Social & Political Issues in America: Resources in the Media Resources Center, UC Berkeley

The following list is a sampling of some of the materials in MRC which deal with important social, political, and cultural issues in America. Consult MRC's subject videographies for other titles of interest on these topics.

Abortion and Reproductive Rights. SEE: Women's Studies: Reproductive Rights

Affirmative Action

Child Welfare

Affirmative Action

African American Studies

Affirmative Action. 1986.

This event is organized by the Graduate Assembly, University of California, Berkeley. This event took place on February 2, 1986, at Booth Auditorium, Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley. An exchange of views and a discussion on affirmative action between Charles Murray, Senior Research Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, New York, and Ronald Takaki, Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Video/C 1409

Affirmative Action Panel, UCB, 1995.

Contents: The impact of affirmative action on the University of California, Berkeley (105 min.) -- Affirmative action: Where do we go from here? (45 min.) A program designed to educate and inform the University community and the general public about the past, present and future of affirmative action policy and its impact on the University of California, Berkeley. 150 min. Video/C 4266 Pt. 1-2

Affirmative Action: The History of an Idea

Explores the historical roots of affimative action and the current debate over its usefulness. Looks at several different affirmative action programs including the Univ. of California, Berkeley, the U.S. Army, federal aid to minority businesses, and affirmative action in the Chicago Police Dept. Includes archival footage and features interviews with a wide array of academic scholars. 1996. 56 min. Video/C 4999

Beyond Black and White: Affirmative Action in America

All sides in the affirmative action debate say that they believe in the Constitutional right to equality regarding race, creed and sex, but they bring very different interpretations to what that means. A distinguished panel of experts discuss this issue.

Moderator: Charles J. Ogletree; panelists: Ward Connerly, Angela Walker, Ruth J. Simmons, Ann Coulter, Frank D. Riggs, Ann F. Lewis, Antonia Hernandez, Suzan Shown Harjo, Diane Chin, Robert L. Woodson, Sr., Christopher Edley, Jr., Judge Jon O. Newman, John R. Strangfeld, Tamar Jacoby, Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr. c2000. 60 min. Video/C 7331

The Constitution--That Delicate Balance, Part 12: Affirmative Action versus Reverse Discrimination.

Presents viewpoints of leaders from government, media and the legal profession on a hypothetical case regarding the application of affirmative action to a university faculty tenure decision. c1983. 60 min. Video/C 6991

Legislating Morality: Affirmative Action and the Burden of History

Explores whether affirmative action promotes racial balance, or fights discrimination of the past with reverse discrimination in the present. Featured in the program are Roy Innis, Chairman of the Congress on Racial Equality; Ward Connerly, Regent of the University of California and Charles Willie, professor of Education at Harvard. 1996. 29 min. DVD 2141

Skin Deep.

A diverse group of college students reveal their honestfeelings and attitudes about race and racism. Students from 3 major universities are interviewed alone on topics including the climate toward talking about race on campus, self separation of ethnic groups, discrimination, affirmative action policies and individual responsibility for change. Concludes with a diverse group of 23 students from 6 major American universities who spent 3 days together to collectively challenge one another with dialogue focusing on such topics as the concept of individual responsibility, feeling separated from each other, wanting others to understand and what can be done to move awareness to action. c1995. 53 min. Video/C 4055

Reading, Writing and Race.

This program looks at the impact of affirmative action admissions policies, speech codes, and race relations on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. Includes drama students enacting plays about racial conflicts and intolerance on campus. The film also examines the debate in California over a series of social studies textbooks which are under fire from critics, who charge that they do not adequately reflect California's multicultural heritage. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 6790

Shattering the Silences

Documentary explores issues of faculty diversity in American higher education in the mid-1990s, focusing on the professional and personal experiences of eight minority scholars in the humanities and social sciences at various institutions. 1996. 86 min. Video/C 4707 >

Talking About Race.

A diverse group of college students reveal their honest feelings and attitudes about race and racism. In part 1, students from 3 major universities are interviewed alone on topics including the climate toward talking about race on campus, self separation of ethnic groups, discrimination, affirmative action policies and individual responsibility for change. In part 2, a diverse group of 23 students from 6 major American universities spend 3 days together to collectively challenge one another with dialogue focusing on such topics as the concept of individual responsibility, feeling separated from each other, wanting others to understand and what can be done to move awareness to action. c1994. 25 min. Video/C 4054. See Also: Skin Deep

U.C. Charter Day, 1982.

Celebration of the 114th birthday of the University of California. Deena Gonzalez, Chair of the Graduate Assembly, delivers an address on the disproportionate low number of minority students enrolled at the University of California. Philip Habib, former Undersecretary of State and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, delivers the keynote address on American foreign policy and the Middle East. Video/C 1718

Voices of a Divided City.

Film examines racial problems of urban areas focusing on the 1974 riots in Boston that were triggered by busing of children from the predominantly Black community of Roxbury to Charlestown with a mostly Irish population. Residents speak on the street and during a discussion group about the issues of racism and the impact busing and affirmative action programs have on their communities. c1982. 59 min. Video/C 455 - U-matic format, at NRLF #: B 4 175 250

To the top Child Welfare

Child Abuse (separate page)

Aging Out

"Aging out" chronicles the daunting obstacles that three young people in foster care encounter as they "age out" of the system and are suddenly on their own for the first time. This emotionally complex film is also a portrait of young adults struggling to overcome the scars of their troubled childhood in order to realize their dreams of independence and fulfillment. Written, produced and directed by Roger Weisberg. 2005. 90 min. DVD 6003

Criminal Justice/Capital Punishment

Black Panther Party Online Resources

1993 UN Human Rights Conference Preview

Segment one is a behind-the scenes look at the problems, priorities, and players at the 1993 United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, the first to be held in 25 years. Includes interviews with undersecretary of State Timothy Wirth and former President Jimmy Carter and UN Sec. General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The second segment examines a Chicago based campaign against capital punishment by families of murder victims who tour the United States to combat the death penalty. Segement from the television program Rights & wrongs, 1993. 27 min. Video/C 6695

The A.C.L.U.: A History

This program, with commentary from Oliver North, Dave Barry, and Molly Ivins, traces the tumultuous history of the ACLU from its inception by founder Roger Baldwin, through dozens of legal challenges over the past century, including the Scopes trial, the 1930s labor strikes, Japanese internment, the HUAC hearings and blacklisting, the Vietnam war crimes trials, the American Nazi Party's bid to march in Skokie, Illinois, and others. Baldwin's story is interwoven throughout. A film by Lawrence R. Hott and Diane Garey. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1998. 57 min. DVD 6495

After Innocence

This documentary tells the dramatic and compelling story of the exonerated - innocent men wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA evidence proved their innocence. The film focuses on the gripping story of seven men and their emotional journey back into society and efforts to rebuild their lives. Directed by Jessica Sanders. 2005. 95 min. DVD 7279

Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer

Tells the true story of the first female serial killer in the U.S., Aileen Wuornos, and the opportunists who used her story. They include the born-again Christian woman who adopted Aileen while she was on trial and then sold Aileen's story, the lawyer who convinced Aileen to plead no contest, and Aileen's lesbian lover who got her to confess. 1992. 87 min. Video/C MM229

All Things Censored [16 essays] / Mumia Abu-Jamal. Vol. 1

[sound recording]Dorothy Allison (:30) -- Dedication (:56) -- From death row (:36) -- War on the poor (3:26) -- Cornel West (:41) -- Media is the mirage (3:26) -- Ronald Hampton (:29) -- True African American history (3:34) -- Sister Helen Prejean (:36) -- When ineffective means effective (3:13) -- Howard Zinn (:28) -- Death: the poor's perogative? (2:48) -- Dr. Joyce Elders (:18) -- A rap thing (4:06) -- Alice Walker (:26) -- Mother loss (2:44) -- William Kunstler introduction (2:32) -- Acting like life's a ballgame read by William Kunstler (4:16) -- Ramona Africa (:43) -- May 13 remembered, part 2 (3:54) --Juan Gonzalez (:45) -- Seeds of wisdom (3:10) -- Martin Sheen (:24) -- NAFTA: a pact made in Hell (3:17) -- Robert Meeropol (1:21) -- De Profundis (3:30) -- Justice Bruce Wright (:37) -- No law, no rights (3:21) -- Assata Shakur (1:36) -- Sweet Roxanne (3:14) -- Manning Marable (:43) -- Blackmun bows out of death game (3:45) -- Judy Bari (:36) -- It's not nice to fool with mother nature (2:43) -- John Edgar Wideman (:43) -- South Africa (3:12). Recorded between 1993 and 1997. Sound/D 42

Assata Shakur at Alderson Prison, 1977; Geronimo Ji Jaga, Doc Holliday, 1974

[sound recording] Barbara Lubinski interviews Assata Shakur in prison as she describes her case, her arrest and indictment with no chance for legal preparation, her involvement with the FBI, the activities of Cointelpro, the FBI's program against dissident groups and FBI activities against the Black Panther Party. Side 2: Mark Schwartz reports on the prison movement and alleged BGF members in isolation. Geronimo Ji-Jaga Pratt talks about several cases of prisoners charged with the murder of guards and Doc Holliday (Douglas Fowley) expounds on the social and political philosophy of George Jackson. San Francisco, Calif.: Freedom Archives, 2001. 45 min. Sound/C 1510

America, Behind Bars: Beyond the Prison Industrial Complex: Critical Resistance

The growing reliance on prisons as the solution to systematic social problems, has created a punishment industry that bleeds taxpayers as it wields repression against the poor, immigrants and minorities. The first film, Visions of Freedom (32 min.), shows highlights from the Critical Resistance Conference held in Berkeley, California in 1998. Weaving music, poetry and speakers at the conference, this video highlights the growing outlines the growth of the prison industrial complex, the privatization of corrections and the social trade-offs being made to support it. The second film is USA, INCorporated (24 min.). Commentary: Angela Davis, Mike Davis, Ruthie Gilmore, Jose Lopez, Ramona Africa, Vince Shiraldi, Bruce Franklin, David Muhammad, Asha Bandele, Bernardine Dohrn, Luana Ross, Christian Parenti, Reese Erlich. "Produced in association with The Critical Resistance Conference, Berkeley, Calif., Sept. 25-27, l998. Produced in conjunction with Deep Dish TV's America Behind Bars series & The Prison Activist Resource Center." 1999? 56 min. Video/C 6451

America in Black and White. Racial Profiling and Law Enforcement

For many African-Americans, simply having dark skin seems to be grounds for being pulled over by police and searched for drugs. Police call it "profiling," based on years of successful drug interdiction through traffic stops, but angry and humiliated victims call it "racial profiling," a blatant form of discrimination. This investigative report examines the issue from the victim's point of view as well as through the eyes of the police. Originally broadcast as segments of: Nightline. 1998. 44 min. Video/C 8641

America's Brutal Prisons

Visits correctional institutions in Texas, Florida and California, uncovering penal systems with deeply ingrained cultures of punishment, where prisoners are routinely abused, even tortured, by prison guards. The film features videos recorded by prison surveillance cameras and correction officers themselves, supplemented by interviews with former prisoners, a warden, a prison doctor, inmates' relatives, attorneys and former correction officers who have broken the code of silence. 2005. 48 min. DVD 4775

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

America's Least Wanted

Criminologists, media critics and other experts discuss the forces behind crime hysteria in the United States, why American prisons don't work, the economic costs of crime and the large social and economic impact of white collar crime. Paper Tiger TV, c1997. 26 min. Video/C 5821

American Chain Gang.

