Dreaming a Nation: The Kurds

Actuality Holdings Inc.

"Until I knew I was a Kurd, I didn't know who I was. Now I know who I am and I am willing to die for it..."-the words, not of a battle-hardened guerrilla, but of a teenage girl from Australia. This program shows little children singing that the Kurds will live forever as jets roar overhead; it introduces us to warlords and guerrilla camps; and it demonstrates how people who are threatened by genocide feel that a state of their own is their only protection. That is the bottom line of nationalism. (50 minutes)

Lifting the Yoke: Ukraine

Actuality Holdings Inc.

The starting point of this program is the concept that your nation is where your graves are. Michael Ignatieff, the series presenter, stands by his great-grandfather's grave, whose marble top still bears marks from when it was used as a butcher's block in Stalin's time. This program examines the emotional effects of the establishment-or re-establishment-of an independent Ukraine: the looming ghost of Stalin, the fear of clashes between the Church and independence-minded nationalists, and opinions on both sides on the imposition of the Ukrainian language. (50 minutes)

Reconquering the Conquest: Quebec

Actuality Holdings Inc.

This program focuses the spotlight on a region that crackles with both aboriginal and linguistic nationalism. The politics of language is at the heart of the battle for a unilingual French-speaking society; at the same time, a different yet similar battle is going on in the icy north, where the Cree people are fighting the Quebec government over territory the Cree claim—an example of an aboriginal group using the language of European nationalism to advance its claims. Quebec raises the question of whether a single federal state can survive if it contains a couple of nations and two major language groups. (50 minutes)

Whose State? Whose Religion?

Marathon International

Israel was founded by Zionists, who viewed Israel as the Promised Land, the patrimony of the Jewish people. Today, many Israelis define themselves as a nation, not as a religion. Does being an Israeli mean embracing a religion, or is it a national identity? This program examines this divisive question that has pitted Israeli against Jew. Beginning with the forefathers who founded Israel on Zionist principles, to those who have immigrated seeking a homeland, this question of identity continues to shape Israeli politics and policy. (53 minutes)

Future Peace, Next War

Marathon International

At the time of Israel’s golden anniversary, it was a nation torn between its political left and right. In this program, the vision of Israel’s purpose and scope—and the leaders who have interpreted and shaped that vision—is discussed. From the first Begin/Sadat meeting in Jerusalem to the war against the PLO in Lebanon, from the post-Gulf War peace initiatives to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s history has been a story of the search for a lasting peace, but within the context of almost constant war. Even today, the volatile issues of security and territorial compromise remain unresolved. (52 minutes)

Democracy in China: A Billion Small Voices

Teleduction

In China, where approximately 80 percent of the population is rural, the impact of democratic village elections could reshape the future of the nation. Although some Chinese are skeptical, many believe that establishing democracy at the local level will pave the way for a democratic national government. This program focuses on the efforts of The Carter Center to support China's initiative by inviting Chinese delegates to observe U.S. primaries and by sending emissaries to China to assist in the mechanics of gathering and tabulating votes. In its post-Mao effort to catch up economically with other nations, China is opening the door to Western ways and attempting to take its place in the growing Global Village. (29 minutes)

Can Democracy Survive?

University of Notre Dame

In the Cold War era, democratic values of equality, liberty, and tolerance sustained the countries of Western Europe and North America. With the fall of communism, the question becomes, can democracy survive without a clear-cut enemy? Internal pressures have begun to emerge: voting and other forms of democratic expression are in steady decline; the middle class is disappearing; answers to difficult moral questions seem to elude us; and government remains gridlocked on important social issues. This program examines whether democracy can heal itself, or whether it is destined to follow other forms of government down the path to oblivion. (29 minutes)

Chinese Capitalism: Moving the Mountain

BBC Worldwide Learning

From fledgling cottage industries to the Shanghai stock market, China represents a unique blend of communism and capitalism. This program studies that phenomenon by examining how the Chinese themselves are adapting to the quasi-free market system. Chinese economic modernization is studied at a shoe factory, where communist worker ideals and capitalist goals coexist. In the largest migration in history, 90 million rural Chinese have moved to cities in search of jobs, a better life, and a larger slice of the capitalist pie, only to find the gap between rich and poor widening each day. Corruption, say many, is rampant. The issue of how these trends will eventually affect China's stability is examined. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)

Human Rights in China

BBC Worldwide Learning

China is booming economically. U.S. companies, including Motorola and Boeing, are employing thousands in new factories. However, Western economic investment has not translated into a Chinese acceptance of Western ideas concerning human rights-as evident in the Tiananmen Square massacre. This program discusses the progress that is being made. We meet a radio talk-show host who invites callers to grill government officials, and newspaper editors who sometimes run pieces critical of the government's human rights record. And while China may have a ways to go in this respect, one Chinese official predicts, "Full bellies and controlled political evolution will keep China on course [toward expanding human rights]." Original BBC broadcast title: Shaking the World. (49 minutes)

India: Working to End Child Labor

Network Ireland Television

This program examines India's immense child labor problem and the fight against it. The video contrasts this nation's status as the world's largest democracy with the fact that, inside its borders, 80 million children work physically exhausting jobs for minuscule wages. Incorporating interviews with Shanta Sinha, founder of the organization known as MVF, the video illustrates how the group coordinates community action against the exploitation of young people and creates bridge schools that help children with the transition from work to education. It also makes a strong case that child labor increases poverty levels. (Portions have English subtitles, 26 minutes)

No Colors: Racism and Prejudice in Modern Europe

Wilson R. Ruiz

Racial tension has become a politically explosive and socially divisive threat to stability in the European Union. This program looks at the racism and xenophobia brought to the surface by a massive influx of foreign workers and job-seekers into Western Europe; it also describes the search for equitable solutions by moderate EU leaders and citizens. Islamophobia, religious fundamentalism, the radicalization of young Muslim men, and racism in football (or soccer) are all examined. With insight into modern Europe's cultural and political dynamics, the film presents commentary from Mahmud Al-Rashid of the Muslim Council of Britain, British National Party spokesperson Colin Smith, European Parliament president Josep Borrell, and everyday people on the street. (27 minutes)

Human Trafficking: A Crisis for the EU and the World

Wilson R. Ruiz

Europe's wealth represents a golden opportunity for those who smuggle cheap, easily exploited workers across international borders. But how does the loathsome mechanism of human trafficking actually occur, and what are EU authorities doing to fight it? This program investigates by recording the experiences of human trafficking victims and evaluating the work of the EU government in the battle against 21st-century slavery. Corruption, prostitution, victim protection and repatriation, and the creation of FRONTEX-the agency responsible for European border patrol-are all highlighted, while members of the European Parliament and other officials discuss what must be done to improve anti-smuggling efforts. (27 minutes)

Give Me the Short Version on Burma

ClickView Pty Limited

Also known as Myanmar, Burma is perhaps the most strife-torn and politically isolated nation in Southeast Asia. Some experts refer to it as a rogue state, since it has been ruled for several decades by a military junta which tolerates no opposition and has one of the worst human rights records in the world. In terms of natural resources, Burma ranks among the wealthiest countries, but how those resources will be managed long-term is uncertain. This program explores the "Republic of the Union of Myanmar" by focusing on its environmental richness as well as its economic disparities, its troubled history, and its brutal political climate. Activists and scholars from a wide range of disciplines provide commentary. (43 minutes)

