One Year in a Life of Crime follows Robert, Mike, and Freddy--three professional criminals from Newark, New Jersey. Every day they get in their cars, drive to the suburbs, and steal $500 to $1,000 worth of merchandise. For 12 months we documented their lives. With hidden cameras we recorded a number of crimes as they were actually happening. The ease with which Robert and Freddy cleaned out the silverware in a department store is astounding. How did these three young men break away from the rules of society and wind up outside the law? We went into their homes to try to find out.
An abused young man. A hair-trigger temper. A trail of dead bodies. What makes a cold-blooded killer tick? Renowned forensic psychologist Dr. Park Dietz gets up close personal and even confrontational with psyche of one of the most dangerous men alive. Bringing together the earlier THE ICEMAN TAPES: CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER and THE ICEMAN: SECRETS OF A MAFIA HITMAN with the newly released Dietz interview this new special edition THE ICEMAN INTERVIEWS is the ultimate compendium of the mind of a murderer. Includes Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski’s riveting on-camera confession exclusively for HBO of the murder of police officerPeter Calabro. Making news in February 2003 Kuklinski accepted a plea bargain for a concurrent 30-year term to his 60-year prison sentence and implicated Sammy “The Bull” Gravano in the crime.
Hitler is their hero, White Power is their war cry. They're members of the Aryan National Front, and you'll meet them face to face in this startling film. For the first time ever, HBO takes you inside a neo-Nazi Skinhead organization for a disturbing look at the methods and mentality of the racist White Power movement in America.
Teens talk about smoking in this warning to youngsters about the dangers of tobacco. Also: sketches and puppet segments. Voices include Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor, Tony Danza, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tone Loc.
Berlinger and Sinofsky's documentary of a gruesome triple murder in West Memphis, Arkansas and the subsequent trials of three suspects, takes a hard look at both the occult and the American justice system in 'small-town' America. Three teenagers are accused of this horrific crime of killing three children, supposedly as a result of involvement in Satanism. As in their previous documentary, things turn out to be more complex than initial appearances and this film presents the real-life courtroom drama to the viewer, as it unfolds.
A documentary of the notorious racial terrorist bombing of an African American church during the Civil Rights Movement.
This HBO documentary looks at the lifestyle of the modern day pimp, without any condemnation or real depth. These swaggering men (and one woman) discuss how they control their 'hos' as if they were regular businessmen. Although no regular businessman would dress in their flamboyant style which seems a parody of those 'Blaxploitation' characters in the 1970's movies. We see them preparing, with great seriousness of purpose, for 'The Pimp of the Year' competition, while guest star Ice-T tells of how proud he is of his pimp background, which he sees as little different to the record or film industry. Pointedly, violence towards the women is never addressed. All we see is a troupe of apparently adoring (and often skanky looking ) acolytes. As far as we learn from this, the prostitutes need a good pimp to look up to and 'take of them'. These fellows wax philosophical about their calling while seemingly lacking any moral view. Having said all that, the pic is lively and colorful, with a lot of amusing characters on display. Remember---never make eye contact with your pimp.
The chance to show redemption, even if that chance was slim, was enough to send Alpert back to the streets of Newark for "Life of Crime 2".
Veteran documentary filmmaker Steven Okazaki directs this harrowing account of Bay City youth addicted to cheap Mexican black tar heroin. Though the film does furnish some back stories, such as 18-year-old Jessica who reveals that her grandfather continuously molested her, the movie primarily focuses on the ugly day-to-day details of the junkie lifestyle. There are numerous scenes showing youths shooting up in their necks, toes, groins, or anywhere else that has an unmined vein. The film produces a depressing parade of lost and wasted youth because of the drug, including 21-year-old Jake, who in spite of being HIV positive hustles for cash, as does Jessica, who learns of her HIV status during the course of the film.
Fists of Freedom examines one of the 20th century’s most memorable moments — the dramatic “Black Power” demonstration of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the victory stand at the 1968 Summer games in Mexico City. Using rare footage, archival photos and interviews with key figures from the era, revisit a pivotal event in American history.
Verite documentary that takes an up-close and personal look at street prostitution through the eyes of hookers and their customers. With graphic video footage and hidden-microphone audio shot in New York, Newark, Miami and Amsterdam, this special captures illicit activity that offers insights into the "client side" of the business.
Horrific, disturbing and absolutely fascinating, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations revisits the chilling mystery at the heart of HBO's award-winning hit, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky bring new insight to the controversial case of a trio of Arkansas teenagers convicted of murdering three 8-year-old boys.
This inspiring and thought-provoking follow-up to the 1992 Academy Award-winning documentary Educating Peter highlights the experiences of Peter Gwazdauskas, a child with Down syndrome, in sixth grade, eighth grade, and high school as he adds speech therapy and life skills classes and on-the-job training to his academic coursework. Interviews with Peter’s parents, teachers, fellow students, aides, and doctors demonstrate the broad-based, ongoing support mobilized to help him fight depression, improve his ability to communicate, and move ahead in building a meaningful life for himself.
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middleclass Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
The glitz. The gambling. The girls. The game. One by one, they've made their way to "America's favorite playground," lured by the potential for easy money from high rollers for casual sex. But in the end, the hookers working the Atlantic City "track" wind up staying to support their habits or hang on to a fleeting dream. Produced and directed by Brent Owens (HBO's Hookers at the Point films), this documentary focuses on purveyors of the world's oldest profession in the neon-soaked gambling mecca, Atlantic City. Hidden cameras and microphones capture all the action of hookers as they proposition, bargain and turn tricks with a collection of new and familiar johns.
The harrowing documentary that portrays the horror of the Israeli conflict and the resulting death of its director, James Miller.
Dope Sick Love is a documentary made for HBO about two pairs of heroin addicted lovers roaming the streets of NYC.
The Protocols of Zion is a 2005 documentary film by Jewish filmmaker Marc Levin about a resurgence of antisemitism in the United States in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Armed with his camera and appearing on screen along with his subjects, Levin engages in a free-for-all dialogue with Arab Americans, Black nationalists, evangelists, White nationalists, Kabbalist rabbis, Holocaust survivors, and Frank Weltner, the founder of Jew Watch web site.
A look at Mickey Mantle, rising from son of an Oklahoma coal miner to becoming one of America's biggest celebrities. Narrated by Liev Schreiber.
The harsh realities of war are brought into focus in this documentary from HBO. Acclaimed filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill offer an uncensored look at life inside the 86th Combat Support Hospital during the second U.S. war in Iraq, presenting tense moments in the operating room as well as intimate interviews with both doctors and soldiers. Designed as a testament to the thankless job done by the military's medical staff, Baghdad ER went on to win four Emmy awards.
Filmed over three years Hacking Democracy documents American citizens investigating anomalies and irregularities with 'e-voting' (electronic voting) systems that occurred during the 2000 and 2004 elections in the U.S.A., especially in Volusia County, Florida. The film investigates the flawed integrity of electronic voting machines, particularly those made by Diebold Election Systems, exposing previously unknown backdoors in the Diebold trade secret computer software. The film culminates dramatically in the on-camera hacking of the in-use / working Diebold election system in Leon County, Florida - the same computer voting system which has been used in actual American elections across thirty-three states, and which still counts tens of millions of America's votes today.
A powerful, emotional and relevant reminder of the heartbreaking toll war takes on the innocent, Nanking tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. As part of a campaign to conquer all of China, the Japanese subjected Nanking – which was then China’s capital – to months of aerial bombardment, and when the city fell, the Japanese army unleashed murder and rape on a horrifying scale. In the midst of the rampage, a small group of Westerners banded together to establish a Safety Zone where over 200,000 Chinese found refuge. Unarmed, these missionaries, university professors, doctors and businessmen – including a Nazi named John Rabe – bore witness to the events, while risking their own lives to protect civilians from slaughter. The story is told through deeply moving interviews with Chinese survivors, chilling archival footage and photos of the events, and testimonies of former Japanese soldiers. At the heart of Nanking is a filmed stage reading of the Westerners’ letters and diaries, featuring Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway and Jurgen Prochnow. Through its interweave of archival images, testimonies of survivors, and readings of first hand accounts, the film puts the viewer on the streets of Nanking and brings the forgotten past to startling life. Nanking is a testament to the courage and conviction of individuals who were determined to act in the face of evil and a powerful tribute to the resilience of the Chinese people – a gripping account of light in the darkest of times.
On August 6th and 9th, 1945, two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those who survived are called "hibakusha"--people exposed to the bomb--and there are an estimated 200,000 living today. Today, with the threat of nuclear weapons of mass destruction frighteningly real- the world's arsenal capable of repeating the destruction at Hiroshima 400,000 times over, Oscar® award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisits the bombings and shares the stories of the only people to have survived a nuclear attack.
A look at the lives of various students attending the historical school, and the racial, social, and economic divisions that exist between them.
A candid and introspective look at the extreme beliefs and motives of Ingrid Newkirk, the British-born co-founder and driving force behind People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's largest animal-rights organization.
Each year, the football programs at Ohio State and Michigan gear up with a common goal: to beat their archrival on the third weekend in November, no matter the rankings, no matter the score. Widely considered college football's biggest rivalry, these two Big Ten powerhouses frequently dominate the standings, and attract game-day crowds that exceed 100,000 rabid followers. Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten title, and is renewed each year through the pageantry and colliding cultures that distinguish the two schools. Presented four days before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines at Ann Arbor, HBO Sports will present its first college football documentary.
An in-depth look at the torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, focusing on an innocent taxi driver in Afghanistan who was tortured and killed in 2002.
On a Saturday in June of 1960, at a golf course just outside of Denver, Colorado, three of the sport’s all time greatest and most colorful players found themselves locked in a battle. The climactic events of that day’s U.S. Open hit the newspapers the following morning, how Arnold Palmer staged one of the greatest comebacks in the tournament’s history to defeat a field that included 4-time champion Ben Hogan and a 20 year old upstart, Jack Nicklaus. But there was a deeper, underlying story that would come to fruition that afternoon.
A look at the life and work of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and the rescue operation when he was trapped and injured by a bomb explosion at UN headquarters in Baghdad.
For her fifth HBO project, Alexandra Pelosi visited 28 states and spoke about the fight for the soul of the country with mostly conservative Americans, who feel underrepresented by the mainstream media. From the Pulpit Freedom Day in Bethlehem, Ga. to the NASCAR circuit, Right America: Feeling Wronged - Some Voices From the Campaign Trail shows a country at war with itself over the religious and cultural identities that define America. Many interviewees were particularly incensed by what they saw as a lack of any meaningful media attention given to their message during the election campaign - including their views on such hotly contested issues as gun control, abortion rights, religion and gay rights - and by a perceived media bias against McCain and running mate Sarah Palin.
