Reeltime Collection
AVAILABLE FOR CHECKOUT AT THE EVANSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

[ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ]

See Collection Listing by Subject

A
 
Absolut Warhola, 2001. DVD B Warho.A Absolut – Video
This entertaining and insightful documentary explores Andy Warhol's Eastern European roots by travelling to Miková, Slovakia, where his parents grew up, and interviewing members of his extended family.
Arts, Music & Culture

Ahmad Shamlou: Master Poet of Liberty, 1999. Video B Shaml.A
Interviews with the Iranian poet. In Farsi with English subtitles. Director: Moslem Mansouri
Arts, Music & Culture
Middle East


All I See Is What I Know, 1999. Video 305.8 All
Eighteen-year-old Zachariah Webb, a white student at Woodford County High School in Kentucky, describes his feelings about racism and the problem of inequality within the school system. Written and produced by Zachariah Webb, assisted by Mindy Faber.
Youth Produced Media
Multiculturalism & Diversity


Amandla, 2002. DVD 968.06 Amandla
Tells the story of black South African freedom music and the central role it played against apartheid. Specifically considers the music that sustained and galvanized blacks for more than 40 years. Focuses on the struggle's spiritual dimension named for the Xhosa word for "power." An uplifting story of human courage, resolve, and triumph.Director: Lee Hirsh. Africa; Music, Art & Culture
Africa
Arts, Music & Culture

Study guide

Ancestors in the Americas, 1997. Video 305.895 Ancesto
Part 1 tells the story of how Asians--Filipino, Chinese, Asian-Indian--first arrived in the Americas. Film crosses centuries and oceans from the 16th-century Manila-Acapulco trade, to the Opium War, to the 19th-century plantation coolie labor in South America and the Caribbean. Part 2 relates the history of Chinese immigrants in California. Producer, director, writer:Loni Ding.
Multiculturalism & Diversity
Social & Political History
Immigration

Study guide

Anya (In and Out of Focus), 2004.
In this touching documentary, Marian Marzynski films his daughter Anya from infancy to adulthood. A lifetime in the making, this film is a loving and honest account that describes the difficult, yet authentic bond between a father and a daughter.
Fiction

Arab Americans After 9-11, 2003. Video 973.04927 Arab
Nine years after American-born children of Arab immigrant parents were interviewed in Tales from Arab Detroit, the video crew returns to see how their lives have changed, particularly since September 11.
Contemporary America
Middle East
Multiculturalism & Diversity


Around the Corner, 2001. Video 791.433 Alterna Around
A documentary about the year-long effort of 10 teenagers from Young People Making a Change (YPMC) to engage police officers from their district in conversations about power, fear, authority, and stereotyping. Alternative Youth Video Festival 2001. Created in association with Video Machete.
Contemporary America
Youth Produced Media


Un Asiento de Ventanillo, 2001. Video 791.433 College Asiento
Reflects the frustration and fascination of traveling alone, from a female perspective. Created in association with the Radio/TV/Film Dept. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Chicago Filmmakers
Women’s Issues


A.W.O.L. from the Fatherhood: Are Fathers Necessary Anymore? 1998. Video 306.8742 AWOL
Through personal recollections, social analysis, and statistics, students from several Brooklyn high schools explore the role of fatherhood in today's world and the effects of growing up without a father. Director: Jacqueline Dolly.
Fiction

 
B
 

Backseat Bingo
Sexy Senior Seeks Same... Backseat Bingo is an animated documentary about senior citizens and romance. By Liz Blazer
Animation
Fiction
Aging

Balancing Acts 2005. DVD 796.4709 57 min.
Man-Fong, an acrobat breaks away from his old team and starts his own acrobatic troupe with three other boys. Their act, named the Oriental Brothers, achieves far more success than their prior act. In 1941, while performing in Denmark, Man-Fong now 27 years old, meets and marries another successful fellow acrobat, Magdolna Schweitzer, who is a Hungarian Jew. Little do they suspect that the protection of his Chinese passport would help save her, her family and some others from the Nazi death camps when, as a married couple they attempt to weather out Word War II in Hungary. Not able to find any work in war torn Hungary, he leaves his wife and their two small children to find work in the Middle East and eventually migrates to the US, even appearing on the Ed Sullivan show, unaware that it would take 10 years before the family would be re-united. Written and Directed by Donna Schatz.
Asia
Judaism
Sports

Becoming American, 1983. Video 305.895
Documents the adaptation of a Hmong refugee family from northern Laos to life in America where everything is culturally alien and everyone is a stranger.
Asia
Immigration
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Study guide

Behind the Labels: Garment Workers on U.S. Saipan, 2001. Video 331.4887 Behind
Exposes the harsh conditions of the garment industry on the Pacific island of Saipan, the only U.S. territory exempt from labor and immigration laws. Hidden camera footage, along with the garment workers' personal stories, offers a rare and unforgettable glimpse into indentured labor and the workings of the global sweatshop. Produced and directed by Tia Lessin.
Asia
Global Concerns
Labor and Economy

Study guide

Benjamin Smoke, 1996. DVD 791.433 Benjami
Portrait of the rock singer Benjamin (no last name), renegade musician and speed freak, playing in a band called Smoke. A film by Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen.
Arts, Music & Culture

Best of Festival of Cinema for the Deaf, 2002. DVD 791.4375 Best
Films for the hearing impaired. Signed and captioned with voice over.
Disabilities

Blacks & Jews, 1997. Video 305.896 Blacks
This film examines the history of the collaboration and recent racial conflicts between African Americans and Jews and attempts to create understanding and reconciliation, with particular emphasis on events in New York City and Oakland, California.
African-American Issues
Judaism
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Study guide

Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords, 1998. Video 071.3 Black
Presents a history of African-American newspapers and journalism from the mid-19th century through the 20th century. Tells of the struggles against censorship and discrimination and for freedom of the press, with commentary by historians, journalists, and photojournalists. Produced and directed by Stanley Nelson.
African-American Issues
Media Studies
Social & Political History

Study guide

Blink, 2000. Video 322.42 Blink
Once a fanatical rising star in the white supremacist movement, Greg Winthrow grapples with a legacy of hatred handed down across generations in this haunting documentary. Producer and director: Elizabeth Thompson.
Contemporary America
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Study guide
Study guide

Bombies, 2001. Video 959.70434 Bombies
Millions of cluster bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War. This film explains the devastation that is still being wrought on the people of Laos by the remaining unexploded bombs. Produced, directed, written by Jack Silberman.
Asia
War

Study guide

Books Not Bars, 2001. Video 365.973 Books
This video illustrates the negative impact of the for-profit prison industry on youth. With music by Dead Prez and Sweet Honey in the Rock, Books Not Bars reveals public misperceptions about the criminalization of youth, especially youth of color, and highlights the relationship between increases in prison spending and decreases in education spending. Produced and directed by Mark Landsman.
Contemporary America
Issues Facing Youth


Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, 1996. Video 362.4 Breathi
Poet-journalist Mark O'Brien was stricken with polio in childhood and has spent most of his life in an iron lung. He describes how he has fought against illness and bureaucracy for his right to lead an independent life and offers his reflections on work, sex, death, and God. Produced, directed, and written by Jessica Yu.
Disabilities

Briefcases and Bomb Shelters
, 1986. Video 355.0217 Briefca
Video art on living with the prospects of nuclear warfare. A Bob Hercules film.
Chicago Filmmakers
War


Brother Born Again, 2000. Video 248.246 Brother
This documentary film traces Julia Pimsleur's efforts to understand her brother's conversion from Judaism to Christianity and attempt to salvage their relationship. The filmmaker travels from New York to her brother's religious community in Alaska where she and Marc search for common ground and rediscover the meaning of family.
Faith
Fiction
Judaism


Brothers and Others, 2002. Video 973.04927 Brother
A one-hour documentary on the impact of the September 11 tragedy on Muslims and Arabs living in America. This film includes interviews with immigrants, government representatives, and a select group of legal and historical experts. Directed by Nicolas Rossier.
Contemporary America
Middle East
Multiculturalism & Diversity


Bubbeh Lee & Me, 1996. Video 306.8745 Bubbeh
Portrait of an extraordinary, ordinary Jewish grandmother and her gay grandson's search for his place in the world. Produced, directed and edited by Andy Abrahams Wilson.
Fiction
Gay & Lesbian Issues
Judaism
Aging


Bun-Bun, 2002. DVD 791.433 Bunbun
A little girl's irrational desire for a stuffed animal slowly drives her parents crazy. Written and directed by Katie Fleischer.
Fiction

Burnt Oranges, 2005.
Burnt Oranges is a poetic video documentary by Chicago filmmaker Silvia Malagrino that explores the history of political violence in her native Argentina. Malagrino examines the long-term effects and repercussions of Argentina's 1970's state terrorism through a combination of intimate witness narration, interviews, documentary, and re-created footage.
Experimental
South and Central America


Bus Riders Union, 2000. Video 388.41322 Bus
Directed by famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf) Bus Riders Union is a rare mix of fine filmmaking, good politics, and a complex portrayal of a multiracial grassroots movement that is taking on some of the most powerful forces in Los Angeles--and winning.
Contemporary America
Urban Issues

 
C
 

Calling the Ghosts, 1996. Video 949.7103 Calling
Women survivors of Omarska Detention Camp describe the camp and the situation in Bosnia and Herzagovnia. Their release and recovery process are also described. A film by Mandy Jacobson and Karmen Jelincie.
War
Women’s Issues


Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business, 1994. Video B Miran.C
Using archival footage, film fragments, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments, acclaimed director Helena Solberg goes behind the scenes to convey the true life story of the "Brazilian Bombshell," Carmen Miranda
Arts, Music & Culture
Multiculturalism & Diversity
South & Central America


Carved from the Heart, 1997 Video 152.4 Carved
When Stan Marsden, a Tsimpshian wood carver, loses his son to a cocaine overdose, he decides to create a totem pole and invites the community of Craig, Alaska to help. The project grows and helps a community heal, bringing people of diverse backgrounds together. Director: Ellen Frankenstein.
Fiction
Health

Study guide

Chicago Nazis, 1997. Video 323.09 Chicago
Two documentary films about the American Nazi party and its leader Frank Collin.
Chicago Stories
Contemporary America
Multiculturalism & Diversity


Children of Heaven, 1997. Video 791.4372 Childre
A young boy, Ali, loses his sister Zahra's school shoes. In order to stay out of trouble, the two come up with a plan to share Ali's shoes, but they must keep it a secret from their parents. Written and directed by Majid Majidi. In Persian with English subtitles.
Fiction
Middle East


Children Underground, 1997. DVD 305.569 Childre
Documentary of a year in the lives of five homeless Romanian children who make their home in a subway station in Bucharest. Produced and directed by Edet Belzberg. In Romanian with English subtitles.
Issues Facing Youth

A Child’s Century of War, 2001 Video 305.23 Childs
From the perspective of children, A Child's Century of War takes the viewer on a journey through the past century, examining the way in which modern wars have increasingly threatened and targeted children. Directed, produced, and written by Shelley Saywell
War
Issues Facing Youth


Christo's Valley Curtain, 1974. Video 700.92 Christo
Examines the construction of the Mammoth Valley curtain, a 500-foot-high veil made of nine tons of orange nylon polymide fabric, stretched a quarter mile across Rifle Gap, Col., suspended from four steel cables, by the Bulgarian artist Christo. A Maysles Brothers film.
Arts, Music & Culture

Classified X, 1997. Video 791.4309 Classif
Examines the treatment of black characters throughout the history of American cinema using examples from classic films beginning with footage by Thomas Edison in 1903 to the present, tracing how Hollywood has aided and abetted the public perception of the African American. Written and narrated by Melvin Van Peebles.
African-American Issues
Cinema History
Media Studies


Climbing Miss Sophie, 2000. Video 791.433 Climbin
In 1950s New York, 10-year-old orphan Tomo has a deal with big old Miss Sophie: he can live in her fifth floor apartment as long as he pushes her up the stairs each day. But as her illness get worse, even Tomo's friendship is helpless against it. Directed by Liat Dahan.
Aging
Fiction
Fiction


Collector of Bedford Street, 2005. Video 362.3 Collect 34 min.
Award-winning short film by Alice Elliot about Larry Selman, a community activist who has developmental disabilities. When Larry's primary caregiver becomes unable to care for him, his New York City community rallies around Larry so he can maintain his independent lifestyle with developmental disabilities. The Collector of Bedford Street was nominated for an Academy Award.
Disabilities
Health

Discussion guide

The Corporation, 2005. DVD 338.74 Corpora
The Corporation charts the spectacular rise of the corporation as a dramatic, pervasive presence in our everyday lives. With a deft mix of humor, visual panache and seriousness, this documentary is a timely, entertaining critique of global conglomerates.
Global Concerns
Labor & Economy

Study guide

El Corrido de Cecilia Rios, 1997. Video 364.1523 Corrido
When the life of Cecilia Rios is tragically cut short by her brutal murder, a group of teens comes together to commemorate her life and speak out about the violence that intersects their lives. A film by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan.
Contemporary America
Issues Facing Youth

Study guide

Cyberman, 2002. Video 629.892 Cyberma
Results of computer system created and used by Prof. Steve Mann, University of Toronto--computers, cameras, sensors, and radio equipment strapped to his head and body--altering reality, redefining personal space and elevating his sense of awareness. Director: Peter Lynch.
Contemporary America
Media Studies


