subject
political science

why democracy? (collection) the unforeseen diplomacy


This series of educational videos, dealing with international issues and the work of the UN, is ideally suited for use at the secondary school level, from grades 5-12. Most of the programs feature a young on-camera host and narrator.



Africa today is a continent beset by drought, famine, war and debt. In Zambia, a news reporter examines these problems and discusses potential solutions that might be applicable to the entire continent.



Examines apartheid as seen through the eyes of a young South African. It shows how the majority of South Africans, who are black, are denied basic human rights, and discusses UN initiatives against apartheid.



Examines the process whereby former colonial territories have gained their independence and the right to govern themselves. Archival footage, interviews and maps trace the changes during the last three decades throughout Africa, Asia, the Carribean and the Pacific.



Examines the process whereby former colonial territories have gained their independence and the right to govern themselves. Archival footage, interviews and maps trace the changes during the last three decades throughout Africa, Asia, the Carribean and the Pacific.



Over one quarter of the world's population today cannot read or write. This video shows how the UN, along with governments and other organizations, is working to solve the problem of illiteracy worldwide, with the goal of substantially reducing illiteracy during the coming decade.



Examines the intifada, the Palestinian uprising in the Israeli-occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, by investigating the historical background and by speaking to people on both sides of the conflict.



Examines the role of UN peacekeeping forces who stand between opposing sides in trouble spots of the world, hoping to encourage people to resolve their problems peacefully rather than resort to war.



Discusses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, which established the standards that help to guarantee children a right to life, liberty, a name, a nationality, an education and good health.



This cross-cultural survey shows how abortion transcends race, religion and social class, and how differences in the practice and perception of abortion are mainly in the degree of secrecy and danger accompanying it.



The tumultuous history of Afghanistan from the perspective of the country's female population, Afghan Women: A History of Struggle chronicles the stories of women who have risked their lives to achieve political, economic, and social equality.



Examines the rise and fall of socialism in Albania, tracing thenation's history from its 1944 establishment as a communist republic by Enver Hoxha to its recent emergence from decades of authoritarian rule following Hoxha's death in 1985.



Examines the lives of several women who actively participated in the social revolution during the Spanish Civil War, women who are as dynamic in their 80s as they were in their youth.



A colorful and provocative survey of anarchism in America which attempts to dispel popular misconceptions and to trace its historical development, both as a native American philosophy stemming from 19th century American traditions of individualism and as a foreign ideology brought to America by immigrants.



Examines the Communist Party's rigorously enforced art policies during China's Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, when pictorial artists were given strict aesthetic guidelines for the production of works designed to promote the ideology and imagery of Mao Tse- tung's illusory new society.



Surveys the contemporary Chicano art movement by tracing its development during the height of Chicano political activism in the late Sixties and Seventies, blending archival footage with interviews with the artists and samples of their work, including photographs, murals, graphics, films, paintings, and ephemeral art.



Chronicles the November 1989 "Velvet Revolution" led by dissident artists and students which, in only ten days, succeeded in nonviolently overthrowing Czechoslovakia's forty- year-old Communist regime.



Reveals the nature and the extent of the U.S. government and corporate complicity in the 'destabilization' campaign and the 1973 coup that overthrew Allende's Popular Unity government in Chile.



What does it mean to be exiled in your own country? In the aftermath of Katrina, two filmmakers embark on a road trip to meet displaced evacuees. An important American documentary, The Axe in the Attic tackles questions of race, class, and the breakdown of trust between a government and its citizens.



Examines the plight of Filipino peasants who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the Aquino government's military offensive against rebels of the New People's Army, with the evacuees facing an uncertain future in crowded, makeshift camps.



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.



Examines the U.S. Navy's control and use of Vieques, a satellite island and municipality of Puerto Rico, as a military training, exercise and deployment base.



A profile of the first black woman ever to be elected city councillor and member of the Brazilian Parliament from the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro.



The collateral impact of America's secret war in Laos during Vietnam is reflected in the extraordinary story of one family's struggle for survival - in Laos and later in the U.S. Filmed over the course of 23 years, The Betrayal is the directorial debut of renowned cinematographer Ellen Kuras.