Helmut Kohl: German Giant

Parthenon Entertainment

A crystal-clear window into European politics during and following the Cold War, this program presents an intimate portrait of Helmut Kohl-Germany's longest-serving chancellor and the leader largely responsible for reuniting that country. Candidly discussing his extraordinary career, Kohl offers his perspective on many of his decisions, political alliances, and objectives as chancellor, as well as his painful family experiences. Additional on-screen commentary is provided by former President George H. W. Bush, former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, and several German political experts and insiders-including Chancellor Angela Merkel and former MP Norbert Blum. Rarely seen archival footage is featured as well. (50 minutes)

From Harmony to Revolution: The Birth and Growth of Socialism

Team Sound & Vision

As a movement, socialism thrived in Europe—but America was its cradle. This program explores the origins of socialist principles and how they evolved into military revolution in Russia and political strife in the United States. Recounting Robert Owen’s New Harmony experiment, the program details the intellectualization of socialism by Marx, Engels, and Bernstein, followed by the rise of Lenin and the creation of the U.S.S.R. The video also dissects Marx’s predictions about when and where revolution could be expected, studying the careers of Samuel Gompers and Eugene Debs and the successes and failures of American socialism. (57 minutes)

The Living Martyr: Inside the Hezbollah

Thomas Horton Associates

For militant followers of Islam, the highest honor is to be dubbed al-shahid al-hai—“the living martyr,” one who has irrevocably committed himself to dying in a suicide attack against the organization’s enemies. Why do boys and young men so readily embrace this ideal? And how do the mothers, sisters, and daughters feel about it and the honor that it confers upon them? Filled with exclusive interviews with Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance fighters and their families as well as chilling footage of suicide mission preparations, this program is a must-see documentary for anyone seeking to understand the political situation in the Middle East and beyond. (53 minutes)

The Killing of Kashmir

Journeyman Pictures

This program offers provocative perspectives on the fate of Kashmir and investigates the accusations of international human rights groups that Indian troops and police systematically kidnap, torture, and kill innocent civilians. Through firsthand accounts of the Indian troops and police as well as Pakistani militants immersed in the conflict, the documentary argues that the inhabitants of Kashmir are hapless victims of both sides. (50 minutes)

Corazon Aquino: Restoring Democracy in the Philippines

Danish Broadcasting Corporation

The assassination of Ninoy Aquino marked the beginning of the end for Ferdinand Marcos. In this program, Corazon Aquino explains how she entered into politics to continue the fight that her slain husband had begun-and in the process toppled a dictator and restored democracy in the Philippines. Discussion of key moments in her odyssey vividly evoke the time when a housewife with no political aspirations emerged as Asia's first female democratically elected president. Aquino, an exemplar of humility and faith in action, risked everything to carry out her heartfelt resolve to return power to the people. (41 minutes)

A Leaf Blown on the Winds of History: China's Last Emperor, Part One

LIC Australia

Groomed for power by the Dowager Empress, three-year-old Aisin-Gioro Puyi ascended China's imperial throne in 1908. This program illustrates the early years of his sporadic reign, his education under Scottish tutor Reginald Johnston, and the shifting of his political fortunes at the mercy of international events. Puyi's eviction from the Forbidden City during his teenage years, his Westernized playboy lifestyle, and his manifold marriages and liaisons all come to life through rarely seen archival footage, eyewitness interviews, and Puyi's own writings. The episode concludes at the height of the Japanese occupation, during which Puyi lost all semblance of authority and became a puppet ruler. (Portions in Chinese with English subtitles, 52 minutes)

Unstable Utopias: The Global Spread of Socialism

Team Sound & Vision

At the end of the 19th century, socialism was an idyllic dream among intellectuals. Sixty years later it had become a reality for much of the world. This program describes the expansion of socialist and Communist rule into Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and western Europe-showing the weaknesses that developed in the practice of socialism even as it reached the apex of its popularity. Documenting the ascendancy of Clement Atlee in Britain and the challenges of democratic socialism, the program also surveys Mao's brutal reign in China, Julius Nyerere's slide into dictatorship in Tanzania, and a problematic socialist experiment in Israel. (58 minutes)

Tearing Down the Wall: The Decline of Socialism

Team Sound & Vision

Did the Soviet Union collapse under external pressure or its own weight? What enabled free market forces to assert themselves in China? Is socialism dead, or has it simply evolved? This program addresses these and other questions, focusing on the political, cultural, and economic factors behind the fall of the iron curtain regimes. Outlining the Cultural Revolution and its consequences, the emergence of the Reagan and Thatcher administrations, and the backfiring of the Soviet coup in 1991, the program demonstrates in detail how governments across the world abandoned socialism-some entirely, while others have maintained a tenuous facade. (58 minutes)

Eric Hobsbawm and Slovakian Nationalism

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

"Nationalism is not compatible with the progress of history," says Eric Hobsbawm. In this program, the renowned Marxist historian travels 35 miles on the Pressburg Railway to prove his point-a brief trip from Vienna to Bratislava in 1996 and a century-long journey through a landscape that has seen some of Europe's most turbulent political changes. Using the excursion as a paradigm for the nationalistic struggles of the region, Professor Hobsbawm traces the birth of modern Slovakia from its roots in the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to the region's annexation by Hitler and subsequent domination by the Soviet Union, to Slovakian independence. (54 minutes)

Eqbal Ahmad and the Partitioning of India

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Eqbal Ahmad, a leading authority on colonialism and nationalism, asserts that "a nation is hard to define because it is an ideology based on identity, and identity constantly changes." And he should know, having once traveled 900 miles from his village in India to resettle in Pakistan as part of the 1947 Muslim exodus. This program engages Professor Ahmad in a retrospective investigation of the politico-religious ideals that led to the formation of India and Pakistan as he travels once again, 49 years later, the Grand Trunk Road. (55 minutes)

India: The River of Life

German United Distributors

Containing nearly a sixth of the world's population, India is home to almost a billion people, more than half of whom live in rural villages. This program provides an overview of topics such as the caste system as it exists in the holy Hindu town of Varanasi and the massive pilgrimages to Allahabad, where millions of Hindus come to ritually bathe at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers. Also discussed are arranged marriages; local trades in Agra, site of the matchless Taj Mahal; Sikhism in the city of Amritsar; the Indian/Pakistani tug-of-war for Kashmir; and the plight of small farmers, driven from their holdings by powerful landowners. (50 minutes)

Burma: In the Garden of the Crying Buddha

German United Distributors

Renamed Myanmar by its ruling junta, Burma is one of the world's poorest nations due to decades of iron-fisted military control and despite its valuable natural resources and priceless national treasures. This program presents an intriguing glimpse of Burmese life, ranging from washing the sacred Buddha at the Maha Muni Pagoda and the initiation of young Buddhist novices amid the ruins of Bagan to farming the amazing floating gardens of Lake Inle. Issues including Burma's 40-year civil war, the vital role of the railway and the cinema, and rampant smuggling are addressed as well. (49 minutes)

The Defector: Escape from North Korea

Journeyman Pictures

Sook-ja is one of tens of thousands of North Koreans who have risked death to flee the abusive conditions of Kim Jong-un’s regime, but her new life across the border is far from ideal. As an undocumented migrant, she may be exploited for labor or sold as a sex slave. If caught out as a defector she’ll be sent back south and likely face imprisonment or even execution. Korean-Canadian filmmaker Ann Shin came to China to document the plight of North Korean defectors like Sook-ja, and learned that many pay human traffickers to smuggle them to safer locations in Asia. This program follows along as Shin, Sook-ja, and a trafficker named Dragon undertake a dangerous journey to Thailand, where Sook-ja can apply for asylum. (Portions with English subtitles, 71 minutes)