 
D
 
Daddy & Papa, 2002. DVD 306.8742 Daddy
A documentary exploring the personal, cultural, and political impact of gay men who are making a decision that is at once traditional and revolutionary: to raise children themselves. Director/producer/writer, Johnny Symons.
Fiction
Gay & Lesbian Issues

Study guide

Dark Days, 2001. DVD 305.569 Dark
Documentary about a community of homeless people living in a train tunnel beneath Manhattan. For some of those who have gone underground, it has been home for as long as 25 years. Produced and directed by Marc Singer.
Urban Issues

Darwin's Nightmare, 2004. DVD 967.8 Darwins 107 min.
This Academy-Award nominated film by Hubert Sauper tells the story of globalizations impact on Tanzania after Nile Perch is introduced into Lake Victoria. Their presence in the lake severely affected both the ecology and economy of the region, causing the extinction of hundreds of native species in Lake Victoria. Because the Nile Perch fish is farmed commercially, the meat is sold to European supermarkets, leaving locals to survive on the leftovers, often carcasses of the gutted fish. The film explores the living and working conditions of the indigenous people, a story of extreme poverty and despair for all.
Africa
Environmental Issues
Global Concerns

Daumë, 2001. Video 791.433 College Daume
A visit to a location inhabited by locals and visitors, all in disguise, and all in plain sight. Created in association with the School of the Art Institute, Film, Video, and New Media, Chicago.
Chicago Filmmakers

Daughter From Danang, 2003. Video 959.7044 Daughte
Heidi was born the daughter of an American serviceman and a Vietnamese woman. At the war's end, her mother, hearing rumors that racially mixed children would be persecuted, placed the seven-year-old girl on an "Operation Babylift" plane to the United States. Twenty-two years later, mother and daughter are miraculously reunited in Danang and are caught in a heart-wrenching clash of cultures. In English and Vietnamese with English subtitles. Sundance Film Festival 2002 Grand Jury Prize Documentary. Directed by Gail Dolgin and Vicente Franco.
Asia
Global Concerns
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Study guide

Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky and his Work, 1999. Video 322.4 Democra
Legendary organizer Saul Alinsky led the movement to empower disenfranchised communities through collective action. The democratic promise examines Alinsky's life and legacy through work being done by two contemporary people's organizations.Produced, directed and written by: Bob Hercules, Bruce Orenstein.
Chicago Filmmakers
Social & Political History

Study guide

Depression and Manic Depression, 1996. Video 616.895 Depress
Documentary features well-known personalities discussing their mental illness. Originally broadcast on the television program: The Doctor Is In. Production of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; writer and producer: Jamie Guth.
Health

Did They Buy It? Nicaragua’s 1990 Elections, 1990. Video 972.85 Did
Shows media coverage and political process in the 1990 election in Nicaragua. Directed by Bob Hercules.
Chicago’s Own Filmmaker
Media Studies
South & Central America


Digital Divide: Technology and Our Future
, 2000. Video 004.071 Digital
Part One shows visits to several high schools in an examination of the push to wire America's schools and the effectiveness of incorporating the new computer technology into the curriculum. Part Two looks at economic challenges to community and home access to computers and the Internet, and explores the fundamental alienation felt by many girls and students of color in the computer world and the need for fostering an environment of inclusion. Executive producer: David Bolt.
Contemporary America
Labor and Economy
Media Studies

Study guide

Dinner for One, 2001. Video 791.433 College Dinner
A darkly humorous silent film using trick photography and toy instruments as sound effects. Created in association with Northwestern University Radio/TV/Film, Evanston. Writer and director: Clayton Brown; producer: Stephanie Green.
Chicago Filmmakers

Discovering Dominga
, 2002. Video 972.81053 Discove
A survivor of the 1982 Rio Negro massacre in Guatemala, Denese Becker, born Dominga Sic Ruiz, was adopted by an American family and raised in Iowa. As an adult she begins to confront her memories and nightmares, returning to Guatemala almost 20 years after the massacre and ultimately becoming an advocate for the victims and survivors at great personal cost.Produced and directed by Patricia Flynn.
Global Concerns
South & Central America
War

Study guide

Displaced in the New South, 1995. Video 305.868 Displac
In the 1980s, over 200,000 Latino and Asian immigrants came to Atlanta and north Georgia. This film describes the difficulties and successes they faced in establishing themselves in a different culture. Produced and directed by David Zeiger and Eric Mofford.
Immigration
Multiculturalism & Diversity


Divan, 2003. Video 296.832 Divan
To reclaim an ancestral couch upon which esteemed rabbis slept, Pearl Gluck travels from her Hasidic community in Brooklyn to her roots in Hungary. Along the way, a colorful cast of characters gets involved – the couch exporter, her ex-communist cousin in Budapest, a pair of matchmakers, and a renegade group of formerly ultra-Orthodox Jews. Filmed by Pearl Gluck.
Judaism

Divorce Iranian Style, 1998. Video 346.0166 Divorce Looks inside an Iranian divorce court and shows how women are treated under Islamic law. Narrator: Joanna Rosenthall. A film by Kim Longinotto & Ziba Mir-Hosseini.
Middle East
Women’s Issues


 
E
 
Emma Goldman, 2004. DVD B Goldm.E
Emma Goldman was a Russian immigrant whose activism in the name of free speech and attacks against the United States government led to her deportation in 1919. Written, produced, and directed by Mel Bucklin.
Social & Political History
Study guide

The End of Suburbia, 2004.
This provocative documentary examines the history of suburban life. Post-World War II suburbia attracted droves of people, giving rise to sprawl and all that comes with it -- good and bad. How has the environment been affected by this lifestyle, and is it sustainable?
Environmental Issues
Contemporary America

Study guide

Erased, 2000. Video 616.831 Erased
Combining old home movie footage with recent answering machine message, the film creates a look at the effect of the Aging process on the filmmaker's mother. Background instrumental music is Shalom Aleichem from the album Songs of our Fathers performed by Andy Statman and David Grisman. Written, directed, and edited by Jay Rosenstein.
Aging
Fiction


Every Mother's Son, 2004. Video 363.232 Every
Explores the involvement of the New York Police Department in the high profile slayings of three men, and the mothers working for their cases to be brought to justice. Produced and directed by Tami Gold and Kelly Anderson.
Contemporary America
Urban Issues

Study guide
 
F
 
Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins, 1997. Video 355.007 Father
Describes the military assistance and training that the United States provides to Latin American countries at the U.S. Army School of the Americas, and Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a human rights advocate who would like to see the school closed, on the basis of torture training at the facility. Writer, producer, director: Robert Richter. Narrated by Susan Sarandon.
Global Concerns
South & Central America
War

Study guide

Fenceline: A Company Town Divided, 2002. DVD 363.738 Fenceli
Depicts the struggle of an African-American community in Louisiana's "cancer alley" to be relocated from under the shadow of a Shell chemical plant. Led by activist Margie Richard, the community tries to convince the corporate bosses that the plant is a health hazard. Others in town, especially Shell employees, feel the risk is overstated.
Environmental Issues
Health

