Documentary Educational Resources - Geography / North America / United States / United States – General / All Films

Cruces

Wed, 5 Jun 2024 18:06:15 GMT

Cruces is an experiential expedition into the geographies and stories of immigrants from Latin America as they journey to reach US soil. By weaving together oral histories and images of the landscape, the film highlights the constitutive elements of transit, such as trains and rivers, and the obstacles migrants face, such as forests, deserts, and border regimes.

Recorded in 2019 and early 2020, this multi-vocal ethnography conveys a collective view of the multiple stories of journey and arrival. Enhanced by an immersive soundtrack and an experimental narrative, Cruces offers a raw exploration of the terrain and testimonies constituting one of our age's most defining, challenging, and politicized phenomena.

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS
The Royal Anthropological Institute Film Festival, UK, 2023

Athens Ethnographic Film Festival, Greece, 2022

Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival, USA, 2022
Mimesis Documentary Film Festival, USA, 2022

Bogoshorts Film Festival,Colombia, 2021

Multimedia Anthropology Showcase in Madrid (MAAM), Spain, 2021

VI Mexican Congress of Anthropology and Ethnology Film Festival, Mexico, 2020
VI Latin American Anthropology Congress Film Festival, Uruguay, 2020

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Experimental Curator

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:09:38 GMT

Experimental Curator
Buy Now: $320.00

Experimental Curator: The Sally Dixon Story is a documentary that delves into the life of experimental film curator Sally Dixon. Her story began in the 1960's when she received a small hand-held movie camera from her father-in-law and started making films, that she later called "Film Poems." Sally is known as a trailblazer in the "film as art" movement and created the film program at The Carnegie Museum of Art in 1970. She founded the program with the purpose of "promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of film as an art form and the filmmaker as an artist." It was one of the first museum-based film programs in the country.

This one hour biographic documentary reflects Sally’s life as a woman in a man’s art world. The film beautifully weaves in archival footage of Sally as her love of film first emerged as she captured her first images on Super 8 as well as archival footage of her collaborations with artists in Pittsburgh, and finally St. Paul. The documentary threads in contemporary footage of Sally, her family and her friends as they reflect on her enormous impact.

“She understood it very early and she promoted it, bringing attention to different poetic, non-narrative forms of cinema.”
– Jonas Mekas

Selected Screenings & Awards

Honorable Mention, Experimental Forum, USA 2023

Winner for Best Female Filmmaker, Lindsey Film Festival, USA 2023

Winner for Best Feature Documentary Film, BostonDoc, USA, 2022

World Festival Premiere, Ann Arbor Film Festival, USA, 2022

Athens International Film Festival, USA 2022

Hot Springs International Women’s Film Festival, USA 2022

Berlin International Art Film Festival, Germany, 2022

Cinefem 10, Uruguay, 2022

Stockholm City Film Festival, Sweden, 2022

The Women’s Festival, USA 2022

University Film and Video Association Conference, USA, 2022

Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Film Festival, USA 2022

Toronto International Women Film Festival, Canada, 2021

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Screening Room Collection: Animation Series

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Screening Room Collection: Animation Series
Buy Now: $1,960.00

Screening Room was a 1970s Boston television series that for almost ten years offered independent filmmakers a chance to show and discuss their work on a commercial (ABC-TV) affiliate station. The series was developed and hosted by filmmaker Robert Gardner (Dead Birds, Forest of Bliss), who was Chairman of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies and Director of the Carpenter Center for Visual Arts at Harvard for many years.

The Screening Room Animation Collection includes the following episodes:

Robert Breer (color, 75 min, 1976/2005)

Since the 1950s, American animator Robert Breer has been well-known for his films exploring shape, color, perspective and motion. In November 1976, he appeared on the program to Recreation, A Man and His Dog Out for Air, 69, Gulls and Buoys, Fuji, and Rubber Cement.