Environmental Impacts: Ethical Textiles

Digital Rights Group Limited

What would happen if we changed the way our clothes are made and sold? If we used different fibers or different agricultural techniques? If we insisted that facilities which produce textile products dispose of chemicals and materials properly? This program assesses the environmental impact of the textile industry both in the U.K. and abroad. It explores the ecological footprint of textile production in Bangladesh, and shows how the true cost of cheap textiles is being felt by the very poorest living downstream from polluting textile factories. It also looks at how companies are working to reduce the harmful results of their presence in the ecosystem by using state-of-the-art water recycling plants and by making better use of their waste streams. A part of the series Ethical Textiles: Sustainability and Fair Trade. (27 minutes)

The Road to Mandalay: Assessing the Myanmar Reforms

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Burma, also known as Myanmar, has long been closed to the scrutiny of journalists and camera crews, and its only real ally and investor has been neighboring China. But, following the dubious elections of 2010, things began to change. The government released dissenter Aung San Suu Kyi, suspended a dam project with China, freed thousands of prisoners, and signed peace pacts with a number of warring ethnic groups. This report on the country was produced with a previously unheard-of travel visa and a relatively liberal ability to film and interview without interference. Locations include the old colonial capital of Rangoon (now Yangon), the bizarre new North Korean–style capital Naypyidaw, the ancient temple town of Bagan, and the bustling commercial hub of Mandalay. Speaking with reporters, a presidential advisor sheds light on past turmoil and insists that Burma is now heading in the right direction—an assertion whose validity remains to be seen. (Portions with English subtitles, 28 minutes)

Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man

California Newsreel

After Thomas Sankara rose to power in a popularly-supported coup in 1983, he changed the name of his country from the colonial-era Upper Volta to Burkina Faso—Land of Upright Men— and launched an ambitious program for social and economic change. This program provides a detailed account of Sankara’s four-year rule and explains why, despite his many tragic flaws, he is still venerated by some as the “African Che Guevara.” (52 minutes)

Dicing with Debt: Ireland's 30-Billion-Euro Nightmare

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

If you want a quick, brutal lesson on Europe’s debt crisis, just ask an Irish property developer. Better yet, take a stroll along the banks of Dublin’s Liffey River, where new office buildings and prime waterfront real estate have plummeted in value. Meanwhile, unemployment soars across the nation, especially among Ireland’s young people. How did it happen, and did Ireland get a raw deal in comparison with other European Union countries also facing debt crises? This program assesses the Irish government’s acumen in taking on private-sector bank debt and becoming liable for billions of euros owed to bondholders. Was it fair that Ireland agreed to do so when holders of Greek government debt have been asked to take losses? As one Irish protest organizer puts it, the deal is “extortion” at the hands of “the financial bullyboys of Europe,” and it must be renegotiated. (42 minutes)

All About Darfur

California Newsreel

Director Taghreed Elsanhouri says she felt uniquely qualified to make this documentary “because as a northerner in Sudan I know what it is to belong to a dominant group, and as a black woman in Britain I know what it’s like to be marginalized.” The film follows Elsanhouri as she returns to Sudan to see how the seemingly-racially harmonious country of her youth could have become the scene of two of the worst instances of ethnic cleansing in recent African history. Talking with Sudanese people in cafes, markets, refugee camps, and living rooms, Elsanhouri finds that race does matter. Arabic and English with English subtitles. (82 minutes)

State of the Talib

Journeyman Pictures

This documentary, filmed in early 2001, takes viewers to the villages of Afghanistan to explore Taliban ideology and examine life under Taliban rule. After years of anarchy, the promise of a pure Islamic government seemed attractive to many, but the regime’s brutal abuse of basic human rights has changed the lives of the Afghan people for the worse. The film also looks at Afghanistan’s relations with Pakistan, from where the Taliban draw much support, and resistance to the Taliban’s oppressive regime from Iran and other Muslim countries. Some content may be objectionable. (50 minutes)

Age of Industry: History of the World

BBC Worldwide Learning

This episode examines how Britain’s Industrial Revolution created the modern world with inventors such as James Watt and George Stevenson improving the steam engines and railways. Trade with China was opened up, albeit illegally with the Chinese Opium Wars at the ports of Guangzhou. Following in Britain footsteps, in Russia social change was underway when Count Leo Tolstoy attempted to free his serfs at his Yasnaya Polyana Estate. However, they were holding out for a better offer, that of Tsar Alexander II’s offer of an emancipation act. In North America we visit the cotton fields of Richmond, Virginia, to hear the story of the South. At a Samurai house in Japan, we hear the story of Samurai Saigo Takamori, the last Samurai, as a direct result of the new world trade. In Brussels, we learn how the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley mapped out the Congo River, only for King Leopold II of Belgium, in his quest to conquer as much as he could, caused genocide in the Congo, effects of which remain today. In Germany, we find out how their Foreign Secretary, Arthur Zimmermann brought America into the First World War. A BBC/Discovery Channel/Open University Co-production. A part of the series History of the World.

Age of Extremes: History of the World

BBC Worldwide Learning

In this episode, the story comes up to date with the 20th century. Starting at Munich’s beer halls, we learn about Hitler’s first revolt at the Munich Putsch which resulted in his imprisonment at Landsberg, where the young Hitler was to dictate his memoirs, Mein Kampf. Whilst Hitler was fighting for power in Germany, women were fighting a different battle, that of sexual rights. In the back streets of Manhattan, nurse Margaret Sanger works with American heiress Katherine McCormick in a plan to smuggle contraceptives into America from Europe. At the Babi Yar concentration camp outside Kiev, we find out about the brutal mass murder of the Jews by the Nazis across Europe. The episode also travels to Hiroshima in Japan, the site of the world’s first atomic bomb by Oppenheimer, thought to end all wars. In China, we learn about how new thinking came in Mao’s Cultural Revolution, in trying to create a communist utopia. We visit New York to trace the story of man versus machine, Gary Kasparov against IBM’s Deep Blue, in a chess game that gripped the world. The series ends with a 360 degree turn, finishing with the Ayoreo tribe in the Chaco region of South America, a tribe who had only recently made their first contact with the outside world. A BBC/Discovery Channel/Open University Co-production. A part of the series History of the World.

The Assassination of Trotsky: Infamous Assassinations

BBC Worldwide Learning

On 20 August 1940, the exiled Bolshevik leader was assassinated with an ice-pick by Ramon Mercader, who was undoubtedly working on behalf of Stalin and his secret police. Why was it still necessary for Stalin to assassinate him A BBC Production. A part of the series Infamous Assassinations.

The International Criminal Court

Global Screen GmbH

This documentary follows the International Criminal Court and its chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. See how his team prepares a case and learn how he and others at the ICC understand their role and goals. Learn about the operations of the ICC, and how it grapples with issues of legitimacy and jurisdiction in a world dominated by nation-states. The film covers the preparation and presentation of the case against a Congo rebel commander, the question of whether ICC should compete with Libya over jurisdiction of Gaddafi's son, and Moreno-Ocampo's reluctance to claim jurisdiction over alleged Israeli crimes in Palestine.

Vietnam: Assessing the Millennium Development Goals

Network Ireland Television

Vietnam, one of the few Marxist-Leninist states, is still standing. The Communist Party of Vietnam faithfully represents the rights and interests of the working class and the nation. Just over thirty years after the country was devastated by war, leaving between one and two million dead, its economy is storming ahead. In 1993, poverty levels were at 58%; now that figure has dropped to 12%. (26 minutes)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Leaving the Conflict Behind?