While there is hope for the future as science gains momentum, millions of Americans are currently affected by the painful and deadly consequences of Alzheimer's. This verité documentary profiles seven people living with the disease, each in an advancing state of dementia, from its earliest detectable changes through death. "We wanted to capture a sense of what it was to be inside the disease," explains Shari Cookson. "Our plan was to show the progression of the illness through several stories along the way." But as Nick Doob points out: "There's nothing clear cut about it. The course of the disease is different from person to person." Adds Cookson: "They say if you've seen one person with Alzheimer's...you've seen one person with Alzheimer's." Among the emotionally gripping stories: a mother who holds on fiercely to her simple lifestyle, yet recognizes that her memory failures are making it more difficult to do so; another mother who complains to her daughter "I have lost my independence" after failing a driving test; a woman in a nursing home who thinks her mirrored reflection is her "best friend," and who is haunted by imaginary snakes crawling over her wheelchair; a onetime computer whiz who keeps a blog to chronicle his activities while he still can; a father who no longer can remember his family, but can still steal the spotlight when performing in public with a local vocal group; a daughter who must build a fence around her farm to prevent her mother from wandering off; and the onetime host of a kids' TV show, whose wife brings him to a hospice after his body finally starts shutting down. Says Cookson: "It was moving and life changing that people let us into their lives while this intense experience was happening. You see how much the disease takes from a person, how everything you've learned and been in your life is stripped away—yet you still get these glimmers of the person." As Doob notes, "You get a feeling that there's a foundation of personality t
The life and times of Theodore Samuel Williams (1918–2002), who accomplished his life's goal of being known as the greatest hitter who ever lived, though not without ruffling a few feathers along the way. Narrated by Liev Schreiber.
Documentary about the life and career of the author and pioneer of radio & television, Studs Terkel.
The balancing act between protecting civil liberties and national security in a post 9/11 world. A documentary look at the changing interpretations of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution - laws and court cases that have alternatively broadened and narrowed the amendment's protection of free speech and assembly. The film's thesis is that post-9/11 the government has seized unprecedented license to surveil, intimidate, arrest, and detain citizens and foreigners alike. The film also looks back to the Pentagon Papers' case and compares it to cases since 9/11 dealing with high school students' speech and protesters marching in New York City during the 2004 Republican convention. Comment comes from a range of scholars, pundits, and advocates.
Outrage argues that several American political figures have led closeted gay lives while supporting and endorsing legislation that is harmful to the gay community. The film examines mass media's reluctance to discuss issues involving gay politicians despite many comparable news stories about heterosexual politicians and scandals. Outrage describes this behavior as a form of institutionalized homophobia that has resulted in a tacit policy of self-censorship when reporting on these issues. The film is based on the work of blogger Michael Rogers and his site BlogActive.com.
See what celebrated Latino actors, newsmakers and a musical legends have to say about being Latino in the U.S. in this sixth installment in the award-winning series.
Ted Haggard had it all: prosperity, a doting wife, five kids and a ministry that reached more than 30 million followers who hung on his every word. But in 2006, it all fell apart in a sea of scandal. Journalist/filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi returns to talk with 'Pastor Ted'--whom she met while filming 'Friends of God' for HBO--who was exiled from the church he built and the state where he lived after admitting to 'sexual immorality' and to buying methamphetamines. Following Haggard and his family as they move from house to house and motel to motel, Pelosi interviews the sullied ex-minister as he works as a traveling insurance salesman...and maps out a strategy for redeeming himself and supporting his family.
Boy Interrupted looks at the life of Evan Perry a 15-year-old boy from New York who committed suicide in 2005. The film made by his parents Dana and Hart examines how Evan's bipolar disorder and depression affected his life and the life of his family.
On May 1, 2005, Wendy Maldonado, an Oregon mother of four, called 911 in hysterics. “I just killed my husband,” she confessed. When the operator asked how long her husband had abused her, Maldonado replied, “Every f---ing day of my life.” Wendy, along with her eldest son Randy, pleaded guilty to manslaughter. This film follows Wendy and her family in the few days before she begins a 10-year prison sentence for the crime. Alternately shocking and heartbreaking, the film tells the story of one woman’s fateful decision to make a new life for herself and her children at all costs, even her own freedom.
Reporter is a 2009 documentary film about the work of New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Executive produced by Ben Affleck and directed by Eric Daniel Metzgar, the HBO movie captures life in the war-ravaged African country and specifically focuses on the challenges faced by international correspondents in covering the region's crises
The special traces the history of the competition between Los Angeles Lakers immortal "Magic" Johnson and Boston Celtics great Larry Bird, which began 30 years ago when they led their midwest universities to the 1979 NCAA Championship game, through a decade of dominance, when the two won three NBA MVP awards apiece and a combined eight NBA titles. Debuting on the eve of March Madness, the exclusive HBO presentation also examines the different cultures that helped shape them and contributed to their unique styles, as well as exploring their unlikely friendship. "Larry Bird and 'Magic' Johnson are basketball royalty," says Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. "Their accomplishments speak for themselves at every level, but their intersecting back stories are just as rich and compelling as their championship performances. We will tell their full life stories and provide an in-depth portrait of their complicated and historic bond." Though sharing Midwestern roots and following the same team-oriented philosophy, the introverted Bird (from the small town of French Lick, Ind.) and the extroverted Johnson (from the industrial state capital of Lansing, Mich.) couldn't be more different in personality. The two superstars talk about each other at length in the film and provide intimate insights into their remarkable lives. The special's high-profile list of interviewees also includes: Hall of Famer Pat Riley, who coached Johnson on the great Lakers teams of the 1980s; teammates Kevin McHale, Cedric Maxwell and Michael Cooper; George Fox, Johnson's high school coach; siblings Evelyn Johnson and Mark Bird; entertainer Arsenio Hall; former CBS Sports executive Ted Shaker; and sports journalists Bryant Gumbel, Jackie MacMullan, Charles Pierce and Steve Springer.
A portrait of the acting craft of John Cazale and a tour through the movies that defined a generation.
'Smash His Camera' profiles Ron Galella, the original American paparazzo, who took iconic photos of such celebrities as Marlon Brando, Andy Warhol and Jackie Onassis -- and offers a thoughtful examination of the nature of fame, the relationship between celebrities and their chroniclers and the delicate balance between privacy and freedom of the press.
Tells the personal story of Neda Agha-Soltan who became the iconic symbol of Iran's 2009 post-election protests, and explores the larger Iranian struggle.
The 2010 Sundance Film Festival award-winning film exposes the possible hazards of domestic natural gas drilling.
The controversial "Dr. Death" runs for Congress after spending eight years in prison.
Visits the little Victorian-style village of Lily Dale, NY, which is home to the world's largest community of mediums.
Follows Kenyan Chris Mburu on his journey to find the stranger who sponsored his childhood education.
Follows children living in California motels as their families struggle to survive in the one of the richest zip codes in the U.S.
Exposes the opposing sides of one of America's most intractable conflicts: abortion.
Follows a group of lonely hearts who come together and connect with each at a Salsa dance school in Spanish Harlem.
Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) collaborates with Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright to bring Wright’s titular one-man play to the screen. Wright made waves in 2006 with his best-selling book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, chronicling fundamentalist Islam’s rise to power, and the roots of modern religious extremism and terrorism. In contemplating how to adapt his book for the stage, Wright ultimately chose to refocus on his own experience researching and writing the book, and his struggle to maintain objectivity as a journalist investigating Islamic terror. The resulting work is less a literal adaptation and more a personal, emotional complement piece to the objectivity of his nonfiction book. It debuted to rave reviews in March 2007. With Gibney’s documentary on the performance, the layers of adaptation are taken a step further. Channelling equal parts Spalding Gray and An Inconvenient Truth, Gibney captures both the emotional power and political implication of Wright’s work in a distinctly cinematic way, making My Trip to Al-Qaeda a riveting travelogue/performance piece.
Children talk about their experiences dealing with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, attention deficit disorder, and auditory processing disorder.
An eager new group of sexy recruits set out to become working girls at the Moonlite BunnyRanch in this sizzling 'Cathouse' special We know who we are, where we came from, and why we're here. Do you?
On February 13, 2010, American-led coalition forces launched the biggest military operation since the beginning of the Afghanistan War. Their target was the town of Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. There, the Marines had four tasks: remove the Taliban, hold all ground seized, build infrastructure and governance, and transfer control to Afghan security forces. In this powerful account, award-winning journalist Ben Anderson tells the story of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and its commanding officer, Captain Ryan Sparks. At the battle's outset, Sparks and the 272 men of Bravo are flown 12 miles and dropped into the center of Marjah, where the Taliban lie in wait. For the young Marines, their first task begins. Embedded with Bravo Company, Anderson provides an intimate and sobering look at the realities of counterinsurgency warfare
A documentary commemorating the 100th anniversary of the famous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City, which killed 146 workers and prompted labor reform in the United States
Growing up and surviving school is tough. Being stigmatized as "learning disabled" can drive a child right to the edge. Giving hope to students whose dyslexia makes them fear the written word, this enlightening and lighthearted film looks at young people living with learning differences as well as adults who struggled in school, and then succeeded in life. The result is a documentary that addresses the public's misunderstanding of the issue and demonstrates the great potential of each dyslexic individual.
The story of a college basketball dynasty and its controversial coach, Jerry Tarkanian.
Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
A documentary feature that explores the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer, from his troubled childhood, to his rock star status as a World Champion and Cold War icon, and his life as a fugitive on the run. This film explores one of the most mysterious characters of the 20th century
SEX CRIMES UNIT (June 20) takes an unprecedented look inside the Manhattan District Attorney’s famed Sex Crimes Unit, the first unit dedicated to the prosecution of sexual assault to be established in the U.S. The film follows the day-to-day work of prosecutors as they deal with investigations, trials and plea bargains. Among other cases, it tracks The People v. Kevin Rios, in which a prostitute makes an accusation of rape, and follows one woman’s experience with the Cold Case Unit when her accused assailant, originally indicted on the basis of his DNA profile, is finally identified and brought to justice 16 years after the crime. Directed by Emmy® winner Lisa F. Jackson (HBO’s “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo”).
A MATTER OF TASTE: SERVING UP PAUL LIEBRANDT (June 13) documents the career of the acclaimed chef – and the cutthroat world of haute cuisine – over eight years. The film follows Liebrandt as he matures from young renegade to one of New York City’s most celebrated chefs with the opening of his renowned Michelin two-star restaurant Corton in Tribeca. Directed by Sally Rowe in her documentary directorial debut. A selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.
Children talk about what they think it would be like to be president of the United States.
HOT COFFEE (June 27) examines the dangers of so-called tort reform and its threat to the civil justice system. Using the now-infamous legal battle over a spilled cup of McDonald’s coffee as a springboard, the film follows four people, including McDonald’s plaintiff Stella Liebeck, whose lives have been affected by their inability to access the courts, as well as caps on punitive damages, and examines the role of corporations and a complicit media in promoting tort reform. Directed by former trial lawyer and first-time filmmaker Susan Saladoff. A selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
CITIZEN U.S.A.: A 50-STATE ROAD TRIP (July 4) follows director Alexandra Pelosi (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Journeys with George”) as she travels across the U.S. to attend naturalization ceremonies in all 50 states and meets brand-new citizens to find out why they chose America as their home. Commemorating the Fourth of July, the documentary intersperses stories of newly naturalized citizens and interviews with notable first-generation Americans, including Madeleine Albright, Arianna Huffington, Henry Kissinger and Gene Simmons.
Follows the struggle of 138 mostly immigrant workers who strike to save their jobs at a famous bakery in the Bronx when a private equity firm buys the bakery and demands wage cuts of up to 30%.