Examines the history of Haiti, from the 1804 revolution to the occupation (1915-34) by U.S. Marines, and the repressive Duvalier regimes of `Papa Doc' and `Baby Doc.'



Bitter Paradise tells the story of this shameless international support for a predatory military regime and also chronicles Briere's twenty-year personal political journey, from the villages of East Timor to halls of the United Nations, from political innocence to political activism.



2007 Academy Award® winner for Best Documentary Short Subject, The Blood of Yingzhou District is a groundbreaking documentary film which exposes the hidden AIDS epidemic in China, a country not commonly associated with this disease.



Filmed across the Middle East, Bloody Cartoons looks at how and why 12 drawings in a Danish newspaper drew a small country into a confrontation with Muslims all over the world. Featuring interviews with key players, this documentary goes behind the controversy to investigate the roots of the crisis.



Since 1962 the United States has imposed an economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba. Bloqueo examines its effects, the reasons for its implementation, and why it has endured for so many decades.



The Borinqueneers is the first major documentary to chronicle the never-before-told story of the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment, the only all-Hispanic unit in the history of the U.S. Army, from its creation in 1899 through its service in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Narrated by Hector Elizondo.



Call it Democracy looks at the history of the electoral process in the United States, from the founding of the Electoral College to Bush v. Gore and far beyond. Regardless of who you vote for in '08, this is one documentary you need to see before you cast your ballot. *Endorsed by Rock the Vote



A film biography of the Colombian priest who was killed by government anti-guerrilla forces in 1966, becoming a revolutionary martyr and symbol of the new activist priest in Latin America.



This is democracy - Japanese style. Campaign provides a startling insider's view of Japanese electoral politics in this portrait of a man plucked from obscurity by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run for a critical seat on a suburban city council.



Castro: Man and Myth is an intimate portrayal of one of history’s most controversial leaders: Fidel Castro. The man who freed Cuba from a crushing regime and lived a Communist dream, stood up to American and international condemnation, yet survives to this day.



Depicts the rise and fall of Joseph R. McCarthy, the Junior Senator from Wisconsin whose name became a household word in the '50s and coined a term for a political attitude that is still with us today.



More than 40 years after his death, the image of Che Guevara has become one of the most recognizable icons of our age. This captivating documentary explores the mystery surrounding his death and the birth of his legend.



In the last five years, more than 1,800 children have been murdered in Brazil, and the country now has over 7,000,000 homeless children. The film visits the slums, the suburbs, and the alleys, revealing the extent of this national scandal, as well as the police brutality and the activities of professional `death squad' killers hired to kill the children.



Examines the legacy of ten years of dictatorship in Chile, focusing on the four days of nationwide protest surrounding the ten year anniversary of the coup lead by General Pinochet.



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.



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.



This video portrays human dimensions of Poland's Solidarity movement in 1980-81 that were obscured by Cold-War rhetoric: the efforts of workers, artists and intellectuals who joined together to create a thriving civil society within a totalitarian state.



Examines U.S. immigration policy, its history as well as the current crisis, and shows how public opinion, human rights and political issues have historically influenced policy decisions.



In 2006, Evo Morales became the first indigenous president of Bolivia - winning the election with the largest majority in the country's history. Hailed as "outstanding" by the New York Times, Cocalero is a captivating portrait of this controversial figure and his astonishing rise to power.



In this historic interview with Salvador Allende, Chile's new President articulates his basic beliefs and lays out the program he intends to pursue as leader of the Popular Unity government.



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.



A dramatic reenactment of the historic 1967 massacre of 'The Night of San Juan,' when the Bolivian army launched a surprise nighttime attack upon striking tin miners and their families.



A Sundance festival favorite, Crossing Arizona offers a far-reaching and up-to-the-moment look at the hotly debated issue of illegal immigration as captured at America's current flashpoint - the Arizona border.



This remarkable series of films, produced in collaboration with a distinguished group of historians, archaeologists, art historians and political scientists, explores the history and cultural heritage of the Middle Eastern world.



With unprecedented access to Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits, Cuba: A Lifetime of Passion looks at the extant reality of the Cuban Revolution and its uncertain post-Castro future.



Castro speaks about the differences with the U.S. which led to severed relations, changesin Cuba since the revolution, and socialism and capitalism.



