Direct Cinema

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Our Film Titles

Abode of Illusion: The Life and Art of Chang Dai-Chien
A profile of the much-acclaimed Chinese artist Chang Dai-Chien.

About Tap
An overview of tap dancing in America and its cultural roots.

Adirondacks
This documentary traces major themes in the history of the Adirondack Park in New York while raising an urgent contemporary issue: the effects of acid rain on an important natural sanctuary.

AIDS Show: Artists Involved With Death and Survival
Deals with the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the gay community.

All American High
A documentary about the trials and life of High School, a uniquely American experience.

Alone Across Australia

Alone Across Australia
One man's solo trek across Australia on foot.

America: Lost and Found
Well-made documentary explores the social and psychological impact of the Great Depression.

Amish and Us, The
An offbeat look at the growing commerce between the traditional horse-and-buggy Pennsylvania Amish and the millions of tourists every year who come to gawk at them and buy their wares.

Amish And Us, The
An offbeat look at the growing commerce between the traditional horse-and-buggy Pennsylvania Amish and the millions of tourists every year who come to gawk at them and buy their wares.

And We Knew How to Dance: Women in World War I
Examines the experience of Canadian women during WWI who took over jobs previously only filled by men.

Angels of Vengeance
Untold story of an underground group of Jews who set out to execute Nazis post-WWII.

Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman
Documents the life and work of pioneering orchestra conductor Antonia Brico. Made by singer Judy Collins and filmmaker Jill Godmilow.

Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, The
A sumptuous comprehensive survey of Wright's life and career.

Archives of the Mossad Collection
The two Archives of the Mossad sets: Israel's Secret Hunt for Nazi War Criminals and Israel's Secret Hunt for Terrorists

ARCHIVES OF THE MOSSAD: Israel's Secret Hunt for Nazi War Criminals
Part of the two-subject ARCHIVES OF THE MOSSAD series, Israel's Secret Hunt for Nazi War Criminals is a four-tape, boxed set that includes: Angels of Vengeance,The Disappearance of Martin Bormann,The Hunt for Adolf Eichmann, and Josef Mengele: The Final Account. (See individual titles for further details.)

ARCHIVES OF THE MOSSAD: Israel's Secret Hunt for Terrorists
Part of the two-subject ARCHIVES OF THE MOSSAD series. Israel's Secret Hunt for Terrorists is a two-hour boxed set including the following two titles: Shaheed: The Making of a Suicide Bomber, Mikdad: Into the Mind of a Terrorist. (See individual titles for details.)

Arshile Gorky Strokes of Genius 
Study of Armenian emigre and one of American's most poetic and powerful painters.

Art of Remembering, The
Presents work by 54 letter-cutters based on themes of memory and loss, all finely carved by hand from variety of British stones and slates.

Augustus Saint Gaudens: An American Original
An examination of one of the greatest American sculptors, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907).

Before Mickey: An Animated Anthology
The history of early animation

Best of All a Dancer
The inspiring story of Rusty Harmon, a 32-year-old man with Down's Syndrome.

Birth of Language
Examines the origins and evolution of human language and communication.

Brats
In this lively short fictional film, a young woman comes to terms with being an army daughter.

Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter
Academy Award-nominee. A doctor infected with the AIDS virus documents his experience through a series of 2-minute diaries over many months.

Burning Wall
An overview of the resistance to the East German regime which led ultimately to the collapse of the communist government and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall.

Cafeteria, The
Film adaptation of one of Isaac Bashevis Singer's most beloved short works. Portrays the story of Jewish refugees in post-World War II New York city as they try to escape their past.

Calling The Shots
Focuses on contemporary female filmmakers, producers, writers, and actresses and the increased influence of women in Hollywood.

Cannibal Tours
This film explores the difference (and the surprising similarities) that emerge when civilized and primitive people meet at the furthermost reaches of the Sepik River of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific.

CANVAS: The Skateboarding Documentary
Please see SKATEBOARDING: THE 900 DEGREE AUSTRALIAN TOUR.

Capturing the Past: How to Prepare and Conduct an Oral History Review
Takes the viewer through an oral history interview, providing step-by-step instructions.

Change Makers
The dynamic story of the U.S. Consumer Movement since WWII, based on interviews with 25 prominent consumer leaders.

Chimps: So Like Us
Jane Goodall introduces us to the world of chimpanzees and makes a case for both their humane treatment in captivity and their right to live in a natural habitat.

Christmas at Starcross
Follows the three founders of a Catholic lay Monastery in Northern California as they take in and raise three AIDS-infected infants.

Clear Pictures: Reynolds Price
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim traces the life of distinguished American author Reynolds Price.

A Closer Walk
Documents the worldwide epidemic of AIDS, and the efforts to combat it.

Coney
Through a combination of special visual effects and skillful editing, CONEY itself becomes the world`s greatest amusement ride that kids of all ages will want to take again and again.

Coney
Through a combination of special visual effects and skillful editing, CONEY itself becomes the world's greatest amusement ride that kids of all ages will want to take again and again.

Coney Island
This elegant documentary tells the story of Coney Island from its emergence in the mid-1800's as America's premier playground, to its demise after World War II.

Contrary Warriors
Contrary Warriors examines the impact a century of struggling for survival has on a native people.

Couldn't Be Fairer
Depicts the alcoholism, racial violence and political oppression still facing Australia's Aboriginal people.

Couples and Robbers
Two couples - one rich, one poor, are brought together by the scheming of the poorer couple. This fictional short is a comedic examination of contemporary values.