They wouldn’t be there if they weren’t guilty. That’s the prevailing mindset of almost everyone in Love Crimes of Kabul, even the women who find themselves in jail in Afghanistan’s capital. In the documentary, director Tanaz Eshaghian gets out of the way to let the stories of three women in Badam Bagh Women’s Prison speak
A look at the life and times of Curt Flood, whose baseball life went from two-time World Series champion to plaintiff in a U.S. Supreme Court case against Major League Baseball, and how that journey both set the stage for high-dollar free agent contracts and turned his own life upside down.
MANN V. FORD (July 18) follows members of the Ramapo Indian tribe in Upper Ringwood, NJ in their eight-year search for justice through a major class-action lawsuit. From the middle ‘50s through the late ‘70s, the Ford Motor Company operated an assembly plant in Mahwah, NJ that produced millions of cars each year, dumping what has been described as “thousands of tons of paint sludge and other waste” into abandoned mine shafts and residential land. Working-class residents of the area have been suffering from a range of ailments, including skin problems, bleeding disorders and increased rates of cancer and miscarriage, ever since. The film charts their uphill battle to secure a healthy future for their children. Directed by Maro Chermayeff (HBO’s “The Kindness of Strangers”) and Micah Fink (“Frontline”).
On Sunday, July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler left the campgrounds in upstate New York where she was vacationing with her family and set off towards home on Long Island, a drive she had made numerous times before. With her were five young children: her son, her daughter and three nieces. Four hours later, she drove the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway for nearly two miles – eventually crashing into an oncoming SUV,killing herself and seven others. One of the worst motor-vehicle accidents in New York State history, the tragedy quickly became national news and her actions on that day, and in the past, were thrust under a microscope in a desperate search for answers. In the aftermath, Diane Schuler was portrayed as a reckless drunk and a mother who cracked. But was she the monster the public made her out to be? Or the perfect wife and mother described by so many who knew her?
With the cooperation of Derek Jeter and the Yankees, MLB Productions gained extensive access to Jeter both at and away from the ballpark. For the first time ever, Jeter wore a microphone during two games, including the one in which he reached the 3,000 career hit milestone. He also allowed MLB Productions camera crews to follow him on multiple occasions and in a variety of settings, including in his home and during rehabilitation from a calf injury. Derek Jeter 3K also will feature exclusive interview footage with the Yankee captain, which was recorded shortly after he became only the 28th player in MLB history to achieve the milestone. Produced by MLB Productions in collaboration with HBO Sports, Derek Jeter 3K will include reflections on Jeter’s entire career, including footage in the Major League Baseball Film and Video Archive ranging from his early days with the Yankees through his five World Series Championships. The special will include new interviews with his family and friends, as well as with Yankees executives, legends and teammates such as Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, Joe Torre, Curtis Granderson, Dave Winfield, Minka Kelly, Billy Crystal and many more. Liev Schreiber will narrate.
KORAN BY HEART (Aug. 1) visits the world’s oldest Koran memorization contest, which takes place each year in Cairo, drawing Muslim children from as far as the Maldives and Tajikistan to perform before a panel of prominent judges. This inspirational film follows these talented youngsters from intense preparation through the rigorous rounds of the tournament, offering an engaging look at the unique experiences and aspirations of Muslim children throughout the world. Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s “Sergio”). A selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival.
A favorite at this year's Slamdance Film Festival, Superheroes is a look inside the zany world of Real Life Superheroes
GLORIA: IN HER OWN WORDS (Aug. 15) recounts how Gloria Steinem became one of the driving forces of feminism. Beginning as a reporter writing an exposé on the working conditions of Playboy Bunnies, she was transformed by learning about women’s horrifying experiences while covering a New York abortion hearing in 1969. The film includes archival footage and interviews showcasing Steinem’s sharp sense of humor, love of life and compassion for humankind. Today, she remains a feminist icon, ever-present on the frontlines of social and political activism. Filmmakers, Peter Kunhardt and Dyllan McGee (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Teddy: In His Own Words”).
THE LATINO LIST (debuting Sept. 29) focuses on an impressive group of Latino artists and leaders as they pose for a series of highly personal video portraits that offer a unique glimpse into the vibrant and burgeoning culture of Hispanic America. Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (HBO’s “The Black List”), the film spotlights, among others, Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Rican-Americans, Honduran-Americans and Columbian-Americans, all of whom share a language, but have varying experiences depending on their birth country. The film features interviews with such notables as Sonia Maria Sotomayor, Eva Jacqueline Longoria, Gloria Estefan, America Ferrera, Juan Antonio “Chi-Chi” Rodriguez, Jose Moreno Hernandez and Pitbull.
LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD: GEORGE HARRISON (Oct. 5 and 6) traces Harrison’s life from his musical beginnings in Liverpool through his life as a musician, a seeker, a philanthropist and a filmmaker, weaving together interviews with Harrison and his closest friends, performances, home movies and photographs. Much of the material in the film has never been seen or heard before. This two-part documentary from director Martin Scorsese (HBO “Public Speaking”) includes interviews with those closest to Harrison, including Eric Clapton, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, George Martin, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Tom Petty, Phil Spector, Ringo Starr and Jackie Stewart.
SING YOUR SONG (Oct. 17) celebrates the life of singer-actor-activist Harry Belafonte. A tenacious hands-on activist, Belafonte’s groundbreaking career paralleled the American civil rights movement. He worked intimately with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy among others, mobilizing celebrities for social justice, working with Nelson Mandela in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and taking action to counter gang violence, promote prison reform and address the incarceration of youth. This official selection of the Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca film festivals is a film by Susanne Rostock; producers, Michael Cohl, Belafonte’s daughter Gina Belafonte, Jim Brown, William Eigen, Julius R. Nasso.
THE EDUCATION OF DEE DEE RICKS (Oct. 27) is the intimate story of one woman’s mission to defeat cancer and help others do the same. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy, Dee Dee Ricks traded a hedge-fund career for philanthropy, raising money for a Harlem cancer clinic that treats underserved and uninsured patients. The film follows Ricks over a three-year period as she battles her disease, struggles to raise $2.5 million for the clinic and reevaluates her purpose in life. Directed by Perri Peltz.
PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY (Nov.) revisits the case of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, who were incarcerated for the 1993 “West Memphis Three” child murders, which they maintain they did not commit. For nearly two decades, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky have chronicled the fight to prove their innocence. From full courtroom access and jailhouse interviews to behind-the-scenes strategy meetings and intimate portraits of grief-stricken families, this third, comprehensive look at the case uncovers shocking new developments since the last film ten years ago. Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky.
Sampat Pal is the leader of the Gulabi Gang (aka the Pink Gang), a vigilante group of women in Northern India distinguished by their distinctive bright pink saris. Like many other women, Pal was married as a young girl into a family that made her work hard and often beat her. Unlike most other Indian women, she overcame her problems to become an outspoken, self-described "messiah" for women. Though domestic abuse is illegal in India, tradition and the caste system are steadfastly upheld by many, especially in the rural areas where the Pink Gang operates. By tradition, women are not allowed to live with their own parents once they are married, and are at the mercy of the husband's family. If a woman comes from a lower caste, she is often not allowed to marry a man of higher rank. Pal's strategy is to expose abusive husbands, in-laws and other offenders by settling family matters out in the open, turning the tables on those who did the damage.
MARATHON BOY (Dec.) is the story of four-year-old Budhia Singh, who is plucked from the slums of India by coach Biranchi Das and trained to become India’s greatest runner. In the first six months of coaching, the youngster runs more than 24 half-marathons and by the next year, he has run 48 full marathons. With the world looking on and an international storm brewing, the Indian government decides to intervene, accusing the coach of cruelty and threatening to take his newly-adopted son into care. What starts as a rags-to-riches tale turns into a story of greed, envy and broken dreams. An official selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary is directed by Gemma Atwal.
From running the country to skydiving, this endearing and enlightening portrait explores the life and careers of George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.
The passionate and complex relationship that Americans have with their dogs. From a Florida couple who spend hundreds of thousands to clone a beloved dog, to rescuers who find homes for abandoned dogs in rural shelters in Tennessee and Alabama where hundreds of thousands are destroyed each year - many in gas chambers. A look at how far some dog lovers will go for the animals they revere and how far they will go as a nation to treat their companion animals humanely.
An examination of the phenomenon of internet celebrity. Tells the story of teenage video blogger Chris Crocker, who became famous for his “Leave Britney Alone” YouTube video clip, the documentary explorers how social media has changed society.
Follows Marina Abramovic, "the grandmother of performance art," as she prepares for an exhibition at the New York Museum of Modern Art.
Explorers the impact of the shrinking of the middle class by telling the story of four families' struggle to find employment during the summer of 2010.
Tracks the progress of recovery and rebuilding in the wake of the Japan's 2011 tsunami. The film finds comparison between the spring cherry tree and humans rebuilding their lives.
Explorers the rich diversity of birds and bird-watchers that meet in New York City's Central Park each year.
Tells the story of prominent gay activist Vito Russo's contributions to GAA (Gay Activists Alliance), GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power).
Explorers the meaning, definition, and business of beauty through interviews with numerous supermodels including Carol Alt, Christie Brinkley, and Cheryl Tiegs.
The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia provides personal and uplifting accounts of the dyslexic experience from children, experts and iconic leaders.
Celebrate the 120th anniversary of 'Vogue' with this profile of fashion's most influential magazine. Told through the eyes of its most iconic editors, the film explores the cultural impact of 'Vogue' over a century of changing trends in fashion, photography and feminism. Interviews include current editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others.
Produced and directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Joe and Harry Gantz, American Winter is a documentary feature film that follows the personal stories of families struggling in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Years after the recession began, millions of families are struggling to meet their basic needs, and many formerly middle class families are finding themselves in financial crisis, and needing assistance for the first time in their lives. Meanwhile, the social safety net that was created to help people in difficult times has been weakened by massive budget cuts, creating a perfect storm of greater need and fewer resources to help families in trouble. Filmed over the course of one winter in Portland, Oregon, American Winter presents an intimate and emotionally evocative snapshot of the state of our economy as it is playing out in many American families. Working together with the nonprofit organization 211info in Portland, the filmmakers were given full access to monitor and record calls from distressed families who were calling 211’s emergency hotline in search of help. They then began following the stories of some of these callers in more depth over several months. The film follows multiple families in their daily struggle to keep their heads above water, while facing overwhelming challenges and dwindling resources available to help them, creating a powerful firsthand view of Americans caught in today’s financial undertow. The experiences of the families in American Winter are a vivid illustration of what has been happening to families across America, including working families losing their homes, people who remain jobless or underemployed, children going hungry, families getting their heat shut off in the dead of winter, and people with health issues overwhelmed by medical costs. Framed through the personal stories of eight families, American Winter puts a face on the country's economic
Alexandra Pelosi's documentary includes interviews with former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey about his resignation, his attempt to become an Episcopal minister, and his volunteer work with female inmates.
The film, directed by Steven Pressman, chronicles the story of the daring mission by the Krauses to travel to Nazi Germany in the spring of 1939, and their ultimate achievement of bringing 50 doomed Jewish children to the United States. They did this despite the nation’s harshly restrictive immigration laws, rampant anti-Semitism and strong efforts by major Jewish leaders in Philadelphia to get them to call off their mission.
