EMAIL LIST
Sociology Films
- The Real Dirt on Farmer John (EDU)
- The Real Dirt on Farmer John (HOME)
- A Convenient Truth
- Aimee’s Crossing
- Angano...Angnao, Tales from Madagascar
- An Angel in the Village
- Ballot Measure 9
- Between Earth & Sky
- Between Two Worlds
- Body Memories
- Bolinao 52
- Bombhunters
- Blue Collar and Buddha
- Children of the Amazon
- Children of Idbaa
- The Creek Runs Red
- A Dream in Doubt
- Dreams in Another Language
- Every Child is Born a Poet
- Farmingville
- Finding Face
- Freedom on the Fence
- From River to Sea
- H2 Worker
- The Heart Broken in Half
- Legacy
- Mirror Dance
- Omar and Pete
- Out in the Silence
- Power of the Powerless
- Return to Tarawa
- Ridin’ and Rhymin’
- Sons of Perdition
- Who Does She Think She Is?
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The Real Dirt on Farmer John
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 An Angel in the VillageDirected by: Glenn Holsten Produced by: Frances McElroy "AN ANGEL IN THE VILLAGE” deftly weaves Yeh’s Africa sojourn together with the story of her evolution from tradition-bound artist to social change visionary.” AN ANGEL IN THE VILLAGE is an inspiring documentary which traces the 20-year journey of Lily Yeh, a Chinese-born activist artist who uses art to create social change among residents of inner-city Philadelphia and Korogocho, Kenya.
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Ballot Measure 9Directed by: Heather MacDonald The Sundance-winning feature Ballot Measure 9 is the chilling chronicle of an historic gay-rights battle in Oregon. As the anti-gay violence escalates, the film evolves into an exposé of hate politics that crosses lines of race, religion, and sexual identity. Awarded prizes internationally, this galvanizing classic continues to resonate for a new generation.
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Between Earth & SkyDirected by: Kalyanee Mam & David Mendez Torn from home and country and set adrift in a foreign world, three young Iraqi refugees struggle to find hope as they yearn for a lost past and face a desperate and uncertain future. Unique in its storytelling, Between Earth & Sky takes you into a world within – a world of lost dreams, quiet beauty and gentle strength.
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 Between Two WorldsDirected by: Taggart Siegel Produced by: Taggart Siegel & Dwight Conquergood Between Two Worlds: The Hmong Shaman In America powerfully exposes the struggle of Hmong refugees in America. This classic documentary traces the lives of three Hmong families displaces thousands of miles from their villages in Northern Laos and alienated in American cities. Renowned anthropologist, Dwight Conquergood, narrates the rich history of shamanic rituals and explains the similarity between Hmong beliefs and those of Aboriginal people of the Americas.
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 Blue Collar and BuddhaDirected by: Taggart Siegel & Kati Johnston Produced by: Taggart Siegel & Kati Johnston "BLUE COLLAR AND BUDDHA" is that rarity among documentary films - a compelling human document, a proactive statement, a moving exploration of both anger and gentleness. This is not merely a first rate film—it's an important one." This Dramatic Documentary explores America's most recent refugees, struggling against the mounting tension of a post-Vietnam era filled with guilt and anger. A group of Laotian era filled with guilt and anger. A group of Laotian refugees have built a Buddhist temple on a small farmstead on the outskirts of a resolutely blue collar town. Their efforts to preserve their culture and religious heritage have been greeted by several terrorist attacks upon their temple. Blue Collar and Buddha is a moving portrait of the experience of today's refugees and the dramas that results when East meets West.
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 Body MemoriesDirected by: Taggart Siegel & Sky Yeager Produced by: Taggart Siegel & Sky Yeager Body Memories is a wild and often comic ride, one man's journey inward to find meaning in his life. He becomes an archeologist of the soul, digging through the layers of his past. Evocative images blend with a riveting performance that uncovers family secrets and buried traumas. One part Spalding Gray, one part Pan's Labyrinth, Body Memories is more than a poignant and enchanting story, it is mythic revelation of hope and possibility.
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Bolinao 52Directed by: Duc Nguyen One boat with 110 passengers escaped from Vietnam. After 37 days of drifting only 52 survived.
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BombhuntersDirected by: Skye Fitzgerald Bombhunters is an engrossing examination of the micro-economy that has emerged in Cambodia of untrained civilians harvesting unexploded bombs as scrap metal. Part of a global economy, these individuals clear UXO from their land to protect their families from harm and to earn money to survive. Bombhunters is an eye-opening investigation of the residual effects of war experienced by post-conflict nations around the globe, and the complex realities of achieving “peace.”
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Children of the Amazon Directed by: Denise Zmekhol Produced by: Denise Zmekhol Journey with Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol to the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search of the indigenous children she photographed fifteen years ago. This film invites you to see through the eyes of these remarkably resilient people whose lives are transformed by a road carved through their forest home by an outside world. From Chief Amir Surui’s embattled efforts to stop illegal loggers to the assassination of legendary rubber tapper Chico Mendes, this poetic and visually stunning film engages our senses and sympathies as global issues take on a profound human perspective.
