Joyce, Yeats, and Wilde

RTE Commercial Enterprises DAC

This classic program features a conversation between Seamus Heaney, one of the finest poets writing in the English language, and Richard Ellmann, biographer of Joyce and Wilde and critic of Yeats. Filmed at such scenic literary landmarks as the Hill of Howth, Sandymount Green, Trinity College, and the Joyce Tower at Sandycove, their dialogue on Joyce, Yeats, and Wilde is accompanied by documentary material. (39 minutes)

Malory's Le Morte Darthur: Anatomy of a Legend

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

The richly embroidered story of King Arthur as set down by Sir Thomas Malory during the Middle Ages has unfailingly intrigued generations of readers. P. J. C. Field, one of the world’s top authorities on Malory and president of the British branch of the International Arthurian Society; Helen Cooper, editor of the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Le Morte Darthur; and medievalist Kevin J. Harty, of La Salle University, begin this survey by assessing the historical and apocryphal underpinnings of the Arthurian legend. Then, supported by reenactments, location footage, and works of art, the program examines each section of Malory’s archetypal Le Morte Darthur. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (26 minutes)

Langston Hughes: Salvation

Bruce R. Schwartz

"I was saved from sin when I was going on 13. But not really saved. It happened like this…" So begins this powerful dramatization of "Salvation," Langston Hughes’s eloquent autobiographical story that illustrates how his aunt’s well-meaning efforts to bring him into the spiritual fold resulted in a moral crisis. Calmly waiting for Jesus to appear to him in the hot, crowded church, young Langston’s anticipation changes to confusion and disillusion when pressured to choose between being true to himself or fulfilling the expectations of the preacher, his aunt, and the rest of the congregation. (31 minutes)

Gawain and the Green Knight

Fremantle Home Entertainment

This beautifully dramatized version of the late-14th-century poem offers a bonanza to the English teacher: one of the best known of the Arthurian legends, a portrait of life in Arthurian days as the Pearl poet imagined it, a baker’s dozen of discussion topics about human virtue and human imperfectibility—and a fascinating plot involving a challenge by the Green Knight (green is of course the color of magic), who departs Arthur’s castle holding his own head, which Gawain has just lopped off; Gawain’s quest to keep his word and prove his worthiness while remaining alive; and the very moral surprise ending. (76 minutes)

Miguel de Cervantes

Mundo Nuevo Producciones

Using drawings, paintings, letters, maps, and footage of notable landmarks, this program presents the adventures and tribulations of Miguel de Cervantes, arguably the best-known figure in Spanish literary history. In addition to Don Quixote, one of the most influential and widely read classics in Western literature, the program also introduces Cervantes' Novelas Ejemplares, a group of short stories that he claimed were the first to be written in Castilian. (Spanish, 43 minutes)

Miguel de Cervantes-Spanish with English subtitles

Mundo Nuevo Producciones

Using drawings, paintings, letters, maps, and footage of notable landmarks, this program presents the adventures and tribulations of Miguel de Cervantes, arguably the best-known figure in Spanish literary history. In addition to Don Quixote, one of the most influential and widely read classics in Western literature, the program also introduces Cervantes’ Novelas Ejemplares, a group of short stories that he claimed were the first to be written in Castilian. (Spanish with English subtitles, 43 minutes)

George Orwell's 1984

Fremantle Home Entertainment

Anthony Burgess examines Orwell’s achievement, starting with the accuracy of his predictions for the future. Burgess shows how the novel 1984 sprang from the main concerns of Orwell’s earlier work and suggests that Orwell identified areas in which human freedom has always been, and continues to be, threatened. (27 minutes)

Oscar Wilde: Spendthrift of Genius

RTE Commercial Enterprises DAC

This portrait of the multi-talented and self-destructive fin de siecle genius follows Wilde's meteoric rise and fall. Portraying the many circles-academic, social, theatrical, literary-in Dublin, Oxford, London, and Paris-in which Wilde circulated, and generously sprinkled with Wilde's infamous bons mots, the program also includes the only known recording by Wilde (of "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"). Written by Richard Ellmann, produced by Radio Telefis Eireann. (60 minutes)

The Divine Comedy: Visions of Violence and Beauty

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Two of Italy's greatest artists are eternally linked, one genius having paid homage to another. Two hundred years after Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy, Sandro Botticelli illustrated the classic with a series of exquisite drawings crafted at the height of his career. In this program, translator Mark Musa, art historians, clergy, and other experts guide viewers through Botticelli's exquisite portrayal of Dante's Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso, images that have had a lasting impact on the collective imagination of Western civilization. This program surveys Dante's epic and the 92 surviving illustrations to provide an unparalleled tour of two masterpieces of literature and art. (60 minutes)

Wordsworth's Spots of Time

Lancaster University Television

Filmed at the major locations of the poet's life, this program traces Wordsworth's development by focusing on his famous "spots of time," touchstones of place and experience immortalized in his autobiographical poem, The Prelude. Along with readings and dramatizations of works, key ideas in Wordsworth's poetry are analyzed in the context of 18th-century thought by such leading scholars as Professor James Butler of La Salle University, Pamela Woof of the University of Newcastle, and Nigel Leask of Queen's College, Cambridge. Pictures and manuscripts owned by the Wordsworth Trust at Dove Cottage complement a wealth of primary archival material. A 10-minute coda explores the relevance of Wordsworth's poetry today. (57 minutes)

The Renaissance: From Courtly Tradition to Loco Amor-in Spanish

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Despite the dampening effects of the Inquisition and the Counter-Reformation, the Renaissance gave a powerful impetus to learning and experimentation-and in the process ensconced Castilian as the language of choice for both poetry and prose. In this program, renowned experts place the masters of the Renaissance within the context of their times. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Fernando de Rojas's La Celestina, Juan Alfonso de Baena's Cancionero de Baena, the Marques de Santillana's Dialogo de Bias Contra Fortuna, Jorge Manrique's Coplas a la Muerte del Maestre Don Rodrigo, and selected romanceros. (Spanish, 50 minutes)