Network Ireland Television

For many people, the Congo will always be associated with Joseph Conrad’s early twentieth-century novel Heart of Darkness, a title that has become a by-word for the country. The metaphor remains a daily reality for former child soldiers Benjamin and David, and Funaha, a young woman held as a sex slave by one of the many militias that continue to terrorize the country. The film explores how this seemingly never-ending conflict impacts on the people of North Kivu. (25 minutes)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Bill Moyers

Doctoroff Media Group

Renowned as a voice of conscience in apartheid South Africa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu-Nobel laureate and Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)-has spent his life opposing his nation's discriminatory policies. In a powerful interview with prize-winning journalist Bill Moyers, this courageous Anglican prelate discusses his life and work and shares his thoughts on justice, truth, and forgiveness-so timely at the end of a century notorious for genocide and flagrant human rights violations. The Archbishop candidly describes his experiences during three years traveling the country to unflinchingly gather atrocity testimony. Archbishop Tutu and Mr. Moyers also discuss the TRC's international impact as a model and what America in particular can learn from South Africa's attempt at reconciliation. Although expressions of remorse and the granting of forgiveness between perpetrators and victims have not been universal, the Archbishop devoutly hopes that his troubled nation can find closure with its past so that it can pave the way to a brighter future-for everyone. (57 minutes)

Facing the Truth with Bill Moyers

Doctoroff Media Group

The years 1960 through 1994 were a time of terror in South Africa. With the destruction of the yoke of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has had to come to terms with its oppressive past: recrimination and punishment, or forgiveness? This compelling program describes the efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to investigate human rights violations, to heal the country, and to help South Africa in its process of reinvention. Prize-winning journalist Bill Moyers and producer-director Gail Pellett speak with apartheid victims to hear their stories firsthand. Additional interviews with Nobel laureate and TRC architect Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former officers of state security, counterterrorists, and journalists-combined with footage of some of the most dramatic confrontations that occurred during the TRC hearings-round out this powerful documentary. As the U.S. wrestles with its own heritage of discrimination and injustice, the TRC's process offers insights into how America might improve its own future through reconciliation and forgiveness. (2 hours)

The People's Court: Introducing the Rule of Law in China

Wide Angle

Facing mounting domestic and international pressure for a fair and transparent framework of laws, China is racing to reshape the rules of its Communist society. Hundreds of thousands of judges and lawyers have been trained in the past 25 years, but with senior judges under direct control of the state and citizens taking to the streets in record numbers, this transformation has been anything but easy. This unprecedented Wide Angle report takes viewers inside courtrooms and law schools in China as it follows itinerant judges, law students, a human rights lawyer, and ordinary Chinese citizens seeking justice. In addition, Alice Young, a corporate lawyer with more than 30 years of experience in Asia and a partner at Kaye Scholer LLP, discusses China's emerging legal system with Daljit Dhaliwal. (57 minutes)

Ethiopia: Beyond the Lens of Famine

Network Ireland Television

This film explores how Indris Seid Yimer and Emyet Assen Woraki’s lives have been transformed since 1984, when their Wollo area community was engulfed in a famine described by BBC journalist Michael Buerk as “the closest thing to hell on Earth.” Featuring contributions from entrepreneur Samuel Alemu and financier Ermyas Amelga and showcasing the UNESCO World Heritage site in Lalibela. (25 minutes)

America Should Be the World’s Policeman: A Debate

Open to Debate

Should the United States, with its enormous military might, act as a global sheriff, policing the world's trouble spots? The proposition team argues that a policeman is necessary in an otherwise anarchic international system, and nobody besides the U.S. is capable. The opposition team argues that, necessary or not, the U.S. is in relative decline and has neither the power nor the legitimacy to play a world police role.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Rainbow Nation

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

"You'll never be free until we are free," said Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the white citizens of South Africa-and thanks to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, blacks and whites alike are finally free to put down the burden of guilt and come together as one people. This program follows a busy day in the life of Nobel Laureate Tutu in 1996, which begins with a tour through his Cape Town diocese and ends with a trip to Johannesburg to greet his mentor, Trevor Huddleston, on his return to South Africa. Can post-apartheid reforms outpace the daunting challenges still facing the Rainbow Nation? (54 minutes)

Ethnic Identity, Regional Conflict, and Peacekeeping Initiatives

Radio Netherlands Television

This compelling documentary examines efforts to promote and safeguard peace in the 20th century, a century defined by its wars. Even today, more than a dozen wars are raging, many of them in Africa. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan discusses the history and the role of the United Nations, using the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea as an example. Other scholars explore the purpose of the state, what it requires to function, and what happens when it disintegrates. Additional issues such as world government are addressed as well. (50 minutes)

The Bhutto Saga: Politics in the Blood

ARTE France

For forty years, whether in power or as members of the opposition, the Bhutto family played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s violently turbulent politics. As its first democratically-elected leader Zulfikar Bhutto wrote the nation’s constitution, but was deposed by coup and executed in 1979. His children endured years of imprisonment and exile until daughter Benazir returned to Pakistan, and at just 35 years of age, became the first woman to run a Muslim country. This program provides a biography of the Bhuttos, focusing on Benazir’s rise to power and the challenges of the three terms she spent as prime minister until her assassination in 2007. (Portions with English subtitles, 56 minutes)

Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo and the Search for Identity: Children of Argentina’s “Disappeared”

Illumination Films

Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo is an Argentinian human rights group made up of grandmothers committed to finding their lost grandchildren, who they believe were stolen by the government during the country’s military dictatorship. Between 1976 and 1983 as many as 30,000, dissidents—now known as “the disappeared”—were kidnapped and presumed killed, with hundreds of new mothers among them. Through interviews with members of Las Abuelas, recovered grandchildren who were raised by people sympathetic to the military regime, and many others, this program tells the story of these determined women and of the formerly missing as they explore their true identities. (55 minutes)

Soul of India: Hindus and Muslims in Conflict

Wide Angle

Home to more than a billion people, India struggles to remain the secular and tolerant society that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned. This Wide Angle documentary focuses on India's increasingly powerful Hindu nationalist movement, the specter of religious and ethnic strife that has haunted the nation since the dawn of its independence in 1947, and the actions of government and partisan forces that may be headed for a large-scale confrontation. Exploring mob violence in the state of Gujarat, the efforts of India's "supercop" to quell the unrest, and the influence of a dynamic Hindu youth movement, this program offers an in-depth look into the identity of the world's largest democracy. In addition, former Senator George Mitchell talks with anchor Jamie Rubin. (57 minutes)

Coca and the Congressman: Drugs, Farming, and Socialism in Bolivia

Wide Angle

The rise of leftist leaders in South America has surprised the international community—and has resulted in some equally surprising alliances. This Wide Angle documentary focuses on populist leader Evo Morales, who has taken up the fight of coca farmers against the Bolivian establishment. Traveling to the stunning highlands of Bolivia, the program examines Morales’ efforts to expand the amount of coca that can be legally grown and fend off the Bolivian military’s drive to eliminate the crop. The program also profiles indigenous politicians working with Morales, a farming family dependent on coca for survival, and a coca-eradication commander on a slash-and-burn mission. In addition, Minister Jorge Castañeda discusses the power shift in Latin America with anchor Mishal Husain. (57 minutes)

The Empty ATM: Inside Argentina's Broken Economy

Wide Angle

In December 2001, the Argentine government defaulted on $155 billion in public debt. This Wide Angle documentary describes the economic disintegration of the once affluent country, examining its political quagmire and the collapse of its currency. Showing various methods that citizens use to survive in a broken economy—ranging from the ingenious, such as barter clubs for exchanging goods and services, to the brutal, including outbreaks of rioting—the program demonstrates what happens when basic government services vanish. It also asks: how can the people of Argentina put their society back together? In addition, former World Bank Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz talks with anchor Jamie Rubin. (57 minutes)

The Weight of Chains 3

Filmhub

Focusing on the examples from Serbia, this film explains how the military-industrial complex, big business, and political interest groups endanger peoples' health and existence. The film reveals the dark legacy of depleted uranium munitions by the US and NATO that have contaminated the environment and threaten human health.

