ONE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL FILMS: 1999-2011

2011

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers 2009
Sunday February 13, 2011 Central Library Theater
Judith Ehrlich, Director
Revisit a pivotal point in American history in this documentary that chronicles Pentagon insider Daniel Ellsberg's daring endeavor to leak top-secret government papers that disclosed shocking truths about the Vietnam War and Nixon's presidency. Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith direct this absorbing, Oscar-nominated account that features compelling interviews with Ellsberg, retired New York Times editor Max Frankel and other key figures.

Amreeka 2009
Thursday February 17, 2011 Kentucky Theatre
Cherien Dabis, Director
Eager to provide a better future for her son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), divorcée Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour) leaves her Palestinian homeland and takes up residence in rural Illinois -- just in time to encounter the domestic repercussions of America's disastrous war in Iraq. Now, the duo must reinvent their lives with some help from Muna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass), and brother-in-law, Nabeel (Yussuf Abu-Warda). Cherien Dabis writes and directs. The Muslim Women's Council of Kentucky will host a reception following the second film showing.

Only When I Dance 2009
Sunday February 20, 2011 Central Library Theater
Beadie Finzi, Director
To achieve their shared dream of becoming ballet superstars, two young black dancers from the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, must overcome poverty, prejudice and incredible odds -- a journey captured in this inspiring documentary. Filmmaker Beadie Finzi chronicles the day-to-day struggles of these gifted performers as they challenge the notion that ballet is the province of the wealthy, white elite. The Bluegrass Youth Ballet will host a reception between the two film showings.

Vanishing of the Bees 2009
Thursday February 24, 2011 Kentucky Theatre
George Langworthy & Maryam Henein, Directors
Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally vanishing from their hives. Vanishing of the Bees follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capital Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees. Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss. Conflicting options abound and after years of research, a definitive answer has not been found to this harrowing mystery. Snacks -- all with a honey ingredients -- and information, will be provided throughout the evening by Bluegrass Beekeepers Association, Good Foods Coop., Natasha's, Whole Foods, Coal Country Beeworks, and other area restaurants.

Blood Done Sign My Name 2010
Sunday February 27, 2011 Central Library Theater
Jeb Stuart, Director
From director Jeb Stuart comes this earnest drama based on the real-life 1970 murder of black Vietnam veteran Henry Marrow by virulent racists subsequently acquitted by an all-white North Carolina jury despite overwhelming evidence of their guilt. As local white minister Vernon Tyson (Rick Schroder) tries to integrate his congregation in the midst of the trial, African-American schoolteacher Ben Chavis (Nate Parker) begins a crusade of his own.

Captain Abu Raed 2007
Thursday March 3, 2011 Kentucky Theatre
Amin Matalqa, Director
Airport janitor Abu Raed (Nadim Sawalha) has long wanted to travel the world, but he's had to settle for imagined experiences through books and conversations. When a group of children mistakes him for a pilot, he captivates them with made-up tales of adventure. As he begins to form close friendships with these poor neighborhood kids, it dawns on him just how challenging their lives really are. This foreign drama won the 2008 Sundance Audience Award for World Cinema.

BoneCrusher 2009
Sunday March 6, 2011 Central Library Theater
Mike Fountain, Director
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a young coal miner toils a mile underground. Despite the harsh working conditions, Lucas Chaffin takes fierce pride in doing the job once done by the man he loves more than anything, his father. Lucas' father, nicknamed "Bonecrusher," was a strong, handsome man. Now he's withered and sick; coal dust has ravaged his lungs. As life slips away, his greatest concern isn't for himself; it is for Lucas' safety. Bonecrusher is an intimate and moving account of the love between a father and son and the powerful bond they share, a bond that is put to the test.

Hannah Free 2008
Thursday March 10, 2011 Kentucky Theatre
Wendy Jo Carlton, Director
One of them is a free-thinking butch lesbian, the other a married homemaker -- together, they've managed to sustain a decades-long love affair that's transcended time and place in this drama from helmer Wendy Jo Carlton. Sharon Gless -- a gay icon since her "Cagney & Lacey" days -- plays the "out" partner, Hannah, and Maureen Gallagher plays her married and now-comatose best friend and lover, Rachel, in this film based on a play by Claudia Allen. The Gay Lesbian Service Organization will host a reception following the second film showing.