Cowboy Poets
Documentary travels to the Big Sky country of Nevada, Montana and Arizona to celebrate the little-known 100-year-old literary tradition of working American cowboys who write and recite poetry.

Cowgirls: Portraits of American Ranch Women
Examines women ranchers and several little girls who dream of that life. Excellent role models and inspiring stories.

Cowhand's Song: Crisis on the Range
Examines the plight of the ranchers of Nevada and California who find their grazing areas increasingly threatened by many groups.

Crimean War, The: A Clash of Empires
A scrupulously researched, vibrant chronicle of this devastating conflict, detailing the long-held antagonisms that presaged wars to follow.

Cry of the Beluga, The
Details the plight of the men and women struggling to save the Beluga whales of the polluted St. Lawrence river from extinction.

Cunnamulla
Cunnamulla, 800 kilometres west of Brisbane, is the end of the railway line. In the months leading up to a scorching Christmas in the bush, there's a lot more going on than the annual lizard race.

Dancing for Mr. B
The film profiles six of George Balanchine's celebrated American ballerinas.

Daughter of the Bride
Less than a year after their father's death, filmmaker Terri Randall and her siblings deal with the new man in their mother's life, his numerous children and grandchildren and planning their Mom's wedding.

David Holzman's Diary
A filmmaker starts to record his life on film, and it turns into an obsession.

David Smith: Steel Into Sculpture(Strokes of Genius)
Traces the three major phases of sculptor David Smith's career, featuring representative pieces and scenes of the artist at work. Examining family and friends, the film provides a personal account of his relationship to his art, his materials, and his landscape.

A Day in the Life of Bonnie Consolo
One day in the life of housewife Bonnie Consolo, who was born without arms yet lives a full life nonetheless.

A Day in the Life of Bonnie Consolo
A short film about housewife Bonnie Consolo, who was born without arms, but who lives a rich and full life.

de Kooning on de Kooning (Strokes of Genius series)
Lively and intimate portrait illustrates the different phases of de Kooning's career, capturing the vivid individualism of this prolific painter.

Death on the Job
A revealing look at how workers' safety is being compromised with tragic results.

Did You Used to Be R.D. Laing?
Drawing on stories from Laing's own life and from his patients' experiences, and following him through a series of lectures and workshops, the film presents a portrait of the radical psychiatrist as an engaging, witty and irreverent character.

Disappearance of Martin Bormann
A study of the mystery of Martin Bormann, Hitler's right-hand man who allegedly disappeared at the end of WW II.

Don't Divorce the Children
For all those involved in a divorce, from the parents and children, to psychologists and lawyers, the film provides valuable insights about the emotional needs of these children and offers some solutions to help alleviate the tug-of-love that divorced families experience.

Donner Party, The
This haunting film tells the story of the ill-fated party of pioneers and their doomed attempt to get to California in 1846.

Doubletalk
Humorour short film of a boy arriving to pick up his date and is forced to make small talk with the parents.

Drive-In Blues
Laced with unusual archival movie trailers, the film is both a tongue-in-cheek tribute and an affectionate portrait that preserves a piece of the vanishing American landscape -- the drive-in movie theater.

Dylan Thomas: Return Journey
A dramatic recreation of poet Dylan Thomas touring America, giving readings and speaking to audiences toward the end of his life. Originally a successful stage production but adapted for this video version by renowned actor Anthony Hopkins in his directorial debut.

Earth and the American Dream
This beautiful and disturbing film recounts America's story from the environment's point of view.

Educating Peter
A young boy with down syndrome attends his first year in a regular classroom. This documentary traces that year and the changes that take place for Peter, his teacher, and the other students.

Eight Minutes to Midnight
This award-winning film tells the story of pediatrician, author, and activist Dr. Helen Caldicott and her struggle to inform and awaken the public to the medical dangers posed by nuclear power.

Eighty-Nine mm From Europe
At the border between Poland and the former Soviet Union, the gauge of train tracks changes: to move beyond Belorussia, the tracks must be wider. Building upon this profound metaphor, the filmmaker probes the eyes of passengers on international trains as they witness the changing of the wheels under the train cars.

Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera
In 1984, the landmark production of Einstein on the Beach was staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, its first restaging by its creators Philp Glass and Robert Wilson. Examines rehearsals and creative process of these two groundbreaking artists.

El Mundo de Asilo: The World of Asylum
Instructive video on how to apply for political asylum in the U.S.

Eliot Porter's World
Examines the life, work, and methods of photographer Eliot Porter.

Endangered Species
Traces the painful yet inspirational journey of a group of young men and women recruited from public housing communities in Washington, D.C. to form the Earth Conservation Corps.

Endo What?
Women of all ages and backgrounds speak openly of their experiences with endo including surgical procedures and drug and alternative treatments.

Equal Opportunity
A social satire where gender roles are reversed, and men are subject to sexual inequality.

Erika: Not in Vain, Once Upon a Time
A family struggles to deal with their four-year-old daughter's accident and dependence on life support systems.

Every Picture Tells A Story
A personal biography and tribute to contemporary British artist William Scott, as told by his son, award-winning filmmaker James Scott.

Fallingwater: A Conversation with Edgar Kaufmann, Jr.

Fast Eddie and the Boys
In this poignant and funny film, a tight-knit group of seventy to eighty year-olds interrupt their handball playing long enough to talk about the sport they love, they're long histories together, and the troubles of growing old.

Fetch
A short dark comedic film where a man shows up for a date with a woman but soon wishes he had never left home.

Fetchit, The
A comedic short film about a contest of will between a dog and his master.