The 19th Century: Romanticism and Realism-in Spanish

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Despite the political and economic chaos of the 19th century-or perhaps because of it-this period produced brilliant literature while setting the stage for the Generation of '98. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the lives and works of the masters of Romanticism and Realism. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Jose Espronceda's Cancion del Pirata, Jose Zorrilla's Romances Historicos, and Gustavo Adolfo Becquer's Rimas as well as from the writings of the Duque de Rivas, Rosalia de Castro, Leopoldo "Clarin" Alas, and Benito Perez Galdos. (Spanish, 50 minutes)

The Generation of '27-in Spanish

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

At the heart of the Generation of '27 lies experimentation with a host of popular artistic as well as political "isms" including neo-Gongorism, Ultraism, Creationism, Surrealism, socialism, and communism. In this program, renowned experts profile key members of this post-World War I group. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Luis Cernuda's Donde Habite el Olvido, Rafael Alberti's "Cita Triste de Charlot," Ramon Gomez de la Serna's Flor de Greguerias, Pedro Salinas's La Voz a Ti Debida, and Federico Garcia Lorca's Romancero Gitano, Bodas de Sangre, Poeta en Nueva York, and "Romance Sonambulo." (Spanish, 50 minutes)

The Spanish Civil War: Blood and Ink-in Spanish

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

When Spain's army mutinied against the Second Republic in 1936, it marked the beginning of a bitter civil war that lasted three years and cost one million Spanish lives. In this program, respected authorities elaborate on the writings and personalities of those who captured this devastating period in poetry and prose. Dramatic readings include excerpts from Rafael Alberti's "Romancero General de la Guerra," Antonio Machado's "Muerte de un Nino Herido," Jose Maria Peman's "De Ellos Es el Mundo" and "Poema de la Bestia y el Angel," and Miguel Hernandez' Viento del Pueblo. (Spanish, 50 minutes)

World of Ideas: Susan Sontag

Doctoroff Media Group

The late Susan Sontag was not a photographer, yet her famous book On Photography is required reading in almost every serious photography course in the world. Her novels and nonfiction books such as Illness as a Metaphor have been translated into a score of languages. And she also wrote and directed films and plays. In this program, the renowned writer and human rights activist talks with Bill Moyers about Regarding the Pain of Others, her book on war and how the images of war affect people's perception of reality, and other aspects of her life and career. (49 minutes)

Hate Groups USA

BBC Worldwide Learning

Using the shocking racist murder of James Byrd as a starting point, this disturbing program investigates America's proliferating hate groups. The KKK's Charles Lee; the founder of Aryan Nations and his successor, Pastor Neumann Britton; and William Pierce, head of the National Alliance and author of The Turner Diaries, calmly proclaim their chilling views on "racial patriotism" and "positive hate." Countering, Julian Bond, of the NAACP; Irv Rubin, national chairman of the Jewish Defense League; Robert Blitzer, bureau chief of the FBI's domestic terrorism unit; and others explore the mentality of intolerance, abetted by the subversive Christian Identity movement. Original BBC broadcast title: Heart of Darkness. (48 minutes)

Romeo and Juliet

CTE Carlton

A brilliant video release and a particularly effective version for study of the play, with Laurence Harvey as Romeo and Susan Shentall as Juliet, with an unforgettable Flora Robson as the Nurse. (2 hours 18 minutes) Romeo.............................................Laurence Harvey Juliet...............................................Susan Shentall Nurse....................................................Flora Robson Paris.............................................Norman Wooland Friar Laurence..............................Mervyn Johns Capulet........................................Sebastian Cabot Benvolio...............................................Bill Travers Lady Capulet.............................Lydia Sherwood

Oedipus the King

Bioscope Media

Sophocles often won the leading prize at the Dionysia, the principal dramatic festival of Athens; but Oedipus the King was a runner-up, winner of the second prize. Posterity, however, considers the play second to none. The play tells the beginning of the Oedipus saga, setting the stage and creating the characters who will continue the story to its conclusion in Antigone. With Michael Pennington, John Gielgud, and Claire Bloom. (120 minutes)

Gerard Manley Hopkins

CHARLOTTE HAMP

A portrait of the life and work of the great English poet—lush word painter of the intensities of beauty and faith, craftsman of intricate rhythms within rhythms and rhymes within rhymes—who recaptured the patterns of Old English while he foreshadowed the formulations and feelings of the 20th century. Written and performed by Peter Gale, this one-man show provides an eminently human and carefully analytical picture of the Victorian who was the first modern English poet. (60 minutes)

Carlos Fuentes: Man of Two Worlds

JOEL FORMAN

Mexico City and Washington, D.C., are the backdrops for this portrait of this major figure on the contemporary Latin American and world literary scenes. Fuentes talks about the influence of Latin American writers on his writing, notably Sor Juana, Ruben Dario, and Pablo Neruda, and of his own experiences growing up in the United States and teaching here. He evaluates his own major works and their place in Latin American literary history. (49 minutes)

Kate Chopin: The Joy That Kills

Rathborne Productions

This is the widely heralded adaptation of the short story by Kate Chopin, the late-19th-century writer whose work is only now receiving the major recognition it deserves. The setting is Kate Chopin’s own world—the world of the upper-class Creole society that dominated New Orleans in the 1870s, a world with a strict code of behavior, one of whose strongest tenets required a wife to subordinate her will and her very being to her husband. Produced and directed by Tina Rathborne. (56 minutes)

Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The Yellow Wallpaper

BBC Worldwide Learning

Touted as one of the first major feminist writers, Charlotte Perkins Gilman spent her life fighting to liberate women from the yoke of domesticity. This is a stunning BBC dramatization of Gilman’s autobiographical account of a woman driven to madness by the repressive mores of Victorian culture. Stephen Dillon as the husband, John, and Julia Watson as the despondent heroine give stellar performances in this production directed by the BBC’s John Clive. (76 minutes)

Little Sister

LONDON FILMS

The music performed in this program, from Little Sister, comes from the white capital of South Africa, Pretoria. It represents the crosscurrents of the country's pop wave, heavily reliant on American-style rock and roll. The performers, two sisters calling themselves Little Sister, describe their rise to fame as a sort of "divine accident." One sister, Debbi, describes her transition from classical guitar to electric bass guitar, and tells what it's like to be one of the few female bass guitarists in the male-dominated South African rock music arena. (25 minutes)