Like Stars on Earth 2007
Sunday March 13, 2011 Central Library Theater
Aamir Khan, Director
A chronic daydreamer, 8-year-old Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) finds his life take a turn for the worse when his parents, frustrated that he keeps getting into trouble, send him away to a boarding school in hopes he'll become more disciplined. But Ishaan's misery abates when the unconventional new art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), decides to try to help his imaginative young student discover his true identity in this charming Indian drama.

Entre Nos (Between Us) 2009
Thursday March 17, 2011 Kentucky Theatre
Paola Mendoza, Director
Abruptly abandoned by her husband in a country completely foreign to her, Colombian native Mariana (Paola Mendoza) struggles to take care of herself and her two young children on the unforgiving streets of New York City. Sebastian Villada, Laura Montana and Anthony Chisholm also star in this gritty independent drama jointly written and directed by Mendoza and her collaborator Gloria La Morte.

 

2010

Departures 2008
Thursday February 25, 2010 Kentucky Theatre
Yôjirô Takita, Director
After losing his job, young cellist Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) comes to the realization he's been heading down the wrong career path. Returning to his hometown, he trains for a new professional role as a nakanshi, or one who prepares the dead for burial. Tsutomu Yamazaki provides comic relief as Daigo's eccentric mentor in director Yojiro Takita's Oscar-winning drama about finding your bliss.

Sita Sings The Blues 2008
Sunday, February 28, 2010 Central Library Theater
Nina Paley, Director
India's ancient epic Ramayana gets a fresh, funny makeover in this award-winning animated film. Using songs and humor, director Nina Paley juxtaposes the split between Rama and Sita with her own divorce to tell "the greatest break-up     story ever told." Original 1920's recordings of singer Annette Hanshaw give musical voice to Sita, the star of Paley's tale, while amusing shadow puppets provide the narration for the colorful story.

The Garden 2008
Thursday March 4, 2010 Kentucky Theatre
Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Director
Filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy's Oscar-nominated documentary follows a group of low-income families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from bureaucratic real estate developers. A lightning rod for controversy in 2004, the families' struggle drew the attention of numerous notable activists and politicians, including Dennis Kucinich, Joan Baez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigoisa.

Holly 2006
Sunday, March 7, 2010 Central Library Theater
Guy Moshe, Directors
In this poignant drama, a young Vietnamese girl is sold into prostitution by her family, and then tries to escape her dismal life by beginning a platonic relationship with a 40-year-old American named Patrick (Ron Livingston), a stolen-artifacts dealer. Twelve-year-old Holly (Thuy Nguyen) has been smuggled into Cambodia, becoming one of countless children exploited in the sex trade; Patrick, who has his own troubles, may be her only hope.

At Home in Utopia 2008
Thursday March 11, 2010 Kentucky Theatre
Michal Goldman, Director
A home of one’s own: that’s the American dream. But what happens when the dreamers are immigrants, factory workers, and Communists? In the mid-1920s,     thousands of Jewish immigrant garment workers managed to catapult themselves out of urban slums and ghettos by pooling their resources and building four cooperatively owned and run apartment complexes in the Bronx. An epic tale of the struggle for equity and justice across two generations, the film tracks the rise and fall of one community from the 1920s into the 1950s, paying close attention to the passions that bound them together and those that tore them apart. Along the way, At Home in Utopia bears witness to lives lived with courage across the barriers of race, nation, language, convention, and sometimes even common sense.

Mine 2009
Sunday, March 14, 2010 Central Library Theater
Geralyn Pezanoski, Director
Explore the devastating effects Hurricane Katrina had on the lives of dogs and dog owners separated during and after the storm. This documentary profiles the lives of Katrina victims and the new families who've adopted their pets. New Orleans residents like Gloria Richardson, Malvin Cavalier and Jesse Pullins discuss their hurricane experiences, relationships with their dogs and desires to be reunited.

In Search of Our Fathers 1992
Thursday March 18, 2010 Kentucky Theatre
Marco Williams, Director
Marco Williams was 24 years old when he learned his father's name. It was the first of many things he would discover about himself and his family in a journey into his family's past. In Search of Our Fathers is the first-person story of Williams's seven-year search to learn about his father, to uncover the circumstances surrounding his birth, and to come to terms with what it means to grow up fatherless.