Figure in a Landscape: A Conversation with J.B. Jackson
An engrossing documentary film which examines the evolution of the American landscape through the eyes of John Brinckerhoff Jackson, considered by many to be the originator of landscape studies in the United States.

A film by Lisa O'Brien and Bernice Vanderlaan
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A film by Rich Samuels
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Filmmaker: A Diary by George Lucas
Offers an inside view of how George Lucas viewed the filmmaking process when he was a young intern working with Francis Ford Coppola on The Rain People.

Films of Dennis O'Rourke
For much of his career Dennis O'Rourke has been making films about the South Pacific and its inhabitants. These films show an overwhelming commitment to the lives and problems of the people they are about, yet bear the unmistakable stamp of their maker's personality. Primarily, the films examine the Pacific peoples' rearguard fight against the colonisers -- economic, religious, military -- who have moved in on their homelands, touting the joys of 'paradise' on the one hand, taming, adapting or destroying it on the other.

Fine Food, Fine Pastries - Open 6 to 9
Fine Food, Fine Pastries explores the culture and history of Sherrill's Restaurant and Bakery in Washington, D.C., which has served as a neighborhood gathering place since the Depression.

Fish Bay
An series of three animated films based on the stories of Joy Cowley.

Fisherboy
An animated short film about a boy who is enslaved by the sea but freed by his mother.

five by two: five animated shorts
An anthology of short films by award-winning filmmakers Frank & Caroline Mouris.

Flamenco at 5:15
For a few weeks each year, in the depths of winter, senior students at the National Ballet School of Canada are treated to a style of dance that is unlike any other - flamenco.

Flight of the Gossamer Condor
The story of Paul MacCready's historic invention, creation and ultimately successful first human-powered flight.

Foodfright
American women and girls are obsessed by eating, exercise, their weight and body image. Foodfright, a film adaptation of a popular stage review of the same title explores the thoughts and feelings of millions of women who are trapped in a secret life of bulimia, anorexia, over-exercise and food fixation.

Forward, The: From Immigrants to Americans
An extraordinary human story of the world's most successful Yiddish-language newspaper, the Jewish Daily Forward.

Four [4] Little Girls
From filmmaker Spike Lee, recounts the events leading up to the one of the most despicable hate-crimes during the height of the civil-rights movement, the bombing of the 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In that attack, four little African-American girls lost their lives and a nation was simultaneously revolted, angered and galvanized to push the fight for equality and justice on.

Frances Steloff: Memoirs of a Bookseller
A wonderfully dynamic portrait of Frances Steloff. Steloff is the founder of the renowned Gotham Book Mart of New York City, a center for avant-garde literature and literati since 1920.

Frank Film
Esteemed as probably the most celebrated American short, Frank Film is a collection of 11,592 collages sequenced to illustrate the chronology of the filmmaker's life. Spanning the years of 1945-1973, this wildly entertaining short film goes beyond the story of one man's existence to become a collective autobiography of our time.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frankly Caroline
Frankly Caroline is a deliberately comic and self-conscious attempt to create a film about Caroline Mouris analogous to Frank Film. The film is as much about the couple`s collaborative process, and the squabbles inevitable in a working relationship, as it is about Caroline herself.

Frankly Caroline
Frankly Caroline is a deliberately comic and self-conscious attempt to create a film about Caroline Mouris analogous to Frank Film. The film is as much about the couple's collaborative process, and the squabbles inevitable in a working relationship, as it is about Caroline herself.

Franz Kline Remembered (Strokes of Genius series)
Documents the struggles, innovations and triumphs of one of the New York School's most daring artists.

Freestyle: The Victories of Dan Gable
Biography of the Babe Ruth of wrestling - Dan Gable - set against the backdrop of his last year coaching for Iowa University.

From Hawaii To the Holocaust: A Shared Moment In History
The moving and powerful story of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a fighting force comprised of Asian-American soldiers that helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp and was a part of the most highly decorated unit of its size in U.S. history.

From One to Another
Takes its audience on a journey to explore the intimate and personal experiences of those who have been transplanted and those awaiting a transplant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Garden of Eden, The
Using humor, logic, and stunning outdoor photography, this Oscar-nominated film explains how environmental interests can cooperate with corporate and government developers to achieve apparently conflicting goals.

George Marshall and the American Century
Examines George Marshall and his long career as a U.S. leader -- from Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Secretary of State, developer of the Marshall Plan, Secretary of Defense, and President of the Red Cross.

Going Up
Impressionist visual essay that follows the construction of a skyscraper in New York. Shot over two years and using time-lapse and slow-motion photography to capture the poetry, drama, and hardwork in this awesome undertaking.

Good Woman of Bangkok, The
Self-portrait from documentarian Dennis O'Rourke. At 43, he films his post-divorce trip to Bangkok, and his ensuing and complicated relationship with one of the city's many prostitutes

Great Liberation, The (The Tibetan Book of the Dead)
Part II of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Presents a vividly detailed account of the contents of The Book of the Dead and of the traditional Buddhist teachings on compassion and the search for truth.

Guaguasi
Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution (1957-1961), Guaguasi is a fictional feature film that tells the story of a simple man who falls in love with a beautiful chorus girl.

Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age
An account of the effects of U.S. nuclear testing in the South Pacific on the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands.

Half-Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age
An account of the effects of U.S. nuclear testing in the South Pacific on the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands.

Hearts of Hate: The Battle for Young Minds
Expose of Canadian racist groups and their frightening influence over young people. Explores the sophistication of the racist message, and how best to stop these menaces to the stability of our society.

Heck With Hollywood!, The
Chronicles four years in the live of three first-time, no-budget independent filmmakers. Fast-paced, grimly comic reality check, a cautionary tale of the business end of show business.