Elephants, both the Asiatic and the African for centuries, have been adored, have inspired great works of art, and even have been revered as gods, yet they have also been treated with cruelty. AN APOLOGY TO ELEPHANTS explores the abuse of these ancient and intelligent animals and shows how some people are reversing the trend. It describes the often-brutal treatment elephants undergo when they are trained to perform, the psychological trauma they suffer and the physical damage done by inadequate living conditions in some zoos and circuses. In addition to this footage of elephants in the wild and in captivity, AN APOLOGY TO ELEPHANTS also includes interviews with elephant biologists, scientists and activists, including the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)co-founders Ed Stewart and the late Pat Derby; Dr. Joyce Poole, director of the conservation group Elephant Voices; Colleen Kinzley, curator at Oakland Zoo; Dr. Joel Parrott, director of Oakland Zoo; Dr. Mel Richardson, a captive wildlife veterinarian; Katy Payne, founder of the Elephant Listening Project; Cynthia Moss, director of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants; and Dr. Raman Sukumar, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science.
An espionage tale from inside the CIA's long conflict against Al Qaeda, as revealed by the remarkable women and men whose secret war against Osama bin Laden started nearly a decade before most of us even knew his name.
Known for billboard-sized photographic portraits of everyday people in urban settings, French street artist JR has a simple call to action: “Tell me what you stand for, and together we’ll turn the world inside out.” To transform his idea into reality, he created the Inside Out Project, the world’s largest participatory art project and a remarkable testament to the power of the image and the role art can play in transforming lives.
Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial in a case that has gripped the nation and the world beyond, three young artists or the society they live in?
This documentary, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, presents footage and audiotapes along with her recently discovered handwritten letters, diaries, notes, poems, journals and notebooks, which set the icon’s private life against the backdrop of her very public life and loves. The film includes readings and appearances by an all-star cast, including F. Murray Abraham, Elizabeth Banks, Adrien Brody, Ellen Burstyn, Glenn Close, Hope Davis, Viola Davis, Jennifer Ehle, Ben Foster, Paul Giamatti, Jack Huston, Stephen Lang, Lindsey Lohan, Janet McTeer, Jeremy Piven, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Uma Thurman, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Interviews and rare archival footage feature Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio, Amy Greene, Molly Haskell, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer and Elia Kazan, among others.
This film spotlights Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008, the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, as well as eight girls and young women from around the country living with special needs, who participate in the Miss You Can Do It Pageant. Created in 2004 by Curran, the pageant offers them and their families a chance to bond and participate in a special event where inner beauty and abilities reign.
Alternately humorous and poignant, The OUT List features a diverse cross-section of accomplished leaders from entertainment, business, sports and public service sharing intimate stories on childhood, understanding gender and sexuality, building careers while out and reflecting on the challenges still facing the LGBT community. Against the backdrop of historic Supreme Court hearings on same-sex marriage and financial equality, subjects recall joyous moments of acceptance and romance, along with painful instances of intolerance and discrimination, offering unique modern perspectives on being out in America.
An official selection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, this documentary follows idealistic young defenders in the deep south who face particularly difficult challenges due to high bonds, mandatory minimum sentencing and a culture that is traditionally “tough on crime.” Despite low pay, long hours and staggering caseloads, these young professionals, with the help of the Southern Public Defender Training Center (SPDTC), take on the job in the name of public service.
This is the provocative follow-up to Josh Fox’s 2011 Academy Award®-nominated “Gasland,” about the controversial method of extracting natural gas and oil known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Employing his trademark dark humor, Fox’s new effort shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides of one of today’s most hotly debated environmental issues.
This sport documentary is directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker, is an exhilarating ride through the life of Kevin Pearce, the American snowboarding champion who suffered a traumatic brain injury while preparing for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. In addition to interviews with Pearce’s close-knit family and friends, the powerful documentary includes footage from hundreds of sources, recorded over two decades that captures the soul of the sport and questions the price people pay for their passions.
This film explores the triple rape-arson-homicide that rocked the quiet town of Cheshire, Ct. in July 2007, culminating in a politically charged death-penalty trial. Debuting in conjunction with the sixth anniversary of the murders, the documentary draws on exclusive interviews spanning half a decade, uncovering the shocking, previously untold drama behind the story and revealing a family and community changed forever.
This documentary follows director Nina Davenport’s quest to have a baby on her own, ranging from hormone injections to post-natal chaos while highlighting her conventional family’s reaction to her unconventional decision. Unsparingly honest, occasionally hilarious and ultimately moving, the documentary offers a fresh take on parenthood.
This documentary spotlights one of filmmaking’s unsung heroes – the casting director – viewing the last half-century of Hollywood history from a different perspective. Iconoclastic casting pioneers like Marion Dougherty and Lynn Stalmaster used their exquisite taste and gut instincts to reject traditional Hollywood typecasting and bring new kinds of leading men and women to the screen, such as Dustin Hoffman, Bette Midler, Robert Duvall and Gene Hackman. In the process, they helped change the old studio system and usher in a new Hollywood through movies like “Midnight Cowboy,” “The Graduate,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “Bonnie and Clyde.”
This documentary features candid interviews with ten American couples – captured in the comfort of their own beds – as they openly discuss sex, infidelity and love. From young New Yorkers who have split up 26 times, to spouses in their 90s who have been married 71 years, this touching, funny and often surprising film offers intimate insights into what makes or breaks a relationship.
In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy from point of impact, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as its startling aftermath.
Mondays At Racine-- visits a Long Island beauty salon that welcomes women with cancer.
A documentary about the men and women struggling at the edge of our society. who survive by redeeming bottles and cans they collect from New York's curbs, garbage cans, and apartment complexes.
Open Heart tells the story of am an Italian doctor who tries to save patients from Rwanda for heart surgery.
LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM explores the remarkable world of Sam Berns and his family. Now a high-school junior about to turn 17, Sam embraces his circumstances with admirable courage, showing wisdom beyond his years. “I didn’t put myself in front of you to have you feel bad for me,” he says at the beginning of the film. “I put myself in front of you to let you know you don’t need to feel bad for me. I want you to know me. This is my life, and progeria is part of it. It’s not a major part of it, but it is part of it.”
Since 2001, more veterans have died by their own hand than in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one veteran dies by suicide in America every 80 minutes. While only 1% of Americans has served in the military, former service members account for 20% of all suicides in the U.S. Based in Canandaigua, NY and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Veterans Crisis Line receives more than 22,000 calls each month from veterans of all conflicts who are struggling or contemplating suicide due to the psychological wounds of war and the challenges of returning to civilian life. After serving their country overseas, many military veterans struggle with post-traumatic stress, depression and addiction. Since 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered about 900,000 calls. Crisis HOTLINE: VETERANS PRESS 1 highlights how its dedicated responders react to a variety of complex calls and handle the emotional aftermath of what can be life-and-death conversations. The film captures these extremely private moments, where the professionals, many of whom are themselves veterans or veterans' spouses, can often interrupt the thoughts and plans of suicidal callers to steer them out of crisis. Hotline workers sometimes intervene successfully by seizing on the caller's ambivalence and illuminating his or her reasons for living.
Tribute to the legendary Jackie “Moms” Mabley, the pioneering African-American comedienne.
Toxic Hot Seat is a stark reminder of the dangerous chemical flame retardants embedded in polyurethane foam-based home furnishings (not to mention baby strollers and car seats) that do a better job at causing birth defects and cancers than protecting us from fires. Although the documentary might not cover much new ground for those who’ve been following this matter closely, it’s a handy summary of the issues that humanizes the story via on-camera interviews with key players. And it will certainly make you rethink your next big furniture purchase.
A new look at an old but great band. Full Story of the Only Real Rock Left..
Twenty-five percent of all Internet searches are sex-related, and an annual estimate of 100 billion dollars is spent on sex online. This adults-only late-night show focuses on how women and men are cashing in on the online-sex craze.
"The Education Of Mohammad Hussein" is an intimate look at how the largest Muslim community in the U.S. responds to the provocations of an antiIslamic preacher. Through the eyes of children, the film examines what it is like to come of age as a Muslim in the United States a decade after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Robert De Niro, Sr., was a celebrated painter obscured by the pop-art movement. His life and career are chronicled in the artist's own words by his contemporaries and, movingly, by his son, the actor Robert De Niro.
Explores Charles Darwin's struggles as he grappled with the implications of his theory of natural selection.
Runway model Sandra Bush dreamed of becoming the first African-American supermodel, only to struggle with addiction and despair. But she later achieved celebrity as Mama Bush, the model for some of the best-known and widely admired paintings by her daughter, acclaimed artist Mickalene Thomas. In her film directing debut, Thomas paints a poignant portrait of her mother and artistic muse, presenting a tender look back at a lifetime’s worth of hopes, regrets and redemption.
From Maria Shriver’s groundbreaking multi-platform project “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink,” PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK: THE LIFE & TIMES OF KATRINA GILBERT tells the moving story of a year in the life of one mother whose daily struggles illuminate the challenges faced by more than 42 million American women and the 28 million children who depend on them.
The Last Days Of Private Jack Hall: Explores terminal care in one of Iowa's oldest prisons.
Tells the story of inmates seeking education through the Hudson Link college program while incarcerated at New York States Sing Sing prison.
The life story of Ann Richards, the hilarious straight-talking Governor of Texas who fought special interests for the people and ultimately lost re-election to the first ever pairing of George W Bush and Karl Rove. Celebrities, family members, and personal friends tell the behind-the-scenes battle stories of how a housewife rose to the most powerful position in a good-old-boy state.
Documentary features rare behind-the-scenes studio and rehearsal segments for Springsteen's 18th studio album. It will also include footage from E Street Band tours, interviews with Springsteen and more.
One Last Hug: Three Days at Grief Camp chronicles a three day summer camp for children learning to cope with the death of a loved one. With the guidance of trained professionals, grieving children as young as seven years old learn that their feelings are normal, and that by talking about them they can begin to heal. A testament to the healing power of shared sorrow, One Last Hug shows the often-unseen and particular experience of children's grief.
A revealing documentary that examines the obsessive culture of online gaming, and the dangers of virtual living, through the case of a South Korean couple charged with neglect after the death of their three-month old child.
The riveting documentary THE CASE AGAINST 8 takes an in-depth look at the historic federal lawsuit filed in an effort to overturn Prop 8, California’s discriminatory ban on same-sex marriage. Shooting over five years, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the powerhouse legal team of David Boies and Ted Olson and the four plaintiffs in the suit, directors and producers Ben Cotner and Ryan White (“Good Ol’ Freda,” “Pelada”) have created a powerful emotional account of the journey that took the fight for marriage equality all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
For two decades, documentarian Doug Block has supplemented his career as a filmmaker by shooting wedding videos. In 112 Weddings, he revisits some of his favorite couples to see how they've fared, and what wisdom they can impart about love and marriage. Block also follows two couples as they prepare for their weddings – first-timers Heather & Sam, and Janice & Alexander, a duo whose partnership ceremony he filmed 13 years ago, and who are now ready for “a different kind of commitment” after two children and a newfound desire to protect the family they have lovingly created.
Comprised of smuggled footage and uncensored interviews, Dangerous Acts gives audiences a front row seat to a resistance movement as it unfolds both on the stage and in the streets.
Reveals FBI involvement in the homegrown terror case of the “Newburgh Four.” Never before told publicly, the story offers startling insights into the state of surveillance in a post-9/11 world. Four street criminals with no history of violence or political ties, from an impoverished and largely African-American community, were drawn by a Pakistani FBI informant into a carefully orchestrated plot to bomb Jewish synagogues in a wealthy suburb of New York City and fire Stinger missiles at U.S. military supply planes. Their dramatic arrest, complete with armored cars, a SWAT team and FBI aircraft, played out under the gaze of major television outlets, and resulted in 25-year prison sentences. Many political figures lauded the case as a victory in the war on terror, but others have lambasted the sting as entrapment.