This four-part series examines changes in Cuban society during the post-Soviet economic crisis between 1994-98.



In this in-depth interview with Peter Dale Scott, University of California Professor and author of such books as The Iran-Contra Connection and Deep Politics and the Death of JFK, Scott explains his concepts of "deep politics" and "parapolitics" and their roles in the shadowy, subterranean world of American politics, especially in such major scandals as Watergate, the Iran-Contra Affair, and the JFK assassination.



Portrays the appalling socio-political realities of contemporary Guatemala, where the majority of the population--malnourished and illiterate--are exploited by wealthy landowners and businessmen and brutally repressed by the military.



Tibetans in exile discuss the discrimination and human rights abuses their people suffer from the occupying Chinese government.



Reed Brody, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch, hunts dictators for a living. In this absorbing documentary, we follow Brody as he tries to bring to justice the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré, charged with killing thousands of his own countrymen in the 1980s.



What are the implications for democracy in Pakistan? Before his sudden resignation, President Musharraf agreed to discuss these issues over dinner at his official residence, the Army House. Supplemented by a diverse range of interviews, this documentary provides an important study of today's Pakistan.



Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker of Control Room and Startup.com, this documentary shines a spotlight on Egypt's new democracy. It follows a grassroots campaign started by three women that uses video and the internet to monitor their country's presidential elections, marred by violence and fraud.



Is the U.N. still relevant? This behind-the-scenes documentary follows the efforts of diplomats to pass an imperative Security Council resolution authorizing the deployment of a peacekeeping force to Darfur.



This video chronicles events in Haiti since the collapse of the Duvalier regime, from the downfall and ignominious flight into exile of "Baby Doc" Duvalier and his wife.



In 1918, just a year after the Russian Revolution, Lenin, together with the Minister of Culture, Anatoly Lunacharski, issued a government resolution providing for the erection of monuments honoring revolutionary thinkers such as Marx and Engels, as well as writers, philosophers, scientists and artists. Lenin's plan also prescribed the removal from the squares and streets of all monuments depicting the Tsars and their servants.



Examines the controversial historical issues surrounding the Israeli destruction of Palestinian villages and the confiscation of Arab-owned land during and following the Arab-Israeli War.



Filmed on location in the People's Republic of China under clandestine conditions, this documentary re-creates the remarkable experience of student leader Zhang Boli after his flight from Beijing in the repressive aftermath of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations in June 1989.



Escape from Luanda follows a group of students at a musical school in Angola as they prepare for their first-ever music recital; while considering whether this type of program, and others like it, have the ability to help kids overcome their immediate surroundings.



This historical documentary examines the Stalinist purges and terror in the former Soviet Union during the Thirties and Forties, when an estimated twenty million people lost their lives-some in labor camps, others starved in state-induced famine, and many others executed for "crimes against the state."



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.



In September 1998, Newt Gingrich was one of the most powerful political leaders in America. During the next six months, he led the Republican Party’s efforts to impeach President Bill Clinton as well as a disastrous election campaign.



Profiles the life and work of lesbian novelist, essayist, teacher and political activist Jane Rule.



Saul Landau's classic documentary is a remarkably informative and engaging portrait of the early years of the Cuban Revolution.



This historical documentary tells the story of Cesar Chavez, the charismatic founder of the United Farmworkers Union, and the movement that he inspired-one that touched the hearts of millions of Americans with the grape and lettuce boycotts, a nonviolent movement that confronted conservative politicians like Ronald Reagan and the powerful Teamsters Union.



Is the small village of Durakovo - where residents unquestioningly obey a self-appointed leader - a microcosm of Russia today? For God, Tsar and the Fatherland deftly explores what drives the current strain of Russian patriotism, and why many of the country's citizens oppose Western-style democracy.



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.



This video offers a remarkable first-person account of the life of Lian Shengde, who was born during the Cultural Revolution in China, a time, as he says, "when millions of the people were organized by the Chinese Communist Party and its leader Chairman Mao to fight and kill each other."



TWhat happens in the aftermath of a natural disaster? How are the billions of dollars in aid spent by local governments? How does the desire for economic development influence the rebuilding process? Filmed in Sri Lanka, From Dust examines one government's controversial response to the Asian Tsunami.



