A provocative look at educational settings in which relationships, creative thinking and direct experience are valued more highly than memorization of facts. This national PBS special profiles a range of innovative schools across the country.
MOMENT by MOMENT is a story about the remarkable recovery of a woman who suffered a severe spinal cord injury. She and her husband, working together with their community, make return of movement for her, which had seemed impossible, become possible through determination, hard work, and love.
WOMAN by WOMAN documents progressive change for women in some of the least developed villages of India. In the film, we meet courageous women who are coming out of seclusion in order to be of service by making family planning resources available in their communities.
Celebration uses a poetic interface of images, music and narration to symbolize the marriage between male and female forces within one individual. The resulting union gives birth to a vibrant, integrated sense of Self.
SHATTERING the MYTH of AGING celebrates seniors who participate in a full range of athletic activities. The impressive result is that they become stronger and more active, rather than less, as the years go by.
Fix-it Shops takes an affectionate look behind the scenes at a small neighborhood business, which repairs small appliances.
WORLD PEACE is a LOCAL ISSUE -- shown to both Houses of Congress -- documents a Palo Alto City Council meeting to which 300 people showed up to express their hope about declaring the city a nuclear-free zone. The Council shifts from tabling the issue indefinitely to voting in support of a Nuclear Freeze Resolution.
PEACE: A Conscious Choice is a short animated film on the importance of dialogue between adversaries, an exchange which leads to understanding when nations are on the brink of military attack.
BREATHE EASY documents activities in the day to day life of a woman living with severe COPD/emphysema using supplemental oxygen. Her decision to live an active life with this challenge becomes an invitation for anyone at any age with any condition to live as fully as possible.
RADIANCE documents the presence of light as a universal symbol for "Spirit", to people from many cultures. The film weaves together images, music and a poetic narration, revealing how light continues to ignite inspiration in religion, philosophy, art, and architecture throughout human history.
In Ethiopia, the AIDS epidemic has left more than one million children without parents. Compassionate groups and individuals have taken on responsibility to raise and care for not only family members and neighbors, but also unique orphanages. This film explores the stories of these caregivers, and the young people for whom they care. Through the films, the viewer is able to "visit" with these children in their new homes for a birthday party, a meal together, a day at school, and much more.
Certain populations of men, such as truck drivers and soldiers, are among those more vulnerable to infection. These men are learning that unprotected sex leads to the spread of HIV/AIDS. As a result of intensive education programs in Ethiopia, individuals from within these groups now practice safer sex and are able to teach others about prevention. This film documents outreach efforts by and for men of all ages, from all walks of life.
This film follows Ethiopians who are working to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through education. Modes of communication, such as radio, television, and print media, provide basic information about becoming infected with the virus. Prevention education also comes alive in other settings, including street theater, coffee ceremonies, and funeral gatherings. This film explores the work of Ethiopians committed to controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS, while promoting respect and compassion for those living with the virus.
Nearly 60% of HIV+ individuals in Ethiopia are women. UNAIDS has estimated that approximately three quarters of all women infected with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009, there were approximately 12 million women living with HIV and AIDS, compared to about 8.2 million men.
This film documents courageous HIV + individuals, who are stepping forward and speaking out, despite the risk of social stigma. They are taking this risk in order to improve the lives of others living with the disease, and hopefully communicate the danger of infection from unprotected sexual contact.
RECLAIMING Their VOICE: The Native American Vote in New Mexico & Beyond begins by documenting the American Indian suffrage movement historically. With that perspective as background, current day stories follow the struggle of tribes and reservations in New Mexico today, as they step forward and speak out against injustice in the political process.
MOTHERHOOD by CHOICE, Not Chance distills key moments from each of the three films in the 2 ½ hour series, CHOICE: From the Back-Alleys to the Supreme Court & Beyond, by weaving together selected scenes and interviews from these provocative documentaries.
The FRAGILE PROMISE of CHOICE traces the current erosion of access to safe abortions, cutbacks in funding, and sieges of harassment and violence. Each of these attacks on women's reproductive rights affects the lives of abortion providers, and the women who seek their services. Clinics which provide abortion services, usually also provide reproductive health care.
From DANGER to DIGNITY: The Fight for Safe Abortion weaves together two parallel stories: the evolution of underground networks that helped women find safe abortions outside the law, and the intensive efforts by activists and lawmakers to decriminalize abortion through legislative and judicial channels.
This Academy Award-nominated film features compelling first person accounts which reveal the physical, legal, and emotional consequences during the era when abortion was a criminal act. Remembrances include those of women who experienced illegal abortions, doctors who risked imprisonment and loss of their licenses for providing illegal abortions, and individuals who broke the law by helping women find safe abortions.
STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote examines the state of election manipulation in the United States with two particular focii: voter disenfranchisement and the use of "riggable" electronic voting machines. The film sheds light on more than a decade of voting anomalies - from uncounted ballots, to vote-switching; from suppression at the polls to inaccurate "final" vote tallies.
PRODUCING WITH PASSION: Making Films That Change the World is not about making Hollywood films or eye candy. It's about applying your entire being to the job at hand in making a difference with your life, your life's work, and by gathering a group around you to create media miracles.
OPEN SECRET: The poems of the 13th Century Sufi Master Rumi, the original Whirling Dervish, read by Dorothy Fadiman in collaboration with the translator of this poetry, Coleman Barks. Live music performed on flute, violin, and tamboura is interwoven with the readings. Vocal and musical score produced by Dorothy Fadiman.
As Monarch numbers plummet toward endangered status, Butterfly Town, USA follows a community of activists in Pacific Grove, CA, who cooperate to protect their beloved butterfly sanctuary. Differences between citizens and the City are intercut with tree planting and increases in the butterfly count!
A Daring Journey follows three individuals who risked their lives to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. Their stories are a microcosm of the reality that many undocumented individuals face: working hard without legal status to earn a living and, at the same time, pursuing education.
The film profiles the determination of a profoundly deaf boy and his family. We see Darren grow from an early, silent childhood through his graduation from The Culinary Institute of America. We then follow the challenges he has faced, as he goes on to become an award-winning Chef at his own trend-setting restaurant. Throughout the film, we meet people whose lives have been touched by Darren.
CHEF DARREN
BUTTERFLY TOWN, USA
WHOSE CHILDREN 
STEPPING FORWARD:
BREATHE EASY:
WOMAN by WOMAN:
MOMENT by MOMENT:
RADIANCE:
CELEBRATION:
OPEN SECRET:
PEACE:
WORLD PEACE is