Study guide

Fighter, 2000. DVD 940.5318 Fighter
Documentary film that follows Holocaust survivors and friends Jan Wiener and Arnost Lustig on a trip to Europe in 1998. The trip recreates the journey made by Wiener as he escaped from Nazi occupied Prague, through Slovenia and Italy, on his way to joining the British Royal Air Force before his return to Prague after World War II. Produced and directed by Amir Bar-Lev.
Holocaust
Judaism


Films of Thomas Edison, 1993. Video 778.5309 Films v.1
Motion pictures produced by Thomas Edison between 1898 and 1905. Library has Vol. 1 only. Silent.
Cinema History

5 Girls, 2001. Video 305.235 Five
Follows five young teenage girls going to schools in Chicago. Looks at their family life, their behavior at home and school, and their friendships and other relationships. Produced and directed by Maria Finitzo for Kartemquin Films.
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Issues Facing Youth

Study guide

The Forward: From Immigrants to Americans, 1989. Video 071.471 Forward
The story of the world's most successful Yiddish-language newspaper, The Jewish Daily Forward, and its special role in the lives of millions. Produced by Marlene Booth, Linda Matchan ; directed by Marlene Booth ; written by Linda Matchan, Marlene Booth.
Judaism
Media Studies


Fossil Fuel, 2001. Video 791.433 College Fossil
Using a toy car and toy dinosaurs, filmmaker Jacob Borshard gives a view of extinction, decaying matter, and the predominance of oil culture. Created in association with the School of the Art Institute, Film, Video and New Media, Chicago.
Chicago Filmmakers
Labor and Economy


Free of Eden, 1998. Video 791.4372 Free
A high school dropout realizes that education is the only way out of a dangerous dead-end neighborhood. Sidney Poitier plays the tutor. Also featured is his daughter Sydney Tamiia Poitier in her film debut. Screenplay and original story by Delle Chatman. Executive producer: Sidney Poitier.
African American Issues
Fiction
Urban Issues


Frontline: Ghosts of Rwanda, 2004. Video 967.571 Ghosts
Chronicles the Rwandan genocide of 1993, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. Includes interviews with key government officials, diplomats, and eyewitness accounts. Written, produced, and directed by Greg Barker.
Africa
Global Concerns
War

Study guide

Future of Food, 2004. DVD 363.192 Future
In-depth investigation into unlabeled genetically-modified foods which have become increasingly prevalent in grocery stores. Unravels the complex web of market and political forces that are changing the nature of what we eat. Directed by Deborah Koons Garcia, wife of Jerry Garcia.
Environmental Issues

 
G
 

Gabbeh, 1999. Video 791.4372 Gabbeh
A folkloric carpet (Gabbeh), picturing a man and a woman riding away on horseback, is the prized possession of an elderly nomadic couple. When they wash it, a beautiful young woman emerges from the carpet to reveal the secret of the carpet. In Farsi with English subtitles.A film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Fiction
Middle East


The Garifuna Journey, 1998. Video 972.82 Garifun
Presents the history, the language, food, music, dance, and spirituality of the Garifuna culture in Belize. Special project of Cultural Survival, an indigenous rights organization. Produced and directed by Andrea E. Leland and Kathy L. Berger.
Chicago Filmmakers
Global Concerns
South & Central America


Gaza Ghetto, 1984. Video 953.1 Gaza
Follows the daily routine of one Palestinian family confined to the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, showing their living quarters, the local school, and hospital in order to personalize the Arab-Israeli conflict. A film by PeA Holmquist, Joan Mandell, and Pierre Bjorklund.
Global Concerns
Middle East


George Washington, 2002. DVD 791.4372 George
Over the course of one hot summer, a group of children in rural North Carolina are forced to confront a tangle of difficult choices as they discover what it takes to make a modern American hero. Written, directed, and produced by David Gordon Green.
Fiction

Ghost Cities, 2002. Video 791.433 Ghost
Steeped in images of Chicago, Ghost Cities traces the downward spiral of Therese (Terri Reardon), a woman who has slipped off the social ladder into an abyss of urban dreams and social invisibility. Through Therese’s infatuation with the city and her simultaneous sense of displacement, Ghost Cities touches on questions of class and domestic labor, historic land rights and Chicago’s changing neighborhoods. Filmmaker Ines Sommer captures very natural scenes of daily street life in Chicago.
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Experimental
Urban Issues


Girl Trap, 2001. Video 791.433 College Girl
A moment deconstructed into a blur of past, present, and future. Produced in association with the School of the Art Institute, Film, Video and New Media, Chicago.
Chicago Filmmakers
Experimental


Girl Trouble, 2004. Video 364.36 Girl
Documents the personal struggles of three girls enmeshed in San Francisco's juvenile justice system.
Contemporary America
Issues Facing Youth
Women’s Issues

Study guide

The Gleaners and I
, 2000. Video 631.56 Gleaner
French director Agnes Varda's most recent effort focuses on gleaners, those who gather the spoils left after a harvest, as well as those who mine the trash. The director likens gleaning to her own profession--that of collecting images, stories, fragments of sound, light, and color.
• Labor & Economy

The Global Assembly Line, 1986. Video 331.1297 Global
Portrays the lives of working men and women in the "free trade zones" of developing countries and North America. This film "emerges as the definitive statement on the international division of labor and the growing importance of women in the industrial workforce." Director: Lorraine Gray.
Global Concerns
Labor and Economy


Going to Chicago, 1994.
Goin' to Chicago chronicles one of the most momentous yet least heralded sagas of American history - the great migration of African-Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North and West. After World War II, four million black people created a dynamic urban culture outside the South, changing America forever. Goin' to Chicago traces this history through the personal stories of a group of older Chicagoans born mostly in the Mississippi Delta.
African American Issues
Chicago Stories
Social and Political History

Study guide
Study guide

Going to School- Ir a la escuela. 2001. Video 371.9 Going
A documentary film about empowering children with Disabilities in Los Angeles
Disabilities
Issues Facing Youth

Study guide

Golub, 1988. Video 759.13 Golub
Follows the artist Leon Golub as he creates one of his large canvases from its early sketches to its first major exhibition over a year later in Derry, Northern Ireland. Challenges viewers to question their relationship to the violent nature of the subject of the painting and of modern society. Produced and directed by Jerry Blumenthal and Gordon Quinn of Kartemquin Films.
Arts, Music & Culture
Chicago Filmmakers


Good Kurds, Bad Kurds, 2000. Video 956.7044 Good
This program presents the history of the Kurdish people and their modern struggle for independence. It also presents a paradox in U.S. foreign policy that portrays the Kurds as "good" when they are Saddam Hussein's victims and "bad" when they are wAging an armed insurrection against Turkey, an American ally. Written, produced, and directed by Kevin McKiernan.
Global Concerns
Middle East


Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life, 1992. Video 305.89159 Grass
Originally issued as a silent motion picture in 1925, this documentary follows the first Westerners to reach a tribe of nomads in Iran known as the Bakhtyari. They accompany the tribe on its 48-day trek across deserts, streams, and mountains to reach pasture for their flocks. Presented by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky.
Cinema History
Middle East


Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka), 1988. DVD 791.4372 Grave
This anime film follows two orphans as they struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside after American planes firebomb their village during World War II. A powerful portrait of the human cost of war.
Asia
Animation
War

Study guide

Guy Maddin Collection, 2002. DVD 791.4375 Guy
Three shorts. In Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, a political prisoner returns to his home after several years of incarceration, falling desperately in love with a woman named Juliana. Archangel is a tale of obsessive love in the arctic town of Archangel. The last short, The Heart of the World, is a parody of silent Soviet propaganda films.
Fiction

 
H
Half the Kingdom, 1989. Video 305.48696 Half
Jewish women from the United States, Canada and Israel talk about their struggle to redefine their roles in Jewish life and attempt to incorporate feminist values into their religion. Directed by Francine E. Zuckerman and Roushell N. Goldstein.
Judaism
Women’s Issues


Halsted Street U.S.A.
, 1998. Video 977.311 Halsted
Tracing Halsted Street from Southern Illinois’ cornfields to Chicago’s boisterous soul, Halsted Street, USA offers a crash course in cultural geography. Directed by award-winning Chicago filmmaker David E. Simpson and narrated by Studs Terkel, this kaleidoscopic road movie traces the length of one vibrant, disparate thoroughfare, bringing into focus issues simmering up from the asphalt of main streets across America—racism and tolerance, gentrification, economic adversity, cultural/national identity. Colorful and entertaining, Halsted Street, USA reveals the American melting pot at full boil. Produced, directed, written, and edited by David E. Simpson
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Contemporary America


Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter's Story, 2003. DVD 345.0231 Heir
This personal documentary chronicles filmmaker Ivy Meeropol's journey to come to terms with the lives and deaths of her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were accused of relaying the secret of the atomic bomb to the Soviets and executed as traitors in 1953. A 2004 Sundance Film Festival selection.
Judaism
Social & Political History

Study guide

Here's Where I'm Comin' From, 2001. Video 791.433 Alterna Heres
An evocative and haunting video poem about the power of art to overcome internalized wounds. Alternative Youth Video Festival 2001.
Youth Produced Media

Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
, 2000. Video 956.7 Hidden
A two-year investigation, Hidden Wars of Desert Storm, brings answers to many questions based on documents never before seen on television and backed by interviews of such prominent personalities as Desert Storm Commander General Norman Schwarzkopf, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former UN Iraq Program Director Dennis Halliday, former UNSCOM team leader Scott Ritter and many others. Produced, written, and directed by Gerard Ungerman and Audrey Brohy; narrated by John Hurt.
War
Study guide

Hiding and Seeking: Faith & Tolerance After the Holocaust, 2003. Video 940.5318 Hiding In this compelling documentary, a father takes his grown-up Orthodox Jewish sons to Poland to teach them about the perils of putting up walls to keep those they deem dangerous outside. After he introduces them to the Polish family who helped their grandfather during the Holocaust, they discover the value in building bridges.Written, directed, and produced by Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky
Faith
Holocaust
Judaism

Study guide

Hip Hop, a Culture of Influence, 1999. Video 781.649 Hiphop
The Youth Organizers Television (YO-TV) crew interviews their peers, authors of hip hop culture, hip hop artists, and persons on the street, collecting a range of opinions on various themes relating to hip hop, including race, sexism, homophobia, commercialization, the influence of youth on hip hop, and the influence of hip hop on youth.
Arts, Music & Culture
Youth Produced Media


Home to Tibet, 1995. Video 951.5 Home
Focuses on the dangerous journey of Sonam Lama from his exiled residence in Massachusetts to Tibet, a place he has not seen in 12 years. Includes his meeting with the Dalai Lama, visits with friends exiled in India, and his reunion with his sister and others from his home village. In English and Tibetan with English subtitles. Written and directed by Alan Dater and Lisa Merton.
Asia
Global Concerns


Hope is the Thing With Feathers, 1999. Video 155.937 Hope
This touching portrait, told through Beau Riley's poetry, art, and spoken words, depicts his inner and outer journey as he cared for his lover David Whitmore during his illness and death while confronting his own illness and impending death. A film by Andy Abrahams Wilson
Health
Gay & Lesbian Issues

Study guide

Hybrid, 2002. Video 633.155 Hybrid
This personal documentary is about a 100-year old Iowa farmer and his life-long obsession with hybrid seed corn. Milford Beeghly, the filmmaker’s grandfather, began experimenting with hybrid seed in secret in the 30s, peddling it to skeptical farmers at a time when intervening in the natural process was seen by some as an oddity, a hoax, even a sin. Mixing animated footage of crawling and mating corncobs with meditative nature scenes, Hybrid uses dry Midwestern wit to look at one man’s life story, while simultaneously peering into the history and science of agriculture. Hybrid takes on fuller resonance because of the current fears about the harm that might be done by genetically engineered crops. Directed by Monteith McCollum.
Environment and Agriculture
Experimental
 
I
 
I, Too, Sing America, 2002. Video 973.04927 Itoo
A young Arab-American Muslim woman sings the Star-Spangled Banner. In this poetic video by Joan Mandell and Rich Wieske.
Multiculturalism & Diversity

I Was a Zero in City 2000, 2003. Video 917.7311 Iwas
A privately funded photographic project called Chicago in the Year 2000 (aka. City 2000) asked filmmaker Tom Palazzolo to submit photos and videos to document the city of Chicago in the year 2000. Only one of his photographs was accepted and none of his videos. This quirky, personal film shows his rejected work, which includes various street scenes, street musicians, actors and art, and outdoor celebrations such as the annual Democratic senior citizen picnic.
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers


If the Mango Tree Could Speak, 1993. Video 972.8 If
A documentary about children ages 12 to 15 growing up in the middle of war in Guatemala and El Salvador. Producer and writer: Patricia Goudvis; directors: Patricia Goudvis, William Turnley.
South & Central America
Issues Facing Youth

Study guide

In Her Own Time, 1985. Video 296.8332 In
Focuses on cultural anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff's study of the community of Hasidic Jews in Los Angeles's Fairfax neighborhood. Tells how, after exhausting medical treatment for cancer, she found strength among the traditions, faith, and caring of these Orthodox Jews. Directed by Lynne Littman.
Aging
Judaism


In the Light of Reverence, 2001. Video 970.1 In
Across the United States, Native Americans are struggling to protect their sacred places. This film presents three indigenous communities in their struggles to protect their sacred sites from rock climbers, tourists, stripmining and development and New Age religious practitioners. Produced and directed by Christopher McLeod.
Environment and Agriculture
Native American Issues