Ireland: World Odysseys

Film Ideas

Experience the energy of Ireland's capital, Dublin, where one can enjoy the sounds of its famous street musicians and the lively life of its people.

Leave No Dark Corner

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

China is marrying Big Brother to Big Data. Every citizen will be watched and their behavior scored in the most ambitious and sophisticated system of social control in history. Matthew Carney reports.

Inside North Korea

CNN

With tensions near boiling point and most Americans now banned from visiting North Korea, CNN cameras go inside the secretive nation to places few outsiders have ever seen. Reported by CNN international correspondentWill Ripley– who has been to North Korea 15 times in the last three years

American Imperialists: Soviet Animation vs. the United States

Films by Jove

Racism, unemployment, aggression, excess-the USSR's animation studios frequently took aim at these aspects of American culture. Representing five decades of animated Soviet propaganda, this program features short films that blast the United States and its perceived evils. Black and White and Mister Twister extol the absence of bigotry in Soviet society, while Someone Else's Voice portrays jazz as an enemy of the people. Ave Maria condemns America's presence in Vietnam and the influence of the Catholic church, and The Shooting Range underscores the violence behind economic and class divisions. Seven films total, plus commentary from Russian State Film School professor Igor Kokarev, director/artist Vladimir Tarasov, and Dr. Sonia Marshak, great-granddaughter of the acclaimed Soviet poet. (106 minutes) Portions are in Russian with English subtitles.

Onward to the Shining Future: Animation and the Big Soviet Lie

Films by Jove

Soviet film studios worked hard to portray their government's system as idyllic and forward-looking. This program showcases animated films designed to promote that utopian vision. Soviet Toys, the earliest known example of Soviet animation, condemns Lenin's New Economic Policy; The Victorious Destination celebrates the achievements of Stalin's first five-year plan; Samoyed Boy praises the Soviet educational system and the casting-off of antiquated traditions; and Hot Stone, Music Box, and Songs of the Years of Fire rejoice over the passing of Czarist imperialism and the establishment of a new, benevolent society. Eleven films total, plus commentary from Russian State Film School professor Igor Kokarev, political cartoonist Boris Yefimov, and director/animator Fyodor Khitruk. (152 minutes) Portions are in Russian with English subtitles.

Hugo Chavez

Clap D'Ort Films

Ascending to the Venezuelan presidency on a wave of anticorruption, antipoverty, and anti-American sentiment, Hugo Chavez has become one of the most charismatic and controversial leaders on the world stage. This program details the rise of the Chavez government and the challenges it has faced in reforming the South American nation’s economy and political culture. Incorporating incisive commentary from Venezuelan journalists, academics, and opposition leaders—as well as in-depth interviews with Chavez himself—this case study in developing-world politics provides a penetrating look at a confrontational and transformative head of state. (Portions in Spanish with English narration and subtitles, 54 minutes)

Empire of Evil? An Inside Look at Iranian Society

Telepool

Iran’s image in the West is due to several factors—including President George W. Bush’s “Axis of Evil” speech as well as the political agenda of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This program takes viewers behind the facade of the theocratic state, following a handful of everyday Iranian citizens and addressing questions ignored by most mainstream media: What is daily life like in the country? Is self-determination possible without coming into conflict with the religious law? How do the growing influences of the Internet, Western media, and globalization affect one’s life goals? Viewers accompany two women, two men, and a young girl as they face these issues.

The Ingathering

Marathon International

Ben-Gurion’s founding principles of the Israeli state were security and immigration. This program examines the history of Jewish immigration and the conflux of cultures that exist within the broader cultural/religious identity of the Israeli population. In addition to identifying as Jewish, Israelis also identify themselves as Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, Libyan, Algerian, Yemenite, and Ethiopian. Yet as the Jewish state prospers and grows, the latest wave of immigrants, the Ethiopians, feel unwelcome. The program explores the question of cultural identity and heritage in a multicultural society founded on a principle of inclusion for all Jewish people. (52 minutes)

Poverty, Politics, and Religion: The Plight of India's Poor

Journeyman Pictures

Charges against Christian missionaries for unlawful conversions and desecration of Hindu shrines are fodder for militant Hindu revivalists who seek to claim converts for themselves-and justification for their acts of violence against India's Christian minority. This gripping program investigates the political agendas behind the violence, as the tribal poor-many of whom have benefited socioeconomically from embracing Christianity-are coercively reclaimed by a Hinduism of which they were never a part. (32 minutes)

Malawi: A Nation Going Hungry

Network Ireland Television

Poverty, unstable government, and disadvantages in trade have virtually eliminated food security in Malawi. This program explores the African country's struggles on both a personal and national level, interviewing frustrated civil servants and impoverished citizens, and reflecting widespread despair over WTO policies and the government's inability to subsidize the agriculture of its own people. Highlighting the additional problems of environmental degradation and AIDS, the program offers a moving glimpse into human lives that revolve around one constant challenge: getting something to eat. (Portions have English subtitles, 26 minutes)

Ecuador: Divided over Oil

Network Ireland Television

This program contrasts indigenous, community-based culture with market economics driven by multinational corporations. The film assesses the growing conflict between Burlington Resources, an American oil company licensed to prospect in regions of Ecuador, and the self-sufficient Achuar people of that country, who believe the oil industry will destroy their environment and nonmaterialistic way of life. Underscoring the Ecuadorian government’s tendency to accommodate U.S. interests, the video portrays a country divided by incompatible definitions of wealth and happiness. (Portions have English subtitles, 26 minutes)

Guatemala: The Human Price of Coffee

Network Ireland Television

Coffee is second only to oil as the world's most valuable traded commodity, but small-scale producers rarely profit from it. This program reveals the hardship and uncertainty faced by coffee farmers in Guatemala, and how many are taking steps to obtain better prices and build better lives. Analyzing the country's traumatic history and the lingering effects of its civil war, the video sheds light on the reluctance of some citizens to organize for fear of persecution and murder. The video clearly demonstrates that behind every pound of coffee lies a story of human struggle. (Portions have English subtitles, 26 minutes)

Fidel Castro: History of a Commander-in Spanish

Television Federal

The life of Cuba's Communist leader reveals much about the Cold War, 20th-century Latin American history, and the political and military dimensions of revolutionary movements. This program reaches into all those subjects as it explores the rise and decades-long rule of Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz. Interviews with Latin American experts-including Argentine columnist Oscar Raul Cardoso, historian and psychologist Mario Pacho O'Donnell, and Dr. Roberto Quinones, expatriate son of famous Cuban dissident Dr. Hilda Molina-are included. After outlining Castro's early years, the film guides viewers through his alliance with Che Guevara, his ascension to head of state, his prolonged reign, and his transfer of power to his brother Raul. (Spanish, 45 minutes)

Fascism: The Legacy of Hate

Journeyman Pictures

As the ultra-right edges closer to real power in Europe, a dismayed EU fears a dark renaissance in politics. This disturbing program, supported by footage including a skinhead hate party and anti-immigrant violence, traces the virulent resurgence of xenophobia in Europe. Joerg Haider, of Austria's Freedom Party; Albert Szabo, founder of Hungary's World Nation Party; and politicos from the German, Italian, and French extreme right defend their platforms while author Michael Ignatieff, historian Anton Pelinka, Jewish leaders, and Kosovar and Kurdish refugees counter with insights into the psychology of hate and voice fears that Europe's bloody history will soon repeat itself. (38 minutes)