A small-town murder in New England became one of the highest-profile cases of the twentieth century. As the first fully televised court case, the Pamela Smart trial rattled the consciousness of America. From gavel to gavel, a nation tuned in, and reality TV was born. Pulsating with sex, drugs, betrayal, and murder, the trial inspired 20 years of television shows, books, plays, and movies, including To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Gus Van Sant.
“‘A good job’ means a really tough fire,” says retired firefighter Alfred Benjamin. Some call it terrifying or seductive, but as Rescue 5’s Joseph Esposito notes, “You should be scared…that’s what keeps you alive.” Directed and produced by Liz Garbus (HBO’s Emmy®-nominated “Bobby Fischer Against the World”) and produced by actor Steve Buscemi (Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”), A GOOD JOB: STORIES OF THE FDNY explores life in one of the most demanding and innovative fire departments in the world. Featuring first-hand accounts of veteran firefighters and former FDNY member Buscemi, the film reveals what it feels like to fight, and know, fire in New York when it debuts MONDAY, SEPT. 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Spotlighting the immense mental and physical toll of firefighting, as well as the community borne out of sharing an incredible responsibility, A GOOD JOB goes inside the New York City Fire Department to illuminate the lives of heroes who put themselves at risk to serve the city. Through behind-the-scenes footage and interviews conducted by Buscemi, the film tells stories of the men and women of the FDNY while drawing on candid photos and rare video from the last five decades to revisit department milestones, including: the “War Years” of the ‘60s and ‘70s; the 1966 23rd Street fire, in which 12 firefighters died; the Happy Land Social Club fire of 1990 (87 victims); and 9/11 and its lasting impact on the FDNY. Ultimately, A GOOD JOB is about camaraderie and the bonds formed around firehouse kitchen tables, the cumulative effect of trauma, both physical and mental, and the stories – the good, the bad and the exciting.
Told from the vantage point of more than 100 security cameras revealing hours of previously unseen mall surveillance video, and drawing on extensive photos taken during the attack and testimony from survivors and rescuers depicted in the footage and photos, TERROR AT THE MALL recalls the horror of the attack, as well as the courage and resilience of ordinary citizens in the face of mass murder.
In modern-day Russia, where it is estimated that just 1% of the LGBT population lives completely openly, a recent anti-gay amendment to a “propaganda” law has triggered a rising number of assaults on gay men and women by vigilantes who, more often than not, go unpunished for their crimes. Directed by Ben Steele, the startling expose HUNTED: THE WAR AGAINST GAYS IN RUSSIA looks at this climate of hostility. Matt Bomer (Emmy® nominee for HBO’s “The Normal Heart”) narrates. Homosexuality was legalized in Russia 21 years ago, but gay people in the country have yet to win mainstream acceptance. In fact, attitudes in Russia appear to be moving backwards. With jobs and relationships at risk if their sexual orientation is exposed, most gay Russians remain closeted. As one gay man who lost sight in one eye during a recent unprovoked attack says ruefully, “Hunting season is open…and we are the hunted.” HUNTED: THE WAR AGAINST GAYS IN RUSSIA features disturbing insider footage of homophobic Russians who, in the name of morality or religion, beat and torment gay people, posting graphic videos of their encounters online with few or no legal repercussions. These vigilantes see homosexuality as related to pedophilia, stating publicly that their justification for violence is protecting Russia’s children. Since members of the gay community are afraid to live openly in Russia, groups like Occupy Pedophilia – whose members inaccurately claim that sexual abuse of children is most often committed by homosexuals – have been looking to root them out via the Internet. Posing as interested suitors, anti-gay activists “bait” unsuspecting men and women to rendezvous at apartments or public places, then harass, beat and humiliate victims, often urinating on them. Recordings of these encounters, along with forced admissions of homosexuality, are posted on the internet to “out” the victim and make his or her life “a living hell.” Disturbing foot
The eleventh installment of HBO Latino’s acclaimed “Habla” series includes interviews with Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Junot Diaz, actor, singer, and songwriter Carlos Ponce, World Heavy Champion Blue Demon, and more. They’ll share their riveting, stories and experiences as Latino men in US
Through personal stories and intimate vérité footage, this inspiring documentary sheds light on the issue of domestic violence, highlighting the courage of abuse victims, survivors and advocates, as they fight for justice and change.
Through never-before-heard personal stories and explosive concert footage, this feature documentary charts the phenomenal rise and lasting influence of soul singer James Brown, a.k.a. “The Godfather of Soul.”
The glitz. The gambling. The girls. The game. One by one, they've made their way to "America's favorite playground," lured by the potential for easy money from high rollers for casual sex. But in the end, the hookers working the Atlantic City "track" wind up staying to support their habits or hang on to a fleeting dream. Produced and directed by Brent Owens (HBO;s Hookers at the Point films), this documentary focuses on purveyors of the world's oldest profession in the neon-soaked gambling mecca, Atlantic City. Hidden cameras and microphones capture all the action of hookers as they proposition, bargain and turn tricks with a collection of new and familiar johns. (TVMA) (AC.GL,N,SC)
On Oct. 1, 2013, the elusive British street artist known as Banksy launched a self-proclaimed month-long residency in New York City, posting one unique exhibit a day in an unannounced location, sparking a 31-day scavenger hunt both online and on the streets for Banksy’s work. Capturing this month of madness, BANKSY DOES NEW YORK incorporates user-generated content, from YouTube videos to Instagram photos, from New Yorkers and Banksy hunters alike, whose responses became part of the work itself, for an exhilarating, detailed account of the uproar created by the mysterious artist.
REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation. The documentary explores Sontag’s life through archival materials, accounts from friends, family, colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson. From her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her early marriage to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today.
In this family series produced and directed by Amy Schatz, kids share their thoughts on a range of environmental issues from endangered animals and pollution to climate change. Scenes with scientists from the American Museum of Natural History explore how plants and animals are affected by a changing earth. Through a lyrical mix of science, animation and music, Saving My Tomorrow urges children to take action, providing them with profiles of young activists who are trying to make a difference, while highlighting ways in which kids can do their part.
In this family series produced and directed by Amy Schatz, kids share their thoughts on a range of environmental issues from endangered animals and pollution to climate change. Scenes with scientists from the American Museum of Natural History explore how plants and animals are affected by a changing earth. Through a lyrical mix of science, animation and music, Saving My Tomorrow urges children to take action, providing them with profiles of young activists who are trying to make a difference, while highlighting ways in which kids can do their part.
Directed and produced by Andrew Jarecki and produced and shot by Marc Smerling (the Oscar® nominees behind “Capturing the Friedmans”), the six-part documentary series exposes long-buried information discovered during their seven-year investigation of a series of unsolved crimes, and the man suspected of being at its center – Robert Durst, scion of New York’s billionaire Durst family – and was made with his full cooperation.
In January 2013, Laura Poitras (recipient of the 2012 MacArthur Genius Fellowship and co-recipient of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service) was several years into making a film about surveillance in the post-9/11 era when she started receiving anonymous encrypted e-mails from "CITIZENFOUR," who claimed to have evidence of illegal covert surveillance programs run by the NSA in collaboration with other intelligence agencies worldwide. Five months later in June 2013, she and reporters Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with the man who turned out to be Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her. The resulting film is history unfolding before our eyes, and Citizenfour received the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Oscars.
Based on the 2013 book of the same name by Lawrence Wright, "Going Clear" not only exposes details about Scientology but also serves as an in-depth explainer for those unfamiliar with the group.
In the years following the Civil War, ancestors of documentary filmmaker Peter Kunhardt collected a treasure trove of photographs, rare books and other artifacts relating to Abraham Lincoln. Over the decades, their descendants carried on the work, helping to preserve an essential part of America’s past
Lonnie Franklin Jr was arrested in July 2010 after a 25 year killing spree in which it is thought he could have killed over a 100 victims, potentially making him the most prolific serial killer in history. Significantly his arrest was not the product of painstaking detective work but completely accidental, the result of a computer DNA match that linked him to a possible 20 victims. Franklin now awaits trial. Tales of the Grim Sleeper looks into how it was possible for all this to happen.
Kurt Cobain, legendary lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana, “the flagship band of Generation X,” remains an object of reverence and fascination for music fans around the world. His story is told for the first time in KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK, a fully authorized feature documentary co-produced by HBO Documentary Films and Universal Pictures International Entertainment Content Group.
The film revisits a notorious case that is still evolving, the one in which a New York City police officer named Gilberto Valle was accused of planning to kidnap women, then cook and eat them. What makes the case doubly bizarre is that at the heart of the preposterous-sounding charges are serious and sobering issues: Is it illegal to think vile thoughts and chat about them on the Internet? Where is the line between sadistic fantasizing and imminent crime?
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
SOUTHERN RITES (May 18) visits Montgomery County, Ga., one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations. This timely film debuts the week of the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision 61 years ago.
This verité documentary is about confronting life’s most daunting moments with purpose and grace, and about the impact of genetic bonds and genetic testing on the people we love and on how we face our destiny. Stunningly courageous young filmmaker-actress Marianna Palka gathers her friends around her as she finds out whether she has inherited Huntington’s Disease, an incurable degenerative disorder which took her father and now has a 50% chance of taking her body and her mind. Intimate, suspenseful, and emotional, with sensitive verité cinematography by Nick Higgins, and with a title taken from the Bob Dylan poem which Marianna recites about Woody Guthrie who died from Huntington’s Disease, The Lion’s Mouth Opens ultimately inspires us to find a new dream no matter what.
The fourth in the series of family specials on the environment. Focusing on energy use and sustainability, the show features stories about endangered animals alongside scenes with kids who are working to protect the nature around them - from the mountaintops to the coral reefs. Readings and performances by Elizabeth Mitchell, Willie Nelson, They Might be Giants, Dan Zanes, and behind-the-scenes at the American Museum of Natural History with Dr. Christopher Filardi and Dr. Mande Holfold.
More than 32,000 people die from gun violence every year in America, an average of 88 people per day. REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD: AMERICAN SPRING 2014 highlights a few of the estimated 8,000 individuals who died from gunfire that spring, drawing exclusively on found media – news accounts, police investigations and social media – to shine a light on little-known stories of tragic loss, bringing the victims to life in their own words and images.
Author, activist and playwright Larry Kramer is a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired a generation of gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. This pioneering activist co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), where his calls for direct action protest made AIDS a national issue, forever changing public health policy.
Sex On, Part 1, a six-part adults-only late-night series exploring the brave new world of sex and relationships in the Information Age.
Through inventive animation and music, this documentary short explores writer/director/composer Elizabeth Swados’ personal struggle with lifelong depression, as well as her efforts to keep her “cloud” at bay.
Following Emmy-winning writer/director Jane Anderson on her decades-long quest to find answers to the mysteries surrounding the life of her great aunt - artist Edith Lake Wilkinson.
In 2000, a California State Prison inmate serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) approached the warden to request a dedicated yard for men serving life sentences that would break the code of violence dominating prison life. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) subsequently transformed Yard A at California State Prison into The Progressive Programming Facility, which inmates call The Honor Yard. The only one of its kind in the United States, this experimental prison yard is free of violence, racial tensions, gang activity and illegal drug and alcohol use.