Home
A wayward mother decides to return to daughter she left and try to make a fresh start.

Hunt for Adolf Eichmann, The
An outstanding firsthand account by the Mossad agents who planned and implemented the covert Operation Eichmann. Shot on location in Austria, Germany, Italy, Argentina, England and Israel, the film uses a mixture of documentary techniques and dramatic reenactments to retrace Eichmann's escape route from Germany after World War II. The former head of Israel's secret service recounts how his agency captured the Nazi fugitive and brought him to trial in Jerusalem.

I Was a Thanksgiving Turkey
A family celebration of a traditional American dinner is experienced from a turkey's point of view in this unusual and humorous short animated film.

I`m Still Here: The Truth about Schizophrenia
I`m Still Here presents compelling examples of individuals afflicted with this illness but who are able to lead lives of extraordinary courage and accomplishment. A comprehensive presentation of medical facts from professionals, heartbreaking experiences and the uplifting hope from families of schizophrenics, this film expresses the compassion these remarkable people deserve.

I'm Still Here: The Truth about Schizophrenia
I'm Still Here presents compelling examples of individuals afflicted with this illness but who are able to lead lives of extraordinary courage and accomplishment. A comprehensive presentation of medical facts from professionals, heartbreaking experiences and the uplifting hope from families of schizophrenics, this film expresses the compassion these remarkable people deserve.

If You Love This Planet
Recording of a lecture given by Dr. Helen Caldicott in 1981 to American students. In it, she outlines the dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation and traces the development of atomic weaponry.

Ileksen
In documentarian Dennis O'Rourkes companion piece to Yumi Yet,the villagers of Papua New Guinea recreate the British electoral system with their first independent election (ileksen is Melanesian Pidgin for election). The dominant impression is one of chaos: a land with rich cultural traditions and very specific economic and political problems striving to fit itself into an imported form of democracy.

Impasse
Animated, abstract short film from Academy Award-winning animators Frank & Caroline Mouris. Painstakingly created entirely with multicolored self-adhesive labels. An irrestistable force, an immovable object, and a rainbow of brilliant hues create a moral tale like none before.

In & Out
An animated look at the aging process and the passage of life.

In Her Own Time: The Final Fieldwork of Barbara Myerhoff
Anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff was studying the Jewish orthodox area of L.A. when she learned she had cancer. Filmmaker Lynne Littmean helped her continue the project and this resultingwork became a spiritual and social exploration of Judaism.

In Search of Mozart

In Search of Rothko (Strokes of Genius series)
The life and art of abstract artist Mark Rothko are examined through the inquiring mind of an art student.

Incredible Creature
Animated film based on the story by Joy Cowley about a mouse who has a self-image problem.

Intermarriage: When Love Meets Tradition
This penetrating documentary focuses on five young couples who face the problems and challenges of love, marriage, and raising children in an interfaith relationship.

Is Freedom Dangerous?
A young reporter narrates her newspaper's journey to the Supreme Court in appeal of the government's injunction against a controversial article.

Jackson Pollock: Portrait (Strokes of Genius)
Portrait of the maverick painter depicts Pollock's youth and reaches into the mind of the artist whose wildly original paintings altered the course of art history.

Josef Mengele: The Final Account
Josef Mengele: The Final Account looks back at the crimes and life of the SS doctor who sent 400,000 people to the gas chambers in the horrifying pursuit of racial purification.

Journey Back, A
Jack Garfein, now a successful Broadway producer, returns to Auschwitz to confront his past. The sole survior of his family, Garfein courageously searches for the truth behind the tragedy of the camps.

Journey to Federal Hall
In this charming and informative animated film, George Washington reflects on the birth of the nation and the role of New York's Federal Hall as he is driven to his inauguration.

Just For Fun
A short, fictional film in which a high school student goes out one night with new friends and finds himself participating in a gay-bashing. When the victim turns out to be his brother, he is forced to confront his own prejudices and decide where he stands.

Kind of Childhood, A
A documentary filmed over six years about working children in Bangladesh.

Kindness of Strangers, The
An intimate journey into the lives of four transplant patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and two organ donor families in Philadelphia.

Kindness of Strangers, The

Klan: Legacy of Hate in America
From Academy Award-Winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim comes this vivid and disturbing portrait of the oldest and most violent terrorist army ever to operate on American soil -- the Ku Klux Klan.

Knute Rockne and His Fighting Irish
Examines Knute Rockne -- the man who transformed the game of football from an obscure pastime into the colorful amalgam of passion, spectacle and big business we know today.

L*I*G*H*T
A tribute to Thomas Edison, this film is a brief history of light culmination with the invention of the incandescent light bulb and the machinery for its mass production.

Land Mines: A Love Story
An examination on the devastating effects of land mines on the people of Aghanistan

Leaving Home
An honest and intimate portrait of four sisters and their parents who are ending one phase of their lives and beginning another. Shot by filmmaker Ilana Bar-Din, using herself and her own family as the subjects.

Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II
Documents the unknown story of WWII's African-American battalions, focusing on the heroic actions of the 761st, which spearheaded General Patton's Third Army and helped liberate the concentration camps and Buchenwald, Dachau and Lamback.

Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II
Documents the unknown story of WWII`s African-American battalions, focusing on the heroic actions of the 761st, which spearheaded General Patton`s Third Army and helped liberate the concentration camps and Buchenwald, Dachau and Lamback.

Liza's Pioneer Diary
Set in 1848 and inspired by diaries and first-hand accounts of pioneers, this touching film dramatizes the individual struggles of men and women and their quest for survival in the face of uncertainty and death. Captures the essence of pioneer days with warmth, poignancy, and a compelling historical point of view.

