Weekly New Release - Documentary
Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
A vivid portrait of Detroit, America's first major post-industrial city, as it struggles to deal with the consequences of a broken economic system.
Detroit's story has encapsulated the iconic narrative of America over the last century...the Great Migration of African Americans escaping Jim Crow; the rise of manufacturing and the middle class; the love affair with automobiles; the flowering of the American dream; and now the collapse of the economy and the fading American mythos.
With its vivid, painterly palette and haunting score, DETROPIA sculpts a dreamlike collage of a grand city teetering on the brink of dissolution. These soulful pragmatists and stalwart philosophers strive to make ends meet and make sense of it all, refusing to abandon hope or resistance. Their grit and pluck embody the spirit of the Motor City as it struggles to survive postindustrial America and begins to envision a radically different future.
Reviews
"The most moving documentary I have seen in years." - David Denby, The New Yorker
"Haunting and important...Crucial and enlightening." - New York Daily News
"Oddly beautiful...Subtler and richer than its blunt title suggests." - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Awards
Best Editing, Feature Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
Grand Jury Award, Independent Film Festival of Boston
Special Jury Mention, DocAviv: Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival
Grand Jury Award, Indianapolis Film Festival
Best Documentary Award, Indianapolis Film Festival
American Film Special Jury Prize, Traverse City Film Festival
Hot Docs, Canadian International Documentary Festival
DVD / 2012 / (Grades 10-12, College, Adults) / 86 minutes
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Directed by Judy Jackson
Gives voice to soldiers living with PTSD to help erase the stigma, examines the growing number of military suicides, and shows a successful group therapy program.
It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): the unending echo of battle etched in the brain which may affect up to 15% of soldiers by some estimates. It can destroy families, and can leave its sufferers unable to work, addiction addled and changed.
All the soldiers who bravely speak out in this film are doing so because they want us to understand what they endure. They also want to reach out to others who are suffering in silence, and may feel the only way of ending their pain is ending their lives.
Senator and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Romeo Dallaire of Rwanda fame also plays a major role in this film. For many years he has heroically spoken out in public to declare that he suffered intensely from PTSD and had attempted suicide. And today he continues to campaign on behalf of all soldiers who suffer.
War in the Mind also investigates the issue of soldier suicide. Statistics from past and present wars tell the sad story of the magnitude of this problem. Currently more soldiers are dying from suicide than in battle. Families who have felt invisible, their sons' stories unacknowledged, tell of the impact of their loss.
Yet this film also discovers that with effective treatment suicide can be prevented. Our cameras gained unique access to a UBC/Royal Canadian Legion program which helps soldiers undo the wiring that military training has implanted in their brains, confront their pain, and learn to live again.
Reviews
"Should be watched by every military veteran, family member, and those who work with or care about veterans of modern military war." - Dr. Charles Figley, Director of Traumatology Institute at Tulane University
"The good news is that suicide can be prevented with intervention and effective treatment...War in the Mind is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public library collections." - The Midwest Book Review
Award
Silver Chris Award, Columbus International Film and Video Festival
DVD / 2011 / (Grades 10-12, College, Adult) / 64 minutes
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Follow South African shark expert Craig Ferrira as he takes his young family on a trip of a lifetime - travelling the world to find and study the dirty dozen - the world's twelve most dangerous sharks. Shark Family takes viewers on a riveting adventure.
DVD / 2007 / (Grades 9-12) / 46 minutes
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A one-hour documentary that takes the viewer into the back streets of Bangkok and follows the lives of a young elephant handler named Pong and his loyal companion Mobai, a 25 year old elephant.
DVD / 2002 / (Grades 9-12) / 45 minutes
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Panoramic visuals and engaging interviews position 400 Years of the Telescope as the must see documentary of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. Beautifully photographed in 4K digital cinematography, this film is a visually stunning chronicle of the history of the telescope from the time of Galileo, its profound impact upon the science of astronomy, and how both shape the way we view ourselves in the midst of an infinite universe. The Interstellar Studios productions team traveled across five continents to interview leading astrophysicists and cosmologists from the world's renowned universities and observatories, who explain concepts ranging from Galileo's act of revealing the cosmos with a simple telescope, to the latest discoveries in space, including startling new ideas about life on other planets and dark energy - a mysterious vacuum energy that is accelerating the expansion of the universe.
DVD / 2001 / (Grades 9-12) / 60 minutes
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Christine Enfield doesn't recall hearing her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis - she was only 6 years old. Christine's disease and her pain are severe. Her life is a daily struggle for control over a disease that can be treated but not cured. Christine's experience with arthritis, and three other intimate stories, describes the tribulations of arthritis sufferers. It is an insight into a disease that affects virtually every family in Canada. Animated illustrations provide a dynamic schematic of the disease and take us for a ride through the human body to witness the origin, progression and treatment of the disease.
DVD / 2001 / (Grades 9-12) / 53 minutes
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Ray, Sadie, Naomi and Sindy live with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Day to day they cope with the effects caused by their exposure to alcohol before they were born. These individuals debunk some of the myths surrounding the disease and show how, with the support of people who love and care for them, they are able to lead rich and meaningful lives.
DVD / 2001 / 30 minutes
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