Traces the historical roots of the Nicaraguan national liberation movement and U.S. relations with Nicaragua, including scenes of the 1979 Sandinista insurrection, which overthrew the Somoza regime, and Sandinista social and ecnomic reform.



Chronicles the efforts of the newly independent Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to establish a democratic society, to avoid involvement in the ongoing wars in the northern Balkans, and to join the European Community.



The heroic story of the first woman to run for President of Afghanistan. Frontrunner introduces us to Dr. Massouda Jalal, a mother of three children, whose campaign inspired thousands of women across the country to participate in the democratic process.



It's hard to run for office - even in high school. Frontrunners follows the recent elections at the ultra-competitive Stuyvesant High School in New York City, and explores how politics works at its most nascent level.



This documentary about the people embroiled in and affected by the same-sex marriage debate, deftly captures what gets lost in most news reports, the human emotions behind the headlines.



Could this man be the next President of the United Sates? This incisive documentary examines Rudolph Giuliani's rise to power, his policies, and their effect on the city he referred to as the 'Capital of the World.'



God in Government explores the complex relationship between religion and politics in the contemporary world. Since the late 1970's, religion has emerged as a potent force in public life.



In 1959, some 800 families resisted efforts to remove them from their remote farms. One peasant leader, Jofre Correa Netto, became known as the “Fidel Castro of Brazil,” and became the target of an assassination attempt.



This striking documentary reveals the incredible story behind the greatest bank robbery that ever occurred in a Communist state - a tale of disillusionment, resistance, government propaganda, and Jewish life behind the iron curtain.

Examines the aims and accomplishments of the New Jewel Movement and the reasons for the Fall 1983 U.S. military invasion.



Examines the plight of Guatemalan Indian peasants victimized by the government's counterinsurgency program which has led many Guatemalans to go into exile or to become internal refugees inside the country.



A colorful report on post-Duvalier Haiti in which the Haitian people express their fervent desire for democracy.



Profiles Hanan Ashrawi, former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization during the Middle East peace talks with Israel, but who later turned down a position in the new government in favor of continuing her efforts on behalf of peace and human rights.



Hand to Hand is William Archer's story, the story of an outsider learning about the American political process and coming to terms with his own 'political' past in Britain.



This documentary examines the turbulent life in California of political philosopher Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979), author of One-Dimensional Man, Reason and Revolution and Eros and Civilization, among other books, professor of philosophy at the University of California San Diego, and a visionary and influential force for the student movement worldwide during the Sixties and Seventies.



An emotionally powerful account of Pope John Paul's 1987 visit to Chile, which caused a massive outpouring of political discontent with the Pinochet regime, including emotional appeals to the Pope to support protests over the imprisonment and torture of political prisoners, the lack of political freedom, and widespread hunger and unemployment.



Examines the political activism of the religious New Right, focusing on their anti-abortion efforts.



Over 20,000 American soldiers have been wounded in the war in Iraq. This powerful documentary gives a face and a voice to these under-represented soldiers by telling one family's heartbreaking and inspiring story.



In this ongoing video series, Saul Landau—internationally known scholar, author, lecturer, and filmmaker—talks to guests about current events, politics, social issues, education, religion, and entertainment, among a wide range of other topics.



Begun nearly two years before his death, this fascinating documentary offers a meticulous account of the life and final days of ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died of radiation poisoning in November 2006. In the process, it provides extraordinary insight into the current political climate in Russia.



This film autobiography of a Bolivian miner also chronicles the rise and fall of the mining industry and the political history of Bolivia.



Over the past two decades India has experienced steady economic growth resulting in the rise of a new middle class. But what does it mean to actually live in the world's largest democracy? In Search of Gandhi seeks to discover the current and future state of democracy in India.



In 1994, for the first time in forty years, the Republican Party gained control of both houses of Congress. Newt Gingrich, new Speaker of the House, was the principal author of the Republicans' "Contract with America," which aimed to set limits on federal spending, reform welfare, and reduce taxes.



This timely video joins a U.S. congressional delegation, led by Congressman Nick Rahall and formerSenator James Abourezk, that traveled to Iraq in September 2002 to meet with Sa'doun Hammadi, Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly, and Tariq Aziz, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, to discuss the readmission of UN arms inspectors in the hope of averting war.



