History Films

Between Two Worlds

Between Two Worlds: The Hmong Shaman In America powerfully exposes the struggle of Hmong refugees in America. This classic documentary traces the lives of three Hmong families displaces thousands of miles from their villages in Northern Laos and alienated in American cities. Renowned anthropologist, Dwight Conquergood, narrates the rich history of shamanic rituals and explains the similarity between Hmong beliefs and those of Aboriginal people of the Americas.

Bolinao 52

Directed by: Duc Nguyen
Produced by: Duc Nguyen

One boat with 110 passengers escaped from Vietnam. After 37 days of drifting only 52 survived.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$200
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.95
Home Viewing	$23.95

Journey with Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol to the heart of the Amazon rainforest in search of the indigenous children she photographed fifteen years ago. This film invites you to see through the eyes of these remarkably resilient people whose lives are transformed by a road carved through their forest home by an outside world. From Chief Amir Surui’s embattled efforts to stop illegal loggers to the assassination of legendary rubber tapper Chico Mendes, this poetic and visually stunning film engages our senses and sympathies as global issues take on a profound human perspective.

LICENSE	PRICE
Home Viewing	$21

Disenchanted Forest

Directed by: Sarita Siegel
Produced by: Taggart Siegel

We call them o-rang-u-tans, which literally means "forest persons" in the Malay and Indonesian languages. They are the only great apes native to Asia. Of all the apes, they are the closest to man in genetic makeup. And they face extinction.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$100
Home Viewing	$23.99

A Dream in Doubt is an immigrant story in a world in which patriotism has morphed into murder. When Rana Singh Sodhi’s brother is killed in America’s first post-9/11 revenge murder, he begins a journey to reclaim his American dream and fight the hate that continues to threaten his community. This intimate, hour-long documentary of one man’s odyssey from persecution in India to embracing America as his homeland proves that courage and hope have the power to overcome hate.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$265
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99
Home Viewing	$24.95

Every Child Is Born A Poet

"The deeply felt resonance of "EVERY CHILD IS BORN A POET" derives from Piri Thomas' unique ability to connect with his own interior life of feelings, and then to verbalize them through his art to the rest of the world."
– Jon Gartenberg

A fiery mix of documentary, drama, & spoken-word poetry, EVERY CHILD IS BORN A POET explores the life and work of Piri Thomas, the Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican author of the classic autobiographical novel Down These Mean Streets. The film traces Thomas’ path from childhood to manhood in New York City’s Spanish Harlem, El Barrio, from the 1930's through the 1960’s – from home life during the Great Depression, to membership in barrio youth gangs, from a life of crime through six years spent in prison to his emergence as a writer.

Special Educational 16 Page Study Guide Included

The shocking hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican day laborers catapult a small Long Island town into national headlines, unmasking a new front line in the border wars: suburbia. For nearly a year, filmmakers Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini lived and worked in Farmingville, New York, so they could capture first-hand the stories of residents, day laborers and activists on all sides of the debate. This timely and powerful film is more than a story about illegal immigration. Ultimately it challenges viewers to ask what the 'American dream' really means.

Resource guide, Discussion guide and Transcript available from Active Resource's Farmingville campaign page.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION
LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.95
Home Viewing	$21

BILINGUAL SPANISH/ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION
LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.95
Home Viewing	$21

Freedom on the Fence

Directed by: Glenn Holsten and Andrea Marks
Produced by: Andrea Marks

Freedom on the Fence details the evolution of Polish poster art by revealing the unique role posters played in the social, political and cultural life of Poland, from WWII through the fall of Communism. The 40 min. documentary brings this story to life through interviews with leading Polish poster artists, and commentaries from both American and Polish scholars on the significance of the Polish poster as a cultural icon.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.95
Home Viewing	$24.95

“The effects of the US/Cuba impasse has never felt more personal than in this true story of twin sisters......an incredible documentary. An emotional convergence of politics and family.”
– Festival of Women’s Film & Media Arts, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 2007

Two sisters. One passion. Romance. Revolution. Estrangement.

MIRROR DANCE tells the story of Margarita and Ramona de Saa, twin sisters who danced with the National Ballet of Cuba, whose once inseparable relationship was torn apart by love and politics.

Return to Tarawa: The Leon Cooper Story

Directed by: Steven Barber
Produced by: Leon Cooper

In 1943 US Navy ensign Leon Cooper was charged with protecting the lives of hundreds of US Marines in the first major US amphibious assault upon the heavily defended Japanese stronghold Tarawa, an island archipelago in the South Pacific. Sixty-six years later Leon decided to return to the scene of his first (of six) battle experience because he had learned that the remains of many Americans still lay where they fell during the battle of “Bloody Tarawa,” in unmarked graves. Academy Award nominated actor Ed Harris narrates this veteran’s emotional struggle with his past.

For Mature Audiences.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.95
Home Viewing	$24.95

Ridin' & Rhymin': A Documentary About the Poetry and Perseverance of Cowgirl Georgie Sicking

"RIDIN' AND RHYMIN" captures the grace and grit of the remarkable Georgie Sicking: a cowboy, a poet, and a survivor. This sensitively crafted story reveals the uncomplicated wisdom and indomitable spirit of a sturdy soul who is an inspiration for us all.”
—Margo Metegrano, Editor, CowboyPoetry.com

Cowgirl poet Georgie Sicking pens tough rhymes for hard times. Whether on horseback, driving cattle across mountains, or onstage reciting to hundreds of fans, this intimate documentary captures the remarkable life of America’s most honored cowgirl poet.

Featuring the music of Lisa Miller & Ian Miller (from Lisa & Her Kin), Wylie & the Wild West, Leon Autrey, and David Lipkind.

The Split Horn:
Life of a Hmong Shaman in America

"It would be difficult for another documentary to equal the scope of Taggart Siegel's film "THE SPLIT HORN: Life of a Hmong shaman in America."
— Justin Lowe, Asian Week

The Split Horn is the sweeping story of a Hmong shaman and his family living in Appleton, Wisconsin. Documenting the journey of Paja Thao and his family from the mountains of Laos to the heartland of America this poignant film shows a shaman's struggle to maintain his ancient traditions as his children embrace American culture. American has become the testing ground for the enduring strength of Hmong culture. The evocative narrative captures the daily struggle to Paja Thao's family between two worlds.

The Women and the Waves

Directed by: Heather Hudson
Produced by: Heather Hudson and Peck Euwer

The Women and the Waves documents the female surfing experience through the lives of ten women from age 17 to 64. The film pays tribute to pioneers who paved the way and recognition to the everyday surfers who keep the dream alive.

LICENSE	PRICE
University and College	$250
High School, Community Libraries & Non Profits	$99.99
Home Viewing	$24.95