Frozen River 2008
Sunday, March 21, 2010 Central Library Theater
Courtney Hunt, Director
On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, Ray Eddy (Oscar-nominated Melissa Leo) teams with widowed tribe member Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham) to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. Though the work provides the women with much-needed money, each trip puts them in peril. This riveting drama was nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature.

Lemon Tree 2008
Thursday March 25, 2010 Kentucky Theatre
Eran Riklis, Director
In this drama based on a true story, Palestinian widow (Hiam Abbass) fights to keep her lemon grove from being destroyed when Israeli security forces declare it a threat to the Israeli defense minister living next door (Doron Tavory). Teaming with a young lawyer (Ali Suliman), the widow takes her case to the Israeli Supreme Court. But in the process of seeking justice, she's forced to hide the forbidden bond growing between them.

Good Hair 2009
Sunday, March 28, 2010 Central Library Theater
Jeff Stilson, Director
Actor and stand-up comic Chris Rock travels around the world from beauty salons to science labs to comb through the mystery of African American hair in director Jeff Stilson's insightful and hilarious documentary. Rock contemplates the purpose and application of a weave as well as women's self-esteem and their locks. Ice-T, Nia Long, Rev. Al Sharpton, Raven-Symoné, Maya Angelou and other celebrities of their insights on just what it means to have "good hair."

 

2009

Autism: The Musical 2007
Sunday, February 15, 2009 Central Library Theater
Tricia Regan, Director
This heart-warming documentary captures the transformation of several autistic children as they create and perform their own musical. Each child in the film struggles with his or her own challenges. In the end, the film provides a hopeful picture. It is estimated that today one in 150 children is affected by autism. A panel discussion on autism will follow the film showing. The Autism Society of the Bluegrass will host a reception in Conference Room A in the Library to conclude the afternoon's event.

Pete Seeger: Power of Song 2007
Thursday February 19, 2009 Kentucky Theatre
Jim Brown, Director
This is the life of Pete Seeger, one of America's most well-known and beloved folk singers. With songs, stories, interviews, and film clips, the film chronicles the major humanitarian and ecological causes of the twentieth century, through which the lives of Pete Seeger, his family, and friends are woven. The voice, music, and spirit of Pete Seeger make this a lively, moving, and inspiring film. Michael Johnathon, of WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour and a friend of Pete Seeger's, will introduce the film.

Moving Midway 2007
Sunday, February 22, 2009 Central Library Theater
Godfrey Cheshire, Director
When commercial development and a busy highway begin to encroach on Midway Plantation, a beautiful antebellum house near Raleigh, NC, the owner decides to move the whole plantation -- including house, outbuildings and maybe even ghosts -- to a new location. Godfrey Cheshire -- a former film critic and cousin to Midway Plantation's owner -- documents the move, which also uncovers and brings together previously unknown descendants of the family's great grandfather and an African American cook. The whole thing really is a moving experience!

A Walk To Beautiful 2007
Thursday February 26, 2009 Kentucky Theatre
Mary Olive Smith & Amy Bucher, Directors
This documentary is the story of three Ethiopian women, rejected by their husbands and ostracized by their communities. They leave their homes in search of medical treatment for obstetric fistula, a condition caused by obstructed labor during childbirth. The women must walk for hours to the nearest road, and then search out public transportation to the capital, Addis Ababa, to find a hospital for treatment. This moving film documents their dire quest to be relieved of their social and physical stigma.

War Dance 2006
Sunday, March 1, 2009 Central Library Theater
Sean Fine & Andrea Nix, Directors
Set in civil-war torn Northern Uganda, this film follows the lives of youngsters who attend school in a refugee camp and find hope through a rich tradition of song and dance. Their love of music brings joy and excitement to otherwise poverty-stricken lives. The children momentarily forget their struggles as they participate in music, song, and dance at their school, and their trip to their nation's capital to participate in a prestigious music festival will touch your heart.