On May 3, 1995, Alabama resurrected the chain gang; on Sept. 18, 1996, Arizona began the first female chain gang. In this documentary the filmmaker seeks the truth about chain gangs. Does forced labor change the hearts and minds of career criminals or does it make them hardened and even worse when they return to society? Both inmate and penal officer views of the situation are examined in this honest and shocking portrayal of the men and women in the American penal system. c1998. 56 min. Video/C 6997

Angel on Death Row.

An investigative report which takes on the death penalty debate with a profile of Sister Helen Prejean. A longtime spiritual advisor to inmates on Death Row, her life and work inspired the highly-acclaimed motion picture "Dead Man Walking". c1996. 57 min. Video/C 4462

Angel on Death Row web site (via PBS/Frontline). Includes interviews, newspaper accounts, death penalty pro/con discussions.

Anderson, George M. "Opposing the Death Penalty: An Interview with Helen Prejean." (nun, author of 'Dead Man Walking')(Cover Story) America v175, n14 (Nov 9, 1996):8 (5 pages).

Bruno, Marc. 'We Both Live With the Poor.' (Sister Helen Prejean's influence on the film 'Dead Man Walking')(includes related article on death penalty opponents and advocates) America v174, n5 (Feb 17, 1996):31 (3 pages)

Silvio, Lucy. "Raking in the Money."('Dead Man Walking!' and the Sisters of St. Joseph) America v176, n8 (March 8, 1997):10 (2 pages).

Wagner, Betsy. "For Death Row, A Message of Love."(Helen Prejean, nun and author of book 'Dead Man Walking')(Interview) U.S. News & World Report v120, n5 (Feb 5, 1996):19.

Black Panther Party: Attica Prison Riots, September 9-13, 1971

Presents coverage of interviews with prisoners during the four-day revolt at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York in September, 1971. The prisoners talk about the background of the rebellion, asking for an investigation into the treatment of prisoners and conditions at the prison which instigated the riots. [from The Freedom Archives]

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Black Panther Party: 30 years After Attica

On the 30th anniversary, this is an examination of events and lessons learned from the rebellion and massacre at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York in September, 1971. Presents interviews with prisoners and guards during the 5 day occupation including spokesman prisoner L. D. Barkley who was killed in the riots and Frank "Big Black" Smith who describes the tortures that took place in the aftermath of the riot. [from The Freedom Archives]

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Books Not Bars

Documents the inspiring youth-led movement against the massive prison industry in the U.S., illustrating the negative impact of for-profit prison industry on youth -- particularly those from communities of color. Looks at public misperceptions about the criminalization of youth and highlights the relationship between increases in prison spending and decreases in education spending. Youth activists challenge audiences to explore alternative options to detention and debunk public misperceptions about youth crime rates. The film provides inspiring examples of peer activism, youth organizing, and mobilization around prison issues, providing youth with tangible ways to get involved with the movement to reform the U.S. prison system. In the video, young activists convince the Board of Corrections to deny pre-approved state funding for Alameda County's effort to build the biggest per capita juvenile hall in the state of California. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. 2001. 22 min. DVD 3262

Witness web site

Capital Punishment: March 12, 1985 (Nightline)

Examines opinions on capital punishment as a possible deterrent to crime through interviews with executioners, a former death row inmate, Edward Koch, mayor of New York City and Hans Zeisel, professor of law at the University of Chicago. 23 min. Video/C 5777

Charisse Shumate: Fighting For Our Lives

Focuses on the life of Charisse Shumate, who became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the abominable health care conditions that women in California's prisons face. Includes prison interviews, materials from State Senate hearings on conditions for women in the California State Prison System, and historical video footage of Charisse and her family. Created in collaboration with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. Produced by Claude Marks; written and edited by Eve Goldberg. Dist. Freedom Archives. 2004. 37 min. DVD 8457
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The Constitution--That Delicate Balance, Part 4: Criminal Justice and a Defendant's Right to a Fair Trial.

This seminar was made up of judges, lawyers, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, majors, and journalists who engaged in a dialogue exploring the trade-offs of a society trying to control crime yet preserve individual freedoms. 1983. 90 min. Video/C 6987

Corrections

An examination of the efficacy and ethics of prison privatization in the United States and of the prison industries that profit from the burgeoning prison population. Features visits to the corporate headquarters of leading correctional corporations, prison trade shows, and testimony from leading experts and ordinary people, presenting diverse views of this new American "growth industry." 2001. 58 min. Video/C 9671

Crime & Punishment in America.

Brings a historical perspective to the problems of escalating crime and the public's fear of it, by exploring the evolution of crime and criminal penalties in American society. Tells how the regulation of gambing, drugs and pornography are rooted in colonial America. Looks at the rise of penitentaries and experiments to transform offenders, how law and the legal system has evolved in the United States, concluding with stalking laws and "three-strike" laws. Includes interviews with police, judges, historians, prison wardens, prosecutors, reformers and citizens as they speak about their experiences with crime and criminals. Based in part on Crime and Punishment in American History / by Lawrence Friedman (Main Stack KF9223.F75 1993; Moffitt KF9223.F75) 1997. 120 min. Video/C 5394

A Crime of Insanity

In 1994 a paranoid schizophrenic man, Ralph Tortorici, took a class of college students hostage, threatening and wounding one of them. Using excerpts from the actual trial, as well as interviews with Tortorici's father and brother, the defense attorney, chief assistant district attorney, the prosecutor, psychiatric experts, and the presiding judge, this documentary critically examines the ethical dilemmas surrounding the insanity defense. Originally broadcast on PBS, Oct. 17, 2002. 60 min. Video/C MM979

David Gilbert: a Lifetime of Struggle

An interview with David Gilbert, who is among the longest held anti-imperialist political prisoners in the world. He worked against the Vietnam War and for Black civil rights, was a leader in the Columbia University student strike and Students for a Democratic Society, and was a member of the Weather Underground Organization. In 1981 he was convicted for his participation in a Brinks truck robbery to raise funds for the Black Liberation Army. In prison he has continued to work for social justice calling early attention to the AIDS epidemic and working as an advocate for the rights of prisoners. Based on an interview by Sam Green and Bill Siegel. Videotaped in 1998 at Great Meadows Prison, Comstock, N.Y. Dist.: Freedom Archives, [2002]. 29 min. DVD 6896; vhs Video/C 9867
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The Day After Diallo: Organizers Speak Out on Police Brutality

Video highlights recurring police violence against people of color in the context of the killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Black man who was shot forty-one times in the vestibule of his apartment by four members of the New York City Street Crimes Unit. On Feb. 25, 2000, a jury acquitted these officers of all charges. Protests erupted and confrontations between the police and demonstrators ensued. A production of the Witness Project which uses video technology to investigate human rights abuses. 2000. 6 min. DVD 3263

Witness web site

Deadline.

What would you do if you discovered that 13 people slated for execution had been found innocent? That was exactly the dilemma that Illinois Governor George Ryan faced in his final days in office. He, alone, was left to decide whether the remaining 167 death row inmates should live or die. This details the gripping drama of the clemency hearings during the countdown to Ryan's decision. Documented as the events unfolded, this is a compelling look inside America's prisons, highlighting one man's unlikely and historic actions against the system. Directors, Katy Chevigny and Kirsten Johnson. c2004. 89 min. DVD 4909

The Diary of Sacco and Vanzetti

A docu-drama about the 1927 Massachusetts trial and execution of two Italian-American immigrant anarchists based on Vanzetti's own letters and speeches. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants to America were executed after they were convicted of killing two people during a robbery in South Braintree. Their controversial trial became a political firestorm fueled by anti-immigration and "Red Scare" hysteria that gripped post-World War I America. This unique docu-drama, shot on location around Boston where the case took place, tells the events from the point of view of Vanzetti. Written and directed by David Rothauser. 2004. 57 min. DVD 6909

Doing Justice: The Life & Trials of Arthur Kinoy.

A biography of the civil rights lawyer, Arthur Kinoy, from his attempt to stay the executions of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, through the civil rights movement, to the unanimous Supreme Court decision on wiretapping. 1993. 51 min. Video/C 4130

Doing Time: Life Inside the Big House

Hard-edged look at life inside the walls of Lewisburg, a maximum security federal penitentiary where rehabilitation and parole have all but been abandoned. With access to the entire prison, the filmmaker captured the stories of corrections officers as well as the inmates, including drug lords, "lifers," with no possibliity of parole, and prisoners convicted of leading prison riots. Directed by Alan Raymond. 2006. 85 min. DVD 5997

The Execution (Frontline)

Explore capital punishment through the story of Clifford Boggess, a 30-year-old who spent almost a decade on death row. In the United States, executions have become almost routine, especially in Texas, where Boggess, a pianist, artist, class valedictorian and convicted murderer awaited the execution chamber. And while he waited, the tormented families of his two victims--both brutally murdered in premeditated convenience store robberies--impatiently awaited his death in June 1998. 1999. 90 min. Video/C 6646

The Execution Protocol.

The film includes interviews with death row prisoners, with state government and prison officials, and with all participants in capital punishment, including lawyers, police officers and manufacturers of lethal substances to show the legal context and logistics involved in carrying out executions. It was filmed at the Potosi Correctional Centre, Mineral Point, Missouri, and it includes a discussion of the execution of Tiny Mercer in 1989. 83 min. Video/C 3502

The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison

Documentary film which follows the lives of 6 men imprisoned in Angola, Louisiana State Penitentiary. As one man turns to religion, another battles cancer, and another faces lethal injection, each prisoner learns to grasp what spiritual redemption he can. A graphic and sympathetic commentary on racial and social injustice, this film paints an unforgettable portrait of the Angola inmates and their struggle for humanity within an inhumane system. c1998. 100 min. Video/C 6147

From One Prison ...