On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated President of Liberia, the first elected female head of state in Africa. With unprecedented access, Iron Ladies of Liberia follows her historic first year in office.



Tells the story of the adoption of the South African Freedom Charter on June 26, 1955, when over 3,000 delegates from every corner of South Africa gathered at Kliptown, near Johannesburg, at the Congress of the People where the Charter, a blueprint for a future non-racial and democratic South Africa, was unanimously adopted.



Chronicles the history of arms control and disarmament negotiations since WWII, discusses ways in which international conflicts can be most effectively resolved, and suggests how ordinary people can influence progress towards disarmament.



The founding of Israel - specifically the 1948 war for Jerusalem - is seen through the work of two photographers, British and Palestinian, in this compelling documentary that examines how pictures shape the way history is remembered and taught. Includes remarkable never-before-seen photos.



In 1998, Chilean judge Juan Guzman - a supporter of General Augusto Pinochet - was assigned to prosecute the country's ex-dictator for human rights crimes. This engrossing documentary follows the twists and turns of a landmark case that influenced the application of human rights law around the world.



This investigative documentary deals with the brutal murder of two young Puerto Rican men, Antonio Rosario and Hilton Vega, who were shot by NYPD detectives (one of them a former bodyguard for Mayor Rudy Giuliani) in the Bronx in early 1995.



Profiles some of the key women involved in the grassroots organizing of the 'People's Power' revolution in the Philippines which brought down Ferdinand Marcos and swept Corazon Aquino to power in 1989.



The real-life saga of the triumphs and tragedies of America's most powerful political dynasty is told in this remarkable video.



Examines the history of this famous organization founded in Mexico City in 1934. The League, whose founding members included painters such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, included artists from various disciplines, all of whom shared a commitment to the fusion of art and politics.



Examines the popular movement for land reform in Brazil. The film shows massive demonstrations, marches and protests throughout Brazil, including the establishment of a large camp of some 1500 landless peasants at an unused private farm in Rio Grande do Sul.



This video examines Cambodia today, a country struggling to overcome the legacy of more than two decades of civil war and the genocide which left two million dead in the 'killing fields' of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge.



This documentary, hosted and narrated by Burt Lancaster, examines the effects of the highly publicized investigation of the motion picture industry by the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC), which began in 1947.



Examines the recent political history of Liberia, from the 1980 military coup led by Samuel Doe to the 1989 rebellion which ousted him from power and led to the Liberian civil war.



Che Guevara died in Bolivia while trying to ignite the sparks of revolution. Forty years later, the country's first indigenous President, Evo Morales, is promising to continue his work. This documentary takes a closer look at the successes and failures of Morales' 'revolution.'



Filmed inside a unique hospital for rape survivors in eastern Congo, Lumo follows a young woman after a brutal attack on her uncertain path to recovery. It is an intimate look at the widespread use of rape as a tool of political terror across central Africa.



Examines Puerto Rico's 'Operation Bootstrap,' the highly vaunted economic development plan undertaken in the 1950s to provide a role model for economic development throughout Latin America.



Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita puts a human face on the stem cell debate by following the work of Dr. Jack Kessler, a renowned expert in the field, as he searches for a cure to spinal cord injury, and the breakthrough that will allow his injured daughter to walk again.



Profiles the life and work of one of the world's greatest contemporary novelists, who in 1990 campaigned unsuccessfully for the Presidency of Peru.



A behind-the-scenes look at media coverage of the 1992 Republican National Convention where, for one hectic week, 15,000 members of the working press crowded into Houston's Astrodome complex.



On an abandoned beach off the coast of Israel, against all odds, Israeli and Palestinian fishermen live and work together. Men on the Edge: Fishermen's Diary documents four years in their lives, an eclectic group of men brought together by a shared relationship with the sea.



Examines the continuing human tragedy of families divided as a result of the thirty year conflict between the U.S. and Cuba.



Portrays the courageous efforts of Argentine mothers and grandmothers to locate their children and grandchildren who were among the innocent victims of the military junta's `dirty war' against the opposition in the late 1970s and early 1980s.



Examines the human tragedy unfolding in Mozambique, Africa's poorest nation, where the civilian populace is not only threatened with full-scale famine but is also under siege from RENAMO, a bloody terrorist army supported by South Africa.