George Griffin (color, 71 min, 1976/2006)

Independent animator George Griffin has dedicated himself to the pursuit of animation as an art form. In October 1976, he appeared on Screening Room to show and discuss his animation work.

John & Faith Hubley (color, 64 min, 1975/2005)

Academy Award winning husband and wife John and Faith Hubley worked as a team over many years to set standards for creative animation. They appeared on Screening Room in April 1973 to discuss and screen their films.

Derek Lamb (color, two DVDs 75 min/75 min, 1973 & 1975/2008)

In a remarkable career spanning more than four decades, Academy Award winning director, producer, and animator Derek Lamb contributed to over two hundred film and video productions. He appeared on Screening Room in June 1973, and returned for a second visit in September 1975.

Caroline Leaf & Mary Beams (color, 75 min, 1975/2005)

Academy Award nominee Caroline Leaf's animated work springs from her expert storytelling and pioneering animation techniques. Accomplished animator Mary Beams' hand-drawn films carry themes of memory, erotic fantasy and feminism. Both women visited Screening Room in July, 1975.

Jan Lenica (color, 80 min, 1973/2005)

In addition to being a celebrated experimental animator, Jan Lenica (1928-2001) was a multi-talented artist known for his poetic and surreal graphic art in many forms. He appeared on Screening Room in April, 1973.

Suzan Pitt (color, 71 min, 1975/2005)

Independent animator and painter Suzan Pitt, whose surreal and psychological films have gained her worldwide acclaim, continually pushes the boundaries of the animated form, sometimes working with live actors or using animation in opera stagings. She appeared on Screening Room in July, 1975.

John Whitney, Sr. (color, 68 min, 1972/2005)

Abstract computer animator, inventor and digital pioneer John Whitney, Sr. (1917-1995) is widely considered the "father of Computer Graphics." He was a guest on the inaugural episode of Screening Room in November, 1972.

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Screening Room Collection: Documentary Series

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Screening Room Collection: Documentary Series
Buy Now: $1,960.00

The Screening Room Documentary series includes the following episodes:

Les Blank (75 min, 1975/2005) Known for his films about indigenous southern music and various other topics, award-winning filmmaker Les Blank, along with music writer Peter Guralnick, appeared on Screening Room in January 1973 to discuss his recent work and screen several films, including footage from a then work in progress.

Emile de Antonio (79 min, 1973/2005) watch a preview One of America's most influential political and avant-garde filmmakers Emile de Antonio, along with visual anthropologist Edmund Carpenter, appeared on Screening Room in June 1973 to screen and discuss excerpts from his films.

Robert Fulton (two DVDs, 83 min/72 min, 1973 & 1979/2005)

Extraordinary non-fiction filmmaker and gifted aerial cinematographer Robert Fulton appeared on Screening Room in April 1973 and returned for a second visit in April 1979.

Hillary Harris (two DVDs, 75 min/76 min, 1973 & 1979/2007)

In March 1973, Oscar-winning filmmaker Hilary Harris visited Screening Room to screen and discuss his pioneering films as well as footage from a work-in-progress about New York City. He visited again in January 1979 to screen his recent films, and to demonstrate his sound mixer and image generator designs.

Peter Hutton (72 min, 1977/2005)

Peter Hutton's contemplative, meticulously composed films, primarily minimalist, silent portraits of cities and landscapes, have been shown at important festivals in major museums across Europe and the United States. He visited Screening Room in March 1977.

Ricky Leacock (64 min, 1973/2005)

One of the main figures of the "direct cinema" movement, Ricky Leacock visited the program on June 15, 1973, with Al Mecklenburg and Jon Rosenfeld, to demonstrate super-8 sync technology and screen excerpts from his films, as well as rare footage of Indira Ghandi.

Alan Lomax (75 min, 1975/2005)

Alan Lomax spent over six decades working as a musicologist, author, record producer, filmmaker, concert promoter, singer, photographer, and network radio host to promote knowledge and appreciation of the world's folk music. He appeared on Screening Room in August 1975 to discuss the theory of Choreometrics and show the film Dance and Human History.