Interviews in a Michigan prison with women imprisoned for murdering abusive men in self-defense. Highlights injustice and inequities in the legal system regarding women. The average sentence for women convicted of killing men is 20 years; that for men convicted of killing women , 2-6 years. Approximately 80% of women who commit murder kill abusers in self-defense. Produced and directed by Carol Jacobsen. 1994. 72 min. Video/C MM667

Ghosts of Attica

Offers the definitive account of America's most violent prison rebellion, its suppression, and the days of torture that ensued. Using newly uncovered video of the assault, interviews with eyewitnesses who've never spoken before on camera, and footage of inmates and hostages throughout their battles against the state, this film unravels one of America's deepest cover-ups, and shows how the legendary prison riot transformed the lives of its survivors. c2001. 89 min. Video/C 8490

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

Girl Hood

Shanae was ten when she was gang-raped; she responded by drinking and drugging, and by age 12 had graduated to murder. Megan ran way from ten different foster homes before being arrested on assault charges. Both came to the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Maryland. Follow these two girls for three years, as they try to make a life for themselves both inside and outside of Baltimore's juvenile justice system. Originally produced in 2003. 82 min. DVD 5282

Girl Trouble: Girls Tell Their Truth About the Juvenile Justice System

Shot over a four year period, documents the personal struggles of three girls enmeshed in San Francisco's juvenile justice system. Trying to change their lives, the girls work part-time at the Innovative Center for Young Women's Development, an organization run by young women who have faced similar challenges. As they confront seemingy impossible problems and pivotal decisions, the center's director, Lateefa Simon, is often their only support and mentor. Producer/director/cinematographers, Lexi Leban and Lidia Szajko. 2004. 74 min. Video/C MM926

Gladiator Days

Violent crime in prison is an everyday reality. Captured by Utah State Prison surveillance cameras, the documentary shows how white supremacist Troy Kell stabbed black inmate Lonnie Blackmon 67 times while his accomplice Eric Daniels helped hold down the victim. All the while, prison guards watched from the sidelines waiting for the SWAT team to arrive. Originally produced for television broadcast in 2002. 60 min. DVD 2839

Homeboys: "My Daddy's in Jail"

Re-visits the young men interviewed eight years ago in the film "Homeboys: life and death in the hood" -- all but one now in jail. Equal time is given to their young children, who are struggling to remember their fathers and to understand why their fathers are not living at home. Both generations describe the pain of life without their fathers. c1999. 26 min. Video/C MM108

Hungry for Monsters

This gripping documentary captures the nightmare that one family endures after a teenage girl confessed to a teacher that her father molested her. During therapy sessions to recover "repressed memories," the daughter exaggerates and embellishes her accusations as social workers, therapists, and officers of the court inadvertently egg her on. The girl's tales of satanic rituals and wild orgies eventually lead to arrests, years of turmoil and heartache for all. A sharp and unrelenting portrait of the American system of justice run amok. Produced, directed, and edited by George Paul Csicsery. 2006. 69 min. DVD 6526

Juvenile Court

A documentary showing day-to-day activities in the large urban juvenile court system of Memphis. Scenes include conferences among parents, social workers, lawyers, and young offenders, interviews with psychologists, and meetings in the judge's chambers. A film by Frederick Wiseman. 1973. 144 min. Video/C MM1072

Juvenile Justice

Frontline explores whether children who commit serious crimes should be tried as juveniles or adults. The program shows what can happen to young offenders who reach the "end of the line" in the juvenile court system and how these children can be rehabilitated to prevent future criminal behavior. Originally broadcast on PBS as a segment of: Frontline. c2001. 90 min. Video/C MM921

Juvies

This film explores the personal stories and impact of incarceration in an adult prison environment on twelve juveniles, male and female, who were at Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall and were prosecuted and incarcerated as adults. 66 min. 2004. Video/C MM242

Kathleen Cleaver on Mumia [sound recording]

Kathleen Cleaver speaks at San Francisco State University about the case of African American journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted in 1982 of murdering a Philadelphia policeman. Abu-Jamal's Black Panther background and the political atmosphere of Philadelphia at the time stirred ardent advocates, pro and con, as the trial intersected racial politics and criminal justice. San Francisco, Calif.: Freedom Archives, 2001. 120 min. Sound/C 1508

The Last Graduation: The Movement for College Programs in New York State Prisons After Attica

Researcher Barbara Zahm gives a brief history of the 1971 Attica Prison Rebellion in which forty-three men died, and the college prison program which was initiated afterward. After interviews with prison inmates, "The Movement for College Programs of New York State Prisons After Attica" was formed. Zahm tells of her transformation after working with the inmates and her anguish over the Congressional decision to eliminate Pell Grants for prisoners, thus ending the program and leading to the "Last Graduation". As of 1997 funding cuts had not been restored. 1997. 55 min. Video/C 7028

Law and Order

An award winning documentary on the routine activities of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Filmed in the highest crime district of the city, the film reveals the role of the police in a large urban center, the nature of contacts with the community and the diversity and complexity of the police role in American society. In showing police confronting problems such as a domestic dispute, arrests of a car thief and a prostitute, a clothing store holdup, and medical emergencies, the film presents an unflinching look at the intersection of criminal behavior and police work. Directed and produced by Frederick Wiseman. [1969?]. 81 min. Video/C 9301

Legacy: Murder and Media, Politics and Prisons.

From murders to manhunts to a win-at-all costs political campaign, this riveting expose presents the disturbing story behind the passage of California's stringent "three strikes" law. Through candid interviews and news footage, Mike Reynolds and Marc Klaas--both fathers of murdered children--and other key players including judges, legal analysts, and state officials illuminate both sides of this heated issue, revealing how criminal justice policy is debated and promoted in today's media-saturated political climate--particulary in a state where more money is spent on prisons than on education. 1999. 60 min. Video/C 6370

A License to Kill.

Presents both sides of the debate on capital punishment through interviews with jurists, lawyers, civil rights advocates, crime victims, and condemned criminals. 1985. 28 min. Video/C 1130

Lockdowns Up.

This film examines the potentials that privatized prisons see for their industry following the policy shifts after September 11th. A corporate conference call from one of the leading correctional facility corporations details the impact that such shifts offer not only for investors, but for those most prone to racial profiling. A film by Ashley Hunt. 2001. 9 min. Video/C 9982

Maximum Security University

Utilizes surveillance videos of the SHU (maximum security) exercise yard at Corcoran State Prison, California to show the shootings of four inmates by prison guards as they to break up fights. The tapes are compared with the shooting review board reports, revealing inconsistencies in the official accounts. This film criticizes the integrated yard policy whereby members of rival gangs are released into the yard together, almost ensuring that violence will occur. 1999. 48 min. Video/C 7058

Mothers in Prison Children in Crisis

Eighty percent of women in prison are mothers. Seventy-five percent are mothers of minor children and studies show that these children are 5 to 6 times more likely to be imprisoned in their futures. At a time when tougher prison sentences are being handed down and more children are being affected by a parent's incarceration, this documentary looks at the social, economic, political, and emotional costs. Includes interviews with mothers in prison in Arkansas, their children, caregivers, child welfare experts and prison authorities in an attempt to illustrate how a mother's incarceration affects her children. 2002. 57 min. Video/C MM710

Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case for Reasonable Doubt?

America's most "celebrated" death row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal, speaks for the first time behind prison walls. Mumia was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of a 25 year-old white Philadelphia policeman. His conviction has been protested by activists and celebrities who call him a political prisoner because of the perceived irregularities in both the evidence and the conduct of his trial. 1997. 74 min. Video/C 4928

Murder on a Sunday Morning

A documentary investigating a true tale of murder and injustice in Jacksonville, Florida. When a 15-year-old black male is arrested for the murder of Mary Ann Stephens, everyone involved in the case--from investigators to journalists--is ready to condemn him,except for his lawyer, Patrick McGuiness. McGuiness reopens the inquiry, and discovers a slew of shocking and troubling elements about the case. Most importantly, can the police be lying? A film by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade 2003. 111 min. DVD 1842

The New Asylums

Fewer than 55,000 Americans currently receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Meanwhile, almost 10 times that number, nearly 500,000, mentally ill men and women are serving time in U.S. jails and prisons. As sheriffs and prison wardens become the unexpected and often ill-equipped caretakers of this burgeoning population, they raise a troubling new concern: Have America's jails and prisons become its new asylums? This program goes deep inside Ohio's state prison system to explore the complex and growing issue of mentally ill prisoners. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Frontline on May 10, 2005. 60 min. DVD 4437

The New Gulag: America's Prisons

In the United States the prison system costs 30 billion dollars per year to maintain and will escalate as stiffer sentences and tougher treatment are being demanded for criminals. Private companies are running prisons for profit often at the expense of recreation and rehabilitation services for the prisoners. In rural communities, prisons are welcomed for providing jobs and markets for goods needed in the prisons. In this documentary Alvin Brunstein of the American Civil Liberties Union and criminologist Marc Mauer, challege the theory that tougher prisons deter crime. 199-? 30 min. Video/C 9257

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Old Enough To Do Time: Juvenile Justice Policies.

Reviews the history of the treatment of juvenile deliquents in the United States. Gives examples from all over the country of recent policies of treating young offenders as adults. Shows four alternative correctional programs which are being tried instead of traditional prisons. 1983. 58 min. Video/C 3415

Operation Cooperation (Partnerships Between Law Enforcement and Private Security)

Presents a discussion of various cooperative endeavors between public law enforcement agencies and private security organizations. 2001. 15 min. Video/C 8807

O.J. Simpson Case: See African American Studies videography and Journalism videography

Omar & Pete

This compelling and highly personal documentary examines the social, economic, and personal barriers that two ex-offenders, who have spent the majority of their years in prison, face as they work at reintegration into their communities and families. A film by Tod Lending. 2005. 72 min. DVD 5996

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

Examines the brutal slayings of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, and the investigation, arrest and trial of the three teenagers (the West Memphis Three) whose only crime seems to have been that they dressed in black, listened to heavy metal music, and were fascinated with the Wicca religion. A film by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky. Originally produced in 1996. 150 min. DVD 5124

The Plea

Examines the prevalence of plea bargaining in the American justice system, and the failures of justice that result when the practice is misused. Nearly 95 percent of all cases resulting in felony convictions never reach a jury, but instead are settled through plea bargains, in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence. Critics contend that the push to resolve cases through plea bargains jeopardizes the constitutional rights of defendants, who may be pressured to admit their guilt whether they are guilty or not. Written, produced and directed by Ofra Bikel. Originally broadcast June 17, 2004 on the PBS Television series Frontline. 90 min. DVD 5807

Police Brutality in the U.S.: June 25, 1980 (Nightline)

Looks at allegations of police brutality against officers of the Los Angeles Police Department through interviews with L.A. Police chief, Daryl Gates and Mayor, Tom Bradley. Moves on to examine the New York City Police Department through interviews with police officers and others. 18 min. Video/C 5773

The Police Tapes

Two filmmakers ride along with police in the South Bronx in 1976, to document a city trying to cope with rape, gang warfare, murder, arson and petty revenge. A dramatically raw account of the dangerous nighttime work of beat cops as they try to contain an urban community coming unraveled. Produced, edited and directed by Alan Raymond and Susan Raymond. 1976. 88 min. DVD 5998

Police Violence in the U.S.: March 21, 1991 (Nightline)

An examination of the causes and consequences of police brutality in the United States through interviews with private citizens, police officers, community leaders and historians. 23 min. Video/C 5772

Prisons on Fire: George Jackson, Attica & Black liberation [Sound Recording]

Thirty years ago, America's prisons burned. Who were the Attica Brothers? Why did 1,500 Black, Puerto Rican, and white prisoners seize control of New York State's Attica Prison? Thirty years later prison rights activists grapple with this history through contemporary interviews and narration including the voices of George Jackson, Angela Davis, Harry Belafonte, and others.