Study guide

In the Mood for Love, 2002. DVD 791.4372 In
The poetically told story of two lonely people who discover in each other the intimacy they have lost in their marriages. Produced, written, and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. In Cantonese and Shanghainese with optional English subtitles.
Asia
Fiction


In the Shadow of Memory, 1998. Video 940.5405 In
The film focuses on Evanston resident Jerri Zbiral, daughter of a survivor of Lidice, a Catholic village in Czechoslovakia destroyed by the Nazis. At the 50th anniversary of the massacre, she speaks with survivors, their children, and others about how Lidice affected their lives. Directed by Jacky Comforty.
Chicago Filmmakers
Holocaust
Judaism


In Whose Honor? 1997. Video 970.1 In
A critical look at the practice and controversy surrounding the use of American Indian mascots and nicknames in sports. Charlene Teters, a Spokane Indian, mother of two and a graduate student at the University of Illinois, began a protest against the use of the Indian mascot at the University.Written and produced by Jay Rosenstein.
Native American Issues
Multiculturalism & Diversity
Sports

Study guide

Inside StreetWise, 1997. Video 362.5 Inside
This Emmy Award-winning documentary profiles the successful newspaper StreetWise, which is produced and distributed primarily by homeless Chicagoans. A documentary by Evanston filmmaker Bill Glader.
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Labor & Economy
Urban Issues


Invisible Revolution: A Youth Subculture of Hate
, 2000. Video 305.8 Invisib
Profiles racist youth groups and the anti-racist youth group Anti Racist Action (ARA). Produced, directed, and edited by Beverly Peterson.
Multiculturalism & Diversity
Issues Facing Youth

It's Elementary: Talking about Gay Issues in School, 1996. Video 306.766 Its
An exploration of what happens when experienced teachers talk to their students about lesbians and gay men. Students are asked to consider issues related to homosexuality at six elementary and middle schools. Directed by Debra Chasnoff.
Gay & Lesbian Issues
Issues Facing Youth

Study guide
 
J
 
The Jack Bull, 1999. Video 791.4372 Jack
A search for justice in the Wyoming territory becomes a feud between two proud men: a rancher, played by John Cusack, and a wealthy landowner. The film premiered on HBO in April of 1999. Written by Evanstonian Dick Cusack.
Chicago Filmmakers
Fiction


Jane: An Abortion Service, 1995. Video 363.46 Jane
The story of how "Jane," an abortion counseling/referral service, came into being in Chicago in the 1960s. Includes interviews with the founder, Heather Booth, and other women who were involved with the service. Jane provided a much needed service for women at a time when abortions were illegal. A documentary by Kate Kirtz and Nell Lundy.
Chicago Filmmakers
Women’s Issues

Study guide

Frontline: A Jew Among Germans, 2005.
For years, Marian Marzynski lived with a fear of the people who had invaded his county and wiped out his family. When the German government announced it was planning a memorial on the Holocaust, he decided that it was finally time to visit “the land of the enemy” and to find out – how does a new generation of Germans live with the crimes of the past?
Holocaust
Judaism

Study guide

The Jew in the Lotus
, 1998. Video 296.39 Jew
Writer Rodger Kamenetz describes his spiritual transformation when he accompanies a group of rabbis invited by the Dalai Lama to discuss how the Jews survived their exile.
Faith
Judaism

Study guide

Jews and Buddhism: Belief Amended, Faith Revealed, 1999. Video 296.39 Jews
The effect of Eastern religion on Jewish life and religious practice is widespread in the United States, where 30% of non-Asian Buddhists are Jewish. This film includes interviews, historical film clips, and rare footage of the Dalai Lama meeting with Jewish religious leaders. A film by Bill Chayes and Isaac Solotaroff
Faith
Judaism


Jung (War): In the Land of the Mujaheddin, 2000. Video 958.1046 Jung
In 1999, a surgeon and a war correspondent join forces to found a hospital in Afghanistan, a country that has been devastated by civil and border wars for the last 20 years. In Arabic, Italian, and English with English subtitles.A film by Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Alberto Vendemmiati.
Middle East
War


Justice and the Generals, 2002. Video 972.84053 Justice On December 2, 1980, three nuns and one lay worker were abducted, raped, and murdered by El Salvadoran National Guardsmen. This documentary covers the initial investigation, the trial of the Guardsmen, and later attempts to bring to justice the military leaders who ordered the murders. Written, produced, directed, and narrated by Gail Pellette.
South & Central America
War

Study guide
 
K
King Gimp, 2000. Video 616.836 King
Dan Keplinger, a disabled artist, tells the story of his life from the age of 13 through his early 20s. Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Subject. Directed and photographed by William A. Whiteford ; produced by Susan Hannah Hadary, William A. Whiteford ; written by Dan Keplinger
Disabilities
Study guide

King of the Jews, 2000. Video 305.8924 King
An Experimental work about fear and transcendence. It explores the filmmaker's troubled childhood relationship to the figure of Jesus Christ and examines the roots of Christian anti-Semitism. Written, directed, edited, and produced by Jay Rosenblatt
Experimental
Faith
Judaism


Kings on the Hill: Baseball's Forgotten Men, 1993. Video 796.357 Kings
A documentary about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues and the ending of segregated baseball which caused the demise of the institutions that were a major source of black pride. Narrated by Ossie Davis. Produced by Rob Ruck and MollyYoungling ; directed by Molly Youngling; written by Rob Ruck.
African-American Issues
Multiculturalism & Diversity
Social & Political History
Sports


The Knowledge of Healing, 1996. Video 615.899 Knowled
Tibetan traditional forms of healing. Director: Franz Reichle; producer: Marcel Hoehn. Portions in Tibetan and other languages with English subtitles.
Asia
Faith
Health

 
L
 

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, 1992. Video 791.433 Landsca
Exploration in animation of the social welfare system. Directed by animation professor Christopher Sullivan, School of the Art Insitute Of Chicago
Animation
Chicago Filmmakers


Last Frontier, 2002. Video 791.433 Last
A homeless man, looking for work, finds himself victim of a scam operated by a large corporation. Directed by Evanston filmmaker Bob Hercules.
Chicago Filmmakers
Fiction
Urban Issues


Latin American Trails: Guatemala, 1997. Video 972.81 Latin
Examines the history, music, textiles, culture, art, architecture, theater, and people of Guatemala. Narrated by Claudette Maille. Written, produced, and directed by Ariel F. Zapata.
Arts, Music & Culture
South & Central America


Legacy, 1999. Video 305.896 Legacy
Terrell Collins, a 14-year-old African American boy living in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes housing project and the son of a crack addict, was an honor student intended to be featured in a documentary on "ghetto success stories." On the day filming was to begin, Terrell was fatally shot. His cousin, Nickcole Collins, narrates the documentary, chronicling the transformations and triumphs in the life of a family in the wake of a tragedy. Nominated for an Academy Award. Director, producer, and writer: Tod S. Lending.
African-American Issues
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Fiction
Urban Issues