M.F.K. Fisher
Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, who died in 1992 at the age of 83, was America's premier gastronomical writer, whose distinctive gift for the free expression of sensual pleasures defined her life and her art. Both a tantalizing and delightful introduction to Fisher's unique body of work and a moving and inspiring tribute to a life well lived.Included on same tape is the short film Wedding Cake: A True Confection.

Magical Ride, The
Examines the old magic and the modern dilemmas of wodden carousels, paying tribute to the inspired craftsmen who created them while demonstrating the techniques used by the dedicated people who restore them. Shot at locations across the U.S., The Magical Ride celebrates the wonder of carousels while encouraging the preservation of the nearly forgotten folk art that created them.

Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The
A look at the making of this groundbreaking adventure film from the inside out, with interviews of the filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, as well as the cast and crew.

Making Points
A short film which places women in a dominant position in society, reversing traditional gender stereotypes.

Man They Call Will James, The
Offers and intimate for of the engimage and colorful man -- cowboy, author, and chronicler of the American West, Will James.

The Man Who Planted Trees

Man Who Planted Trees (BOOK), The
Breathtaking animation combines with rich language of author Jean Giono to create a beautiful and hopeful story about the environment and conservation.

Man Who Planted Trees, The
Breathtaking animation combines with rich language of author Jean Giono to create a beautiful and hopeful film about the environment and conservation.

Mark of the Maker, The: The Fine Art of Papermaking at Twinrocker
Set in Brookston, Indiana, this film introduces papermakers Kathryn and Howard Clark, who build a hand paper mill (Twinrocker) on their family farm in 1972 -- the first such mill in American since 1929. Through their tenacity, Twinrocker became the foundation of contemporary hand papermaking, with an incredible booming business in the U.S. and abroad.

Marx Brothers in a Nutshell, The
A biography of the Marx Brothers, from their early vaudeville days to Groucho's TV show, You Bet Your Life.

Mean Girls: Mind Games
A study of relational aggression between young teenage women.

Memorial Day
This sound-and-picture poem captures the emotion and color of one community's Memorial Day celebration, evoking all the braveries, defeats and tragedies of remembrance.

Men of Bronze: The Black American Heroes of World War I
Definitive sotry of the African-American soldiers of the 369th U.S. combat regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, who served in the French army in World War I.

Mermaid, The
Lavish animated adaptation of a Russian fable. Tells of a passionate woman who returns from the afterlife as a mermaid to avenge her broken heart. Academy Award nominee.

Metropolitan Home Presents: A Dream House
Tom Wolfe, Geoffrey Beene, Alice Waters and other New York culturati contribute style points to a Manhattan town house to benefit AIDS research.

Middle Passage, The
Based on a true story, The Middle Passage features two women as they simultaneously face crossing a city park late at night and four young African-American men offer to accompany them across. Raises questions of prejudice and tolerance.

Migrations
Confined to a dull office desk job, Anna-Lisa's routine is one day interrupted by an unusual problem - she can't find her pen. Using geographical tables and animated maps and charts, Migrations hilariously documents Anna-Lisa's whimsical search.

Mikdad: Into the Mind of a Terrorist
Through an unusual interview, the film exposes the terrible mind of Middle Eastern terrorist Hussein Mikdad -- his history, training, and attempts at terrorism in Israel.

Mitchell Block Collection, The
Fictional short film about rape. A male filmmaker casually films a conversation with his female friend, and she soon mentions her recent assault

Mother Earth
A short film on conservation which uses music, dance and dramatic photographs for its theme.

Mr. Preble Gets Rid of His Wife
Based on the James Thurber short story, this outrageous film uses Thurber's style of satiric exaggeration to examine the domestic power struggle between a suburbanite husband and his wife.

Mummies, Tombs & Various Pieces of Ancient Egypt
Reveals rare and beautiful treasures at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Also considers the meticulous work of the museum specials who conserve these artifacts.

Murder On A Sunday Morning
This Oscar-winning film depicts the story of Brenton Butler, unjustly accused of a homicide, a charge which unravels during his trial when evidence mounts of police improprieties.

Murita Cycles
A biographical portrait by filmmaker Barry Braverman of his eccentric father, a complex and colorful philosopher, junk collecter and bicycle repairman.

My Khmer Heart
A poignant view of Pol Pot?s legacy through the eyes of a Geralding Cox, an Australian expatriate who, during a bloody coup, is fighting to keep open a government-owned orphanage in Cambodia.

My Man Bovanne
Short, fictional film based on a short story. A 60-year-old woman meets an elderly man and pursues him, much to her grown children's dismay. Considers aging and age differences.

Mystery of the Blue Whale, The
Tracks the efforts of researchers who are significantly increasing our knowledge about the blue whale -- the largest creature that has ever lived on the face of the planet.

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New York Underground
Examines the history of New York's subway system -- its creators and its long and dangerous construction schedule.

Niagara Falls
Fast-paced, often funny documentary that tackles the fundamental question of what a nation does with its symbols, specifically America's Niagara Falls.

Nichols and Dimes
A profile of filmmaker Mike Nichols pastime - breeding Arabian horses.

No Applause, Just Throw Money
Considers New York City street performers - their history and modern work.

no lies
Fictional short film about rape. A male filmmaker casually films a conversation with his female friend, and she soon mentions her recent assault

No Maps on My Taps
For all dance aficionados, No Maps on My Taps is an indispensable historical record of this distinctly American art form.