In the 1980s, Paris was hit by a wave of deadly terrorist attacks. When the presiding judge unexpectedly released the suspected mastermind, he was immediately vilified in the press, and several years later, took his own life. This powerful documentary explores the intersection of politics, ethics, media, and terrorism.



Completed shortly after his April 1989 suicide, this provocative and comic NYC deli encounter between Sixties radical-emeritus Abbie Hoffman (on the eve of his 50th birthday) and actress/filmmaker Nancy Cohen shows the self-proclaimed "Jewish Road Warrior" at his feisty, outspoken and humorous best.



Examines Namibia's long history of colonial occupation by South Africa, including the armed conflict between South African troops and the Namibian resistance organization SWAPO, negotiations of a peace plan in 1978, and discussions of the nation's independence that was finally declared in 1990.



After twenty-three years of armed struggle against South African occupation forces, Namibia gained its independence in 1990. This video documents the challenges facing Namibians in rebuilding a nation dispossessed by a lifetime of colonial domination and devastated by decades of occupation.



Surveys the activities of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in the 1950s, including the background to the shooting incident in the U.S. Congress by four Puerto Rican nationalists in March 1954, and the contributions of the movement's leading figure, Don Pedro Albizu Campos.



Portrays the U.S.-supported contra army's war against the Sandinista regime and Nicaragua's civilian population.



Combines historical and contemporary footage of the Nicaraguan Revolution, from the inception of Sandanismo in the '30s to the 1979 insurrection and the first 100 days of the Sandinista government.



This video chronicles the recent political history of Sierra Leone, a small West African nation, rich in natural resources, which has been plagued by successive politically corrupt governments since its establishment as a republic in 1971.



This series chronicles the history of colonialism and the struggle for independence in three African countries - Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.



This video begins with the Ethiopian victory over the Italians in 1896 at the Battle of Andowa, which confirmed Ethiopian independence to the European powers and paved the way for Emperor Menelik's modernization program



This video traces the history of Kenya's opposition to white rule, from the arrival of the first settlers in the 19th century to the Mau-Mau rebellion in 1952, in which the struggle for land rights was central.



This video begins in March 1896 when the Ndebele people of what was then known as Rhodesia rose in armed rebellion against European settlers such as Cecil Rhodes, who had taken over much of their land in the search for gold and other minerals.



This emotionally devastating feature documentary examines political repression and the situation of the 'disappeared' during Argentina's 'dirty war' in the late Seventies.



An in-depth look at Ukraine's historic Orange Revolution. Assembled from over 300 hours of original footage and archival materials, featuring penetrating interviews with key players, this documentary chronicles one of the most successful non-violent revolutions in decades.



When the Argentine economy collapsed in 2001, even the comfortably middle-class suddenly found themselves poor and struggling to survive. An Ordinary Family chronicles the experience of one family in Buenos Aires during this crisis.



For decades, U.S. strategists-for-hire have been quietly molding the messages of candidates in elections around the world. This critically-acclaimed documentary is an astounding look at one group's campaign to elect the President of Bolivia and its earth-shattering aftermath.

This video, part of a series of documentaries on conflict resolution in the world’s trouble spots, offers personal and historical views of the unrest in Northern Ireland from the mid-Sixties to the present day.



Profiles the journalist and political activist who exposed the U.S. government's cover-up of the health hazards from low-level radiation, chronicling this scandal from atomic fallout contamination of soldiers during early tests in the Fifties and Sixties to problems facing nuclear industry workers today.



Offers a rare look at Latin America's oldest dictatorship, that of General Alfredo Stroessner, who took power in 1954.



An experiment in democracy is taking place in a third grade classroom in China. For the first time, students will be able to elect their own class monitor. A surprising and insightful documentary, Please Vote for Me seeks to determine how - if democracy should come to China - it would be received.



In 1991 the violent secession of Slovenia, Yugoslavia's Western republic, struck the first spark in the Balkan war which defined the opening chapters of the post Cold War era.



This video, part of a series of documentaries on conflict resolution in the world’s trouble spots, depicts the bitter civil war in the former Yugoslavia.



Narrated by Academy Award winning actor Chris Cooper, Primo Levi's Journey is a picaresque road trip through history.