On a remote mountaintop in the Himalayas sits a very special community called Jhamtse Gatsal: a school and home to 85 orphaned and neglected children. Founded by former Buddhist monk Lobsang Phuntsok, who trained with the Dalai Lama and whose own dark childhood has led him to create this safe haven, Jhamtse Gatsal is home to boys and girls, who are given the chance to escape extreme poverty and grow up in an environment where they are free to be themselves and dream about their future. As we see in this documentary short, Lobsang faces a formidable challenge with Tashi, a five-year-old new arrival who was damaged by parental neglect and abandonment, and who after six months still struggles to bond with her new family, lashing out at others and isolating herself. Lobsang refuses to give up on the young girl, and makes it his mission to transform Tashi into the person he knows she can be: someone who can rise above trauma and open up to new friends, just as he once did years before. Intimate, heartfelt and uplifting, Tashi and the Monk is a much-needed reminder of the transformative power of love and acceptance, and the unbreakable bonds we can create through compassion.
Comedian Will Ferrell plays ten different positions with ten different major league teams in one day during 2015 spring training in Arizona to raise money for Cancer for College.
San Francisco has long enjoyed a reputation as the counterculture capital of America, attracting bohemians, mavericks, progressives and activists. With the onset of the digital gold rush, young members of the tech elite are flocking to the West Coast to make their fortunes, and this new wealth is forcing San Francisco to reinvent itself. But as tech innovations lead America into the golden age of digital supremacy, is it changing the heart and soul of their adopted city?
THE DIPLOMAT tells the remarkable story of the life and legacy of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose singular career spans fifty years of American foreign policy from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Told through the perspective of his eldest son David, the documentary takes you behind the scenes of high stakes diplomacy where peace is waged and wars are ended. The film will be released in 2015, the 20th anniversary of Holbrooke’s crowning achievement: the Dayton Peace Accords which ended the war in Bosnia.
The Latin Explosion: A New America celebrates the music, the artists and the visionaries who have pioneered this sea change, exploring how the growing Latino community is impacting American culture for the better. Anchoring the film are exclusive interviews with the musicians at the center of Latino power and influence in this country, including Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Ricky Martin, Romeo Santos, members of Los Lobos, Rita Moreno, Jose Feliciano and others. They talk about their lives and music, as the film celebrates their mega crossover hits that have defined the American experience and set the stage for the "Latin Explosion" in all aspects of American life.
On November 23, 2012, Jordan Davis, a black 17-year-old, and three friends drove into a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla. Davis and his friends got into a verbal altercation with white 45-year-old Michael Dunn, who took issue with the volume of the teenagers’ rap music. When Davis refused to turn down the music, Dunn opened fire on the car of unarmed teenagers. He fired 10 bullets, three of which hit Davis, who died at the scene. Dunn fled, but was taken into custody the next day. He claimed that he shot in self-defense. Filmed over a period of 18 months, 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets, intercuts intimate scenes with Davis’ family and friends with footage from Michael Dunn’s trial and police interrogation, news reports, and prison phone recordings between Dunn and his fiancée. Drawing on 200 hours of footage, the documentary aims to reconstruct the night of the murder, delving into the intricate web of racial prejudice in 21st century America and how such prejudices can result in tragedy. 3 ½ Minutes, Ten Bullets also details the journey of Jordan Davis’ parents from grief to activism, and explores public opinion on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law.”
Bruce Springsteen’s 1980 double album The River was a landmark achievement that inspired raves from critics and fans alike, and prompted an extended international tour that raised his profile dramatically around the world. The Ties That Bind features an inside look at the creation of this groundbreaking album, along with previously unreleased archival footage from The River Tour. Employing an intimate interview style, Grammy- and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny showcases Springsteen’s first-person take on his writing process. Offering an in-depth discussion on the origins of key tracks from his first double album, Springsteen shares how they were developed, from the notebook page to the studio to, most viscerally, the concert stage. Interspersed throughout the interview are his acoustic versions of several defining tracks from The River, including “Two Hearts,” “The River,” “Independence Day,” “Hungry Heart,” “Point Blank” and “Wreck on the Highway.” In addition to rehearsal clips from September 1980 and live performances from the legendary November 5, 1980 Arizona State University show in Tempe, Arizona, the documentary showcases more than 100 recently unearthed photos of Springsteen and The E Street Band during recording sessions for The River. Also presented are rare and previously unheard demos and outtakes from the 14-month recording process, including songs such as “Stray Bullet,” “Chain Lightning,” “The Time That Never Was,” “Cindy” and “Take ‘Em as They Come.” The River was released October 17, 1980 to critical acclaim. Rolling Stone called it “a rock and roll milestone,” and an “epic exploration of the second acts of American lives,” and included it on the magazine’s list of the greatest albums of all time.
The iconic cartoons of The New Yorker have become an instantly recognizable cultural touchstone over the past 90 years, and Leah Wolchock's intimate documentary offers an unprecedented glimpse into the process behind the cartoons. The film follows cartoon editor Bob Mankoff as he sifts through hundreds of submissions and pitches every week to bring readers a carefully curated selection of insightful and humorous work.
Pull back the curtain on the world famous ballet company in the wake of scandal.
Oscar(R)-winning documentary filmmaker Steven Okazaki (1991′s “Days of Waiting”) turns his focus on the heroin epidemic sweeping small-town America in this documentary. Centered primarily in Cape Cod, MA–an idyllic summer town in the midst of a heroin crisis–the film takes an unsparing look at the lives of several young people in their early 20s gripped by heroin addiction and living a seemingly endless existence of getting high while cycling through stages of rehab, recovery and relapse.
On Thanksgiving Day 2012, American photojournalist James “Jim” Foley was kidnapped in Syria and went missing for two years before the infamous video of his public execution sent shockwaves and introduced much of the world to ISIS. Jim: The James Foley Story, by close childhood friend Brian Oakes, tells the story of his life through intimate interviews with his family, friends and fellow journalists – while fellow hostages reveal never-before-heard details of his captivity with a chilling immediacy that builds suspense. Made with unparalleled access, Jim: The James Foley Story is a harrowing chronicle of bravery, compassion and pain at the dawn of America’s war with ISIS. “I made this film to carry on the stories that Jim needed us to know,” says director Brian Oakes. “It’s important that we understand the significant role of today’s conflict journalists and why they risk their lives to tell the world how bad it can be.” The film will include the original song “The Empty Chair,” by Academy Award-nominated artists J. Ralph and Sting. Directed by Brian Oakes, the film is produced by Eva Lipman, George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt and executive produced by Peter Kunhardt.
HOMEGROWN: THE COUNTER-TERROR DILEMMA explores the real and perceived threat of homegrown Islamic extremism in America today through first-hand accounts from those on the front lines of this battle – family members of convicted terrorists, those trying to persuade young people from embracing extremism, Muslim Americans facing fear and suspicion in their communities, victims of terrorist attacks, and insights from experts and prosecutors who worked homegrown terrorist cases. Among the questions the film raises: Why are American citizens signing up for ISIS? How big is the threat, and how effective have the efforts of US counter-terrorism agencies been in combatting homegrown terrorism? What are the unintended consequences of such efforts? And, what freedoms and values do we sacrifice in our efforts to track down established and nascent extremists in our midst? The documentary includes insights from high-level counter-terrorist experts like Andrew Liepman - former Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center - who recalls attending weekly “Terrorist Tuesday” meetings at the White House, as well as Philip Mudd – former Deputy Director of the FBI's National Security Branch - who admits “You need to be corrupted” to carry out “predator strikes” on terrorists, and is clearly haunted by some of the decisions he’s had to make. Liepman has decidedly mixed feelings about the efficacy and high cost of counter-terrorist efforts in the US, noting “You could argue there are a lot more dangerous things than terrorism: cancer, obesity, gun violence. But that doesn’t capture America’s imagination as much as the threat from ISIS.” HOMEGROWN was directed by Greg Barker; produced by John Battsek, Julie Goldman, Greg Barker; produced by Diane Becker. Executive Producer, Peter Bergen, based on the book ‘United States of Jihad: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists’ by Peter Bergen. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive
The renowned director opens up to his close friend and colleague, Jack O'Brien, in his historic, final filmed appearance.
Mavis! chronicles the ascension of gospel and soul music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples and her family group, The Staple Singers. An intimate look at a tight-knit family, the film reveals their struggles and successes, featuring dynamic live performances and rarely-seen archival footage, as well as modern-day interviews with Bob Dylan, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy and Chuck D
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is a 2015 documentary film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy about honor killings in Pakistan.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has treated hundreds of people with the disease and helped to contain numerous life-threatening epidemics. MSF responded in the worst affected countries – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - through setting up Ebola Management Centers and providing services such as psychological support, health promotion, surveillance and contact tracing. At its peak, MSF employed nearly 4,000 national staff and over 325 international staff to combat the epidemic across the three countries.
This Oscar-nominated documentary highlights the heroic and heartbreaking work of Garmai Sumo, a female Liberian Red Cross worker tasked with collecting Ebola victims from homes and villages, and removing bodies to halt transmission of the disease.
A look at the life and work of writer/filmmaker Nora Ephron.
Journalist Michael Ware and Oscar-winning director Bill Guttentag examine the moral consequences of war through Ware’s searing account of his own experiences reporting in Iraq.
Artist Laurie Anderson's 2015 "Heart of a Dog" documentary, about love and loss after the death of her rat terrier Lolabelle, is slated to air on HBO April 25, the network announced last week. Anderson, who grew up in Glen Ellyn, last week performed a concert for dogs in New York City to honor Sept. 11 first-responder dogs. Lolabelle died in 2011.
As well as marking the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbour, this documentary will reveal the untold story behind the failure to stop the Japanese attack.
Are you a risky drinker? Nearly 70% of American adults drink alcohol and nearly 1/3 of them engage in problem drinking at some point in their lives. Produced with The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Risky Drinking is a no-holds-barred look at a national epidemic through the intimate stories of four people whose drinking dramatically affects their relationships.
An intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty featuring Debbie Reynolds, Todd Fisher, and Carrie Fisher.
The true story of 12-year-olds Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, who lured their best friend into the woods, stabbed her 19 times and confessed they did it to appease a tall and faceless man known online as Slenderman. Featuring heart-wrenching access to the girls’ families, the haunting documentary plunges deep down the rabbit hole of their actions, exploring how the dark corners of the Internet can influence society’s most impressionable young consumers of media.
An unflinching exploration of the lives of inmates and corrections officers in one of America’s most notorious “supermax” prisons, built to hold inmates in 8’x10’ cells 23 hours a day, for months, years and sometimes decades. With unprecedented access, the film paints a complex, unexpected and deeply moving portrait of life inside a world rarely seen
Examining the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks from the perspective of the American rock band whose performance was cut short by the unspeakable violence, this emotional documentary chronicles the band's return to Paris to finish the show, both for their fans and themselves
Unloclking The Cage explores animal rights lawyer Steven Wise’s unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. After 30 years of struggling with ineffective animal welfare laws, Wise and his legal team, the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), are making history by filing the first lawsuits that seek to transform an animal from a “thing” with no rights to a “person” with legal protections.