Mike Makhalemele

LONDON FILMS

African jazz man Mike Makhalemele carefully blends western and African musical elements to give his music its unique flavor. Jazz fusion, it is called, and no better example of Makhalemele's work exists than his original piece, "Soweto Dawn," from his best-selling African jazz album, Thabang. In this program, Makhalemele discusses his music, its African and contemporary origins, and its role as a bridge between the white and black worlds of South Africa. Performances include some of Makhalemele's most famous works. (25 minutes)

Ntemi Piliso: African Jazz Pioneer

LONDON FILMS

In this program, African jazz musician Edmund "Ntemi" Piliso traces the roots of African jazz from the days of apartheid in 1940s Alexandra Township. With musical performances throughout highlighting the various eras, Piliso moves through the days of pennywhistle jive groups hustling change on streetcorners, to the sounds of marabi-a bittersweet fusion of American jazz and the restless rhythm of an uprooted tribal culture. The latter sound, lost for a time amid the African pop music craze of the 1960s through the 1980s, is now being revived by Piliso and his musical group, the African Jazz Pioneers. In this program, we listen as they kick off that revival campaign in small township halls and jazz clubs. (25 minutes)

Rabelais and His World

Reseau Canope

François Rabelais—satirist, humanist, and physician—did not have an easy time of it during his life. His most famous work, Gargantua, was condemned by the Catholic Church for its unorthodox ideas and mockery of religious practices. This program examines the 16th-century masterpiece within the context of the epoch in which it was written, providing a comprehensive overview of the work, of Rabelais the man, and of the dogmatic world in which he lived. In advanced French. (23 minutes)

El Cantar de Mio Cid

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

El Cid is unique among the world's great epics because it was composed so close to the actual historical events (a mere 40 years after the death of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, el Cid himself) that we can distinguish between man and legend. Meticulous attention to historical detail, spectacular cinematic production values, and the swashbuckling plot itself make this medieval epic superbly entertaining as well as educational. An RTVE Production. (Spanish with English subtitles, 60 minutes)

Juan Rulfo

EDITRAMA S.L.

Unlike the reputations of many of his more prolific contemporaries, Juan Rulfo's is based on only two works: Pedro Paramo, one of the few Latin American novels of that time to successfully lay bare the inner lives of country people, and El llano en llamas, a collection of short stories. In this program, the late author-a leading exponent of magic realism-analyzes both of those works. He describes his tragic childhood as well, including the Cristero revolt, his family's financial ruin, the death of his father and mother, and his life in an orphanage in Guadalajara. (Spanish, 47 minutes, b&w)

Alejo Carpentier

EDITRAMA S.L.

In his writings, Alejo Carpentier strove to incorporate "the marvelous," a version of reality that he maintained was indigenous to the Americas. In this program, the late author/musicologist elaborates on his Los pasos perdidos, El siglo de las luces, and Concierto barroco, while providing an understanding of the impact of surrealism and the influence of the Generation of '98 on his writing, the political atmosphere of Cuba, and his childhood in France. "I didn't speak anything but French in the house," says Carpentier, "but I always wrote in Castilian." (Spanish, 91 minutes, b&w)

Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mount Morgan

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Written when he was 76, Arthur Miller’s The Ride Down Mount Morgan opened in London in 1991 and was revived on Broadway in 2000. In this program, Miller discusses his comic yet thought-provoking tale of bigamy, revealing not only disenchantment with American theater and culture, but also a deep concern for the country’s moral and spiritual welfare. Generous excerpts from the original production are included, and actors Tom Conti, Gemma Jones, and Clare Higgins discuss their roles. Director Michael Blakemore, critic Michael Billington, and editor Christopher Bigsby also contribute to this intriguing appraisal of Miller’s play. (50 minutes)

The York Mystery Plays: The Death of Christ

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

This production is part of the historic 1998 staging of the Corpus Christi Cycle in York, England, and captures the majesty and color of the original 14th- to 16th-century plays. Sponsored by the Company of Butchers, performed on a story wagon on the streets of York amidst an enraptured crowd, and using medieval materials and techniques, the performance strives for authenticity. The affecting play portrays the impact of the crucifixion on several very different people: Pilate, members of the Sanhedrin, the two thieves, Christ's mother, and the Roman centurion who accepts Christ as God's son. (29 minutes)

Highlights of the York Mystery Plays

Business Television Corp

This enchanting program revives the drama and pageantry of the medieval mystery play as performed by the venerable guilds of York, England. Perched atop pageant wagons in the streets of their home city, guild members and townspeople in period costumes enact scenes from eleven plays of the Corpus Christi Cycle: Creation to the Fifth Day, The Creation of Adam and Eve, The Fall of Adam and Eve, The Flight into Egypt, The Temptation, The Agony in the Garden and the Betrayal of Christ, The Death of Christ, The Harrowing of Hell, The Incredulity of Thomas, The Ascension of Jesus Christ, and The Last Judgment. An introductory segment sets the stage. (57 minutes)

La intrusa

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

This is a story of passion involving two brothers, inseparable in work and play, and a woman who comes between them. Soon all three are trapped in their own hell of jealousy and death. Contains mature themes. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 61 minutes)

El sur

Ente Público Radiotelevisión

In this story, a descendant of famous ancestors dreams of more heroic times ... until a serious accident takes him to the doors of death, where the past and the present mingle-and where he meets his final destiny. An RTVE Production. (Spanish, 58 minutes)

T. S. Eliot: The Waste Land

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Read by noted actors Michael Gough, Edward Fox, and Eileen Atkins, T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land powerfully expresses the disillusionment and disgust of the post–World War I era in Europe. In this program, Professor Frank Kermode, of Cambridge University; Eliot biographer Peter Ackroyd; and poets Sir Stephen Spender and Craig Raine examine the complex nature of Eliot’s influential poem, analyze its appeal, and trace the reasons why it became one of the best-known emblems of the 20th century. (59 minutes)