No Place to Hide
Martin Sheen narrates this documentary about growing up in the shadow of the atomic bomb.

Nobody Listened
A powerful indictment of thirty years of Castroism, causing nearly everyone to listen, Nobody Listened is a moving, universal hymn to freedom.

Number Our Days
Portrait of elderly European Jews sustaining their vivid culture in the face of poverty, loneliness, and extreme old age, by the Pacific Ocean in Southern California.

Old Quabbin Valley, The

On the Bridge
An inspiring and intensely personal film by the Academy Award-nominated director of David and Lisa and Diary of a Mad Housewife.

On the Move: The Central Ballet of China
Captures dance history in-the making as the Central Ballet of China makes its American premiere in New York...

One Survivor Remembers

One Survivor Remembers
Through intervies, photos, and footage from the actual locations of her memories, erda Weissmann Klein takes us on a journey of survival through one of the most devastating events in the history of mankind.

One Woman, One Vote
A history of the Woman Suffrage movement in the United States, its progress and the opposition it faced. Features portraits of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Alice Paul.

Orchard, The
Adapted from the story by Joy Cowley about an old man who desperately tries to warn a village of an impending disaster.

Painting the Town: The Illusionistic Murals of Richard Haas
Introduces the witty work of architectureal muralist Richard Haas, whose mammoth murals have caused double takes in cities from Phoenix to Munich.

Paradise
A short animated film about envy and how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Academy Award Nominee.

Pearl Harbor: Surprise and Remembrance
Offers answers to questions that haunt many Americans today, providing a unique look back to that moment when the world changed forever for the United States.

Perfect Harmony: The Whiffenpoofs in China
Dcoumentary about the Yale Whiffenpoofs' highly successful tour of the people's Republic of China. The Whiffenpoos are an internationally reknowned all-male a cappella singing group.

Pies
Short animated film tells how human understanding can over come prejudice. Based on short story by Wilma Riley.

Power of Conscience: The Danish Resistance and the Rescue of the Jews
Charts the dramatic development of the underground resistance during WWII in Denmark and Germany.

Primary Colors
Traces artist and nun Corita Kent's journey to self-realization.

Promise of Play, The (All three parts)
[Full three-tape, three-part set.] Examines the benefits of and importance play in human and animal societies -- in the workplace, education, healthcare, in communities, and family life.

Promise of Play, The: Episode 1: The Mother of Invention
(Part one of three parts.) Examines the benefits of and importance play in human and animal societies -- in the workplace, education, healthcare, in communities, and family life.

Promise of Play, The: Episode 2: A World of Your Own
(Part two of three-part set.) Examines the benefits of and importance play in human and animal societies -- in the workplace, education, healthcare, in communities, and family life.

Promise of Play, The: Episode 3: The Heart of the Matter
(Part three of three-part set). Examines the benefits of and importance play in human and animal societies -- in the workplace, education, healthcare, in communities, and family life.

Putting Up the Pickles
Provides a peak behind the scenes at the Pickle Family Circus. A close-knit group of performers who began as street performers, travels as a troupe and maintains a unique rapport with its audience.

Rainy Day, A
This short fictional film tells of a famous TV actress's return home for her dad's funeral and the childhood memories she is forced to confront.

Raoul Wallenberg: Buried Alive
Reconstructs story of wealthy Swedish protestant Wallenberg who personally saved the lived of at least 100,000 Hungarian Jews from the Nazi Holocaust, and then disappeared into the labyrinths of the Soviet prisons.

Raw Footage (Full Set)
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers including: RJ Cutler & David Van Taylor, Barbara Trent, Frieda Lee Mock & Steve Cantor, Robert Drew, Joshua Seftel & Michael Pack, and Allison Anders & David O. Russell. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Raw Footage #2: R.J. Cutler, David Van Taylor
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers. Episode 2: R.J. Cutler & David Van Taylor. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Raw Footage #4: Robert Drew
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers. Episode 4: Robert Drew. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Raw Footage #5: Joshua Seftel, Michael Pack
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers. Episode 5: Joshua Seftel & Michael Pack. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Raw Footage: Barbara Trent (Episode 1)
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers . Episode 1: Barbara Trent. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Raw Footage#3: Freida Lee Mock, Steven Cantor
A series of programs exploring the journey of the independent filmmaker. Alec Baldwin hosts interviews with ten well-respected independent filmmakers . Episode 3: Freida Lee Mock, Steven Cantor. Produced in association with the Independent Film Channel.

Ready to Be a Wise Man
Fictional short film tells of a seven-year old boy, a minister's son, growing up in the South in the 50's. Captures the moment when a young boy realizes that the world can be filled with injustice, and decides what even he can stand up for.

Rebuilding the Temple: Cambodians in America
First documentary to examine Cambodian refugees' efforts to adjust to Western life aftern fleeing from their oppressive and violent government in the 1970's. Considers the significant role played by the Khmer-buddhist culture in this difficult process.

Red Grooms: Sunflower in a Hothouse
Vibrant glimpse of the life and work of innovative contemporary American artist Red Grooms.

Red Shoes
Highlights artis Ann Slavit's sculpture, Red Shoes, which hung from the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Reflections of a Dancer: Alexandra Danilova
Intimate portrait of legendaryz ballerina Alexandra Danilova (acclaimed as America's favorite Ballerina in the 1940's and 1950's).

Restless Conscience
Explores the motivating proinciples and activities of the anti-Nazi resistance inside Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Return Trips
Journeys into the American Jewish experience. At once specific and universal, it provides a case study of the enounter between tradition and modernity common to all religions, and offers and inspiring portrait of one group's rediscovery of a rich and ancient heritage.