Performer: George Jackson, Jonathan Jackson Jr., Georgia Jackson, Angela Davis, David Hilliard, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, David Johnson, Hugo Pinell, Luis Talamantez, Sundiata Tate, Frank Smith, William Kunstler, Elizabeth Fink, Michael Deutsch, L. D. Barkley, Ruchell Magee. 60 min. Sound/D 171

Prisoners, Fights & Wrongs

Nevada State Prison / by G. John Slagle -- Norval Morris / by Kathie Robertson -- Alvin Paul Mitchell / by John Lipman, KIRO, Jesse Wineberry, Michael King -- William King / by Jimmy Sternfield -- Clarence Lusane ; Alexa Freeman / by Eddie Becker -- Barbara Franklin ; Jeanne McKinnis / by Jeanne C. Finley -- Jefftown / The Jefftown Crew : Jeffrey Archer, Darryl Brazil, Joe Corpier, Jerry Easton, Michael Hunter, Christiano Perez -- John Daleb / by Garth Bacon -- Percy Mayfield, poet laureate of the blues / by Michael Prussian, Starr Sutherland. Previously aired as segment of television program, "The 90's." 1991. 60 min. Video/C 2207

Profits of Punishment

Dominated by a handful of American-based corporations including Wackenhut Corporation, the business of private prisons is now the most volatile and powerful industry in the United States. Visit an assembly line in Texas where prisoners produce circuit boards and follow prison entrepreneurs to a giant prison convention where hundreds of salesmen market the lastest prison products, such as portable restraint devices and the latest in surveillance technology. This film contrasts the glitzy commercial arena of the private prison industry with the world of the inmates on the inside. In the process, it exposes a recession-proof industry where money is made out of the deprivation of liberty. 2001. 52 min. Video/C 8190

Protect and Serve?: De-policing in Urban Neighborhoods

Beset with the catchphrase "racial profiling," police in many American cities have responded with "tactical detachment," and the code of NC/NC -- "no contact, no complaints." This program, focusing on the cities of Cincinatti and Seattle, reports on how police are moving from active to passive law enforcement in the wake of controversy, resulting in a spike of violent crimes. Originally presented as a segment on ABC News Nightline. 2001. 23 min. Video/C 8836

Punishment

A documentary exploring the social phenomenon of punishment. The forms of punishment that a society chooses, and what it deems a crime, illustrate that society's values. How is justice pursued and punishment meted out? Looks at the history of punishment, beginning with early compensatory forms of justice, Hammurabi's Code and the Law of Moses. Socrates' execution and Roman and medieval forms of justice are analyzed in a historical context, underscoring the fact that punishment was often intended as a deterrent rather than as a reformatory measure. Discusses contemporary forms of punishment, including the death penalty, along with the ways in which these sentences reflect what society values. 2003. 53 min. DVD 5039

A Question of Racial Profiling.

The issue of racial profiling of minorities by police is highly-charged with legal, political, ethical and social implications. This report examines the issue from the points of view of ordinary black Americans, the police and social scientists. 2004. 40 min. DVD 4774.

Race to Execution.

Follows the cases of two death row inmates to examine the problem of race discrimination in the U.S. criminal justice system, particularly with regard to death penalty sentencing. Explores the roles of the Supreme Court, prosecutors, juries, politicians, media, and public opinion on capital punishment. Includes interviews with relatives of both the accused and the victims, as well as legal and social experts. A film by Rachel Lyon. c2006. 54 min. DVD 8686

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Real Justice

Documentary presenting the Suffolk County criminal courts in Boston, Massachusetts, as a case study of the daily workings of public defenders and prosecutors scheduling, negotiating, and arguing both nonviolent and violent criminal cases. Focuses on the offers, social work, and presentation of mundane evidence used to keep the court system moving. Originally broadcast on November 14, 2000 and November 21, 2000 as episodes of the television program: Frontline. c2004. 150 min. Video/C MM1065

Reckless Indifference

This tragic story of teens, drugs and murder explores California's controversial felony murder rule. Four teenagers participated in a backyard brawl which resulted in the death of the son of a police officer. The teens were tried, convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, even though only one of them actually committed the crime. Ten years have passed and they are still behind bars, though an appeal is pending. Directed by William Gazecki. 2000. 94 min. DVD 6113

Sacco and Vanzetti

Examines the case of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti through archival film, music, poetry and excerpts from the 1971 feature film. Also includes interviews with historians, artists and activists as well as readings from the prison diaries of the two defendants. The many personalities involved in these historic events including the judge, the attorneys, the Italian anarchist movement and the Communist Party are examined within the period's political context, especiallly the notorious "Red scare," of the 1920's which led to the arrest and deportation of thousands of immigrants. c2006. 81 min. DVD 6486

Description from First Run Icarus catalog

Scared Straight!; Scared straight! 20 Years Later

Scared straight!: Profiles a unique juvenile crime-prevention program at New Jersey's Rahway maximum-security prison, recounting the day seventeen teenage lawbreakers spent inside the prison with the some of New Jersey's most dangerous criminals. In an attempt to scare the kids out of their criminal ways, prisoners took turns describing prison life, emphasizing it's worst features. Scared straight! 20 years later: Traces the subsequent lives of the teens and the convicts featured in the original documentary. Some have jobs and families now, but others weren't so fortunate. Written, directed, and produced by Arnold Shapiro. 1978; 1999. 90 min. DVD 3113

Supermax Prisons

Supermax prisons can be described as maximum security, minimum privilege institutions designed to isolate the most dangerous inmates from the rest of the prison population. This documentary examines the history and development of supermax prisons and explores the internal and external features found in one. Covers details regarding staffing, mental health issues, and inmate transportation. 1999. 23 min. Video/C MM433

Thanatos Rx

Presents a balanced discussion of the death penalty in the United States, offering a wide range of perspectives including interviews with several current and former death row inmates, families of homicide victims and distict attorneys. Beginning with the history of controversial death penalty cases, legal experts, representatives of Amnesty International and The Innocence Project examine the death penalty as just retribution and its efficacy as a deterrence to crime. 2001. 59 min. Video/C 9274

Filmakers Library catalog description

The Thin Blue Line.

Documentary about the conviction and imprisonment of Randall Adams for the killing of a Dallas policeman, an investigation and reconstruction of the murder and the questions that arise about Adams' guilt. Directed by Errol Morris. 1988. 101 min. DVD 4165; vhs Video/C 999:443

To Defend a Killer. (Ethics in America; 2)

A hypothetical murder case provides the context for discussion by a panel of jurists, journalists, clergy, and scholars of the ethical questions faced by the prosecutors, defense attorneys, defendants, and witnesses involved in the legal proceedings. c1989. 58 min. Video/C 1654

The Trials of Darryl Hunt

Chronicling this capital case in Winston-Salem, N.C. from 1984-2004, filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg painstakingly frame the judicial and emotional reponses to a brutal rape/murder case, and the implications surrounding Darryl Hunt's wrongful conviction against a backdrop of class and bigotry in America. Directors, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg. 2006. 107 min. DVD 8592

Voices From Inside

'Voices from Inside' follows German-born theater artist Karina Epperlein into a federal women's prison where she began teaching weekly classes as a volunteer in 1992. Her racially mixed group of women prisoners becomes a circle of trust and healing. Epperlein also talks to the children of the women. 1996. 60 min. Video/C 5226

Wearing the Green: Longtermers of the New York State Prison System

Profiles the work of ex-convicts in New York (some former Black Panthers) who are working to battle inequities which still mark the meting out of justice. Through Harlem's Community Justice Center, they work to make neighborhoods where unemployment, crime and drug use are high, into "self-respecting" safe communities so that today's children will not become "victims of the street." 1994. 52 min. Video/C 4528

Welcome to Warren

This sobering and perceptive documentary explores the lives of inmates and guards at the Warren Correctional Institution, in southern Ohio, providing the viewer with two interpretations of life inside. From the smallest details of life for prisoners ... to the cynicism with which the corrections officers analyze their surroundings, elucidates the effects of prolonged monotony and confinement on the human spirit. Directed by Brent Huffman. 2005. 31 min. DVD 5623

What Jennifer Saw

Examines the reliability of eyewitness identification and the implications of DNA evidence for the American justice system. Considers the case of Ronald Cotton who spent eleven years in prison before DNA evidence proved him innocent of rape. Originally broadcast Feb. 25, 1997 on PBS as a segment of Frontline. 60 min. Video/C 4528

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Drug Traffickings and Use Propaganda (for anti-drug propaganda and educational films, 1930-1970) Medical Sciences and Technology/ Public Health

Addiction

A television series that strives to educate America about addiction as a brain disease and its treatment as such. Breaks through the myths and explains what addiction really is, what causes it, and how to get the best available treatments. Originally broadcast on HBO in March, 2007. DVD 8191

Disc 1: Saturday night in a Dallas ER -- A mother's desperation -- The science of relapse -- The adolescent addict -- Brain imaging -- Opiate addiction: a new medication -- Topiramate: a clinical trial for alcoholism -- Steamfitters Local Union 638 -- Insurance woes.

Disc 2: What is addiction? -- Understanding relapse -- The search for treatment: a challenging journey -- The adolescent addict: multi-systemic therapy: a new outpatient approach ; Phoenix academy: a profile of residential treatment. Produced by John Hoffman, Susan Froemke; directors, Jon Alpert, et al.

Disc 3: An interview with Nora Volkow, M.D ; An interview with Mark Willenbring, M.D ; An interview with Michael Dennis, Ph.D ; An interview with Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D.

Disc 4: Getting an addict into treatment: the CRAFT approach -- Treating stimulant addiction: the CBT approach -- Opiate addiction: understanding replacement therapy -- South Boston drug court -- A mother's desperation.

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

A documentary filmed in San Francisco, California from December 1995 to January 1998 when black tar heroin use, particularly among young adults, surged to record levels in the city. Looks at two years in the lives of five young heroin addicts, ages 18 to 25, as they face the perils of hard core drug addiction -- crime, prostitution, rape, incarceration, AIDS, overdoses and death. A film by Steven Okazaki.1999. 75min. Video/C 8727

Close To Home: Bill Moyers on Addition 1998.

Portrait of Addiction. Bill Moyers explores the issues of drug and alcoholaddiction. Nine men and women, all recovering fromdrug and/or alcohol addiction, tell their stories. 57 min.

The Hijacked Brain. Scientists are making dramatic discoveries about how addiction affects the brain. Bill Moyers goes into thelaboratory to follow researchers engaged in charting the effects of cocaine on a brain, who explain how brain scans reveal addiction as a chronic relapsing brain disease. Moyers also observes a genetic researcher as he monitors a variety of factorsthat may determine who is likely to developalcoholism. 57 min. Video/C 6506

Changing Lives. Bill Moyers focuses on the point that no singletreatment program will work for all addicts. He visitsthe Ridgeview Institute to interview recovering addicts and sit in on a group therapy session. The program also visits Project Safe, a treatment program that reaches out to disadvantaged mothers who are addicts and to their children who areat serious risk of becoming addicts. 90 min. Video/C 6507

The Next Generation. Experts are increasingly focusing on prevention efforts based on community and family. This documentary looksat two of these efforts. One works with parents addicted to heroin by teaching them how to repair the damage to family wrought by drug abuse, and in spite of it, how to raise strong, resilient children. In a second program, vigilant counselors in Dade County schools watch for kids at risk of becoming drug addicts, and offer immediate counseling for thosewho are already involved with drugs. Nicotine addiction is addressed by a program that provides classes designed to prevent students from smoking, and another that helps them stop if they've already begun to smoke. School officials, counselors, and students are interviewed. 57 min. Video/C 6508

Cuba and Cocaine

Documents narcotics smuggling in and through Cuba. Examines Cuban government officials' involvement in trading drugs for weapons to support Communist insurgents in Latin America. 1991. 58 min. Video/C 2048

Debunking the Myths About Marijuana: What Can Your Community Do?