Richard P. Rogers (76 min, 1975/2007)

Renowned producer and director of nonfiction films Richard P. Rogers (1944-2001) appeared on Screening Room in June 1975 to show and discuss his films and some excerpts.

Jean Rouch (64 min, 1980)

Considered one of the most influential documentary makers of the twentieth century, Jean Rouch appeared on Screening Room in July 1980 and screened Les Maitres Fous (Mad Masters) as well as several film excerpts.

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Screening Room Collection: Experimental Series

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Screening Room Collection: Experimental Series
Buy Now: $1,960.00

The Screening Room Experimental Collection includes the following episodes:

Bruce Baillie (color, 72 min, 1975/2005)

One of the founders of the San Francisco avant-garde film movement, Bruce Bailie's works are in the Library of Congress collection and are considered national treasures. He appeared on Screening Room in April 1973.

James Broughton (color, 75 min, 1977/2005)

Often called "the father of West Coast independent cinema," James Broughton (1913-1999) considered himself to be, first and foremost, a poet. He visited Screening Room in April, 1977.

Ed Emshwiller (color, 77 min, 1975/2005)

Ed Emshwiller started out as an abstract expressionist painter and an award-winning science fiction illustrator before becoming a major figure in avant-garde cinema and the experimental film movement of the 1960s and '70s. He visited Screening Room in July 1975.

Hollis Frampton (color, 74 min, 1977/2006)

A major figure in the American experimental film movement of the 1960s and '70s and a widely published theorist, celebrated American experimental filmmaker Hollis Frampton appeared on Screening Room in January 1977, to discuss his work and screen his films, as well as some excerpts and footage from a work in progress.

Standish Lawder & Stanley Cavell (color, 74 min, 1973/2005)

Professor of art history, photographer, and inventor Standish Lawder and distinguished philosopher Stanley Cavell visited Screening Room in January 1973. Here, Lawder demonstrates his home-made optical printer and screens his films as he, Gardner, and Cavell discuss the intellectual and psychological implications of his filmic manipulations.

Jonas Mekas (color, 75 min, 1975/2005)

Filmmaker, film critic, archivist, poet, lecturer and curator Jonas Mekas is one of the leading figures of American avant-garde film and video. He appeared on Screening Room in October 1981 to discuss the film preservation efforts of Anthology Film Archives and show and discuss his own work as well as that of other filmmakers, including Bruce Bailie, Maya Deren, and Joseph Cornell.

Yvonne Rainer (color, 74 min, 1977/2005)

In March 1977, honored avant-garde coreographer, dancer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer appeared on Screening Room with film scholar and author Deac Rossell, to screen and discuss excerpts from her film Kristina Talking Pictures.

Michael Snow (color, 74 min, 1975/2005)

Canadian Michael Snow has worked in painting, sculpture, and music as well as film, where he has proved one of the most renowned and influential of all experimental filmmakers. He visited Screening Room in March 1977.

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Children Left Behind

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

Children Left Behind
Buy Now: $320.00

Most high school students in the United States are required to pass a series of exams in order to earn a high school diploma. From coast to coast, more and more states are using these high stakes tests in an effort to reverse the supposed rising tide of mediocrity in our public schools and close the achievement gap between socioeconomic and racial groups. The film, Children Left Behind, is about the well-intended purposes that are driving this movement toward high stakes testing, and its unintended consequences. Children Left Behind, brings to the forefront the stories of students who are struggling with these tests. These compelling stories provide a springboard for the exploration of the educational, political and moral issues associated with these exams. The overwhelming majority of these students are the intended beneficiaries of education reform. They are students with disabilities, Latinos, African-Americans, English language learners, and students from economically impoverished communities. The social justice issues are palpable. Testing is a ubiquitous part of our global society. The documentary raises the important question of whether we are leaving too many children behind in our quest for higher test scores.