Luigi Pirandello: In Search of an Author

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

In 1925 Luigi Pirandello brought his troupe to England as part of a worldwide tour. This program re-creates one day in London as “The Einstein of the Theater” watches his plays and, away from the footlights, confronts the paradoxical nature of his life. Portions of Six Characters in Search of an Author; Henry IV; Right You Are, If You Think You Are; and The Rules of the Game are meticulously staged, using actors’ accounts, period descriptions, and Pirandello’s own comments. Plus, biographical notes written by Pirandello himself provide a new angle on the inner torment that animates his work, while playwright Julian Mitchell and novelist Leonardo Sciascia critically analyze the action as it unfolds. (60 minutes)

Ten Great Writers: The Seminar

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

In this lively round-table discussion, moderator Melvyn Bragg; the late writer and critic Anthony Burgess; Professor George Steiner, author of Language and Silence; literary critic Hermione Lee; and writer and series consultant Professor Malcolm Bradbury debate what constitutes modernist writing. New literary themes generated by the era’s political and social upheavals are also discussed, including time, the unconscious mind, alienation, the changing role of women, and the consequences of two world wars. In addition, the panel suggests that the atrocities of the post-modern world led writers to reject modernist narrative techniques and seek a new syntax and vocabulary. (53 minutes)

Harold Pinter: Landscape

Deutsche Grammophon GmbH

Sitting across a kitchen table yet worlds apart, Beth and Duff engage in a disturbing but seductive counterpoint of dual monologues, two series of impressionistic images from the wreckage of their relationship that wash up on the waves of consciousness. Thanks to the consummate performances of the late Dame Peggy Ashcroft and David Waller, this outstanding production by the Royal Shakespeare Company—directed for stage and screen by Sir Peter Hall—is quintessential Pinter, laden with irony and stressing two of the playwright’s recurring themes: communication and memory. Some language may be objectionable. (36 minutes)

Kwanzaa: A Cultural Celebration

Maryland Public Television

Kwanzaa-a more and more widely observed holiday-provides African-Americans with a unique celebration that is rooted in the rich African tradition of their ancestors and the symbolism of the African harvest. This program offers a look-through the eyes of African-Americans-at the principles and practices of this joyous holiday. (29 minutes)

The Tale of Genji

Kodansha

Elegant and lyrical, The Tale of Genji-written by Murasaki Shikibu, considered by many to be the world's first novelist-predates the seminal Don Quixote by an incredible 600 years. This extraordinarily beautiful program traces the plot, which centers on the romantic relationships of the noble hero Genji, through the panels of a series of illustrated hand scrolls dating from the early 12th century. The program explains both Genji's adventures and the visual effects created by the paintings, decorated paper, and calligraphy of the scrolls, making accessible to Western audiences a formative work of Japanese culture and one of the milestones of world literature. (60 minutes)

Shakespeare, Thomas, Goodison, and Swift

Digital Rights Group Limited

This program provides a detailed analysis of "My Mistres eyes are nothing like the Sunne" by William Shakespeare, "On the Farm" by R. S. Thomas, "This is a Hymn" by Lorna Goodison, and "Lines on the Death of Dr Swift" by Jonathan Swift. Readings, along with critical and historical commentary, are given by contemporary poets Patience Agbabi, Michael Donaghy, W. N. Herbert, John Kinsella, Clare Pollard, and Owen Sheers. (25 minutes)

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Digital Rights Group Limited

Filmed in Gothic monochrome and recited in lively fashion by British actor Joss Ackland, Edgar Allan Poe's classic short story of premeditated evil comes alive in this engaging program. Supplementing the dramatization, writer and film director Neil Jordan discusses the story's powerful imagery, particularly that of the eye and the heartbeat, along with Poe's lasting influence. (25 minutes)

Langston Hughes: His Life and Times

Bruce R. Schwartz

In this program, Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker and renowned Langston Hughes biographer Arnold Rampersad talk about the “poet laureate of Harlem” with award-winning filmmaker Bruce Schwartz. Together they discuss experiences that shaped young Langston, how he came to be a writer, the beauty of his writing style, his practice of reaching out to aspiring writers, and the Harlem Renaissance as a literary and cultural watershed. They also discuss the force of religion in Southern Christian African-American communities, and “Salvation,” Hughes’s coming-of-age story, deftly brought to the screen by Schwartz. (26 minutes)

The Winter's Tale

Heritage Theatre LTD

Half a tragedy centered on the mad jealousy of King Leontes and half a romance of young love triumphant and old love restored, The Winter’s Tale is arguably one of Shakespeare’s most captivating dramas. This highly acclaimed production by the Royal Shakespeare Company was performed at the Barbican Theatre in London. Interviews with key members of both the cast and the RSC production team offer insights into the play and its staging.

Whatever Happened to George Washington?

Team Sound & Vision

The space devoted to George Washington in schoolbooks is decreasing. Attendance at Mount Vernon is declining. Yet George Washington’s moral leadership and perseverance were responsible for America’s independence. He later used his personal prestige to help forge a nation from a group of squabbling states. Why is George Washington no longer seen as indispensable in America? Eminent historians Daniel Boorstin, Stanley Elkin, Edwin Yoder, and James Rees explore the life and legend of George Washington with Ben Wattenberg. (26 minutes)

Witness: The Ecological Poetry of W. S. Merwin

University of South Carolina

In the grand tradition of Thoreau, Emerson, and Whitman, William S. Merwin is considered one of America’s most prominent environmental poets. In interviews conducted at his home in Hawaii, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet discusses his relationship with nature as the inspiration for his work, and the responsibility he bears as eloquent spokesman for the natural world. We see Merwin living simply in a cabin by the sea, dividing his time between writing and tending his gardens. His work in the area of conservation, particularly in preserving Hawaii’s rain forest, is reflected in readings by Merwin from major works, including "A Mask for Janus," "The Lice," "The Carrier of Ladders," "The Rain in the Trees," "The Vixen," and "Lament for the Makers." This is a probing and insightful portrait of a great American literary figure. (58 minutes)