Contents: Marijuana ads for teens: Roadside memorial ; Pregnacy test ; Four cigarettes -- [Marijuana] ads for adults: Thanks ; Loss ; Ask who, what, where, when: questions, the anti-drug -- [Marijuana] ads for community coalitions: Rabbi/Reverend ; Banker/ball player ; chef/plumber/policeman.

Produced by the U.S. governement this film is designed to educate communities about the harms of teen marijuana use. It highlights the latest research about the drug, features commentary by leading experts about the effects of marijuana on youth, and encourages communities to work together to address teen marijuana use. Also includes television advertisements for youth on the negative consequences of marijuana use, for parents on the importance of monitoring their kids, and for the general audience on the importance of community coalitions. 2003. 15 min. Video/C MM27

Ecstasy Rising

Investigation into the drug known as MDMA or Ecstasy and the people who made it the drug of choice for a generation-- from Alexander Shulgin, the chemist who was the first person to report the effects of MDMA, to Michael Clegg, the Dallas drug dealer who gave Ecstasy its name and turned it from a therapeutic to a recreational drug, to the drug enforcement officer who led the fight to make Ecstasy illegal, to the DJ who spread Ecstasy and dance parties -- known as raves -- across America. Concludes with a look at the U.S. government's campaign against MDMA and the controversial studies regarding whether the drug causes brain damage. Originally produced for the television program Primetime Live, broadcast on April 1, 2004. 45 min. Video/C MM293

Foo-foo Dust

Explores the relationship between a crack-addicted prostitute and her 23-year old drug addicted son, both living in one room in San Francisco's Tenderloin District. A disturbing and intimate portrait of the destructive power of drug addiction, including a crack-induced fit and near-fatal heroin overdose, as well as a moving, poignant look at the intense love between a mother and her son living on the edge of society. Directors, Gina Levy and Eric Johnson. 2003. 37 min. DVD 5560

Getting High: A History of LSD

Explores the legacy of LSD and its impact on society, aided by scholars who examine its history in the context of the role of hallucinogens in societies throughout history. The presentation visits the lab where the drug was first synthesized by Albert Hoffmann in 1943. Thirty years later, after Timothy Leary and Aldous Huxley brought the drug into the public eye, its role in the cultural upheavals of the 1960's is still debated. The film also examines the controversial tests conducted by the CIA and the U.S. military as well as tests by other nations. Originally broadcast as a segment of the A&E series History's mysteries. 1999. 50 min. Video/C 7223

Grass

Utilizing hilarious footage from U.S. Government propaganda films produced between the 1930's to 1960's and animation from underground artist Paul Mavrides, "Grass" blows the lid off the war on marijuana. With warnings of users becoming sex-crazed, these pressed official reports have molded government policy (and a multimillion dollar war) against this "assassin of youth." Produced and directed by Ron Mann Special features: Ron Mann on Grass; deleted scene; High Times Magazine Gallery; theatrical trailer; quick reference guide to state-by-state marijuana laws in the U.S. 2000. 80 min. DVD 1273

Hard Drugs, Hard Choices

Four part program about drugs and the reaction of society. Discussion with a panel of prominent leaders of the community about 1. Teaching, testing, treatment; 2. Law, order and the community; 3. Vigilantism and legalization; 4. The crisis beyond our borders. Videotaped on November 18, 1989 at the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. 440 min. Video/C 1562 pt. 1-pt. 2 (in NRLF)

The Heroin Wars.

Filmed over a 30 year period, this 3 part video examines the ongoing civil war and the burgeoning opium trade in Burma. 1996. 60 min each installment.

Part I: The Opium Convoys. This first segment begins in the 1960s when the Burmese Army seized power in a coup and the Shans began a war of independence. Opium was the Shan farmers' only source of income and the guerillas began to take 10% of the crop as tax and transported it in convoys to Thailand to buy guns. And so a deadly alliance was born. In the 1970s, as part of Richard Nixon's war on drugs, the U.S. joined in an all-out attack on the convoys in union with the Thai police. Lo Hsing-Han, the first "King of Opium" was arrested but the opium trade continued under the second "King of Opium", Khun Sa. Video/C 5296

Part II: Smack City. In Hong Kong opium was sold under a government license until the end of WWII when Britain enforced the UN treaty against narcotics. In the 1960s Hong Kong's suppliers and addicts switched from the relatively innocuous opium to the more addictive heroin because it was easier to smuggle and consume. This film follows the fortunes of one gang which controlled the selling of heroin on one street corner and also follows the Hong Kong police as they raid heroin factories and distribution centers in what appears to be a futile struggle. Video/C 5297

Part III: The Kings of Opium. This third segment returns to the Shans' war for independence led by Khun Sa, the second "King of Opium". In 1993 the Shan People's Republic Committee declared itself no longer part of the union of Burma. Lo Hsing-Han meanwhile joined the government forces and eventually brought Khun Sa to his knees, regaining control once again over the narcotics trade, but this time for the military dictatorship. Today both men are rich and powerful, and the amount of opium produced in Shan State has increased ten-fold, flooding Europe and the United States with cheap heroin. Video/C 5298

Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way

Since the dawn of civilization there has always been a "drug culture." But since the industrial revolution, drug use has changed and society's response to this -- particularly in America -- has been to demonize users and make drugs illegal. This documentary explores the world of illegal drugs, particularly in the U.S. looking at the cycles of social and legal acceptance and rejection of various drugs as their positive effects were recognized, used and overused. Describes the mechanisms by which drugs have been made illegal to use in the United States. 2000. 200 min. DVD 2339

The Last to Know

A documentary about four women of different backgrounds who are similarly dependent upon alcohol or prescribed drugs. Describes the nature of their addiction and how it is possibly perpetuated by the medical establishment and other societal forces. 1983. 45 min. Video/C 541 NRLF #: B 4 175 344

Lines of Blood

A powerful investigation of the drug war which is raging in Colombia. For almost a decade, the United States, backed by other Western countries, has tried to smash the wealthy drug cartels with little success. Coca growing has increased while murder and terrorism have become commonplace as drug cartels protect their territory. The film criticizes the rigidity of U.S. policy which pursues the trafficers, while ignoring the domestic social problems that create the demand. Extradition of drug traders to stand trial in the U.S. has led to a blood bath against judges, politicians, and law enforcement agents in Colombia, while the poor people in inner cities of both countries are victimized. 1991. 52 min. Video/C 5042

Marijuana: Weeding Out the hype.

Presents some of the latest facts about marijuana, including trends in the use of the drug, the strength of todays' marijuana, effects of the drug and efforts being made in prevention and treatment. Young people in treatment for marijuana dependence share their stories of how they started using the drug and what led them to seek help. Viewers will also hear from parents who faced their daughters' growing problem of marijuana use. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 2002. 30 min. Video/C MM1012

Meth: The Great Deceiver.

Drug experts and teenagers provide critical information on the common physical effects of methamphetamine abuse on the individual including paranoia, hallucinations, and heart attacks. Teens who have kicked their meth habit speak candidly of the impact the drug had on their lives. With 22-page activity guide. 1998. 17 min. Video/C 6331

Methamphetamine: From the Streets of San Diego.

Traces the drug's history and uncovers how San Diego became a hub of meth manufacturing, consumption and distribution. Features interviews with a meth "cook", former addicts, law enforcement personnel and drug treatment counselors. c1998. 27 minVIDEO/C MM661

Mothers on Trial.

Examines the issues surrounding the prosecution of pregnant women and mothers in the U.S. who are drug addicts. Debate centers around the issues of jail vs. treatment for substance dependent mothers who take drugs during pregnancy. Includes interviews with women prisoners, recovering women addicts, relatives and medical personnel who care for their drug damaged infants. c1990. 30 min. Video/C 6794

Plan Colombia: Cashing-in On the Drug War Failure (Guerra anti-drogas o pro-petroleo?)

A 20-year "war on drugs" in Colombia has been paid for by American taxpayers. Still, more and more drugs and narco-dollars are entering the U.S. every year. Is it a failure by Washington? Or is it a smokescreen to secure Colombia's oil and natural resources? 2003. 57 min. DVD 7800

Pregnancy and Substance Abuse

Follows several couples through pregnancy and prenatal care, examining the risks of smoking and fetal alcohol syndrome. 1991. 28 min. Video/C 2506

Rushing, Crashing, Dying

Going beyond the health risks of this increasingly popular drug, recovering meth addicts share their experiences with methamphetamines and the damage done to family relationships, burns and disfigurement from lab explosions, and the problems they face finding work or completing school. Also includes interviews with law enforcement authorities, hospital ER doctors and social workers showing how meth destroys the brain and body of users, how meth lab toxins poison children living in and near the meth labs, and how police, emergency services, and social services are being overwhelmed by the epidemic. c2007. 25 min. DVD 8999

Smokeable Cocaine: The Haight-Ashbury Crack Film

Using animation, computer graphics, and personal interviews with physicians and former addicts at the Haight-Ashbury Drug Detox Clinic in San Francisco, this tape examines the physiological and psychological effects of using crack, a smokeable form of cocaine. 1987. 29 min. Video/C 9926

Traffik

Crime drama following all aspects of the heroin trade from Pakistan to Western Europe. Tells four intertwined stories of people who's lives are related by their involvement in the drug trade. Docudrama filmed in Britain, Germany, and Pakistan. 1992. 3 videocassettes (360 min.) Video/C 3166 Pt. 1-3

Union Square

A chillingly accurate and powerful documentary portrait of seven young homeless heroin addicts in Union Square in New York City, revealing what they will do to maintain a habit that keeps them trapped in a vicious cycle. 2003. 90 min. DVD 3680

The War Against the War on Drugs.

Allies in the movement against drug prohibition thoughtfully speak their minds examining why outlawing drugs has failed; the virtues and pitfalls of harm-reduction programs; the detrimental effects of the drug war on the law enforcement profession and on civil rights, which are often violated in searches for evidence; and the potential merits and possible drawbacks of legalization and government regulation of drugs. Originally produced for the television program Witness. c2000. 45 min. Video/C 7167

Where Meth Goes Violence and Destruction Follow.

This video explores the Methamphetamine crisis in California and its high cost to society, examining the violence, child abuse, and social damage to individuals and families caused by the use of this drug. Also looks at the environmental impact of the production of Methamphetamine. With 22-page Activity guide for group leaders. 1998. 17 min. Video/C 6330

Who is the American Connection?