Up the Yangtze 2007
Thursday, March 5, 2009 Kentucky Theatre
Yung Chang, Director
This film had its U.S. premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It portrays in sumptuous detail a farewell cruise up the Yangtze River in China, where the enormous Three Gorges Dam is under construction. Aboard the luxury cruise ship are prosperous Westerners waiting to catch a last glimpse of the classic river landscape before it is inundated by the rising waters of the dam and to view the cities being built along the new shorelines to house the dispossessed and displaced. Also aboard are two members of the ship's crew: a poor farmer's daughter who dreams of an education and a life away from the small, soon to be inundated farm beside the river, and an outgoing city-smart youth from a prosperous urban family. Their experiences mirror the changing business and social attitudes in present day China, with surprising results.

Outsourced 2007
Sunday, March 8, 2009 Central Library Theater
John Jeffcoat, Director
Beneath the surface of this humorous, low-key feature film lies a sharp satire that shows the human side of the frustrations brought about by today's "global economy." A sales manager in Seattle, whose department is being outsourced to India, is sent to Mumbai to train his successor and in the process learns some important lessons about globalization. This romantic comedy remind us that sometimes getting lost is the best way to find yourself.

Arranged 2007
Thursday, March 12, 2009 Kentucky Theatre
Stefan C. Schaefer & Diane Crespo, Directors
A warm, funny, and deeply compassionate film that explores the world of orthodox religion (Islam and Judaism), the practices of arranged marriage, and the evolving friendship between two young women. While working in a New York City school, the friends share their complicated family experiences and gain a better understanding of both the other's community, and an appreciation of their own life choices.

Under the Same Moon 2007
Sunday, March 15, 2009 Central Library Theater
Patricia Riggin, Director
A full-length feature, Under The Same Moon shows the dilemma of Mexican "illegals" living and working clandestinely in the U.S. and the loved ones they are supporting back home. This is the story of a nine-year old boy living in Mexico with his grandmother. Missing his mother in the U.S. terribly, he uses his street smarts to get to the U.S. and find her. His journey is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

Amal 2007
Thursday, March 19, 2009 Kentucky Theatre
Richie Mehta, Director
A multi-layered portrait of contemporary India, this feature film was shot in New Delhi, and is a modern day fable that asks the question of what success means to each individual. With an original, engaging story, AMAL ultimately reveals that the poorest of men are sometimes the richest.

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation 2007
Sunday, March 22, 2009 Central Library Theater
Cao Hamburger, Director
This full-length feature is set in 1970's Brazil. Celebrating the World Cup Soccer Games, young Mauro is whisked from his home by his parents to live with his grandfather in the Sao Paulo Jewish ghetto. Mauro thinks his parents have gone on vacation, when in reality they are escaping the political unrest of Brazil at that time. When the grandfather soon dies, the next-door neighbor, Shlomo, begrudgingly takes Mauro under his wing. A tender film that beautifully highlights Brazil's political upheaval, soccer, age issues, religion, and more.

 

2008

Please Vote For Me 2007
Sunday, February 10, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Weijun Chen
This entertaining and enlightening documentary chronicles the third grade class election for the prestigious position of Class Monitor at the Evergreen Primary School in Wuhan, China. Director Weijun Chen, says of his film, "It provides a private view of a microcosm of contemporary Chinese culture."

Radiant City 2006
Thursday, February 14, 2008 Kentucky Theatre
Director: Jim Brown & Gary Burns
This intriguing documentary explores the development of suburban life over the last 50 years and the effect that urban sprawl has had on American society. Directors Jim Brown and Gary Burns deliver a provocative reflection on why we live the way we do.

Golden Door 2006
Sunday, February 17, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Emanuele Crialese
The Golden Door is a beautiful telling of a Sicilian family’s immigration voyage to America. Combining realistic scenes of their journey with dreamlike sequences that invoke the meaning of the Golden Door, the film recounts the concepts that comprise our ideas of immigration and immigrants.

Junebug 2005
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Phil Morrison
Junebug tells the story of a clash of cultures as a big city art dealer, a misogynist folk artist, the art dealer’s Southern husband, and the husband’s North Carolina family come together over a long weekend. The film sensitively explores the meaning of cultural identity in a very ordinary setting. Amy Adams was Oscar nominated for her role as a young mother-to-be struggling to verbalize cross-currents of hope, anger, estrangement, and love within her family.