Arthur Miller: An Interview

BBC Worldwide Learning

In this exclusive interview, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Arthur Miller speaks about his life and career. Beginning in New York, Miller traces his early years through the Great Depression, offering insights into how this lean time influenced his work. A portion of the program is devoted to a discussion of the 1950s McCarthy hearings and their impact on the development of Miller’s masterwork, The Crucible. Film excerpts from Death of a Salesman, After the Fall, and A View from the Bridge are interwoven with Miller’s observations on the political and poetic nature of his plays and on the art of writing. A BBC Production. (76 minutes)

English Goes Underground

Granada International Media

With the Norman invasion, English became a third language in its own country, behind French and Latin. In this program, Melvyn Bragg examines the impact of Old French on the development of English. Manuscripts, tapestries, and dozens of curious etymologies help illustrate a tremendous influx of vocabulary pertaining to romance, chivalry, and, of course, food. The influence of Eleanor of Aquitaine's patronage is heard in works of poets and troubadours as the cult of courtly love flourished in England. (52 minutes)

This Earth, This Realm, This England

Granada International Media

Has any single person shaped English more than William Shakespeare? This program uses unparalleled access to some of the greatest English texts, including the first English dictionary and a rare first folio of Shakespeare's plays, to illustrate the great Bard's influence. John Barton, honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, discusses the sound and accessibility of Shakespeare's words. His impact is also examined in the larger context of Elizabethan England and the Renaissance. (52 minutes)

She Stoops to Conquer

Heritage Theatre LTD

An ambitious stepmother, a pragmatic father, impassioned sweethearts, and starry-eyed suitors are all sent spinning in Oliver Goldsmith’s classic comedy of manners—and errors. Directed by Max Stafford-Clark and recorded at the Theatre Royal Bath, this production of She Stoops to Conquer played to rave reviews. Staged with authentic costumes and sets, the commonly anthologized play makes an excellent introduction to 18th-century theater. (2 parts, 74 minutes and 65 minutes)

Victor Hugo

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

The life of Victor Hugo, one of the giants of French literature, is a study in contrasts. This program chronicles how a man born into humble circumstances became a staunch monarchist and then a political liberal and supporter of the French republic. Though he lived many years in exile, Hugo was considered the conscience of the Republic, and his fame as a political force rivaled his renown as the author of plays, prose, and poetry. As a writer, he conquered the stage for Romanticism with his play Hernani and captured the imagination of untold millions with his epic novel Les Miserables. Readings from Hugo's vast oeuvre are included throughout the program. (25 minutes)

Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado

Colony Media

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge." So speaks Montresor in this faithful rendition of Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling story of a murderous trap irresistibly baited with fine wine and flattery. Strong performances and outstanding cinematography make this classic program—an object of considerable critical acclaim at film festivals—an excellent introduction to the work of the master of the American gothic genre. (17 minutes)

Human Resources Management: The Mind of a Leader 2

Holk & Lassenius

The Art of War’s eleventh chapter addresses the interplay between responsive leadership and team spirit—Sun Tzu states that this leads to victory in a variety of situations. This program explores the benefits of creating solidarity among all levels of an organization. With entertainer Pat Boone, who describes the teamwork behind his shows, and Jim Buckmaster, Dame Anita Roddick, Tony Visconti, Michael Dukakis, Franz Beckenbauer, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, and Katie Ford. Part of the series The Mind of a Leader 2. (20 minutes)

Restitution

BayView Entertainment LLC.

In a picturesque city on the shores of Lake Michigan, a series of murders has an unlikely but common thread-Bryan Spikes, an insurance fraud investigator who is inexplicably killed and then framed for the crimes. One year later, Alex Forrester (Mark Bierlein, Street Boss) arrives in town claiming to be a writer researching the case. But as he begins uncovering the shocking truth behind the murders, his informants turn up dead, and he soon learns he may be next. Can he trust Bryan's ex-girlfriend (Mena Suvari, American Beauty), or his new neighbor (Tom Arnold, True Lies), an overly friendly ex-sharpshooter? Alex is determined to discover the secret that everyone is hiding. Written by Mark Bierlein, directed by Lance K. R. Kawas, and produced by Mark Bierlein, Mark G. Mathis, and Lance K. R. Kawas. Rated R. (101 minutes)

Opera Easy: Norma

HG DISTRIBUTION INC.

“If I tell you that today’s Opera Easy is set in Ancient Gaul and features a conquering horde of Roman legionnaires,” says host Natalie Choquette, “you might think that someone has written an opera on the comic strip Asterix and Obelix—but you’d be wrong. No, today’s featured work does include Roman centurions but is centered on one of the most remarkable characters in all of 19th-century opera who gave her name to this opera. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Druid priestess Norma.” (24 minutes)

Moyers & Company: Poet Christian Wiman on Love, Faith, and Cancer

Doctoroff Media Group

In this edition of Moyers & Company, Bill Moyers talks with acclaimed poet and Poetry Magazine editor Christian Wiman about how finding true love and being diagnosed with a rare and incurable blood cancer reignited his religious passion as well as his creative expression. “When we think of our memories, they’re moments of intensity,“ Wiman tells Moyers. “Whether they were sorrowful or happy, moments of great loneliness or moments of great communion—we live for these moments in our life. And I do think poetry is a way of recognizing the moments in your life. But also a way of preserving them.” Broadcast date: February 24, 2012. (30 minutes)

Great Speeches: Today's Women, Volume 3: Maya Angelou, Jan Piercy, Condoleezza Rice, Caroline Kennedy, and Karenna Gore Schiff

Educational Video Group

This volume spotlights Maya Angelou's reading at the 1992 inaugural ceremonies; Jan Piercy's Scripps College commencement address; Condoleezza Rice's 2000 RNC address; Caroline Kennedy's 2000 DNC address; and Karenna Gore Schiff's 2000 DNC address. (66 minutes)

The Legacy of Barbara Jordan

Educational Video Group

This program is a memorable look at the rhetoric of legendary orator Barbara Jordan. Included in their entirety are her 1974 statement on impeachment, 1976 DNC keynote address, 1988 VP nomination, and 1992 DNC keynote address. These speeches along with biographical narration and comments from her memorial service make this a valuable resource for any classroom.

