American Studies


PRISON TERMINAL: the last days of private jack hall
PRISON TERMINAL: the last days of private jack hall

Short Films  2014  Academy Award Winners & Nominees  Psychology & Psychiatry  Health  Death & Dying  Criminal & Law  American Studies  Aging / Gerontology  African-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.

SUITCASE OF LOVE AND SHAME
SUITCASE OF LOVE AND SHAME

American Studies  Human Sexuality  Media Studies  Anthropology  Psychology & Psychiatry  Sociology  Women's Studies  2014  Directed by Women 

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.

YOUR DAY IS MY NIGHT
YOUR DAY IS MY NIGHT

Asian-American Studies  Asian Studies  American Studies  Urban Studies  Women's Studies  New York City  2014  Directed by Women  Immigration 

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.

ZIPPER: CONEY ISLAND'S LAST WILD RIDE
ZIPPER: CONEY ISLAND'S LAST WILD RIDE

Urban Studies  New York City  Architecture  American Studies  Political Science  2013  Directed by Women 

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.

NOWA CUMIG: THE DRUM WILL NEVER STOP
NOWA CUMIG: THE DRUM WILL NEVER STOP

Environmental Studies  Native American Studies  Anthropology  American Studies  2013  Directed by Women 

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.

THE HILL
THE HILL

2013  African-American Studies  American Studies  Sociology  Urban Studies  Directed by Women 

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.

ANDRE GREGORY: BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER
ANDRE GREGORY: BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER

Performing Arts  Literature  New York City  American Studies  2013  Directed by Women 

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.

THE WELCOME: a healing journey for war veterans and their families
THE WELCOME: a healing journey for war veterans and their families

Psychology & Psychiatry  American Studies  Native American Studies  Performing Arts  2013  Directed by Women 

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
THE YOUNG ANCESTORS

Native American Studies  Anthropology  Sociology  American Studies  2013  Directed by Women 

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.

AS GOES JANESVILLE
AS GOES JANESVILLE

American Studies  Labor Studies  Political Science  Sociology  Economics  American History  Business  Cultural Studies  Kartemquin Films  2013 

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.

TERRA BLIGHT
TERRA BLIGHT

Environmental Studies  American Studies  African Studies  Technology  2012 

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.

ROTHSTEIN’S FIRST ASSIGNMENT
ROTHSTEIN’S FIRST ASSIGNMENT

Photography  Health  American Studies  Anthropology  Art History  2011 

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.

QUADRANGLE
QUADRANGLE

Human Sexuality  Sociology  Psychology & Psychiatry  American Studies  Family Relations  2011  Directed by Women 

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.

ME FACING LIFE: CYNTOIA’S STORY
ME FACING LIFE: CYNTOIA’S STORY

Criminal & Law  Psychology & Psychiatry  Health  Alcohol & Drug Abuse  American Studies  Sociology  Women's Studies  2011 

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.

PUPPET
PUPPET

Performing Arts  American Studies  LGBTQ  Photography  Art History  Psychology & Psychiatry  2011 

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.

THE INTERRUPTERS
THE INTERRUPTERS

2011  Kartemquin Films  Women's Studies  Urban Studies  Sociology  Peace & Conflict  Latino Studies  Criminal & Law  American Studies  African-American Studies 

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.

LUNCH LINE
LUNCH LINE

Political Science  American Studies  Health  Gastronomy  Sociology  2011 

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.

NIGER '66: A PEACE CORPS DIARY
NIGER '66: A PEACE CORPS DIARY

African Studies  Political Science  American Studies  2011  Directed by Women 

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.

DOUBLETIME
DOUBLETIME

African-American Studies  Children & Young Adult  Urban Studies  American Studies  2011  Directed by Women 

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.

ABRAHAM’S CHILDREN
ABRAHAM’S CHILDREN

Islamic Studies  Children & Young Adult  American Studies  Sociology  2011  Directed by Women 

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.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 17