A companion film of sorts to the 1998 PBS blockbuster "The Farmer's Wife," Country Boys turns the lens to Cody Perkins and Chris Johnson, two teenage boys from Appalachian Kentucky.. Although wired to the world via the internet and cable, they are deeply rooted in a region stigmatized as "other," where the lack of economic opportunity puts its youth under uncommon pressure. The film follows them over three years, from ages 15 to 18, examining what...

With unprecedented access, THE NINE LIVES OF MARION BARRY tells the continuing saga of this despised, beloved and resilient politician. Its the potent story of race, power, sex and drugs; the tale of a complex and contradictory man who is the star of one of the most fascinating and bizarre chapters of American politics.. Who is Marion Barry? Cherished hero? Abysmal disgrace? Was he the victim of persecution or did he set himself up? How is he viewed...

In this investigation of the deep political divisions and bitter polarization that grew during the Obama presidency, examine racial tensions in America, the war for control of the GOP and the growing dysfunction in Washington.

Arab men worldwide are, for the most part, depicted by the mainstream media as terrorists, suicide bombers, or, at best, extremists. THINGS ARAB MEN SAY, by Egyptian-born filmmaker Nisreen Baker, is an intimate and fascinating documentary that follows eight Arab Canadian friends who reveal a very different picture of Arab men.. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, this insightful film introduces us to Jay, Ghassan, Faisal, Adnan, Falah, Bashar and Ramey...

A bold and uncompromising documentary focused on economic oppression in the suburb of Spanish Lake, Missouri. Operating without a local government, the lack of community leadership has disastrous effects, including a mass exodus of the white population in the late 1990's.. The themes of the film parallel America's growing political divide, underlying racism, and rise of anti-government sentiment. Highlighted in the film is a landmark U.S. Supreme...

In the wake of Suge Knight's move to destroy NWA and Ruthless, Death Row Records exploded on the music scene in 1993 with a “gangster rap” sound that had taken the world by storm. Despite its unprecedented success with stars such as Dr. Dre, Snoop and Tupac, it quickly unraveled in a firestorm of rivalries, greed, and violence as Knight’s business methods increasingly mirrored the violent, hard-edged themes of its music.. This is the complete...

Seal meat is a staple food for Inuit, and many of the pelts are sold to offset the extraordinary cost of hunting. Inuit are spread across extensive lands and waters, and their tiny population is faced with a disproportionate responsibility for protecting the environment.. This documentary interweaves the reality of Inuit life with the story of their challenge to both the anti-sealing industry and those nations that mine resources on Inuit lands while...

For weeks, the world's eyes have been fixed on the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria for Europe. But what is life like for those left behind? Correspondent Martin Smith goes "Inside Assad's Syria" to report from government-controlled areas as war rages, with on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis..

In Black and White is the first video series devoted to the life and work of contemporary African American authors. It introduces students and general readers to six of America's most talented and challenging writers: Charles Johnson, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, Alice Walker, John Edgar Wideman and August Wilson.. These authors' work is helping to define a new multi-cultural American literary canon for the 21st Century. As Nobel Prize- winning novelist...

This series looks at the last five decades of African American history through the eyes of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., exploring the tremendous gains and persistent challenges of these years. Drawing on eyewitness accounts, scholarly analysis and rare archival footage, the series illuminates our recent past, while raising urgent questions about the future of the African American community--and our nation as a whole.