River of Steel
We're sorry, this title is no longer available from Direct Cinema. Please see our new film NEW YORK UNDERGROUND.

Rushes
A filmmaker decides to film the last 24 hours of his life before he commits suicide.

Ruth Asawa: Of Form and Growth
A portrait of artist Ruth Asawa, and an exploration of her personal philosophies which have influenced her work.

Samson and Delilah
Adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's short story about a woman's confrontation with a man who claims to be her long-lost husband

Scenes from the Life of a Washbasin
One family's lifetime moves past a washbasin, their silent witness.

Screen Painters
Chronicles the beginnings, heyday, and decline of the practices of painting landscape scenes on window and door screens.

Screentest
Experimental, visual, carefully edited film by Academy Award-winning animator Frank Mouris.

Sentimental Women Need Not Apply: A History of the American Nurse
Utilizing contemporary interviews, dramatic readings, film clips, and a wealth of vivid arhival drawings and still photographs, SENTIMENTAL WOMEN traces the history of nursing from its military beginnings to the present, when modern technology threatens to displace the compassion that has always been at the heart of the profession.

Serious Minded Stuff
A young girl discovers her natural acting talent and becomes a silent movie star.

Shaheed: The Making of a Suicide Bomber
Probes the minds of suicide bombers who spearhead the war of terror in the Middle East. Rare, intimate interviews with such men.

Shark Callers of Kontu, The
Illustrates the effects of cultural contact on the shark calling traditions in Papua New Guinea.

Shocking Accident, A
Based on Graham Green short story about an English schoolbody who learns his father has been killed in a bizarre accident and works to come to terms with the accident for years following.

Shoeshine
The Father-Son team of Jerry and Ben Stiller star in this short, humorous film about an encounter between a Shoeshine Man and a Wall Street Trader.

Silent Feminists, The: America's First Women Directors
Using film clips, rare photos and interviews with survivors of the silent film era, this documentary rediscovers the work of America's pioneering women directors.

Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle
Wagner's 17-hour, 4 opera Ring cycle demands incredibly precise choreography not only for the performers, but for the theater's stagehands. This film shows an intimate look at the backstage work and dramas.

SKATEBOARDING: The 900 Degree Australian Tour
Follows some of the hottest skateboarders as they tour Australia. Interviews and shots of their stunts and physical feats.

SL-1: America's First Fatal Nuclear Reactor Accident

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
Considers open spaces in urban areas, their import, success at attracting people, and intention of making city life more hospitable.

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

Sole Mani
Short, comic film created entirely out of hand-puppets as designed and directed by conceptual artist Mario Mariotti.

Some Call It Greed
An examination of America as an industrial capitalist state, and how the robber barons of the industrial era dictated the social and economic evolution of the United States.

Soutine
Takes a penetrating look at the life and art of Chaim Soutine, an important twentieth century expressionist painter.

Special Letter, A
A woman recalls the years of her childhood in a concentration camp during World War II

Speeding?
A short film dealing with attitudes toward law enforcement, traffic, safety and ethics.

Spirit to Spirit: Nikki Giovanni
Highlights the life and work of one of America's most popular poets -- Nikki Giovanni.

Stealing America: Vote by Vote
STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote documents significant irregularities in the Presidential election of 2004.

Strokes of Genius: 6-PART SERIES
The Abstract Expressionist movement emerged in America during the 1940s and 1950s. STROKES OF GENIUS, a 6-part film series, examines the lives and contributions of the artists who led this movement.

Strokes of Genius: Arshile Gorky
Study of Armenian emigre and one of American's most poetic and powerful painters.

Strokes of Genius: David Smith: Steel Into Sculpture
Traces the three major phases of sculptor David Smith's career, featuring representative pieces and scenes of the artist at work. Examining family and friends, the film provides a personal account of his relationship to his art, his materials, and his landscape.

Strokes of Genius: de Kooning on de Kooning
Lively and intimate portrait illustrates the different phases of de Kooning`s career, capturing the vivid individualism of this prolific painter.

Strokes of Genius: de Kooning on de Kooning
Lively and intimate portrait illustrates the different phases of de Kooning's career, capturing the vivid individualism of this prolific painter.

Strokes of Genius: Franz Kline Remembered
Documents the struggles, innovations and triumphs of one of the New York School's most daring artists.

Strokes of Genius: In Search of Rothko
The life and art of abstract artist Mark Rothko are examined through the inquiring mind of an art student.

Strokes of Genius: Jackson Pollock: Portrait
Portrait of the maverick painter depicts Pollock's youth and reaches into the mind of the artist whose wildly original paintings altered the course of art history.

Summer's End
A story for young adults about a girl who is pressured to become more feminine as she approaches puberty.

Sundae in New York

Super Chief: The Life and Legacy of Earl Warren
Presents a compelling portrait of the controversial Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. Captures Warren in rare archival footage and explores the impact and meaning of his ground-breaking rulings.

Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse
Examines the life and work of American bellerina Suzanne Farrell, who was the last great muse and quintessential interpreter of celebrated choreographer George Balanchine.

Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song
Feature length fictional film tells the story of a pimp who kills two policemen who had been beating a Black militant. Using his street-wise survival skills, he eludes his pursuers and escapes to Mexico.

Tell Me Something I Can't Forget
Focuses on the Chicopee Writers Workshop in Massachusetts, a project designed to give economicallly disadvantaged women the opportunity to confront their difficulties and develop their talents through crative writing.

Ten Dollar Horse and a Forty Dollar Saddle
Focuses on Monroe Veach (b.1896), former cowboy, saddlemaker and Wild West Show performer. His biography forms a framework through which larger questions about U.S. history, factual and legendary, are examined.