Richard Wright: Black Boy

California Newsreel

This program presents a biography of Richard Wright, author of Black Boy and Native Son, taking viewers from his impoverished childhood to his involvement in Chicago’s Black Renaissance, the Communist Party, and the witch-hunts of the McCarthy era, to his exile and death in Paris. Underwritten by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the film skillfully intercuts dramatic excerpts from Wright’s work with historical footage and the recollections of friends, associates, and luminaries that include Ralph Ellison, Margaret Walker, and Wright’s daughter, Julia. (86 minutes)

Heinrich Heine: Musical Voices

HG DISTRIBUTION INC.

A man of extreme artistic, political, and spiritual contrasts, Heinrich Heine was a German Jew who converted to Christianity, despised the hypocrisies of all religions, lived as an expatriate in Paris, and befriended Karl Marx while fearing the communist impact on European culture. In this program, Heine is brought to life by a skilled actor who offers up to the viewer many of the poet's complex ideas, attitudes, and experiences. Meanwhile, beautiful renditions of Schumann songs based on Heine's poetry are presented, including the andante from Clara's Piano Trio in G minor as well as Robert's "Romanzen," "Du Bist Wie Eine Blume," and "Die Lotosblume." Part of the series Musical Voices: Famous Poets and the Songs They Inspired. (24 minutes)

The Battle for Information: The Mind of a Leader 2

Holk & Lassenius

Sun Tzu ends The Art of War with a treatise on spying, calling it the best way to determine an enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. In this program, business leaders discuss how they get information about competitors and the relative value of what they learn. With Mads Øvlisen (former chairman of Novo Nordisk), who believes that knowing what’s happening in other companies is often overrated, and Tony Visconti, Katie Ford, Philippe Starck, and Jim Buckmaster. Part of the series The Mind of a Leader 2. (18 minutes)

6 Ways to Manage Overload

ClickView Pty Limited

Anyone dealing with overload in the workplace will find this program extremely useful. Key topics covered in this video include physical environment, desk and work habits, time management, looking after your body, how to manage e-mails, and breaking the 24/7 addictions. (19 minutes)

Incident at Vichy

Broadway Digital Archive

With his trademark unrelenting honesty and conviction, Arthur Miller examines a major Holocaust issue: the failure to assume responsibility and the consequent moral and social guilt of those who refuse to fight evil. Set in a detention room in Vichy, France, during the 1942 German occupation, a number of people have been rounded up and are awaiting interrogation before being sent to concentration camps. It is soon obvious that they are Jews with false papers that will not stand up to close scrutiny. While individual stories flow past the juror’s eye, events soon focus on Leduc (Harris Yulin), a psychiatrist, and an Austrian prince (Richard Jordan), who recognizes his guilt of silent complicity and his failure to act responsibly while the Germans rose to power. Miller raises theoretical and ideological arguments and brings up the question of where responsibility lies. Notions of the nature of personal sacrifice, issues of personal blame, and a debate on how much each person is obligated to help in a larger crisis are addressed in this truly important and provocative television event. (80 minutes)

Six Characters in Search of an Author

Broadway Digital Archive

Luigi Pirandello's modern classic, starring Andy Griffith in a brilliant departure from his television persona as a country sheriff, along with Academy Award winner John Houseman (The Paper Chase), is directed by Stacy Keach, who has transposed the play's traditional theatrical setting to a television studio. As a group of actors prepares for a rehearsal of a TV adaptation of another Pirandello play—The Rules of the Game—the television monitors in the control booth give way to an electrical interference that inexplicably replaces the images of the actors with the images of six mysterious strangers. These are the "six characters" of the title who appear in the flesh in the studio to confront the director and actors with the proposition that their story is more interesting than the play at hand. They gradually take over the stage to act out their story, each character representing a different point of view. A groundbreaking work which has exerted considerable influence on modern drama. Cast: Andy Griffith, John Houseman, Julie Adams, Beverly Todd, James Keach. (90 minutes)

Charles Johnson (In Black And White: Six Profiles of African American Authors)

California Newsreel

Charles R. Johnson stirred controversy when he criticized Alice Walker’s portrayal of African-American men in The Color Purple. A former political cartoonist, he is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, and his Middle Passage won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction. In this program, Johnson explains how he weaves black folktales, Zen parables, 19th-century picaresque novels, and 20th-century existential philosophy into his works. Part of the series In Black and White: Six Profiles of African American Authors. (29 minutes)

August Wilson (In Black And White: Six Profiles of African American Authors)

California Newsreel

In 2005, playwright August Wilson published the final installment of his ten-part magnum opus, Pittsburgh Cycle—ten separate but thematically linked plays about African-American life, each set in a different decade of the 20th century. “I think my plays offer white Americans a different way to look at black Americans,” he told The Paris Review. The plays went on to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. In this program, filmed before Pittsburgh Cycle was complete, Wilson discusses his ongoing work on the project. Part of the series In Black and White: Six Profiles of African American Authors. (22 minutes)

Theater in the Modern World

ClickView Pty Limited

Not long after the start of the 20th century, playwrights, influenced by the horrors of two world wars, began to experiment with theater in a way which depicted many long-held historical, social, and cultural beliefs and practices as being meaningless and chaotic. Incorporating interviews with influential directors Bijan Sheibani, Steven Berkoff, and others, this program traces the evolution of modern theater from its existentialist roots through absurdism to social realism and British “kitchen sink drama” via the works of Ionesco, Beckett, Pinter, and even the writers of the U.K. soap opera Coronation Street. A viewable/printable worksheet is available online. (21 minutes)

Margaret Atwood: Once in August

National Film Board of Canada

Canadian author Margaret Atwood has achieved distinction internationally as both a poet and a novelist. She is the author of more than 50 volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and nonfiction and is perhaps best known for her novels The Edible Woman, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride, and The Blind Assassin. Despite the fact that her work has been published in more than 40 languages, Atwood remains one of Canada’s most elusive literary figures. Filmed on Atwood’s island retreat, this classic program—an extended version of the documentary Atwood and Family—follows director Michael Rubbo as he seeks to discover what shapes this celebrated writer’s fiction and what motivates her characters. He finds instead that for Margaret Atwood, an enigmatic distance separates the life of her art from the art of her life. (57 minutes)