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 Children of IBDAA: To Create Something Out of Nothing Directed by: S. Smith Patrick CHILDREN OF IBDAA: To Create Something Out of Nothing is about the lives of several adolescents in a Palestinian children's dance troupefrom Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank. They use their performance to express the history, struggle, and aspirations of the Palestinian people, specifically the fight to return to their homeland. Through interviews and documentation of the children, the film offers insight into their families' displacement from their villages in historical Palestine, the physically and emotionally stressful aspects of life in a refugee camp, and the unique experience of participating in the politically motivated dance troupe. The story culminates in a visit by the children for the first time to demolished villages from which their grandparents were expelled in 1948.
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 The Creek Runs Red Directed by: Bradley Beesley, Julianna Brannum, James Payne Produced by: Bradley Beesley, Julianna Brannum, James Payne “It gets in your blood,” says a resident of Picher, Oklahoma about his sense of hometown pride. His words, however, take on a powerful irony in this documentary about the toxic legacy of Picher’s lead mining industry. Since their town was declared a Superfund site in 1981, Picher’s residents have been forced to choose between preserving their image of the American dream and preserving their health. THE CREEK RUNS RED carries us into the heart of this sharply divided community to reveal with extraordinary intimacy and insight the full human tragedy of environmental catastrophe.
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 A Dream in Doubt Directed by: Tami R. Yeager Produced by: Tami R. Yeager A Dream in Doubt is an immigrant story in a world in which patriotism has morphed into murder. When Rana Singh Sodhi’s brother is killed in America’s first post-9/11 revenge murder, he begins a journey to reclaim his American dream and fight the hate that continues to threaten his community. This intimate, hour-long documentary of one man’s odyssey from persecution in India to embracing America as his homeland proves that courage and hope have the power to overcome hate.
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Dreams in Another LanguageDirected by: Lucia Rikaki Dreams in Another Language is the story of the Faneromeni school in Cyprus where students from a mosaic of different nationalities are taught about acceptance, coexisting and the wealth of sharing cultures. The particular geographical and political set up of the school, situated only 500 meters from the Green line separating the country, provides interesting ground for reflection on recent Cyprus history and the recent history of the new migrating nations..
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 Every Child Is Born A PoetDirected by: Jonathan Meyer Robinson Produced by: Jonathan Meyer Robinson "The deeply felt resonance of "EVERY CHILD IS BORN A POET" derives from Piri Thomas' unique ability to connect with his own interior life of feelings, and then to verbalize them through his art to the rest of the world." A fiery mix of documentary, drama, & spoken-word poetry, EVERY CHILD IS BORN A POET explores the life and work of Piri Thomas, the Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican author of the classic autobiographical novel Down These Mean Streets. The film traces Thomas’ path from childhood to manhood in New York City’s Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, from the 1930's through the 1960’s – from home life during the Great Depression, to membership in barrio youth gangs, from a life of crime through six years spent in prison to his emergence as a writer.
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 Farmingville Directed by: Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval Produced by: Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini The shocking hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican day laborers catapult a small Long Island town into national headlines, unmasking a new front line in the border wars: suburbia. For nearly a year, filmmakers Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini lived and worked in Farmingville, New York, so they could capture first-hand the stories of residents, day laborers and activists on all sides of the debate. This timely and powerful film is more than a story about illegal immigration. Ultimately it challenges viewers to ask what the 'American dream' really means.
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Finding FaceDirected by: Skye Fitzgerald When she was sixteen, Tat Marina was brutally attacked by a jealous woman and her bodyguards who poured highly toxic nitric acid over her head in front of hundreds of witnesses. Finding Face investigates the fracturing of Marina’s family across transnational boundaries and documents the family’s disparate responses to the knowledge that none of Marina’s attackers have been arrested despite widespread knowledge of their identities.
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Freedom on the FenceDirected by: Glenn Holsten and Andrea Marks Freedom on the Fence details the evolution of Polish poster art by revealing the unique role posters played in the social, political and cultural life of Poland, from WWII through the fall of Communism. The 40 min. documentary brings this story to life through interviews with leading Polish poster artists, and commentaries from both American and Polish scholars on the significance of the Polish poster as a cultural icon.
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From River To SeaDirected by: Susan Fink From River to Sea is the emotional, heartfelt story about journeys, decisions and modern life-a story not unlike that of many women today. Every journey is a quest to return home, as shown through the filmmaker eye's, as she travels through Eastern Europe exploring her Jewish faith.
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H2 WorkerDirected by: Stephanie Black H2 Worker highlights the fundamental flaws in the H-2 programs to be addressed as Congress debates current immigration reform—and invaluable educational tool for learning about the history of the guestworker program and present day discourse. Available for the first time ever, this DVD includes an 18 minute video update made in 2009 about the present expansion of H-2A and H-2B guestworker programs in the U.S.