Tennessee Sampler
Country tunes set the pace for this nonstop journey through a colorful state full of culture, crafts, and characters.

There Were Times, Dear...
Hour-long fictional film about a middle-aged married couple and their experience as they disover the husband has Alzheimer's disease.

Thoth
Thoth, a street musician and performer, sings for peace in the world, inspired by his mythical land, The Festad.

Three English Cathedrals: Norwich, Lincoln, Wells
Visits three spectacular English cathedrals representing a range of styles. Offers a splendid tour and detailed information about the architecture and construction of the cathedrals.

Tibetan Book of the Dead
Two-part series explores the ancient Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead. Considers the book's wisdom of life and death and visualizes the afterlife according to Tibetan philosophy.

Tibetan Book of the Dead, Part 1
Discusses the history of the Book of the Dead and documents its rites and liturgies.

Tibetan Book of the Dead, Part 2
A detailed account of the contents of the Book of the Dead, and of its traditional Buddhist teachings of compassion and the search for truth.

Time for Justice, A
The story of the American civil rights movenment as told by those who fought the battle for the right to vote during the 1950's and 1960's.

Time Out

Titanic in a Tub: The Golden Age of Toy Boats
Explores the history of both full-size sailing vessels and their miniature counterparts.

Total Eclipse
Short fictional film about a six-year old girl who learns how to stand up for herself when her peers make cracks about her divorced parents.

Trials of Alger Hiss, The
Account of the Cold War/espionage/perjury that catapulted Rep. Richard M. Nixon into national prominence, imprisoned a former State Department officer, and aroused intense political passions.

Tuberculosis in America: The People's Plague (Part I: The Captain of All These Men of Death)
Chronicles th history of tuberculosis and its cure in the early part of the century.

Tuberculosis in America: The People's Plague (Part II: The Gospel of Health)
Presents the facts about tuberculosis, the disease that survived its own death to confront us again as the twentieth century comes to a close.

Tuberculosis in America: The People's Plague (Parts I & II)
Two part documentary tells the compelling story of the greatest germ hunt in history, the triumph of modern science and the ultimate resurgence of a deadly epidemic.

Uncommon Sense: The Art and Imagination of Nancy Willard
A portrait of children's author Nancy Willard, and how she generates inspiration for her stories.

USSR Art
Examines the transition of Soviet visual artists from the late 1980's on, as their freedom to take credit for their works re-structured the Soviet art work and their potential for profit.

Vietnam Requiem
Five decorated Vietnam veterans who are now serving prison terms are interviewed, their experiences combined with combat footage. The film relays the bitterness felt by heroes returning home from an unpopular war, and the psychological devastation that was wrought on them.

Voices from the Attic
A filmmaker travels to Poland with her aunt and five cousins to explore the ordeal of her mother and fifteen family members who hid in the attic of a peasant's home for two years during the Second World War.

W.C. Fields Straight Up
A biography of comedian W.C. Fields, from his early days as a juggler, to his film career and to his final days.

Way of Life, A (The Tibetan Book of the Dead)
Documents the history of the Book of the Dead and explores its traditional application in northern India, as well as its use in hopsices in Europe and North America. Includes interview with Dalai Lama.

Weave of Time, A
Anthropologist John Adair filmed a Navajo family (the Burnside family) in 1930. This documentary weaves together his never-before-seen footage with footage of the Burnside family today creating a rich history of Navajo culture in transition.

Wedding Cake: A True Confection
A short film about the ingredients for delicious wedding cakes, happy lives, and even successful careers.

Wellington's Final March: The End of an Era
Details the historically important final march (funeral parade) of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington.

Wild by Law: The Rise of Environmentalism and the Creation of the Wilderness Act
The story of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the three men responsible for its passage. Provides an invaluable overview of the roots of the environmental movement, offering a deeper understanding of one of hte most important issues facing contemporary civilization.

Wilderness Idea, The: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot and the First Great Battle for Wilderness
An exploration of the first national controversy about America's wilderness: Should Hetch Hetchy, a valley within Yosemite National Park, be dammed and flooded to form a reservoir for San Francisco? By tracing the paths of the leaders of the two factions in the conflict, John Muir and Gifford Pinchot, the film brings to life an important moment in American history, and provides a context for understanding the environmental issues of today.

Women and Spirituality Series
The Women and Spirituality Series is a three-part series including the following: The Burning Times, Full Circle, Goddess Remembered.

Wonderful World of Dogs, The
Explores the myths, the obsessions and the wide variety of attitudes people harbor towards our four-legged friends by introducing a few of the barkers, bullies and roamers that make up the canine population.

Woodstock for Capitalists
A look at the annual retreat for Berkshire Hathaway stockholders, the company led by investment guru Warren Buffett

World of Tomorrow
Documentary feature looks at the great New York World`s Fair of 1939, a technological showcase that drew more than forty million people to witness the bright and beckoning world of the future.

Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven
Considers the conquest of this primeval wilderness over 150 years ago and looks at Yosemite today through the eyes of those to preserve it and come to visit it.

You Are Free (Ihr Zent Frei)
The pain and sorrow of the Nazi concentration camps become a human reality in this powerful film about the camps' liberation. Interviews with American liberation soldiers, a woman who survived the camps, and archival footage.

Yumi Yet
Beautiful film captures the exuberant celebration that took place in Papua New Guinea during the nations independence festivities in 1975.

Zero Street
Short fictional film about a fearful African-American boy who comes to understand how he can make an impact on the community around him.