Study guide

Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites , 1994. Video 791.4334 Leonard
Leonard Maltin introduces the following films in this collection of shorts: Begone Dull Care by Norman McLaren; Mindscape by Jacques Drouin; The Log Driver's Waltz by John Weldon; The Cat Came Back by Cordell Barker; Getting Started by Richard Condie; The Sweater by Sheldon Cohen; The Street by Caroline Leaf; Pas de Deux by Norman McLaren; Anniversary by Marc Aubry and Michel Hebert.
Animation
Study guide

Leona's Sister Gerri
, 1994. Video 342.0878 Leonas
This moving documentary tells the story of Gerri Santoro, the real person in the police photograph of an anonymous woman collapsed on a motel room floor, dead from an illegal abortion. Produced and directed by Jane Gilooly.
Women’s Issues

Letters Not About Love, 1998. Video 808.86 Letters
A skillful and beautifully produced montage by filmmaker Jacki Ochs documenting the five-year letter correspondence between United States poet Lyn Hejinian and Russian poet Arkadii Dragomoshchenko.
Experimental

Life and Debt, 2001. DVD 972.92 Life
This searing film dissects the “Mechanism of debt” that is destroying local agriculture and industry in Third World Countries. Life and Debt offers an unapologetic look from the point of view of Jamaican workers, farmers, and government and policy officials who see the reality of globalization from the ground up.
Global Concerns
Labor and Economy

Study guide

A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, 1997. DVD 296.8332 Life A life Apart relates the story of the creation of the Hasidic post-Holocaust communities in the United States. Seven years in the making, this documentary explores Hasidic homes, schools, and ceremonies. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy and Sarah Jessica Parker. Produced and directed by Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky.
Faith
Judaism

Study guide

Little Dieter Needs to Fly, 2001. DVD 959.70437 Little
Growing up in post-WWII Germany, Dieter Dengler always dreamed about becoming a pilot. At age 18 he emigrated to the United States, was accepted into the Navy and began pilot training. Sent to Vietnam around 1966 he was shot down on his first mission and taken prisoner. There, the Vietcong tortured him until Dengler engineered a hair-raising escape and eventually returned to the U.S. His story is recounted here via interviews with Dengler, archival footage, and new footage. Produced, directed, and narrated by Werner Herzog.
War

Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100, 1999. Video B Ellis.R
Documentary with narrative recreations about the life and times of Ruth Ellis, the oldest "out" African American lesbian. Written, directed, and produced by Chicago filmmaker Yvonne Welbon.
African-American Issues
Chicago Filmmakers
Gay & Lesbian Issues


Long Night’s Journey Into Day, 2000. Video 968.064 Long
South Africa's search for truth and reconciliation. As it investigated the crimes of apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought together victims and perpetrators to relive South Africa's brutal history. By revealing the past instead of burying it, the TRC hoped to pave the way to a peaceful future. Directed by Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffmann; narrated by Helen Mirren.
Africa
Study guide

The Long Road Home, 1992. Video 972.81 Long
Follows a 19-year-old Mayan refugee from his home in Chicago to a Guatemalan refugee camp in Mexico. The viewer learns why Ricardo Hernandez and his family had to leave Guatemala, what life is like in exile, and the cooperative efforts being taken by the refugees to return home. Produced and directed by Evanston filmmaker Andrea E. Leland.
South & Central America
Chicago Filmmaker

Study guide

Lost Boys of Sudan
, 2004. DVD 962.4043 Lost
The journey of two teenage Sudanese boys, orphaned by their war torn country, who traveled to America looking for a safer environment and learning to cope with the unfamiliar complexities of contemporary U.S. society.
Africa
Immigration

Study guide

The Lumiere Brothers' First Films, 1997. Video 778.5309 Lumiere
A look at the birth of the motion picture through 85 of the more than 1,500 films made by the Lumiere Brothers between 1895 and 1897. These films include views of Moscow, New York, Paris, Saigon, and Jerusalem; vignettes of life in France; and comedy shorts. Narrated by Bertrand Tavernier.
Cinema History

Lunch With Louie
, 1997. Video 791.433 Lunch
A repressed bureaucrat having lunch on a park bench finds his solitude disturbed by a somewhat friendly, somewhat threatening derelict. By the time lunch is over, the two men have formed a bond that neither of them will forget. Writer, producer, director: Peter Robinson.
Fiction

El Lustrador: The Shoe Shiner, 1999. Video 305.562 Lustrad
Chronicles a moment in the life of a young boy who shines shoes in a small village in Guatemala. Directors: James Prater, Ryan Shaddelee.
South & Central America

 
M
 
M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake, 1995. Video B Smith.M
Explores the lives and work of Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers and prolific African American artists. Features the photographs, motion picture film, paintings, and other art that the Smiths produced throughout their long careers. Narrated by Ruby Dee. Produced and directed by Heather Lyons
African-American Issues
Arts, Music & Culture


Made in Brooklyn, 1993. Video 307.76 Made
Examines the decline of New York City's industrial base as economic policy makers shift their focus to a service-based economy. Focuses on the history and current vitality of Brooklyn's manufacturing community. Includes archival footage. Produced and directed by Isabel Hill.
Labor and Economy
Urban Issues


Making up Time with Dad, 2001. Video 791.433 College Making
Never having had a relationship with her father until after his life-threatening stroke in 1997, Serena Moy tries to make up the time she missed with him by taking care of him. Created in association with Columbia College, Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary, Chicago.
Aging
Chicago Filmmakers
Fiction
Health

Mamadrama: The Jewish Mother in Cinema
, 2001. Video 306.8743 Mamadra
A unique exploration of the maligned mother figure in Jewish 20th-century culture. Writer, director, producer: Monique Schwarz.
Cinema History
Judaism


The Man We Called Juan Carlos, 2000. Video 972.81 Man
The story of an ordinary man whose life affected the lives of the filmmakers for over 25 years. Wenceslao Armira, a Mayan Indian who was an illiterate peasant until the arrival of a foreign aid project, became a teacher, community organizer, guerilla, and Mayan priest. His life raises questions about social justice, life choices, and the cost of commitment. Produced and directed by Heather MacAndrew and David Springbett.
South & Central America

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, 1992. DVD 302.23 Manufac
Funny, provocative and surprisingly accessible, MANUFACTURING CONSENT explores the political life and ideas of Noam Chomsky, world-renowned linguist, intellectual and political activist. In a dynamic collage of new and original footage, biography, archival gems, and imaginative graphics, the film highlights Chomsky’s probing analysis of mass media. Appearing in the film are major journalists and critics, including Bill Moyers, William F. Buckley, Jr., Tom Wolfe, Peter Jennings, Jeff Greenfield, philosopher Michel Foucault, White House reporter Sarah McClendon, New York Times editorial writer Karl E. Meyer and revisionist author Robert Faurisson.
Global Concerns
Media Studies