Doctor Faustus

MVD Entertainment Group

This classic play is aimed at the student, teacher, lecturer and theater lover alike. Staged using professional actors and directors at London's award-winning Greenwich Theatre, “The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus” was first published in 1604 by Christopher Marlowe. Having decided he has accumulated all he can of conventional knowledge, Doctor Faustus turns to magic in a quest for greater truths. Before long, he ends up selling his soul to the devil: the famous "Faustian pact" that's entered the language. Dr Faustus gradually realizes his terrible mistake. (316 minutes)

Middlemarch: Episode 2

BBC Worldwide Learning

Middlemarch is a television mini-series adaptation of George Eliot's novel. In this episode, Dorothea Brooke marries ageing scholar Edward Casaubon and honeymoons in Rome; Dr. Tertius Lydgate gains enemies. Starring Juliet Aubrey, Rufus Sewell, Douglas Hodge, and Patrick Malahide.

Middlemarch: Episode 3

BBC Worldwide Learning

Middlemarch is a television mini-series adaptation of George Eliot's novel.In this episode, Edward Casaubon and Fred Vincy fall ill; Rosamond Vincy and Dr. Tertius Lydgate marry. Starring Juliet Aubrey, Rufus Sewell, Douglas Hodge, and Patrick Malahide.

Middlemarch: Episode 4

BBC Worldwide Learning

Middlemarch is a television mini-series of George Eliot's novel. In this episode, Edward Casaubon dies, Arthur Brooke realizes his tenants do not adore him, and the Lydgates fall deeper into debt. Starring Juliet Aubrey, Rufus Sewell, Douglas Hodge, and Patrick Malahide.

Morte D'Arthur

BBC Worldwide Learning

Malory's prose masterpiece, written in 1470, has inspired painters, poets and writers throughout the centuries. Starring Jeremy Brett, Roland Alexander and John Barton.

North and South: Episode 2

BBC Worldwide Learning

The second in a four part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's feisty and passionate love story, set across the social divides in the changing world of Victorian industrial society. In this episode, Margaret Hale protects John Thornton when the workers riot over poor pay. Starring Daniela Denby-Ashe, Lesley Manville, Tim Pigott-Smith, Richard Armitage, Brendon Coyle, and Rupert Evans.

North and South: Episode 4

BBC Worldwide Learning

The last in a four part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's feisty and passionate love story, set across the social divides in the changing world of Victorian industrial society. In this episode, Margaret returns to London after her father's death and inherits her godfather's fortune. Starring Daniela Denby-Ashe, Lesley Manville, Tim Pigott-Smith, Richard Armitage, Brendon Coyle, and Rupert Evans.

The Pickwick Papers: Episode 1

BBC Worldwide Learning

A twelve-part BBC Adaptation of Charles Dickens' first novel. In this episode, Mr. Samuel Pickwick and his gang begin their travels through England visiting coaching inns. Starring Nigel Stock, Clive Swift, Alan Parnaby, and Jeremy Nicholas.

The Pickwick Papers: Episode 8

BBC Worldwide Learning

A twelve-part BBC Adaptation of Charles Dickens' first novel. In this episode, The Corresponding Society of the Pickwick Club spends Christmas with the Wardles. Starring Nigel Stock, Clive Swift, Alan Parnaby, and Jeremy Nicholas.

Tenant of Wildfell Hall: Episode 1

BBC Worldwide Learning

A beautiful widow takes up residence in the near-derelict Wildfell Hall. Befriended by a young farmer, she will not tell him about her past, until malicious gossip spreads.

Little Women: Episode 1

BBC Worldwide Learning

This dramatization of Louisa May Alcott's novel is about the lives of the four March sisters. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth are at home with Aunt March and their mother, a very outspoken woman for her time. The story reveals how the sisters learn to navigate love, loss, and the trials of growing up. In episode one, the women prepare for Christmas and look forward to attending a ball.

Little Women: Episode 4

BBC Worldwide Learning

This dramatization of Louisa May Alcott's novel is about the lives of the four March sisters. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth are at home with Aunt March and their mother, a very outspoken woman for her time. The story reveals how the sisters learn to navigate love, loss, and the trials of growing up. In episode four, Beth contracts scarlet fever, Marmee returns from Washington DC, and drama occurs with Meg and Brooke.

Little Women: Episode 7

BBC Worldwide Learning

Louisa May Alcott's autobiographical account of her life with her three sisters in Concord, Massachusetts in the 1860s. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth are at home with their mother, a very outspoken women for her time. The story tells of how the sisters grow up, find love and find their place in the world. In this episode, Beth falls ill and Laurie confesses his feelings to Jo.

Martin Chuzzlewit: Episode 2

BBC Worldwide Learning

Young Martin is expelled from the Pecksniff household, much to the sorrow of Pecksniff ’s faithful assistant, Tom Pinch. Martin resolves to seek his fortune in America, taking with him Mark Taply, formerly of The Blue Dragon Inn in Little Hadding, who volunteers to act as his unpaid servant until his fortune is made. At a secret rendezvous, Martin says a tearful farewell to Mary; they pledge their love and she gives him a diamond ring. Meanwhile Pecksniff ’s daughter Charity has been receiving the attentions of her cousin Jonas, son of Anthony Chuzzlewit, old Martin’s estranged brother. Ever open to a money-making opportunity, Anthony seems to encourage the match, but later summons Pecksniff and expresses some doubts. Before Pecksniff has time to enquire further, Anthony suffers a lethal stroke. Jonas seems strangely fearful that he will be blamed for his father’s death, and asks Pecksniff to stay.