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Children of Labor

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

Children of Labor
Buy Now: $320.00

Featured at the 1977 New York Film Festival, Children of Labor is the story of how Finnish immigrants came into contact — and conflict — with industrial America. Three generations of Finnish-Americans recount how they coped with harsh realities by creating their own institutions: churches, temperance halls, socialist halls, and cooperatives.

The film focuses on the people, their organizations, and the challenges posed by both McCarthy-era political repression and present-day Home Useism. At the same time, Children of Labor deals with questions that reverberate in the lives of most Americans, especially the sons and daughters of immigrants.

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Cotton Road

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

Cotton Road
Buy Now: $320.00

What does a rural town in South Carolina have to do with China?

Americans consume nearly twenty billion new items of clothing each year, and at least one billion of them are made in China. Cotton Road uncovers the transnational movement of cotton and tells the stories of workers lives in a conventional cotton supply chain. From rural farms in South Carolina to factory cities in China, we span the globe to encounter the industrial processes behind our rapacious consumption of cheap clothing and textile products.

Are we connected to one another through the things we consume? Cotton Road explores a contemporary landscape of globalized labor through human stories and provides an opportunity to reflect on the ways our consumption impacts others and drives a global economy.

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

Honorable Mention, Feature Length Film, Society for Visual Anthropology, 2015

Top Grit, Jury Prize (Best of Festival), Indie Grits Film Festival, 2015

Fork in the Road Award, Jury Prize (Best of Festival), Greentopia Film Festival, 2015

Best Documentary, Documentary Category, Beaufort International Film Festival, 2015

Jury's Choice Award, First Place, Black Maria Film Festival, various locations, 2015

Best Documentary Feature, Documentary Category, Santa Monica Int'l Film Festival, 2014

Honorable Mention, Rural Route Film Festival, locations various, 2014

Honorable Mention, University Film and Video Association, 2014

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The Child the Stork Brought Home

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

The Child the Stork Brought Home
Buy Now: $320.00

The Child the Stork Brought Home is an intimate portrait of a gestational surrogacy arrangement, from the embryo transfer that "took" and got both the gestational surrogate and genetic parents "pregnant," to the birth of a slightly premature baby girl 34 weeks later.

The film captures, through spaced interviews and cinema verite scenes; doctor visits, the baby shower, the birth and its emotional aftermath. The ethical complexity of this most controversial of reproductive arrangements is revealed, at once celebrating its potential to transform understandings of the nuclear family and motherhood, while raising an alarm: that class privilege, and genetic laboratory assisted procreation, can seem to make breeders out of gestational surrogates.

The Child the Stork Brought Home has been used in Women's Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Science and Technology, Bioethics and Contemporary Studies classes at UCSC, UCLA, and U. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The film was made at the Center for Visual Anthropology, at the University of Southern California.

An accompanying essay, "Body Boundaries, Fiction of the Female Self: An ethnographic perspective on power, feminism and reproductive technologies," has been published in Feminist Studies (Spring 2000, V.26, N.1, 113-140).

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The Collective

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

The Collective
Buy Now: $320.00

In 1970, thousands of young people thought of themselves as agents of change. They wanted to restore America's democratic vision; they wanted to end the war in Vietnam. This is the story of one collective — their successes and failures, and what they do and think fifteen years later.

"Released in 1985 but filmed early in the first Reagan administration, The Collective: Fifteen Years Later has special poignance–and renewed relevence today with the Occupy Movement–as a portrayal of unabashed political activism... Reflecting on both the excitement and the disappointment of their political engagement, informants are, by turns, candid, rueful, and idealistic; they're unsparing in acknowledging their own mistakes both in analyzing and in organizing against a structure of oppression centering on, but extending beyond, militarism and neocolonialism." – Chris Wellin, "Documentary Film, Teaching, and the Accumulation of Sociological Insight: The Work of Richard Broadman", Teaching Sociology (2013)

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