Russian Revolutions: Sex, Lies, and Nuclear Weapons

Nightline

In segment one of this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel reports on issues related to the new openness in Russia surrounding sexuality, including the growth of prostitution, resistance to contraception, and the spread of AIDS. In segment two, Koppel and correspondent John Donvan examine the ongoing controversy revolving around the political sellout of the independent Russian media. And in segment three, Koppel and Donvan analyze the impoverished and demoralized state of Russia?s soldiery, tasked with fighting the Chechens and presiding over one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. (61 minutes)

Russian Revolutions: The Heavy Hand of Corruption

Nightline

In segment one of this program, ABC News anchor Ted Koppel and correspondent John Donvan investigate the endemic nature of corruption in Russia, where bribery is commonplace and paying protection money is considered a business expense. In segment two, Koppel and billionaire Boris Berezovsky, identified as the unseen force behind Vladimir Putin?s rise to power, discuss Berezovsky?s recent foray into politics. And in segment three, after providing detailed background on Putin, Koppel interviews the man himself, touching upon his plans to fight corruption, his KGB affiliations, and his surprising sense of humor. (66 minutes)

From the Orange to the Chip: Israel's Economic Revolution

Marathon International

In its quest to boost per capita income to the level of Western Europe and the U.S., Israel has progressed from exporting Jaffa oranges to developing high-tech computer chips in just 50 years. This program explores the ups and downs of the economic revolution that has occurred in this arid, resource-poor region surrounded by historically hostile neighbors. Today, technology rather than agriculture is the backbone of Israel’s economic vitality, as it continues its drive to maintain its position as a force in the world technology market, leveraging its diverse and talented human capital. (53 minutes)

Crimes Against Humanity: Justice Pursued

FULCRUM PRODUCTIONS LTD.

Rwanda, Argentina, East Germany, and Bosnia have been the locus for some of the most heinous acts of the last 20 years. In this program, Gerald Gahima, Rwanda's Minister of Justice, has the unenviable job of tracking down hundreds of Rwandans accused of perpetrating hideous atrocities against their neighbors during that country's recent civil war. We follow Gahima to Israel, where, in an emotional meeting with a former Nazi-hunter, Gahima receives advice on how to proceed. The torture and murder of thousands of young Argentines are detailed by a survivor. In East Germany, newly discovered Stasi training tapes paint a brutal portrait of political repression behind the Berlin Wall, while in Bosnia, efforts to track down the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing are ongoing. (50 minutes)

Crimes Against Humanity: The Long Road to Reconciliation

FULCRUM PRODUCTIONS LTD.

In 1992, white South African policeman Brian Mitchell was jailed for life on eleven counts of murder. Under new government amnesty policies designed to unite the torn nation, he is now free. Recently, he returned to the scene of his crimes. Using Bosnia, Chile, Mozambique, and South Africa as examples, this program probes whether national reconciliation can be purchased at the price of justice for victims of political terror. It asks whether national unification is even possible if victims perceive themselves as forgotten. (50 minutes)

Identities: Culture and Nationality in Europe Today

Wilson R. Ruiz

What prevents minority communities from joining the European mainstream? Is there an appropriate balance between assimilation and preserving one's cultural heritage? This program wrestles with questions of identity-racial, cultural, and sexual-resulting from the startling new diversity of European society. Depicting daily life in immigrant communities on the Continent and in Great Britain, the film features observations from African, Asian, and Middle Eastern transplants. Each offers his or her personal take on learning a new language, eating unfamiliar foods, adapting to foreign attitudes toward women and gays, and other dilemmas. In addition, European MP Wolf Klinz puts forward his belief that immigrants should be required to learn the language of their adopted country. (27 minutes)

Stop the Flow: Analyzing the Causes of EU Immigration

Wilson R. Ruiz

Can Western aid to the developing world help to stem the tide of foreign workers into the EU? This program reports on European initiatives intended to improve conditions in Africa and the Middle East and thus reduce the number of job-seekers entering the European Union. With a spotlight on human rights, fair trade, the global war on poverty, the role of the private sector, and the frustrations of young unemployed foreigners, the program uses Morocco as a specific case study and also outlines the significance of the Middle East peace process. Additional insight comes from activists and businesspeople in developing countries and from Louis Michel, EU Commissioner of Development and Humanitarian Aid. (27 minutes)

Lenin According to Lenin

Pathe Media

This program uses Lenin's own words to tell the story of the Bolchevik rise to power: the overthrow of the Tsar and of the Kerensky government, the efforts at world Communist revolutions and the readiness to compromise in order to save the revolution in the Soviet Union, the ascendancy of the struggle against socialism over the struggle against capitalism. Thus the program explains the political background of the establishment of the totalitarian Soviet state and of its economic, social, and cultural policies-the precise institutions and policies that would in our time cause the destruction of what Lenin created by the force of his single-minded personality, his political acuity, his powerful oratory...and the weaknesses of the divided democratic opposition. (60 minutes, b&w/color)

Liberia: An Uncivil War

California Newsreel

Reporter Jonathan Stack is besieged in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, where president Charles Taylor has just been indicted on 17 counts of crimes against humanity by the United Nations. James Barbazon is traveling with the LURD rebel army, which has pledged to pillage the country until Taylor steps down. In documenting the end of Taylor’s regime, the two journalists provide insights from both sides of the conflict to create an in-depth case study of one of Africa’s most brutal civil wars. Viewer discretion is advised. (102 minutes)

Venezuela [Sur]Realista: The Republic of Hugo Chávez—in Spanish with English Subtitles

Java Films

In the eyes of his supporters, he has championed the rights of the poor and bravely defended his country’s interests in the face of foreign aggression. Opponents have portrayed him as an embarrassing and dangerous megalomaniac, squandering the nation’s oil wealth while bolstering his own power base. This in-depth look at Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez explores his Bolivarian political philosophy, his adoption of “21st-century socialist” principles, and the challenges he has faced as a highly polarizing leader. Produced in anticipation of Chávez’s bid for a fourth term in office, the film presents interviews with community leaders, political figures, intellectuals, and journalists, all of whom shed light on the complexities of life in Chávez’s Venezuela—and the volatile atmosphere in which he pursues his aims. (Spanish with English subtitles, 53 minutes)

Breaking the Wall of National History: How Looking Beyond the Nation-State Helps Us Understand the Past—and Perhaps the Future

Falling Walls Foundation

In this video from the 2010 Falling Walls Conference, historian Frederick Cooper lectures on how history can answer today's most pressing questions. Cooper has taught at Yale, Harvard, University of Michigan, and New York University; held guest professorships around the world; and earned countless acknowledgments like the Best Book in African Studies Award and fellowships from the Rockefeller Institute, Guggenheim Foundation, and Mellon Foundation. Known worldwide for the articulation of the concept of a “gatekeeper state,” Cooper brings an academic perspective that is rooted in years of research on labor and political movements in Africa and broader conceptualizations of colonialism, citizenship, equality, and development, as well as critical readings of overused concepts of globalization, identity, and modernity. With this background, Cooper seeks to transcend the common frameworks of the nation-state and provide an alternative analysis of world history. (15 minutes)

Moyers & Company: American Indians Confront "Savage Anxieties"

Doctoroff Media Group

In this edition of Moyers & Company, Bill speaks with Robert A. Williams Jr., a professor specializing in American Indian law, about American Indian’s tragic history of dispossession. Williams says stereotypes about American Indians have been codified into laws and government policies, with devastating consequences. Williams, who is of Lumbee Indian heritage, says, “very much like African-Americans, the history of America is taking away resources, whether labor or land, from one racial group to give them to the dominate racial group." Broadcast date: December 26, 2014.