The Tickle King features new, previously unseen footage documenting the bizarre and unsettling things that happened to filmmakers David Farrier and Dylan Reeve as Tickled premiered at film festivals and theaters in 2016. Lawsuits, private investigators, disrupted screenings and surprise appearances are just part of what they encounter along the way. Amidst new threats, the duo begins to answer questions that remained once the credits rolled on Tickled, including whether the disturbing behavior they uncovered will ever come to an end.
A searing account of the Syrian civil war from the inside out, the film draws on hundreds of hours of war footage from Syrian activists and citizen journalists, as well as testimony from child protesters, revolution leaders, human rights defenders, ordinary citizens and high-ranking army generals who have defected from the government.
Since 2011, over half the states in the nation have significantly restricted access to abortions. In 2016, abortion remains one of the most divisive issues in America, especially in Missouri, where only one abortion clinic remains open, patients and their doctors must navigate a 72-hour waiting period, and each year seTracy Droz Tragoses more restrictions.
Warning: This Drug May Kill You takes an unflinching look at the devastating effects of opioid addiction in the U.S., profiling four families whose lives have been decimated by addictions that all began with legitimate prescriptions to dangerous painkillers. Through the personal and emotional stories of people on the front lines of this epidemic, the film sheds light on the struggles of ordinary people who were prescribed highly addictive opioid pain medications, which are often the gateway to a very similar opioid, heroin.
Child abuse, mental illness and forbidden love converge in this true crime mystery of a mother and daughter who were thought to be living a fairy tale life.
The film offers a fresh and revealing insight into Princess Diana through the personal and intimate reflections of her two sons and her friends and family.
Follow the journey of the iconic Andy Warhol "Brillo Box” sculpture, once owned by filmmaker Lisanne Skyler's parents, who bought it for $1,000 in 1969, traded it two years later only to see it auctioned off in 2010 for over $3 million.
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his colleagues discuss the classic movies that made him famous, including "Jaws," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan."
n the wake of the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in police custody, Baltimore was a city on the edge. Peaceful protests and destructive riots erupted in the immediate aftermath of Gray’s death, while the city waited to hear the fate of the six police officers involved in the incident, reflecting the deep divisions between authorities and the community -- and underscoring the urgent need for reconciliation.
She's beautiful, artistic, loved and can't stand to be alive. 32 PILLS traces the fascinating life and mental illness of my sister, New York artist and photographer Ruth Litoff, and my struggle to come to terms with her tragic suicide.
Sometimes referred to as the country’s “most dangerous editor,” Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee was largely credited with taking down President Richard Nixon in 1974 after the Post broke the Watergate story, exposing the largest political scandal in American history. Told primarily in his own words, The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee is an intimate portrait of this formidable man, tracing his remarkable ascent from a young Boston boy stricken with polio to the one of the most pioneering and consequential journalistic figures of the 20th century.
Chronicling the dramatic life of the charismatic head of FIAT, this compelling portrait features intimate interviews with nearly 40 family members, friends, professional confidantes and rivals, including: his sisters and other relatives; former lovers; current and former FIAT employees and executives; his butler and cook; and journalists, historians and friends, among them Henry Kissinger, Valentino, Jackie Rogers, Sally Bedell Smith, Roger Cohen, Jas Gawronski, Lee Radziwill and his niece, Diane von Furstenberg.
In the last years of his life, David Bowie ended nearly a decade of silence to engage in an extraordinary burst of activity, producing two groundbreaking albums and a musical. David Bowie: The Last Five Years explores this unexpected end to a remarkable career.
When ten-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz and finding a new life in America. Directed and produced by Emmy winner Amy Schatz, the short film The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm interweaves haunting historical footage and hand-painted animation to tell a heartbreaking story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, sharing memories and lessons of the Holocaust with a new generation.
Founded by Scott and Seth Avett and Bob Crawford in 2001, The Avett Brothers have gone from obscurity to critical acclaim and sold-out tours, experiencing profound heartbreak and exceptional joy along the way. Filmed with extensive access over the course of more than two years, May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers is an inside look at the North Carolina band, from their origins to a recent collaboration with legendary record producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Jay Z, Beastie Boys, Dixie Chicks, etc.) on the Grammy-nominated album True Sadness.
In 1942, the U.S. government chose downtown St. Louis as a processing center of uranium for the first atomic bombs. Over the next 25 years, the radioactive waste from this processing center was moved to sites throughout the city’s northern and western suburbs and eventually dumped into the West Lake Landfill in North St. Louis County. But until recently, many residents living near the landfill were unaware the waste had become a ticking time bomb.
In 2015, African-American schoolteacher Breaion King was stopped for a minor traffic violation in Austin, Texas — and what should have been a routine encounter quickly escalated into a harrowing arrest that was captured in detail by police dash cams.
An intimate portrait of one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, told from the unique perspective of his daughter, who filmed interviews with her father over decades. The doc features a host of personal archival material and provides new insights into Miller’s life as an artist and explores his character in all its complexity.
When Garry Shandling passed away in 2016, he was widely remembered as a top stand-up comic and the star of two of the most innovative sitcoms in TV history. But to those who knew him, the “real” Garry Shandling was a far more complex person.
Part Two of The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling offers an extensive examination of The Larry Sanders Show, his landmark HBO comedy series. Colleagues remember the demands of producing material that met Shandling’s high standards, while his diaries reveal an ongoing struggle with complacency and search for authenticity.
A documentary on the last years of Martin Luther King Jr., this doc explores the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to MLK’s assassination in 1968. It is designed to find a clear window into King’s character, showing him to be a man with an unshakable commitment to nonviolence in the face of an increasingly unstable country.
A documentary examining the life and career of one of the most beloved legends in WWE history, from Andre’s upbringing in France to his celebrated WWE career and forays into the entertainment world.
He was a boy from Tupelo who grew up to become the biggest star in music. Along the way, he absorbed a staggering range of influences, creating a revolutionary sound in his lifelong search for self-expression. Part 1 details Elvis’ early life in Tupelo, Mississippi and his unprecendented rise to fame over a single year.
Elvis Presley: The Searcher includes stunning atmospheric shots taken inside Graceland, Elvis’ iconic home, and features more than 20 new, primary source interviews with session players, producers, engineers, directors and other artists who knew him or who were profoundly influenced by him Part 2 begins with his return home after his Army discharge and facing a rapidly changing pop-music scene.
“I Am Evidence,” produced by Law & Order:SVU actress Mariska Hargitay, is about the untested rape kit backlog in the U.S. The doc tells stories of survivors who have waited years for their kits to be tested, as well as the law enforcement officials who are leading the charge to work through the backlog and pursue long-awaited justice
One in 10 American children suffers from serious emotional disturbance and more than 17 million have experienced a psychiatric disorder. A Dangerous Son focuses primarily on three families in crisis, each struggling with a child’s severe mental illness, desperately seeking treatment in the face of limited resources and support.
Produced and directed by six-time Emmy winner Peter Kunhardt, along with Emmy winners George Kunhardt and Teddy Kunhardt, this documentary about Senator John McCain is an illuminating, exclusive profile of one of the most influential forces in modern American politics.
An epic, yet intimate portrait of lives in transit and the human consequences of the refugee crisis spanning the Mediterranean. It Will Be Chaos unfolds between Italy and the Balkan corridor, focusing on two unforgettable refugee stories of human strength and resilience in search of a better and safer future. The film is directed by Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo and debuts in conjunction with World Refugee Day, June 20.
Directed by Don Argott, Believer follows Mormon Dan Reynolds, frontman for the Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons, as he takes on a new mission to explore how the Mormon Church treats its LGBTQ members. With the rising suicide rate amongst teens in the state of Utah, his concern with the Church's policies sends him on an unexpected path for acceptance and change.
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is told largely through Williams’ own words, and celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014. The film explores his extraordinary life and career, revealing what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. With previously unheard and unseen glimpses into his creative process through interviews with Williams, as well as home movies and onstage footage, this insightful tribute features in-depth interviews with those who knew and loved him, including Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber and his son, Zak Williams.
A look at the life, work, activism and controversies of actress and fitness tycoon, Jane Fonda.
The story of New York City journalists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill lauded in their time as the voice of New York.
Filmed in the months following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, while the Florida school community is grappling with the tragedy, Song of Parkland documents the dedication of drama teacher Melody Herzfeld and her theater students as they return to school and resolve to continue with their production.
Academy Award winner Alex Gibney directs a documentary investigating the rise and fall of Theranos, the one-time multibillion-dollar healthcare company founded by Elizabeth Holmes. In 2004, Holmes dropped out of Stanford to start a company that was going to revolutionize healthcare. In 2014, Theranos was valued at $9 billion, making Holmes the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world. But just two years later, Theranos was cited as a “massive fraud” by the SEC, and its value was less than zero.
"One Nation Under Stress" follows Sanjay Gupta as he tries to uncover the root causes of why American life expectancy is falling and is now shorter than all other major developed countries.
Produced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, George DiCaprio and Mathew Schmid and directed by Leila Conners, Ice on Fire is an eye-opening documentary that focuses on many never-before-seen solutions designed to slow down our escalating environmental crisis. The film goes beyond the current climate change narrative and offers hope that we can actually stave off the worst effects of global warming.
A tribute to one of the world's great filmmakers and the men of the 8th Air Force who flew mission after suicidal mission in the Second World War.
This feature documentary tells the inside story behind the hunt for ISIS poster boy "Jihadi John" by the US and British military and intelligence services. It interrogates the twisted worldview espoused by ISIS - the richest and most notorious Islamist terrorist organisation in history - and its propaganda machine which was operated by "Jihadi millennials" who turned social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube into recruitment platforms.
An exploration of the changing attitudes in the United States surrounding death, including the ways it is recognized today and how many approach the end of life.
Eight student eyewitnesses from Stuyvesant High School in New York City recount their experiences of the Twin Towers attack on September 11, 2001, who as young teenagers, found themselves fleeing debris in the heart of the danger zone and faced with a harrowing journey home.
Acclaimed author Buzz Bissinger narrates his own journey as he struggles and searches for his own true freedom of expression.
A look at the history of the Statue of Liberty and the meaning of sculptor Auguste Bartholdi's creation to people around the world.
The Saudi Women’s Driving School in the capital city of Riyadh is said to be the world's largest driving school, catering exclusively to women. While they embrace a new way of life and the freedom that comes from being behind the wheel, they also face challenges in a conservative Kingdom that appears to be making strides towards gender equality, but continues to silence and jail female activists.
From the team behind HBO’s If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, The Bronx, USA follows producer George Shapiro as he returns to his hometown of the Bronx. Revisiting the streets, stores and memories of his childhood, Shapiro reflects on the singularity of the borough he grew up in and the close friendships he made there that have stood the test of time.
The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.
A documentary about the origin and the up growth of the fashion label Ralph Lauren.
Overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds that life threw his way, Liston became heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1962. Eight years later, he died but friends questioned the cause of his death.
Two officers with the San Antonio Police Department mental health unit are diverting people away from jail and into mental health treatment, and doing it one 911 call at a time.
The documentary explores the four-decade-long friendship between two of the most successful and revered coaches in football history.
Eight children, who were once living in orphanages and other institutions around the world, are reunited with family members or placed in safe, loving homes with the help of J.K. Rowling's LUMOS foundation.
Wigstock was an annual drag festival which glamorously signaled the end of summer for the gay community in New York City for almost 20 years.