How can one believe that terrorism leads to heaven? Banned by the Indonesian government, this provocative documentary examines the psychology of extremism in a country with the largest Muslim population in the world.



Examines the history and present-day reality of Puerto Rico, including the history and the contemporary relationship between the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S.



Filmed during the historic 1970 elections in Chile, blends documentary footage of the Salvador Allende political campaign-including vicious street battles, mass rallies and screaming crowds-with a fictional story of political intrigue.



This documentary records the activities of the 93rd Congress, whose members, while involved in historic proceedings such as the investigation of President Nixon's role in the Watergate burglary, the cover-up and the ensuing impeachment hearings.



This video chronicles the emergence of the religious New Right in the early Eighties, when, buoyed by the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan as President, conservative politicians and organizations launched nationwide attacks on communism, homosexuality, feminism, abortion, pornography and liberal politicians.



Examines an unusual episode of the Mexican Revolution, on March 9, 1916, when Pancho Villa's guerrilla band attacked the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In response, the U.S. Army launched a 10,000 man, eleven month punitive expedition into northern Mexico to capture Villa and his men.



Filmmaker Steven Bognar documents the story of his father, Bela, who, as a young Hungarian idealist, took up arms against Soviet tanks in the streets of Budapest in 1956.



This timely documentary chronicles the post-9/11 racial profiling, large scale round-ups, detentions and mass deportations of Arab, Muslim and South Asian men as part of the government’s "War on Terrorism."



An epic, visual meditation on the progressive history of the United States, from colonial times to the present, as seen through its cemeteries, historical plaques, and markers. 2008 National Society of Film Critics Award winner.



This timely documentary encourages Americans to think more deeply about the importance of memorials on our landscape. In light of the continuing debate surrounding the September 11th memorial design in New York, it is an excellent opportunity for the greater public to rethink the meanings and motivations behind building a memorial of such historical significance.



An incisive look at the realities behind the romantic myths of the Mexican Revolution.



A biographical profile of America's leading consumer advocate and author who has been responsible for the passage of dozens of major environmental, consumer and safety reforms.



This video documents the first national convention in El Paso, Texas in September 1972 of the La Raza Unida Party, a third political party whose membership consisted primarily of Mexican-American citizens.



This classic of the Latin American cinema is based on actual historical events involving the brutal military suppression of a series of strikes during the early Twenties by rural workers in the southernmost province of Argentina.



An unflinching look inside the contentious recall of an immigrant rights activist in California, and the fierce conflict it sparked within the Latino community, between recent and assimilated immigrants, over what it means to be an American.



In 1980, following a fifteen-year-long guerilla struggle against the white-ruled government of Rhodesia and a negotiated cease fire, ZANU leader Robert Mugabe was elected Prime Minister of the newly independent nation of Zimbabwe.



An investigative (but frequently humorous) documentary on the surveillance activities of the New York City Police Department's Bureau of Special Services, known as the Red Squad.



The voices of women prisoners take us on a journey to Northern Ireland, a journey into and out of prison, a journey of personal and political struggle and growth.



A portrait of the life and career of Albert B. 'Happy' Chandler, documenting his rise from rural poverty to a long career in public office, from Governor of Kentucky, to U.S. Senator during WWII, Commissioner of Baseball during the 1950s, and two-time candidate as the Democratic nominee for President.



This video looks at South Korea's uncomfortable but growing acceptance of North Korea over a two-year period.



Tells the compelling stories of three Russians against the backdrop of the former Soviet Union's breakup and historic transition from Communism to Capitalism.



The one person singled out as ultimately responsible for Guevara’s capture was his former lieutenant, Ciro Bustos. His version of those events, combined with interviews with historians, former CIA agents and Bolivian army officers, raises serious questions about how history is written.



From the director of Iraq in Fragments, winner of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, this short powerful documentary follows an Iraqi mother struggling under U.S. occupation to care for her 10-year-old son, who is dying of AIDS.



This historical documentary, filmed in Argentina, chronicles the life of Eva Peron (1919-1952) through a wealth of archival footage, rare photos, and interviews with many of her colleagues, closest confidants, and contemporary political leaders.



Examines Africa's smallest country, the Gambia, as one of only a few successful multi-party democracies on the continent.