China Does Capitalism Better Than America: A Debate

Open to Debate

From all appearances, China has emerged unscathed from the global economic crisis, in stark contrast to the United States, its biggest debtor. China’s admirers point to the government's ability to mobilize state resources, make decisions quickly, and create a business-friendly environment as reasons for the nation's economic ascendency. But can its brand of state-directed capitalism overcome rampant corruption and the threat of growing inequality, or will the American model of innovation and free markets prevail?

Open Borders: Globalization-A Real-World View

SVT

It doesn’t take much to travel the world these days—and that applies not only to goods and people, but also to money, intellectual property, and high-profile corporate brands. This program illustrates the phenomenon of globalization and how it is changing the world of business, as seen in a variety of industries and cultures. Starting with a piece of 3-D animation as a brief case study in internationally sourced labor, the film goes on to explore Apple’s borderless appeal to technology consumers and the stunning rise of Gazprom, Russia’s foremost energy giant. Shanghai’s emergence as a global city, Hyderabad’s increasing importance to India’s IT industry, and ongoing changes in the Paris fashion world offer additional views of globalization’s effects.

Economic Gaps: Globalization—A Real-World View

SVT

Welcome to Beverly Hills, California, where some of America’s wealthiest citizens have created their own personal versions of paradise. But don’t get too comfortable—this program whisks viewers off to Mexico City and Lilongwe, Malawi, as well, showing how different life can be in all three parts of the world and how globalization has amplified the economic gaps between them. In addition, the film provides an extensive analysis of the development of the global economy through compelling historical narratives—including the Spanish colonization of Central America, spearheaded by Hernán Cortés in an effort to find cheap trading silver, and the crucial role of child labor and forced trade agreements in the rise of British economic might.

The Cost of Cloth: Ethical Textiles

Digital Rights Group Limited

Filmed in Bangladesh, one of the world’s most active textile-producing countries, this program explores the social cost of the textile industry, which benefits mostly Western consumers and capitalists while creating oppressive environments in the developing world. Using eye-opening footage shot inside a number of Bangladeshi textile factories, the film explores issues of sweatshop labor—including poor working conditions, unfair wages, and the right to unionize—and asks viewers to consider where the responsibility for improving industry practices should lie. The program then compares the social impact of mass-scale textile production with the benefits brought to a small rural community in Bangladesh by a fair trade textile initiative. A part of the series Ethical Textiles: Sustainability and Fair Trade. (30 minutes)

Television Around the World: Turkey

Point du Jour International

The Turkish people spend an average of five hours per day in front of a TV. Along with the Italians, they're Europe's greatest television fanatics. Turkey's 16 national channels are watched by 70 million viewers, and the country produces about 40 new shows every year. This program examines the role of television in Turkey and surveys its most popular programs, which include offerings from secular state-run TV, Islamist channels, private channels with racy programming, and reality shows. Istanbul sociologist Nilufer Narli provides commentary on the importance of the media in everyday Turkish life, calling TV viewing "a veritable social phenomenon." (Portions with English subtitles, 26 minutes)

Libya: Benghazi Rising

Journeyman Pictures

Through personal testimony by the people of Benghazi, this program traces Libya’s participation in the Arab Spring uprisings, capturing the inspiring story of how unarmed citizens brought down Muammar Gaddafi’s repressive regime. The film explains key incidents in the Benghazi revolt, which began when citizens protested the arrest of a lawyer who had been advocating for the 1,200 people massacred without explanation at Abu Salim prison. From the chanting demonstrators holding aloft pictures of Abu Salim’s missing and dead to the Facebook activists and the establishment of a free press, the documentary puts an exuberant human face on the historic events of February 2011 and in the months afterwards in eastern Libya. Some content may be objectionable. (52 minutes)

My Land: Seeing Both Sides of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Yade French Connection

Born to a Moroccan Muslim father and a Tunisian Jewish mother, filmmaker Nabil Ayouch spent his childhood hearing divergent views about Israel and Palestine. Still wrestling with “a conflict that never left me,” Ayouch created this poignant documentary about young Israelis, displaced Palestinians, and the threads of tragic history woven between two communities with deep ties to the same land. Ayouch entered Lebanese refugee camps to record personal testimonies from elderly Palestinians about memories of their birthplaces. Then he visited those homes in present-day Israel to learn about the attitudes of the young people currently living there. This process of gathering perspectives enabled Ayouch to set up the film’s evocative virtual encounters, in which the Israeli subjects view and react to the Palestinian testimonies. The results are moving, frequently surprising, and apt to help those who struggle to comprehend the hardships of the region. (Portions with English subtitles, 82 minutes)

One Fine Day: Individual Acts of Courage and Defiance

NPO/Netherlands Public Broadcasting

Idealists thrive on the notion that a single person can change the world—but what basis does it have in reality? Is there room for it in an age of oppression and unrepentant brutality? This film profiles six people from different cultures and religions who, through small nonviolent actions, helped to overcome injustice. Ashin Kovida, a Buddhist monk now living in the U.S., reflects on his leadership of anti-government protests in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Maria Jesus Sanhueza, a young Chilean woman, describes her role in the Penguin Revolution which brought about government funding for education. And Christian Fuhrer, former pastor of the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany, recounts the Monday Demonstrations and “Prayers for Peace” that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Equally compelling are former Olympian and Black Power advocate John Carlos, a young Chinese man called Nic who represents the fight against Internet censorship, and an Iraqi girl named Rania Ibrahim whose life was nearly cut short by a suicide vest. (Portions with English subtitles, 58 minutes)

The Accusation: Corruption in the Communist Party—China from Within

Planet Pictures

When Lu Jingyi found evidence that his city’s Communist Party boss, Li Changhe, was guilty of graft, it was Lu himself who wound up in prison. This program examines the problem of corruption among local Communist Party officials through the plight of Lu Jingyi, whose case made headlines around the world. Lu continued his campaign against Li Changhe after being released from prison; Li retaliated by hiring assassins to murder Lu and his wife. Lu alone survived the attack, and ultimately provided evidence that resulted in the party boss’ execution. A part of the series China from Within. (Portions with English subtitles, 25 minutes)

Vienna Conference on Human Rights: Rights & Wrongs—Human Rights Television

The Global Center

The 1993 UN Vienna Conference on Human Rights included representatives from 171 nations. The key result of the conference was the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action which states: “The promotion and protection of human rights is a matter of priority for the international community, and that the Conference affords a unique opportunity to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the international human rights system and of the machinery for the protection of human rights, in order to enhance and thus promote a fuller observance of those rights, in a just and balanced manner.” This episode features interviews with conference attendees, including John Shattuck, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights. Also featured are reports on Liberia, Egypt, Angola, and a musical salute to Nelson Mandela. Part of the series Rights & Wrongs: Human Rights Television. Original broadcast title: 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights, Show #112. (27 minutes)

Egypt: Behind the Revolution

Sideways Film

Filmed during the spring of 2011, this program offers an inside look at the events that led to Hosni Mubarak’s resignation and a new political era in Egypt. It gives the uprisings in Cairo and other cities historical and cultural context so that viewers can better understand how a powerful, U.S.-backed regime could crumble with minimal violence and in such short order. In addition to a wide-ranging sociopolitical discussion, the film’s on-the-ground testimonials fill in important details which, at the time, didn’t reach observers outside the country. Egyptians from all walks of life are interviewed, explaining their contributions to Mubarak’s fall and offering their reasons for taking to the streets to call for freedom and reforms. From the brewing discontent that preceded the revolution to the 18 days of often brutally suppressed protests in which success seemed far from inevitable, this film puts viewers in the center of the action. (60 minutes)