Two former agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tell of coverups and corruption within the Administration when they worked undercover from the 1960s through 1974. In attempting to stop the narcotics traffic in the U.S. their inside knowledge of the corruption within the Administration ultimately threatened their lives and led to their resignations. Interview originally televised in 1957. 86 min. Video/C 6132

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Homelessness

Almost Home.

Offers a raw and unsentimental look at the lives of children in a homeless shelter in the Bronx. Narrated by the children themselves, this is an evocative portrait of poverty and youth. 1996. 25 min. Video/C 4543

Bum's Paradise

Tells the stories and shows the extraordinary creativity of a group of homeless men and women, before and after their eviction from the community they built in the Albany Landfill in the San Francisco Bay. The film emphasizes their concepts of community as well as the amazing art they created. A film by Tomas McCabe; directed by Tomas McCabe and Andrei Rozen. 2003. 53 min. DVD 1988

Chelsea, Cobra, and the Infamous Bones

A gritty in-depth study of three street survivors in Berkeley, California. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes funny, the film follows them from 1992 to the present. With a close-up and personal view of street life at its most intense, this documentary traces them through periods in jail, several of Cobra's twenty seven surgeries for brain cancer, documenting his paintings and occasional violent rages. The film also records Bones' attempts to stop drinking, his sometimes beautiful music and his stormy on-again, off-again relationship with Chelsea, a forty-year-old street survivor. Director, editor and cinematographer, Claire Burch. 2002. 117 min. Video/C 9203

Dark Days

Documentary about a community of homeless people living in a train tunnel beneath Manhattan. Depicts a way of life that is unimaginable to most of those who walk the streets above: in the pitch black of the tunnel, rats swarm through piles of garbage as high-speed trains leaving Penn station tear through the darkness. For some of those who have gone underground, it has been home for as long as 25 years. 2000. 84 min. DVD 854

Dollar.

Produced by students enrolled in the Anthropology 138B class at the University of California, Berkeley in Spring, 1995. Credits: Producers/directors/camera, Eric Simeon, Jesse Powell. Interviews with a variety of individuals from the upper middle class to street people concerning their attitudes towards money. 27 min. Video/C 3860

Down and Out in America.

We live in a country that prides itself on the opportunities available to all. This film takes a hard look at the farmers who can't hold on to their land, the homeless and the 20 million Americans who still don't have enough to eat, and asks how long can we ignore the nightmare of poverty. 1987. 57 min. Video/C 3128

Elegy for a Street Survivors

A film by Claire Burch. This piece follows the strange memorial that takes place after Yume, a homeless man who had been a "Buddhist hippie" dies of respiratory distress. His friends gather to perform odd rituals such as passing out his last pack of cigarettes, burning money in his honor, etc. As their feelings and tributes are expressed, the little knot of street people begins to take on the aspects of a Felliniesque procession. A fascinating addition to annals of contemporary sociology as well as an absorbing tale.1995. 45 min. Video/C 5528

Fragile Ladies.

Interviews with homeless women in New York City, interviews with two directors of homeless shelters and excerpts of commentary and speeches from the New York State Assembly public hearing on the homeless held on September 19, 1981. 25 min. Video/C 3935

Haveahandout.

Interviews with street people and homeless persons concerning their attitudes towards begging for "spare change" interspersed with commentary by students and others concerning their feelings towards panhandling. Investigates attitudes towards "Measure O", an ordinance passed by the Berkeley City Council in an effort to limit the scope of panhandling within the city limits. 1995. 35 min. Video/C 4062

Home.

Discusses the legal and economic problems of squatters in East New York who are reclaiming some of the 6,000 abandoned buildings in New York City. Includes interviews with homeless persons and political and community leaders. 1986. 30 min. Video/C 2515

A Home in Between: Designing Transitional Housing for Women & Children.

Film examines the architecture of residences for homeless women and children and through interviews with shelter residents and directors, shows how the design of these buildings contributes to successful recovery and the transition to independent living. (Washington, DC: National Coalition for the Homeless, 1992). 13 min. Video/C 3887

Home Less Home

People who are homeless reveal homelessness from their own experiences, dispelling common misconceptions and prejudices. Told as a personal journey, the film gives a broad analysis of the causes and conditions of homelessness while it analyzes news, TV reports, and historical images of poverty. 1990. 70 min. Video/C 8216

Home, Street Home.

A broadcast of the program Report on America, January 22, 1988 by NBC News. This documentary identifies the new categories of homeless persons that have joined the alcoholic adult males who were the homeless people in the 1930's. These new homeless include families, the working poor, drug abusers, the mentally ill, Vietnam veterans, and "throwaway" kids (permanent runaways). Looks at the politics of homelessness, and some of the services offered. 51 min. Video/C 3931

The Homeless Home Movie

"For years we've been hearing about the homeless. Now we can hear from them." A documentary produced in collaboration with homeless people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area looking at the stories of five very different homeless people. Also examines the contrasting points of view of two groups that advocate for the homeless, Sharing and Caring Hands and Up & Out of Poverty. c1996. 85 min. Video/C 8268

Homeless in Paradise

Filmed over two years, follows the journeys of four people who are homeless and suffering with addictions and mental illness on the streets of Santa Monica, California. We experience homelessness through their eyes and come to better understand the complex political and social realities of a city that tries to be compassionate as it faces criticism and a seemingly intractable social problem. Directed by Marilyn Braverman.2005. 50 min. DVD 5029

Homeless in the 90s

A film by Claire Burch. The combined emphasis is on the friction between society and a marginalized group -- a friction that is potentially explosive. This emphasis is characterized by the opening clip, James Baldwin addressing an audience in Berkeley, where Baldwin says: "If I ain't got nothing to lose, what are you going to do to me?" The primary view of the situation is given via an impassioned interview at the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley with Margaret, a homeless Native American and mother of three. Includes original songs and images about homelessness. 1995. 40 min Video/C 5539

Homeless Not Helpless.

Evaluates a wide spectrum of homeless programs, both public and private. Some of these programs have good intentions but inconsistent results, while others are little more than shams and frauds. Most of the public programs are plagued by a lack of resources and funding. There is also an in-depth profile of the Union of The Homeless, a nationwide activist group made up of the homeless themselves. Told by the people involved -- in the streets, the missions and shelters. c1992. 45 min. Video/C MM845

Homelessness Marathon.

[Sound recordings]

2nd Annual Homelessness Marathon. "The 'Homelessness Marathon' is an offshoot of 'The Nobody Show -- Your Unabashed Voice of the Left and Left Out' a weekly talk show hosted by Jeremy Weir Anderson (aka "Nobody") on WEOS, 89.7 FM, in Geneva, NY" --Container. Recorded January 27-28, 1999 from the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second Annual Homelessness Marathon records commentary by advocates for the homeless and the voices of homeless people who have nowhere to go in the winter. 7 sound cassettes (14 hours). Sound/C 1369

3rd Annual Homelessness Marathon. "Co-production of "The Nobody Show-- your unabashed voice of the left and the left out", WEFT Community Radio for Champaign-Urbana Illinois, and WEOS, Geneva NY, the radio station of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Recorded Jan. 25-26, 2000, in Champaign-Urbana, IL, by "Nobody" (aka Jeremy Alderson) with participants noted in contents. 7 sound cassettes (14 hours). Sound/C 1450

4th Annual Homelessness Marathon. Recorded Jan. 25, 2001, in Cambridge, Massachussetts by "Nobody" (aka Jeremy Alderson) with participants noted in contents. A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. 2001. 7 sound cassettes (14 hours). Sound/C 1490

5th Annual Homelessness Marathon.Feb. 5-6, 2002, in Portland, Oregon by "Nobody" (aka Jeremy Alderson) with participants noted in contents. A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. 7 sound cassettes (14 hours). Sound/C 1523

6th Annual Homelessness Marathon, February 5-6, 2003. A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. Hour 1. Opening remarks / Nobody ; Panel of homeless people with medical conditions -- Hour 2. Formerly homeless service providers / Chuck Currie -- Hour 3. Scottie's Place, a respite for kids ; panel of homeless youth -- Hour 4. Communique from Rebel Jill from Osaka, Japan ; international hour / Walter Schmid -- Hour 5. Homelessness in literature ; homelessness and mental health / David Oaks, Ann Deutsch ; speak-out from a homeless people's town hall meeting in Denver -- Hour 6. Clerics discuss homelessness ; Why are people homeless? / Stephen Metraux, Tammy Johnson ; speak-out with residents of Seattle's Tent City homeless encampment -- Hour 7. Bits and pieces of yesterday's poverty / Jan Lightfoot-Lane ; open mic hour: where do we go from here? / Donald Whitehead -- Hour 8. Poetry by homeless poets ; homelessness and the law / Laurel Weir -- Hour 9. Our disappearing investment in public housing / Sheila Crowley ; Is the system set-up to fail? / Paul Boden, Tom Boland -- Hour 10. Rural homelessness ; whose fault is homelessness? / Indio -- Hour 11. Unspent funds / Don Gene ; whatever happened to labor in America? / Peter Kellman, Jim Pope. -- Hour 12. Been there, done that / Samantha Smoot ; health care and homelessness / Jeff Singer, Nate Nickerson. -- Hour 13. Poetry by homeless poets ; Is there enough food to go around? / Robert Forney. -- Hour 14. Why should we care? / Jill Saxby ; Solving the problem / Cheri Honkala, MaryAnn Gleason. Recorded Feb. 5-6, 2003, in Portland, Maine by "Nobody" (aka Jeremy Alderson) with participants noted in contents. Sound/D 167

7th Annual Homelessness Marathon.A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. Cleveland, Ohio, 2004. Hour 1. Opening remarks / Nobody ; Over hill over dale, we will hit the garbage pail / panel of homeless veterans -- Hour 2. Homeless news update #1 ; Democratic Presidential candidates debate -- Hour 3. Homeless teens ; What causes homelessness / Brian Davis, Dennis Culhane -- Hour 4. Housing cuts ; Cracking down on Shantytown / Mike Rhodes ; Getting ripped off: the day labor trap -- Hour 5. Homelessness and AIDS ; NIMBYism: does America really care / Donna Hawk, Rebecca Troth -- Hour 6. Street poetry ; Police and homeless: when worlds collide / Street Roots ; speak-out with homeless veterans of Standing Rock Nation of the Hunkpapa Lakota in South Dakota -- Hour 7. Migrant workers in wine country ; International hour: simulcast with the Canadian Homelessness Marathon / Walter Schmidt, Michael Shapcott -- Hour 8. Homeless in Chicago's Union Station ; Homelessness and race / Angelo Anderson -- Hour 9. Street poetry ; Deficits, hoops and hurdles: the shape of things to come / Paul Boden, Tom Boland -- Hour 10. Homelessness in literature ; Does immigration cause homelessness? ; speakout from Atlanta -- Hour 11. The environmental effects of homelessness ; open mic hour / Indio, MaryAnne Gleason -- Hour 12. At the men's shelter ; Out of prison and onto the streets . / Joyce Chisar -- Hour 13. From homelessness to advocacy ; Politics and protest: bringing America home / Donald Whitehead, Cheri Hankala -- Hour 14. Homeless news update #2 ; Women and children first / panel of homeless mothers. Sound/D 179

8th Annual Homelessness Marathon., February 14-15, 2005, New Haven, Connecticut A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. 2005. 14 hours. Sound/D 200

9th Annual Homelessness Marathon.