The life and times of Muhammad Ali, as shown through the lens of his numerous appearances on The Dick Cavett Show (1968).
Students take the stage in a public speaking competition in this inspiring portrait of Oakland, CA's 40th Annual MLK Oratorical Festival.
Women of Troy is an HBO Sports documentary exploring the transcendent career of the Cheryl Miller-led USC Trojans and their impact on women's basketball.
A look at the ongoing threat caused by the phenomenon of "fake news" in the U.S., focusing on the real-life consequences that disinformation, conspiracy theories and false news stories have on the average citizen.
Finnish hacker and election expert Harri Hursti investigates election-related hacks, uncovering just how unprotected voting systems really are.
The true story of basketball insider Christian Dawkins, who hustled the FBI in a scandal that threatened to take down the NCAA.
Autism: The Sequel revisits the stars of this musical 12 years later as the original subjects, now in their early 20s, navigate what independence means to them as they manage both challenges and triumphs as adults living on the autism spectrum.
Exploring Natalie Wood's life and career through the unique perspective of her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, and others who knew her best.
A look at the life and work of New York power broker Roy Cohn.
A group of activists risk their lives fighting for LGBTQ+ rights in Chechnya.
A documentary about the highs and lows of children in show business, featuring interviews and examinations of the lives and careers of the most famous former child actors in the world.
Mayor Tubbs through his first term in office as he tirelessly advances his innovative proposals for a city at a turning point.
A look at the mental health challenges Olympic athletes often face.
A look at the events surrounding the murder of Yusuf Hawkins, a black teenager in Brooklyn, who was killed in by a group of white youths.
An immigrant from Puerto Rico is determined to bring the musical 'Hamilton' to his island home.
A documentary that charts the rise and fall of prominent New York sports radio personality Craig Carton.
The rise of cyber conflict as the primary way nations now compete and sabotage each other.
537 Votes chronicles the political machinations that led to the unprecedented, contested outcome of the 2000 presidential election, including the chaotic voter recount in Florida that ended with George W. Bush winning by a razor-thin margin. From director Billy Corben and his producing partner Alfred Spellman, with Adam McKay (HBO’s “Succession”) and Todd Schulman executive producing, the film details how the international custody battle over six-year old Elian Gonzalez triggered a political earthquake in Miami-Dade County in 2000, swaying the outcome of the presidential election. With the margin of victory hinged on Florida, George W. Bush won the presidency by a mere 537 votes. With new insights, the documentary exposes the key players who contributed to the chaos in the contested Florida county, including interviews from insiders and political operatives at the time such as Roger Stone, Joe Geller, Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party, and Al Cárdenas, Chairman of the Florida Republican Party.
Present-day, fraught political reality by exploring historical challenges of the past.
Follows one family and the residents of Ventura County, CA through a journey of devastation, repair and survival after one of the largest wildfires in state history destroys their beloved community.
This four-part documentary series follows the 2019 campaign of the St. Frances Academy Panthers football team. Located in one of Baltimore's poorest neighborhoods, a city plagued by corruption and violence, the Panthers program has become a symbol of hope and controversy in inner-city Baltimore.
Filmed over five years in Kansas City, this documentary follows four kids - beginning at ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 - as they redefine "coming of age." These kids and their families reveal intimate realities of how gender is re-shaping the family next door in a never-before-told chronicling of growing up transgender in the heartland. The film is a nuanced examination of how families tussle, transform, and sometimes find unexpected purpose in their identities as transgender families. Lighthearted and deeply moving, this story teaches us something new about being human.
An examination of the research by forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who investigated the psychology of murderers.
Who is D.B. Cooper? This roller-coaster ride of a documentary brings to life the stories of four individuals fervently believed by their family and friends to be the mystery man who hijacked a 727, exchanged passengers for $200,000 and four parachutes, then leaped from the plane over some of Washington state's roughest terrain, and was never heard from again.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Quincy Fortier covertly used his own sperm to inseminate his fertility patients. Now his secret is out and his children seek the truth about his motives and try to make sense of their own identities.
Explores the story of a Pentecostal minister, accused of attempting to murder his wife with a rattlesnake. Based on true events!
An investigation into the truth behind the murder of Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Gerardi, who was killed in 1998 just days after trying to hold the country's military accountable for the atrocities committed during its civil war.
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart chronicles the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs and have 20 No. 1 hits throughout their career, transcending more than five decades of changing tastes and styles. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Seabiscuit) with award-winning producers Nigel Sinclair and Jeanne Elfant Festa (HBO’s The Apollo and HBO’s George Harrison: Living in the Material World), the film features revealing interviews with oldest brother Barry and archival interviews with the late twin brothers Robin and Maurice. The film features a wealth of never-before-seen archival footage of recording sessions, concert performances, TV appearances, and home videos, as well as interviews with musicians Eric Clapton, music producer Mark Ronson, among others.
Take an intimate dive into the life and career of the recently retired star pitcher CC Sabathia in this HBO Sports documentary.
Following three Los Angeles-based people with relatively small followings, the film explores the attempts made to turn them into famous influencers by purchasing fake followers and bots to “engage” with their social media accounts
Inspired by the late David C. Driskell’s landmark 1976 exhibition, "Black Art" offers an illuminating introduction to the work of some of the foremost Black visual artists working today.
'Persona' explores the unexpected origin story of America’s great obsession with personality testing, uncovering the intriguing history behind the world-famous Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, while raising a slew of ethical questions and demonstrating how some personality tests may do more harm than good – like impacting online dating matches or job prospects. This eye-opening documentary reveals the profound ways that ideas about personality have shaped our society.
Covid Diaries NYC chronicles the lives of five young filmmakers, ages 17 to 21, who turn their cameras on themselves and tell the stories of their families during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
The documentary captures a broad swath of voices and experiences exploring how the pandemic pressed pause on their careers, but also changed their lives in dramatic and surprising ways. The film features everyone from an NFL Super Bowl champion who volunteers in the ER, to a defending WNBA champ who decides to sit out the 2020 season to focus on protesting racial injustice.
With over 200 million record sales worldwide, 12 Grammy Awards and the holder of the Guinness World Record for selling more concert tickets than any solo performer in history, Tina Turner’s road to global superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It is the ultimate story of survival.
The Last Cruise chronicles the coronavirus outbreak onboard the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship from the first-hand perspective of those onboard.
In their bestselling book Our Towns, legendary journalists James and Deborah Fallows travel America for five years, looking at how small towns and cities respond to setbacks.
Four Hours at the Capitol is an immersive chronicle of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.
A meditation on the elemental bonds of family told through portraits of four Syrian families in the aftermath of war.
Chronicles the lives of Freddie, Rob, and Deliris, and the struggles they face on the streets of Newark, New Jersey catalyzed by the ever growing drug epidemic.
A searing look at corruption within the Baltimore Police Department, through the prism of a veteran officer's mysterious death, as local journalists, family and the community strive to find the truth.
How To Survive A Pandemic details the work of researchers in their labs, scientists conducting volunteer trials and science journalists working to stay abreast of the fast-shifting landscape as the coronavirus continued its deadly onslaught. With unparalleled access to world-renowned scientists, the heads of pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and frontline workers, this documentary is the definitive chronicle of the most consequential undertaking of the 21st century. It is where towering achievements in science collide with the geopolitical realities of desperation, greed, and nationalism. "How To Survive A Pandemic" is perhaps a poor title for a mostly fascinating documentary, whose flaws reflect its slightly fragmented nature. Yet at its core this HBO presentation captures the race to produce a vaccine amid political pressures imposed by a president preoccupied with his reelection, offering fly-on-the-wall access to many of the key players.
Two brothers Saud and Nadeem were raised in New Delhi, looking at a sky speckled with black kites, watching as relatives tossed meat up to these birds of prey. Muslim belief held that feeding the kites would expel troubles. Now, birds are falling from the polluted, opaque skies of New Delhi and the two brothers have made it their life’s work to care for the injured black kites
The film examines the life and career of photographer and activist Nan Goldin and her efforts to hold Purdue Pharma, owned by the Sackler family, accountable for the opioid epidemic. Goldin, a well known photographer whose work often documented the LGBT subcultures and the HIV/AIDS crisis, founded the advocacy group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) in 2017 after her addiction to Oxycontin, and near fatal overdose of fentanyl. P.A.I.N. specifically targets museums and other arts institutions to hold the art community accountable for its collaboration with the Sackler family and its well publicized financial support of the arts. Since P.A.I.N.'s activities most of the targeted museums have severed all ties with the Sackler family and in 2021 Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy.
The documentary uses a montage-style editing format to convey a biography of Bowie, utilizing film clips and interviews from throughout his career.
It follows the life and career of Donna Summer. Brooklyn Sudano wanted to make a documentary revolving around her mother, Donna Summer, after realizing there was more to her than people knew.[2] Roger Ross Williams also wanted to make a documentary revolving around Summer, while discussing a potential project with Julie Goldman, Goldman connected the two.[3][4] Williams and Sudano did not want the project to be a puff piece, instead exploring difficult aspects of Summer's life and career.[5] Sudano and Williams opted to use Summer speaking in her own words, using audiotapes recorded for her memoir Ordinary Girl.[6] In December 2021, it was announced Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano would direct a documentary film revolving around Donna Summer.[7]
With unprecedented access to Mary Tyler Moore’s vast archive, Being Mary Tyler Moore chronicles the screen icon whose storied career spanned sixty years. Weaving Moore’s personal narrative with the beats of her professional accomplishments, the film highlights her groundbreaking roles and the indelible impact she had on generations of women who came after her.
The documentary is about relationship of a father and his daughter via home movies. The father films his daughter every year on her birthday, asking the same questions. The girl goes from a toddler to a young woman with all the beautiful and awkward stages in between while the father-daughter relationship evolves in all its complexities.
The documentary focuses on trans history from the perspective of Black and Latina trans women who had been sex workers in the Meatpacking District in New York City during the 1980s and 1990s, in a place referred to as "The Stroll," during the time period before the area became gentrified.[2][3][4] The film incorporates archival video and news footage as well as photographs.[5][3] Trans women who survived the 1980s and 1990s in New York City provide an oral history through interviews in the film.[5] Archival footage includes RuPaul visiting the area with a film crew.[5][6] The film also includes a focus on the murder of Amanda Milan, a Black trans woman sex worker who was killed in Times Square in 2000, the media response and the mobilization of the trans community that followed.[5] The film concludes with a June 2020 gathering of 15,000 people listening to Ceyenne Doroshow announce the success of a fundraiser to support housing for Black trans people.[5]
The biography of renowned actor Rock Hudson is examined in this relevant investigation of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity, from his public "ladies' man" character to his private life as a gay man.
Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt double David Holmes, whose close friendship endures a life-changing accident.
The young Demir dreams of a wedding. But his Roma tower block at the outskirts of a provincial town in Bulgaria is no place for romance. 25 years ago it had all it takes for panel socialist heaven: from parquet floors to intercom, the coveted hot water central, street lamps, benches under murmuring apple trees. Someone called the place Paradise Hotel – and the name stuck. But with the years the block gradually changed. The parquet disappeared. The water stopped. The lights went off. But each of the 1 500 inhabitants has a plan how to get back the dream of Paradise Lost. A timely story about the 70′s Bulgarian social experiment, an attempt to integrate Roma in the mainstream society, and the aftermath of it 25 years later.
