenandoah National Park. But as this documentary uncovers, Rothstein would play a role in the forced institutionalization and sterilization of many of the area's residents, establishing a disturbing connection between the American eugenics movement and Depression-era documentary work.

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.

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.

Centered around the development and staging of a complex work of modern puppet theater, this illuminating documentary offers a look at the fascinating history of American puppetry - its cultural roots and influence - as well as its current renaissance.

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.

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.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011, the Peace Corps has inspired generations of young people into service around the world. Directed by one of its early volunteers, this exceptional documentary offers a fascinating first-person account of the organization's founding, early days and lasting influence. It also engenders greater understanding and a much-needed positive appreciation of Africa.

Jumping rope is one of the most timeless and universal forms of play. In the last 30 years, its popularity has moved it from the sidewalk to the stage. Doubletime profiles two championship teams - one suburban white and one inner-city black - for a revealing look inside an exciting new sport and a snapshot of race in America.

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.