A marathon radio program of issues surrounding homelessness in America with interviews and panel discussions by service providers, authors in the field, and homeless persons. This program broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia includes three segments on the experiences of homeless persons during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. 2006. 14 hours. Sound/D 234

10th Annual Homelessness Marathon, February 20-21, 2007, Fresno, California.

Hope on the Street

Examines how mental illness impacts families, the personal battles it creates, and the resources available to those who suffer from it. Features several people with mental illnesses who are often homeless and also looks at Kin Lim, a mental health care professional who has spent 13 years working with the homeless mentally ill. The film looks beneath the tattered clothes to reveal human beings who can be rehabilitated with access to treatment, medication and quality care. 2002. 56 min. Video/C MM256

"I Want to Go Home": A Pictorial Essay of Homelessness in New Hampshire.

A visual collage of photographs of children and families who are homeless in New Hampshire. 1992. 21 min. Video/C 3951

Inside Life Outside.

Follows a group of homeless people living in a shantytown on New York's Lower East Side. Captures in cinema verite style the drama of human beings struggling for survival and dignity against the harsh odds of the street. 1988. 57 min. Video/C 1779

It Was a Wonderful Life.

This film follows the stories of six different hidden homeless women as they struggle to survive, one day at a time, and find a place for themselves in a society ill-equipped to deal with the "used to haves". Clean, educated and articulate, many of the women were left in financial straits following a divorce, loss of job or a long illness. Avoiding public shelters, preferring to sleep in their cars, they eke out an existence picking up bits of work here and there. c1992. 84 min. Video/C 4510

Jupiter's Wife

Follows Maggie, a homeless woman in New York's Central Park who wanders the park with her pack of dogs and a backpack. She claims to be the daughter of the actor Robert Ryan and married to the Roman god Jupiter. The film follows her for two years, trying to uncover the truth behind her cryptic stories. 1994. 78 min. Video/C 8349

Justiceville

Documentary on the community "Justiceville," formed by the homeless in Los Angeles, California. It chronicles their struggle to provide themselves with the dignity, sense of community, welfare and shelter denied them by the social service and political systems. Commentary by nationally recognized authorities places the events in national perspective and shows that the plight of the homeless is one of America's most pressing problems. 1987. 28 min. Video/C 8914

Description from UC Center for Media & Independent Learning catalog

Kenny and Georgia

A film by Claire Burch. Kenny and Georgia: A film about an Afro-American homeless couple containing voiceover commentary and images of Kenny and Georgia, intercut with scenes and images of their friends and acquaintances who are also homeless. Includes original music set to images of homeless break-ins, squats and gatherings at People's Park in Berkeley. Ghost of James Baldwin, Chrismas day at Glide Memorial: A tribute to James Baldwin with voiceovers from his writings and original music superimposed on free Christmas dinners served to the homeless, while a homeless break-in is taking place across the street. 1995. 63 min. Video/C 5540

Letter Back Home.

A video by Sang Thepkaysone, Nith Lacroix. A rare and uncompromising look at life in the United States for some Laotian and Cambodian youth. Shot in San Francisco's "inner city" Tenderloin District, this video letter contains topics of concern for all in this American democracy. 1994. 14 min. Video/C 4187

Life in a Basket: A Documentary.

What's actually inside those shopping carts pushed by homeless people, packed to the brim with all kinds of "junk?" This documentary allows homeless people to explain just what they carry in their traveling carts -- and why. In this simple, but humanizing film, some thirty men and women explain what they have in their carts, and why the items are so important to their physical, psychological, and spiritual survival. Produced by Paul Haggar and Sheri Sussman. 2005. 32 min. DVD 4686

Lost Angeles: The Story of Tent City.

Discusses an area set up for the homeless in Los Angeles, California from June 14 to September 25, 1987 and some of the people involved. 1988. 51 min. Video/C 1462

More Street Survivors

A video by Claire Burch. This documentary film takes a compassionate look at homeless people who live on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley, who sometimes land in hospitals, or simply "express themselves" in an area that tolerates more differences than the mainstream of American society. 1995. 30 min. Video/C 5528

On the Bowery.

A documentary film of men living on the Bowery. Depicts life inside the bars and on the sidewalks, the alcoholism and unemployment and life on the streets. [198-?]. 65 min. Video/C 1872

Peter, Donald, Willie, Pat.

Examines the lives of four homeless men living in a Boston shelter, revealing the complexity of these men's lives, and documenting their techniques for survival on the streets. 1988. 30 min. Video/C 3550

Remembering Jonathan

A film by Claire Burch. Jonathan Montague, was a People's Park "regular", warm hearted rebel and dropout from mainstream society. His death motivates a spontaneous demonstration of love and rememberance, after which his few belongings are distributed to anyone who wants them. 1995. 30 min. Video/C 5526

Rewind: It Could Have Been Me.

Short animated film about a woman who has been changed from a productive, young working mother into an angry homeless person. It begins with the alienated woman living on the street, swearing at a passer-by and then moves backwards in time to the start of her decline, the homeless people in the 1930's. These new homeless include families, the working poor, drug abusers, the mentally ill, Vietnam veterans, and "throwaway" kids (permanent runaways). Looks at the politics of homelessness, and some of the services offered. 51 min. revealing the details of her life and how she came to live on the street. (Washington D.C.: National Coalition for the Homeless [distributor], c1993.) 14 min. Video/C 4460

Runaways

A film by Claire Burch. Runaways takes a close look at the lives and hopes of a group of young people who've left their homes all over the United States, to come to Berkeley, a place which gives a measure of entitlement to the homeless of all ages. They are all different, Raven, Sweetleaf, Jeremy, Doug and the others, but they share a rebellious nature, a comination of innocence and weary cynicism, and a tendency to get into trouble with the law (often not their fault) since citations for trespassing usually means they've found a place to sleep that wasn't legal. 1995. 40 min. Video/C 5531

The Salt Mines & The Transformation

The Salt Mines explores the lives of Hispanic male transvestite prostitutes and crack addicts living in abandoned garbage trucks at a road salt storage facility near lower Manhattan. The Transformation follows Ricardo (Sara in The Salt Mines) as he rejects his street life to join a group of Born Again Christians in an effort to tranform his life from that of a homosexual to a heterosexual. 1996?. 47, 58 min. Video/C 4569

Shopping Bag Ladies.

Interviews with homeless and poor women who carry their possessions with them in "shopping bags" as they live and sleep in the streets. 1977. 45 min. 3/4" UMATIC Video/C 14

Streetlife: The Invisible Family.

Performers: Interviews with Dr. Richard Ropers, Claudette Reeves, Maxine Greer, Carrie Ryan, Gary Stein, Jenny Dudley, Glenn Bailey, Bill Biggs, Fr. Jerry Merrill, and Stacey Bess. A report on the status of the homeless, in particular, homeless families in Salt Lake City and agencies offering support including: Travelers Aid Society, St. Vincent de Paul Society, "The Inn" (La Posada), and the Salt Lake Family Shelter School. 1988. 58 min. Video/C 3551

Streetwise.

A film by Martin Bell, Mary Ellen Mark, Cheryl McCall. Documentary on the lives of 9 homeless American teenagers, ranging in age from 13 to 19, who survive on the streets as pimps, prostitutes, muggers, panhandlers, thieves and drug dealers. 1994. 92 min. Video/C 3977

Streetwise

A film by Claire Burch. A close look at people and events on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley and Haight Ashbury in San Francisco. Puntuated by original music, and heartfelt encounters with street people young and old. 58 min. 1995. Video/C 5535

Taylor's Campaign

Documents the political campaign of Ron Taylor, a formerly homeless individual who ran for the Santa Monica City Council in 1994 in hopes of raising awareness about the plight of the homeless. This documentary examines the lives of people living in cardboard lean-tos in luxurious Santa Monica, dumpster-diving for survival. It addresses the issues of human dignity, poverty, unemployment, hunger, civil rights, and day-to-day life on the streets. Narrator: Martin Sheen. 75 min. Video/C 5992

Union Square

Vagabonds.

Produced by students enrolled in Documentary Film (Film 28B) at the University of California, Berkeley, Spring, 1993. Instuctor: B. Ruby Rich. First film contains interviews with students concerning their attitudes towards the homeless and interviews with homeless persons living on the streets of Berkeley, Calif. In the second film Afro-American students discuss their expectations and experiences in their Afro-American studies classes. 1993. Video/C 3276

What Really Killed Rosebud?

Pt. 1-2. Documentary films profiling homeless persons living on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley through personal stories and interviews. Pt. 3. Examines the events of August 25, 1992, when Rosebud Denovo, a homeless women living in People's Park, was killed by the University of California police while she was trespassing in the Chancellor's residence. Interviews with homeless persons and other friends from People's Park raise disturbing questions about her death. 105 min. Video/C 7461

Young, Homeless and Queer. (Network Q)

An installment of a video news service published monthly providing the gay perspective on America. Video/C 4000:1994:5

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Immigration The following are general and overview works dealing with immigration to the United States within the last half century. For current and historical works about specific immigrant/ethnic groups see listings for particular ethnic/national groups in MRC ethnic studies videographies.

Abandoned: The Betrayal of America's Immigrants

Looks at the most recent wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and at the personal impact of new immigration laws, focusing on the severity of current detention and deportation policies. Legal residents find themselves torn away from their American families and sent to countries they barely know while political asylum seekers are kept for years in county jails that profit from their incarceration. Directed by David Belle and Nicholas Wrathall. 2000. 55 min. DVD 6747; vhs Video/C 7695
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Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

America Becoming.

Discusses the history of emigration and immigration in the United States during the 20th century. 1990?. 93 min. Video/C 2329

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

America's Immigration Debate.

Examines the pro and con views of the American immigration debate. Studies the isolation of ethnic communities, the shifting of racial definitions, and America's lack of an infrastructure to support immigrant integration. 2005. 26 min. DVD 4306

And the Pursuit of Happiness

In 1986, Louis Malle, himself a transplant to the United States, set out to investigate the ever widening range of immigrant experience in America. Interviewing a variety of newcomers (from teachers to astronauts to doctors) in middle- and working-class communities from coast to coast, Malle paints a generous, humane portrait of their individual struggles in an increasingly polyglot nation. A film by Louis Malle. 1986. 81 min. DVD 7515

The Closing Door: An Investigation of Immigration Policy.

Presents an investigation of current United States policy on immigration in light of past history. Includes consideration of both legal and illegal immigration. 1983. 58 min. Video/C 983

Dying to Leave

Explores the current worldwide boom in illicit migration. Every year, an estimated two to four million people are shipped in containers, shepherded through sewage pipes, secreted in car chassis, and ferried across frigid waters. Others travel on legitimate carriers but with forged documents. An alarming number of these migrants end up in bondage, forced to work as prostitutes, thieves, or as laborers in sweatshops. By listening to the voices of those who pulled up their roots, who risked all, this documentary puts a human face on what might otherwise be seen as statistical, overwhelming and remote. Focusing on five major stories whose journeys traverse 16 countries from Colombia to China, from Mexico to Moldova this film looks into the circumstances that drove these migrants from their homes, describes the difficulties involved in their epic journeys and reveals what awaits them in their new world. Written and directed by Aaron Woolf and Chris Hilton. Originally produced in 2003 as part of Wide angle television program. Dist.: Films Media Group. 120 min. DVD 8537

Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary.