Study guide

Masters of Russian Animation, 2000. DVD 791.433 Masters
A collection of award-winning animated short films by Russia's world-renowned directors and artists. Russian with English subtitles.
Animation

Maxwell Street: A Living Memory, 2002. Video 977.311 Maxwell
Captures the essence of this once famous Chicago market through the children and grandchildren of the Eastern European Jewish immigrants who built it. Produced and directed by Shuli Eshel.
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers
Judaism
Urban Issues

Study guide

Maxwell Street Blues, 1983. Video 781.643 Maxwell
Chicago's urban legend where ethnic groups mingle in a unique and true representation of the melting pot and where great blues music continues to be born and reborn on the street corners. Directors: Linda Williams, Raul Zaritsky.
Arts, Music & Culture
Chicago Stories
Chicago Filmmakers


Me and My Black & White World, 2001. Video 791.433 Alterna Me
A one-minute Experimental film. Alternative Youth Video Festival 2001. Created in association with Street Level Youth Media.
Youth Produced Media

Means of Grace, 1996. Video 362.2 Means
Using home movies, archival footage, and dramatizations, the film presents an inside view of "madness" using the diary entries and writings of the filmmaker's mother. Narrator and filmmaker: J. Clements.
Fiction
Health
Women’s Issues


Measurements, 2000. Video 791.433 College Measure
A young Oriental woman describes what physical features she likes and dislikes in a man. Writer, director, producer: Daniel Peltz. Created in association with the Radio/TV/Film Dept. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Experimental

Memory, 2000. Video 791.433 College Memory
A woman remembers an event that may or may not have happened. This film plays out as a personal opera of betrayal and abandonment: a mother packs her suitcase as her infant daughter plays at her feet. The mother goes down the stairs and out the door, leaving the infant. Created in association with the Radio/TV/Film Dept. at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Experimental

Men Are From Moon, 1998. Video 612.665 Men
An excerpt from Elizabeth Sher’s documentary When Women Go Through Menopause, Where Do Men Go? Men interviewed on the street are asked what menopause is and how it affects women.
Health
Women’s Issues


Mercury Moon, 2001. Video 791.433 College Mercury
Three short science fiction films by Kim Collmer. Created in association with the Film, Video, and New Media Dept. of the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.
Experimental

Message in a Bubble, 2003. DVD 338.04 Message
A documentary that focuses on the Internet industry. Written, directed, and produced by James Stanford.
Contemporary America
Labor and Economy
Media Studies

Study guide

Missing Allen, 2001. Video 364.1523 Missing
After Chicago filmmaker Allen Ross disappeared in 1995, fellow-filmmaker Christian Bauer began a haunting journey in search of his friend, which ultimately reveals a cult group to be at the center of Ross’ tragic disappearance
Chicago Filmmakers
Chicago Stories


Missing in Tibet, 1997. Video 951.5 Missing
In 1949, China invaded Tibet, devastating Tibetan culture and tradition; over 100,000 Tibetans have fled into exile. In 1995, one Tibetan exile, Ngawang Choephel, returned to Tibet to document remnants of traditional music and dance. This videotaped footage was sent out of Tibet prior to his arrest. Directed by Robin Garthwait and Dan Griffin. Narrated by Goldie Hawn and Peter Coyote.
Arts, Music & Culture
Asia

Mud Peoples Video 738.092 Jolly M Mudpeop
A documentary about artist Marva Jolly
Arts, Music & Culture

My Germany: Unqualified Remarks of a Distant Observer, 1995. Video 943.0879 My
Triggered by the widespread resurgence of Neo-Nazi groups in Germany in the early 1990s, this personal essay video reflects on the filmmaker’s troubled feelings toward Germany, the country she grew up in, but left behind when she moved to Chicago in the mid-80s. Reflections on German history, interviews, and personal stories form the core of this video, which illuminates how a younger generation of Germans has learned (or not learned) about the Holocaust from their parents and in school. By Ines Sommer
Chicago Filmmakers
Experimental
Holocaust


My Girl, 2001. Video 791.433 Alterna My
Three videos: My Girl deals with death and healing; Female Riot deals with issues of sexuality, representation, and self-esteem; What's Ghetto consists of interviews of people defining what the word ghetto means to them. Created in association with Street Level Youth Media.
Youth Produced Media

My Mother Dreams The Satan's Disciples in New York, 1998. Video 791.433 My
A comedy about a Midwestern elderly woman, who travels to New York City for the first time and begins to spin a fantasy about the motorcycle club across the street from her daughter's apartment. Academy Award winner for Best Live Action Short, 1999. Directed by Barbara Schock
Aging
Fiction


 
N
The New Americans, 2003. Video 304.873 New
This Moving and insightful documentary depicts the journeys of five families from their homes in the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Mexico and India to new lives in the United States. Directors (Dominican story), Susanna Aikin, Carlos Aparico ; directors (Palestinian story), Jerry Blumental, Gordon Quinn (Nigerian story), Steve James
Contemporary America
Immigration

Study guide

Study guide

Nigel & Me
, 2001. Video 791.433 Alterna Nigel
A mentally disturbed young man chooses to have a popsicle as a friend, which he names Nigel. Alternative Youth Video Festival 2001.
Animation
Youth Produced Media


No Loitering: Teens Searching for a Place, 2001. Video 305.235 No
Set in the small town of Sitka, Alaska, home to a large Alaska Native population, the video chronicles the creativity, concerns, and dreams of youth growing up today. Directed and produced by Ellen Frankenstein.
Issues Facing Youth

Nobody’s Business, 1999. Video B Berli.O
Oscar A. Berliner, father of director Alan Berliner, is the reluctant subject of this study of family history and memory. Family members add their comments to this portrait of a retired Jewish sportswear manufacturer and salesman who describes himself as "just an ordinary guy."
Fiction
Judaism
Aging


Not in Our Town, 1995. Video 305.8 Not
Documentary about the people of Billings, Montana who joined together to stand up for Native American, African American and Jewish neighbors who were under attack by white supremacists. Producers: Patrice O'Neill and Rhian Miller.
Contemporary America
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Study guide
 
O
 
One Day Longer: The Story of the Frontier Strike, 1999. Video 331.892 One
Recounts America's longest running strike by restaurant workers of the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Produced and directed by Amie S. Williams.
Contemporary America
Labor and Economy

Study guide

One Hundred and One Nights
, 1994. DVD 791.4372 One
French new wave director Agnes Varda's tribute to the history of cinema. Simon Cinema, an Aging director, hires a film student to give his memory a daily workout and to reminisce about the movies. Cameo appearances by Jean-Paul Belmondo,