The Words That Built America

HBO

The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights represent much more than the words used by America’s Founding Fathers to define a fragile, nascent country. They’re the living, breathing realization of America’s democratic ideal, the bedrock of a society that its people have built over nearly two-and-a-half centuries, and they provide a blueprint that is, was and will be a template for democracy around the world.To celebrate these iconic documents on our nation’s birthday, HBO presents a 45-minute special, directed by Alexandra Pelosi and narrated by David McCullough (John Adams), in which dozens of Americans – from actors and media personalities, to politicians, lawmakers and presidents, to schoolchildren whose future is being shaped by our shared past – read the three founding documents that define our outlook on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Shakespeare in Perspective: The Winter's Tale

BBC Worldwide Learning

Stephen Spender offers a personal view of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

Shakespeare in Perspective: Hamlet

BBC Worldwide Learning

Clive James offers a personal view of Shakespeare's play, "the greatest in the English language," whose hero "incarnates the dignity of human consciousness."

Age: Charles Dickens' London

MVD Entertainment Group

This program presents a look at Victorian society from the cream to the dregs, from the law enforcers to the law breakers, and from the rich and complacent self-made man to the discarded poor and needy. Dickens' firsthand experience of the legal profession certainly qualified him to write with moving poignancy on a subject which created a main thrust behind many of his works and the effects that these real-life experiences had on the innocent.

Brainwave Dreams: Part 5

Cinetic Rights Management LLC.

A conversation in which one of the country's top legal thriller writers meets with one of the world's top cognitive neuroscientists to explore how justice and retribution are processed in the brain.

Gulliver's Travels

Public Domain

This feature-length animated film is a loose adaptation of Jonathan Swift's classic. It focuses on Gulliver's adventures with the tiny Lilliputian people. The film was nominated for two Academy awards, best original score and best original song "Faithful Forever." The animation was state-of-the-art for the time. Directed by Dave Fleischer.

Dante: The First Renaissance Man

Academy Media

This documentary explores the work of Dante Alighieri including his cultural and religious influences of the time period, his innovations in the world of literature, and how he impacted other artists, sculptors and writers. Martin Hossick reveals how the author of “The Divine Comedy” established individualism and morality for every man in a period when only rulers and religious figures mattered.

Heart and Soul: China in the Shadow of Mr. Kong

Academy Media

Part three, of the China in the Shadow of Mr. Kong five-part series, examines the evolution and variance of Chinese art. From subtle ceramics to elegant poetry, the Chinese reach the pinnacle of their artistic abilities near the end of the 18th century. However, under a deeply conservative leadership, the talents of the Chinese in all art fields begins to decay.

The Synagogue of Satan: Episode 1—Apocalypse

ARTE France

What does the term "Apocalypse" mean? Who is the author of the Book of Revelation, said to be by John of Patmos? When was it written? In what historical context? What was the Christians' relationship to the Empire at the time? How did the different Christian groups get along together? What is hidden behind the mysterious "synagogue of Satan"?

Rennie Harris Puremovement: Part 1—Alive & Kicking

Charles Dennis

In part one of this video series, Puremovementblends hip hop movement with traditional African culture. Rennie Harris, artistic director, discusses his influences, inspirations, and technique. Watch dancers perform excerpts of Gestures, Endangered Species, and P-Funk. Performed in 1998 at Performance Space 122.

Rennie Harris Puremovement: Part 2—Alive & Kicking

Charles Dennis

In the conclusion of this video series, Puremovementblends hip hop movement with traditional African culture. Artistic director Rennie Harris discusses his influences and inspirations. Watch dancers perform excerpts of March of the Antmenand Continuum. Performed in 1998 at Performance Space 122.

The Stories: Part Three—Anatomy Of Crime Fiction

ARTE France

After the victim-criminal-investigator trio and the crime scene, the third part of Anatomy of Crime Fiction sets out to investigate the genre’s narrative mechanisms. Where do the addictive thriller plots come from? Their stories draw on the most sordid realities, often inspired by news items, which are endless sources of fiction. But many authors are intent on following the evolution of our world, giving new life to their imaginations in digital universes. Social networks, the dark web, computer hacking and cybercrimes are all rich creative realms. A generation is emerging, as dark as in the past, but with endless new levels of reality.

Anti-War Literature in Performance (Aristophanes, Melville, Pirandello)

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

Dramatists, poets, and novelists write about the futility of war. Agnes Moorehead, Michael Tolan, and Tim O'Connor recite works by Aristophanes, Herman Melville, Stephen Crane, Walt Whitman, and Luigi Pirandello on this episode of Camera Three.

Arthur C. Clarke Discusses “2001: A Space Odyssey”

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

On this episode of Camera Three, Arthur C. Clarke and Joseph Gelmis discuss the evolution of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Topics include themes, symbolism, mythology, and production of both the novel and film.

Edwin Arlington Robinson's Poetry Dramatized

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

Camera Three presents dramatic interpretations of Edwin Arlington Robinson's poems. Performers include Betty Bartley, Richard Dysart, James Green, Charles MacArthur, John McGovern, and Sandy Smith. Listen to poetry from The Three Taverns, Children of Night, The Town Down the River, and other collected works.

German Plays of the 1920s (Scenes from Toller, Kaiser, and Brecht)

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

On this episode of Camera Three, actors perform excerpts of German plays written in the 1920s and 1930s. The plays are Gas by George Kaiser, Hoppla! Such is Life! by Ernst Toller, and The Private Life of the Master Race by Bertolt Brecht.

Literature about Trees (Dramatization of Chekhov, Robert Frost, Shakespeare, Thoreau, Housman)

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

On this episode of Camera Three, Henderson Forsythe, Vinnette Carroll, Donald Hotton, and Joanna Roos recite poems, excerpts of plays, and reflections about trees. Writers include Anton Chekhov, A.E. Housman, Sir James Frazier, Robert Frost, Henry Thoreau, William Shakespeare, and Truman Capote.

Stanley Kubrick's Adaptation of “A Clockwork Orange” (Discussed by Anthony Burgess, Malcolm McDowell, and William Everson)

Creative Arts Television DBA Aviva Films Ltd

On this episode of Camera Three, Malcolm McDowell, Anthony Burgess, and William Everson discuss Stanley Kubrick's award-winning film A Clockwork Orange. Topics include the film's development, meaning, use of language, musical score, and themes. Two excerpts are shown.