A documentary by Los Angeles teacher Laura Angelica Simon, exploring the impact of California's Proposition 187 on the immigrant community. The subject is Hoover Street Elementary School, where Simon candidly explores the attitudes and emotions of teachers, students and parents, focusing on a ten year old Salvadorian girl. 1997. 53 min. Video/C 5246

Golden Cage: A Story of California's Farmworkers.

The experiences of Mexican farmworkers in California are chronicled. Using historical footage, interviews, newspaper clippings and black-and-white stills, the documentary traces the history of the United Farmworkers Union from the sixties to its current decline. It also examines the impact of the new immigration law. c1989. 29 min. Video/C 1935

Golden Venture

Chronicles the ongoing struggles of passengers who were aboard the Golden Venture, an immigrant smuggling ship that ran aground near New York City in 1993. Passengers had paid at least $30, 000 to be brought to the U.S. from China's Fujian Province, expecting to arrive indebted but unnoticed. But a seemingly golden opportunity quickly evolved into a hellish descent through the cruel whims of U.S. immigration policy. Writer, producer, director, Peter Cohn. 2006. 70 min. DVD 7977

Description from New Day Films catalog

Home is Struggle (Historias Paralelas).

Film explores the lives of women who have immigrated to the United States from different Latin American countries for very different reasons, economic and political. In sharing their stories they present an absorbing picture of the construction of Latina identity and the immigrant experience. 1991. 37 min. Video/C 3354

Illegal Aliens Entering the U.S.: September 8, 1986 (Nightline)

Surveys efforts by the U.S. Border Patrol to locate and apprehend illegal Mexican aliens and the economic impact, particularly on California and Texas, of illegal aliens whose children born in the United States are eligible for public assistance. c1986. 23 min. Video/C 5776

Immigrant Stories of Franklin High.

Teenage immigrant students from around the world who are enrolled in ESL classes at Franklin High School in Seattle Washington, speak candidly about their experiences assimilating into American high school culture. 2000. 28 min. Video/C 7907

Immigration Backlash

Since most Americans are descended from immigrants who came to this country in search of a better life, how can Americans argue against immigration? But people are angry, claiming that immigrants, legal and illegal, are putting Americans out of work. The number of immigrants in the 1980s -- about nine million -- is roughly the same as the number of Americans that are unemployed today. 1994. 28 min. Video/C 5499

Immigration: Who Has Access to the American Dream?

Examines the hard-core questions surrounding current U.S. immigration. How many should we allow in? Who, if anyone, should receive preferential treatment? How should illegal immigration be handled? All of the issues are examined through the eyes of those seeking entry, and the organizations assisting them. Those interviewed include an immigration judge, an immigrant from Kenya, and the owner of a New York City deli from Korea. c1997. 29 min. Video/C 5604

New Harvest, Old Shame.

Discusses the living conditions of migrant farm workers in the United States. c1990. 59 min. Video/C 2434

The New Majority: Beyond the Melting Pot; a report on California's cultural and racial demographics and how they affect our society.

Part of the UC Berkeley Open Window Series. California's cultural and racial demographics - by K. Russell -- Diversity: Changing the face of politics; election reapportionment - by T. Mock -- Hate crimes - by K. Debro -- Labor unions and the new immigrants - by H. Frieze -- University of California, Berkeley: Multicultural education - by W. Lasola -- The arts - by H. Norman -- English only initiative - by J. McKelvey -- The lives of immigrants - by B. Pimentel -- A look at immigration policy - by F. Langner. © UC Regents. Video/C 2010

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New Pilgrims.

News report which examines the nationality and origins of the latest wave of U.S. immigrants. Interviews with new U.S. families from Central America, Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines reveal how the "new pilgrims" are adjusting to life in the U.S. Also examined is the tremendous effect immigrants are having on the labor force because of their cheap labor and desire to succeed. 1985. 25 min. 3/4" UMATIC Video/C 877

The Nine Nations of North America.

This episode concentrates on MexAmerica, defined as the area between Los Angeles, CA--Houston, TX and Pueblo, CO--San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This region is not limited by political boundaries, but is rather a state of mind which is defined by power, water, money, and immigration. Through conversations with European Americans, Mexican Americans, and Asian Americans one tries to sketch the characteristics of this particular nation in North America. c1987. Video/C 1328

No Time to Stop: Stories of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women.

Features three immigrant women in Canada from Hong Kong, Ghana and Jamaica respectively. They talk about the circumstances that shape their lives and how their dreams are marred by hardship, sexism and racism. They personalize the complex issues facing immigrant women who are forced to take low-paying, low-status jobs in Canada. 1990. 30 min. Video/C 3344

Patrolling the Border: National Security and Immigration Reform

This ABC News program studies the connections between 9/11, the American economy, and the workforce of undocumented labor on which that economy increasingly depends. Interviews with Arizona border patrol agents evoke their frustrations and reveal the perils faced by many Mexicans who attempt desperate wilderness crossings. Contrasts between President Bush's proposed guest worker program and the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to crack down on the influx of illegal aliens highlight the complexity of the situation. Originally broadcast on 07/14/04 as a segment of Nightline. 22 min. DVD 4288

Taking Root (Echando raices)

Two identical one hour films (one in English, one in Spanish) discussing the factors that bring immigrants to the U.S., beliefs and assumptions about immigrants, the systematic exploitation of immigrants, and what people can do to collectively work for social justice. Created as a resource for education and organizing, the film shares stories from some of the immigrant community organizations that work in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee. c2002. 60 min. each Video/C MM1106

Troubled Harvest.

A documentary which focuses on the dangerous pesticides, limited daycare for children, inadequate child labor laws, and antiquated immigration laws which migrant farm workers from Latin America face as they harvest fruits and vegetables in California and the Pacific Northwest. c1990. 30 min. Video/C 3353

Uprooted: Refugees of the Global Economy

Presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes in Bolivia, Haiti and the Philippines after global economic powers devastated their countries, only to face new challenges in the United States. These powerful stories raise critical questions about U.S. immigration policy in an era when corporations cross borders at will. 2001. 28 min. Video/C 8921

Well-founded Fear

A behind the scenes documentary of the experiences of applicants and personnel at the Asylum Office at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, where American ideals about human rights collide with the nearly impossible task of trying to learn the truth from asylum-seekers. This film marks the first time a film crew has been privy to asylum proceedings resulting in a stirring, evocative and utterly unforgettable documentary about the American political asylum system. Broadcast on PBS on June 5, 2000 as a segment of Point of View. 119 min. DVD 7564; vhs Video/C 7297

Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary

Follows several migrants from Central America and Mexico on their journey to North America. The film begins in Nicaragua and takes the viewer through five borders. Border control tightens as the migrants move North. Gangs in Mexico and vigilante groups in the USA are some of the perils the migrants might have to face on their way to the American Dream. Of the more than 3,000 Latin Americans who embark upon this journey every day, less than 300 make it to their destination. 2004. 92 min. DVD 5160

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Intellectual Freedom/Censorship

The A.C.L.U.: A History

All Rapped Up : An Inside Look at the Rap/Dance Music Scene.

A critique of the spiritual realities behind the pop/dance and rap music scene from a Christian biblical perspective. c1991. 135 min. Video/C 3552

Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann.

Examines the world of photographer Sally Mann, whose work and vision have come under censorship. 1993. 30 min. Video/C 3390

Campus Culture Wars: Five Stories About PC.

Contents: Racially insensitive language (University of Pennsylvania) -- Gay Rights and religious expression (Harvard) -- Multicultural ideals (Stanford) -- Sexual harassment (Pennsylvania State) -- Radical feminism (University of Washington). If the freedoms of speech and dissent are protected by the Bill of Rights, to what degree should hate speech be included? Conversely, if "political correctness" is intended to counteract discrimination and intolerance, should it be used as a vehicle of censorship? Does PC heighten public awareness of marginalized groups or is it censorship designed to limit intellectual inquiry in the name of particular political agendas? This film examines five controversial incidents at universities around the country involving conflicts of values and "political correctness". Cases involve the use of racially insensitive language, gay rights and religious expression, pursuit of multicultural ideals, sexual harassment in the classroom, and radical feminism. c1993. 86 min. Video/C 3328

Damned in the U.S.A. and Obscenity, Hate Speech and the First Amendment.

Damned in the U.S.A features Jesse Helms, Christie Hefner, Donald Wildmon, Luther Campbell, Al D'Amato, Andres Serrano. Debate panel: John Frohnmayer, David Llewellyn, Bruce Herschensohn, Carol Sobel. covers the most significant battles over freedom of expression and censorship in the arts over the last five years. From the Mapplethorpe controversy to the debate over the lyrics of 2 Live Crew, from government sponsorship of artists to morally motivated boycotts, this film addresses both sides of the censorship debate in all its complexity. Film is followed by a debate which broadens the discussion of the First Amendment as it provides a sober, balanced look at the limits placed on freedom of speech. 1994. 126 min. total running time. Video/C 4199

The Darker Side of Black.

Gangsta chic, violence and nihilism, the hard edge of Rap and Reggae increasingly dominates the image of black popular culture. This film investigates the issues raised by the genre, such as ritualized machismo, misogyny, attitudes towards homosexuality and religion, and gun glorification. Filmed in dance halls, hip hop clubs, and using interviews and music video clips, film takes us to London, Jamaica and the U.S. to examine the "darker" side of contemporary black music. 1994. 59 min. Video/C 3969

Fear and Favor in the Newsroom

Examines the need to protect freedom of the press and investigative journalism in the United States when newspapers and television stations are owned and influenced by large corporations hostile to media exposure. Examines case studies of investigative journalists who have been dismissed or forced to resign because of "too aggressive" journalistic practices and cases of censorship mandated by television and print media management. 1996. 56 min. Video/C 4474

California Newsreel catalog description

The First Amendment Project

All three films were originally released in 2004. A compilation of three short films about the current state of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in the United States. Fox vs. Franken: When comedian Al Franken used Fox News' phrase "Fair and balanced" in his satiric book, the network sued. Fox lost in court and Franken earned national notoriety with a bestseller. Poetic license: Explores the implications of state-sponsored art through the story of New Jersey Poet Laureate Amiri Baraka and the outrage that erupted after a perfomance of his controversial poem, "Somebody blew up America," which is about the September 11 terrorist attacks. Some assembly required: Documents protestors at the 2004 Republican National Convention and examines the public's right to protest versus the need for public security. 2005. 72 min. DVD 4023

Hollywood Censored: Movies, Morality & the Production Code (Culture Shock; 1)

First of a four part series exploring why particular works of art became controversial. Part one addresses the mass appeal of movies, including their portrayals of sex and violence which have made them a target of censors since the early days. In the 1930s, Hollywood studios enforced the P