Made in Germany: Europe's Economic Superstar

NPO/Netherlands Public Broadcasting

It's almost miraculous: a few scant decades ago, what is now the world's fourth-largest economy was brutally split in two. Today, all of Europe looks to Germany for answers. This documentary examines the nation's economic, social, and cultural power-how it developed at the dawn of the 21st century and how it will continue to shape the EU and the world. Factors for viewers to consider include a national focus on work and industry that values family businesses, solid professional training, and lifetime employment within the same company; environmental policies that emphasize sustainable, efficient energy sources such as solar and wind, enabling even small towns and villages to profit; and an ongoing faith in economic pillars such as Volkswagen, whose Glass Factory in Dresden serves as the temple of the German car industry. Literary, philosophical, and folkloric aspects of German culture and their connection to current successes are also explored. (Portions with English subtitles, 49 minutes)

Greetings from Grozny: Inside the Chechen Conflict

Wide Angle

Chechnya's war of independence has raged for years, but Americans rarely see the human face of the conflict. This Wide Angle report illuminates the ruined-yet still inhabited-cityscape of Grozny and its surrounding countryside, sifting through both Russian and Chechen perspectives on the ongoing clash. The program depicts Russian troops conducting "cleansing missions" through a rural Chechen village, visits a barely functioning university in the heart of the city, reveals life in a refugee tent city, and goes inside an active unit of Islamic Chechen fighters. Webs of special interest woven by the United States, Wahabist Muslims, and neighboring Georgia are also examined. In addition, anchor Daljit Dhaliwal talks with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Ambassador Steven Pifer. (57 minutes)

Benazir Bhutto: Battling Dictatorship in Pakistan

Danish Broadcasting Corporation

As prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was the first woman-and also the youngest person-to head the government of a Muslim-majority state in modern times. In this program, Bhutto answers questions about the personal risks she faced as a woman pursuing a career in Pakistani politics, the influence of Western democracy on her as a politician, and the empowering effect of her role in public life on Pakistani women. She also explains why her government recognized the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and addresses charges of corruption against her. Background on her upbringing and education and her "arranged" marriage is included as well. (41 minutes)

Eyes Wide Open: Exploring Today's South America—in Spanish and Portuguese with English Subtitles

Autlook Filmsales

South America has tilted to the left, and its socialist governments are forging an economic alliance that places public power, not market dynamics, at the center. The plan? To exploit revenues from the continent’s abundant natural resources to build a better future where all will benefit from that wealth—and, in the process, to become free from North American interference. To explore the sociopolitical changes and the vast lands upon which these dramas are being played out, this program travels to the Venezuela of Hugo Chávez, the Brazil of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Bolivia of Evo Morales, the Ecuador of Rafael Correa, the Paraguay of Fernando Lugo, and elsewhere on a continent that is emerging as the master of its own destiny. Narrated by Eduardo Galeano, author of Open Veins of Latin America. Some content may be objectionable. Spanish and Portuguese with English subtitles.

A Nation Returns: Germany

Actuality Holdings Inc.

A neo-Nazi skinhead thinks democracy is unnatural; a typical liberal prefers to be a citizen of the world; a far-right office holder fantasizes about his hard-working, disciplined, Aryan fatherland. This program looks at Germany reunified: while there was an East/West, communist/capitalist split, Germans could forget about nationalism, which is now back with a vengeance. The liberals, we discover, don't like the Germany they have, while the neo-Nazis love a Germany that doesn't exist; after 45 years of longing for reunification, the two Germanys hardly recognize one another. (50 minutes)

Mirror, Mirror: Northern Ireland

Actuality Holdings Inc.

This program focuses on the Loyalists of Northern Ireland: Protestant, anti-Catholic, anti-European, anti-Irish, monarchist, they clearly belong to a nation-state-the United Kingdom-but feel abandoned by the British people, who no longer share their devotion to traditional values. They are, of course, at home in the northern part of Ireland; but they seem most at home when invoking the past to justify their present opinions and singing the kind of nationalist song which any Serb or Croat, Kurd, German or Ukrainian, French Canadian or Cree would sing to prove his or her blood and belonging. (50 minutes)

Inside the Kingdom: Life in Saudi Arabia

Nightline

Saudi Arabia is a land of contradictions where Western ideas and Islamic law rub shoulders and often clash. This ABC News program gains entrance to this powerful and mysterious kingdom to examine the politics, religion, and culture of one of America’s key Muslim allies. Tensions surrounding the 9/11 hijackings, the country’s rampant unemployment, declining oil revenues, and the ongoing drama in the Middle East are all on the agenda.

Haiti: Land of Tragedy, Land of Hope

Lagardere Studio Distribution

> The numbers alone are stunning: 8 million inhabitants, 70 percent of whom live below the poverty line; a life expectancy of 50 years; a 65 percent illiteracy rate; and a 70 percent unemployment rate. Such is the recent population in Haiti, which ironically had its origins cast in optimism: the Haitians were the first people to abolish slavery in 1797 and establish a black republic. Yet the following years have brought the island a succession of violence, chaotic politics, and the railroading of national sovereignty for the benefit of few. This thought-provoking documentary traces what Jean-Bertrand Aristide calls Haiti’s “linear history” back to its discovery by Columbus in the late 15th century and the violent process of colonization to the present. (55 minutes)

The Assassination of Verwoerd: Infamous Assassinations

BBC Worldwide Learning

On 6 September 1966, seven minutes after taking his seat in the House of Assembly, South African Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoerd was assassinated by Demetrio Tsafendas, a Bible-quoting parliamentary messenger. Verwoerd had played a key role in constructing South Africa’s Apartheid laws, but ironically the assassin claimed he was not doing enough for whites. It was the second attempt on Verwoerd’s life. A BBC Production. A part of the series Infamous Assassinations. (26 minutes)

Iran: Departure into the Unknown

German United Distributors

In Iran, even laughter is considered sinful by the nation’s strict Shiite regime. Yet after revolution and war, Iranians cherish hopes of a freer future. This program describes the impact of life in a modern fundamentalist society on Iran’s diverse population, which includes Muslims, Christians, and Jews. It also spotlights the joyful celebration of Sizdah Bedar, which welcomes the spring; the incomparable Iranian crown jewels; monuments such as the magnificent palace of Shah Abas the First, the huge Imam Mosque, the ruins of Persepolis, and the wind towers of Nain; and the lifestyles of artisans, craftspeople, laborers, and students. (49 minutes)

Thailand: King, Combat, and Ad Karabao

German United Distributors

Unlike its neighbors, Thailand has never been colonized or annexed-but keeping it that way has been a stern challenge. This program examines Thailand's political independence, which is based on democratic and generally peaceful rule by a culturally supported monarchy. However, growing dissatisfaction has caused grass-roots dissent, as demonstrated by the lyrics of pop music idol d Karabao, who protests against imported consumer goods, and the agitation of "Ubon Without a Border," a group lobbying for open access with Laos and Cambodia. The powerful yet incongruous influences of Thai boxing and Buddhism are also assessed. (48 minutes)

Laos: In the Shadow of the Giants

German United Distributors

Impoverished, sparsely populated, and still recovering from the Vietnam War, Laos exists on the edge of the abyss. This program considers the cultural and economic impact on Laotians and Hmong alike of initiatives designed to improve the country, such as the new highway being built by Swedish engineers. Although the regime's "reeducation camps" show no signs of being closed and antigovernment rebels continue to make travel dangerous, foreign tourism is being courted for the currency it can bring, while the country's rich spiritual life-expressed through the practices of Buddhism and animism-serenely continues. (47 minutes)