In 2011, Maine State Prison launched a pioneering reform program to scale back its use of solitary confinement. Bafta and Emmy-winning film-maker Dan Edge and his co-director Lauren Mucciolo were given unprecedented access to the solitary unit - and filmed there for more than three years. The result is an extraordinary and harrowing portrait of life in solitary - and a unique document of a radical and risky experiment to reform a prison. The US is the world leader in solitary confinement. More than 80,000 American prisoners live in isolation, some have been there for years, even decades. Solitary is proven to cause mental illness, it is expensive, and it is condemned by many as torture. And yet for decades, it has been one of the central planks of the American criminal justice system.
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Reengineering SAM (2016)
Sam Schmidt lived out his boyhood dream as an IndyCar racer, winning races and earning the title of IndyCar "Rookie of the Year" along the way. That dream came to an abrupt end when Sam crashed into a wall at 200 miles per hour, leaving him a quadriplegic. Reengineering SAM pulls the curtain back and shows up close the serious implications of a life of paralysis on Sam and everyone around him. Sam's accident rendered him physically helpless, never being able to brush his teeth, much less drive again, until a dedicated group of some of the brightest minds today stepped up to build him a car that he could drive, using only his head. Through groundbreaking adaptive technologies, Reengineering SAM chronicles Sam Schmidt's inspirational road back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and shows the promise of freedom and mobility for almost anyone confined to a wheelchair.
Enemy Image (2005)
An examination of the how television news in the US has covered war from Vietnam to the present day
Pimps Up, Ho's Down (2000)
Brent Owens directs this documentary that follows the life of several "professional gentlemen of leisure." Originally aired on HBO America Undercover and was released on DVD with extended footage.
Lords of the Forest (1958)
Documentary about the inhabitants, both human and animal, of the Belgian Congo. Released in 1958.
A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration (2010)
What is a family? Rosie O'Donnell looks at the many answers to this question in this documentary that features original songs and thoughtful kids musing on love and family. The show provides a less than moving portrait of the remarkable diversity of so called families today, including same-sex parents, mixed-heritage families, and stories of adoption. Animated songs and musical performances by kids and families spice up the festivities along with performances and recordings by artists including Ziggy Marley, Bonnie Raitt, Doris Day, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Frank Sinatra, Rosie O'Donnell and They Might Be Giants.
Brendan O’Connell Is Blocking the Bread Aisle (2013)
A short documentary by Brendan O’Connell in which he goes into Walmart stores to paint the aisles he walks and the people he sees. O’Connell says “whatever your views are, positive or negative related to Walmart, it just is. From an artist’s perspective, addressing this environment that is an undeniable component to contemporary life is exciting.”
JFK Remembered: 50 Years Later (2013)
A look back at the 1000 days of the John F. Kennedy presidency.
Virgin School (2007)
Virgin School follows the emotional and physical journey of 26-year-old virgin James as he embarks on a unique four-month course for sexually inexperienced men in Amsterdam
Thoughts and Visions of a Severed Head (1991)
The theme of death is heavily interwoven in Smolder’s surreal salute to Belgian painter Antoine Wiertz, a Hieronymus Bosch-type artist whose work centered on humans in various stages in torment, as depicted in expansive canvases with gore galore. Smolders has basically taken a standard documentary and chopped it up, using quotes from the long-dead artist, and periodic statements by a historian (Smolders) filling in a few bits of Wiertz’ life.
Rats (2016)
Based on Robert Sullivan’s bestselling book, Morgan Spurlock and his team travel around the world to bring viewers face to face with rats while delving into humans’ complicated relationship with the creepy creatures.
Billy Yeager The Ineffable Enigma (2016)
Billy Yeager is a musician, singer-songwriter, filmmaker, activist, humanitarian and an all around living breathing performance artist. He has written and recorded over 2600 songs, produced 6 films and been discovered many times by several well known artists, yet most of his works are extremely hard to find and are considered to be very valuable by serious collectors, but if it can't change the world, the artist wants no part of it. Turning his back on the music and film industries, Yeager retreats into the desert to make his films and create his music.
Color Adjustment (1992)
From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.
Shock Cinema: Volume One (1991)
An hour-long documentary featuring interviews with various filmmakers who've made a name in the direct-to-video market.
Shock Cinema: Volume Two (1991)
Hour long documentary features interviews with filmmakers, actors and others who work low budget movies.
Shock Cinema: Volume Three (1991)
Subtitled "Bloopers, Babes and Blood!," this video features scenes from numerous CInema Home Video releases as well as behind the scenes footage and bloopers from Nightmare Sisters (1988) and Dr. Alien (1989).
Hong Kong’s Secret City (1988)
Not many people know that there is in the center of Hong Kong, a city of 50,000 inhabitants that escape authority, a city which holds no law and no order, the ‘walled city’. Never before has a television crew been allowed to enter this labyrinth. Christa Wesemann, an Austrian documentary filmmaker, has achieved this for the first time. The recordings from the ‘walled city’ are breathtaking pictures, as it has never seen the world. The history and daily flow in Walled City are ruled by the ‘triad’, a Chinese crime syndicate.
Traceable (2014)
Traceable follows Laura Siegel, a fashion designer who takes a critical look at the fashion supply chain and fast fashion industry, travels through India in order to meet and work together with the artisans who create the majority of the clothing that we wear. The film explores our growing disconnect of how and who makes our clothing, thus instilling a need for traceability in the fashion industry.
Shock Cinema: Volume Four (1991)
A documentary about special makeup effects on low budget horror films. Includes behind-the-scenes footage from Murder Weapon (1989), Robot Ninja (1989), Ghoul School (1990) and Skinned Alive (1990).
Shock Waves: One Hundred Years After the 1906 Earthquake (2006)
This 46-minute film includes dramatic historical footage, colorful animations, and interviews with earthquake experts. The catastrophe of the great 1906 quake spurred a century of progress in earthquake science and engineering. Current and future research includes drilling through the San Andreas Fault at depth in the SAFOD Experiment. Learn what you can do to reduce the risk to yourself and family. Shock Waves received recognition as an outstanding documentary at the 2006 Telly Awards and has been nominated for an Emmy.