The belief in demons, or “djinn,” is an aspect of Islamic culture that is open to interpretation. In a subjective investigation of this controversial topic, POSSESSED BY DJINN follows the true story of Aya, a four-year-old Jordanian girl killed by her father in the belief that she was possessed.. As the director investigates this case, she finds herself on a journey into an obscure world of ritual and tradition. Her intriguing, disturbing, encounters...

This touching documentary chronicles the long and colorful life of Lily Yeh, an artist who has committed herself to creating community-based art projects in some of the world's most troubled areas.. Beginning with the creation of an unprecedented sculpture garden in the projects of North Philly that became known as "The Village of Arts and Humanities," THE BAREFOOT ARTIST also shows Yeh working in various far-flung locations, such as Kenya and Rwanda,...

A towboat drifts down the Mississippi River, due for the port of New Orleans. The water, the banks, the bright lights of a port ahead, the lure of a coming paycheck and a home-cooked meal: This is the world of Barge. On board, dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of an industrial ecosystem teeming with line boats, fleet boats, and a few million tons of cargo moved each year. Amongst the crew...

In popular Western imagination, a Muslim woman in a veil – or hijab – is a symbol of Islamic oppression. But what does it mean for women’s freedom when a democratic country forbids the wearing of the veil? In this provocative documentary, filmmaker Diana Ferrero portrays the struggle of two women – one in France and one in Iran – to express themselves freely.. In 2004, the French government instituted an "anti-veil law," forbidding Muslim...

Winter in China. A town in the snow. Night is falling. Wrapped in her red coat, an elderly woman walks through a housing complex to her modest apartment. Inside, Fengming settles into her armchair and remembers.. She begins to recount the gripping and almost unbelievably heartrending story of her troubled experiences as a once-ardent member of the socialist movement - a former journalist accused of harboring right-wing tendencies, separated from her...

This award-winning documentary follows a Brazilian girls' football team as they prepare themselves for the tournament that will change their lives forever, the Street Child World Cup. In the midst of police and drug gang confrontations, the Favela Street Girls strive to keep their dreams alive.. Winner of the Silver Punt Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Cambridge Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Marbela International Film Festival....

In this insightful short documentary, body acceptance activists Keena and Jessica speak candidly about growing up overweight, and the size discrimination they have faced. "While I have all the confidence in the world, I’m told every day that my body is revolting." Jessica turns heads in the street—for both her striking fashion, and larger than average body. Keena is the heaviest she has ever been—and the happiest. Brought together by social...

Two women at the forefront of a refugee community in Central NY reflect on what their presidential vote means to those whose only true home is the American town that took them in.

This documentary uncovers the largely unknown and pivotal role played by Black landowning families in the deep South who controlled over a million acres in the 1960s. They were prepared to put their land and their lives on the line in the fight for racial equality and the right to vote in America’s most segregated and violently racist state.. In the face of escalating terror, Black landowners and independent farmers provided safe havens, collateral...

In this one-hour election special, award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa takes us on location to: Cleveland, Ohio where Arab Americans who are Muslim and Christian register to vote and run for office to combat Islamophobia; Orlando, Florida as Latino Evangelicals find their political voice and support conservative causes as well as immigration reform; Orange County, California, where Asian American candidates face off in one of the state's predominantly...