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 The Heart Broken in HalfDirected by: Taggart Siegel & Dwight Conquergood Produced by: Taggart Siegel & Dwight Conquergood The "HEART BROKEN IN HALF" reminded me of Spike Lee's best work; as a documentary it taught me about street life in today's Chicago—and by analogy about many of America's inner-cities." Gangs are society's ultimate devil figure. They symbolize transgression and embody the deepest fears of middle class citizens. Few filmmakers have dared or been able to get behind the headlines to confront the human reality and complexity of street gangs in urban America. Challenging stereotypes, this documentary gives voice to the street youths and reveals their underground culture. Here is an intricate web of symbols and passions, territory and brotherhood, honor and all to often, death.
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Legacy Directed by: Tod Lending Academy Award-nominated LEGACY is the unflinching chronicle of one family’s triumphant journey out of poverty and despair. Touchingly narrated by Nickcole Collins, a teenage girl wise beyond her years, the film follows the Collins family over five years as they slowly pull themselves out of the haze of poverty, drug addiction, and violence that plagues their public housing project in Chicago.
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 Mirror DanceDirected by: Frances McElroy & María Teresa Rodríguez Produced by: Frances McElroy & María Teresa Rodríguez “The effects of the US/Cuba impasse has never felt more personal than in this true story of twin sisters......an incredible documentary. An emotional convergence of politics and family.” Two sisters. One passion. Romance. Revolution. Estrangement. MIRROR DANCE tells the story of Margarita and Ramona de Saa, twin sisters who danced with the National Ballet of Cuba, whose once inseparable relationship was torn apart by love and politics.
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 Omar and PeteDirected by: Tod Lending OMAR & PETE is a compelling and highly personal film that examines the social, economic, and personal barriers two ex-offenders face as they try to reintegrate into their communities and families. Following the two long-time friends for several years after what they hope will be their final prison release, the film reveals two divergent paths as one wrestles with addiction and fear while the other finds success and freedom through helping others.
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Out in the SilenceDirected by: Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer OUT IN THE SILENCE captures the controversy that ensues when filmmaker Joe Wilson's same-sex wedding announcement is published in the newspaper of the small Pennsylvania hometown he left long ago. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson's journey dramatically illustrates the challenges of negotiating the morally charged issue of sexual orientation and the potential for building bridges when people with differing opinions approach each other with openness and respect.
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The Power of the PowerlessDirected by: Cory Taylor Czechoslovakia's "Velvet Revolution" is one of the most stirring episodes of people-power in recent history. Inspired by the courageous struggle of a handful of dissidents, and sparked by idealistic students demonstrating in the streets of Prague, Czechs and Slovaks brought an end to forty years of communist tyranny through bloodless revolution in 1989. The documentary features rare and never-before-seen interviews with key figures of the Velvet Revolution including Václav Havel. The Power of the Powerless documents this monumental achievement and asks why Czech youth are not being taught about their own history.
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Return to Tarawa: The Leon Cooper StoryDirected by: Steven Barber In 1943 US Navy ensign Leon Cooper was charged with protecting the lives of hundreds of US Marines in the first major US amphibious assault upon the heavily defended Japanese stronghold Tarawa, an island archipelago in the South Pacific. Sixty-six years later Leon decided to return to the scene of his first (of six) battle experience because he had learned that the remains of many Americans still lay where they fell during the battle of “Bloody Tarawa,” in unmarked graves. Academy Award nominated actor Ed Harris narrates this veteran’s emotional struggle with his past. For Mature Audiences.
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 Ridin' & Rhymin': A Documentary About the Poetry and Perseverance of Cowgirl Georgie Sicking Directed & Produced by: Dawn Smallman and Greg Snider, Far Away Films, LLC "RIDIN' AND RHYMIN" captures the grace and grit of the remarkable Georgie Sicking: a cowboy, a poet, and a survivor. This sensitively crafted story reveals the uncomplicated wisdom and indomitable spirit of a sturdy soul who is an inspiration for us all.” Cowgirl poet Georgie Sicking pens tough rhymes for hard times. Whether on horseback, driving cattle across mountains, or onstage reciting to hundreds of fans, this intimate documentary captures the remarkable life of America’s most honored cowgirl poet. Featuring the music of Lisa Miller & Ian Miller (from Lisa & Her Kin), Wylie & the Wild West, Leon Autrey, and David Lipkind.
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Sons of PerditionDirected by: Tyler Measom and Jennilyn Merten Sons of Perdition follows three teenage boys after they escape from the powerful FLDS polygamist sect and must fend for themselves in mainstream America. For information on having the filmmaker speak about this film, please contact collective eye.
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Who Does She Think She Is?Directed by: Pamela Tanner Boll From the producing team that won an Academy Award for Born into Brothels comes Who Does She Think She Is?, a film that examines some of the most pressing issues of our time: parenting and work, partnering and independence, economics and art. This gorgeously photographed film follows five women artists—from Hawaii to Sante Fe, from Ohio to New York—as they navigate the challenges of making work outside the elite art world.
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