The Real Dirt on Farmer John 2005
Thursday, February 21, 2008 Kentucky Theatre
Director: Taggart Siegel
Filmmaker Taggart Siegel presents a fascinating portrait of John Peterson, a man who refused to yield. After transforming his farm into an experimental haven in the heady 1960s, he attracted artists, hippies and other political radicals. But when the agriculture crisis of the late 1980s led to the farm's eventual collapse, most locals thought he'd call it quits. They were wrong. This epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer details the dramatic failure of Farmer John's conventional farming operation and its eventual resurrection into a thriving, organic community-supported agriculture farm.

Banished 2007
Sunday, February 24, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Marco Williams
African-American documentarian Marco Williams recounts the true story of three American towns where white citizens drove out blacks in the early 20th century to maintain "racial purity." He then explores the lingering effects of that injustice by revisiting the towns today.

My Country, My Country 2007
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Laura Poitras
Filmmaker Laura Poitras's Oscar-nominated documentary provides an inside look at war-torn Iraq from the perspective of Dr. Riyadh, a Baghdad physician. The film delivers a reality check for the effect the American presence in Iraq has had on citizens and soldiers alike.

Companeras 2007
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Kentucky Theater
Director: Elizabeth Massie
A beautiful, sensitive film that profiles America's first all-female mariachi band: Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. The film alternates between heart-stirring performances and behind-the-scenes band drama. The film's writer/director, Elizabeth Massie, will be our special guest for the film showings.

Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? 2006
Sunday, March 2, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Frank Popper
This documentary tells the story of Jeff Smith, a young, money-poor and energetic unknown who runs for the congressional seat vacated by retiring congressman Dick Gephardt. Frank Popper's engaging film details Missouri's 2004 Democratic primary for the U. S. Congress, which pitted Smith against state Rep. Russ Carnahan, the scion of a powerful political family.

Miss Navajo 2007
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Billy Luther
This film documents the young women who compete for the Miss Navajo Nation title. In showing the importance of cultural preservation and the role of women in continuing yet dying traditions, director Billy Luthor reveals the surprising contribution that can be made by a beauty pageant.

I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life & Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal 2006
Thursday, March 6, 2008 Kentucky Theatre
Director: Richard Trank
This documentary recounts the life and legacy of the famous Nazi-hunter and humanist who died in 2005. Narrated by Nicole Kidman, the film "succeeds wonderfully as an understated historical account of a brave, tireless man whose story the world would be well served not to forget."

Angels in the Dust 2006
Sunday, March 9, 2008 Central Library Theater
Director: Louise Hogarth
Louise Hogarth's documentary tells the fascinating story of Marion Cloete. In a nation ravaged by AIDS and the aftereffects of apartheid, Marion leaves her middle-class Johannesburg suburb and, with the help of her family, establishes Botshabelo, a traditional African community that houses, nurtures and gives hope to more than 500 parentless children.

Blame It on Fidel 2006
Thursday, March 13, 2008 Kentucky Theatre
Director: Julie Gavras
Julie Gavras (daughter of famed French filmmaker Costa-Gavras) directs this 2007 Sundance Film Festival competition entry that draws the audience back to the 19070’s, when a wave of revolution and counter revolution was washing over much of the globe. Seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old Parisian girl, the film shows her ordinary life being upended by events happening on the other side of the world.

 

2007

The World According to Sesame Street 2006
Sunday, February 11, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Linda Goldstein Knowlton and Linda Hawkins Costigan,
Feature-length documentary that shows the drama and challenges of producing international versions of the world's most watched children's television program in Kosovo, Bangladesh, and South Africa. Premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Competition. A brief TV clip from CBS Sunday Morning featuring the making of the documentary will open the program. Shown in conjunction with Arts Showcase Weekend.

Cape of Good Hope 2004
Thursday, February 15, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Mark Bamford, Writer and Director
A witty as well as sensitive exploration of race, class and faith in contemporary South Africa, Cape of Good Hope interweaves several storylines linked to an animal shelter in Cape Town run by emotionally-guarded Kate. Her employee, Jean-Claude, a scientist-refugee from the Congo with a talent for taming vicious dogs and rebellious kids, dreams of a brighter future in the West, but does shelter chores to make ends meet. Widowed Lindiwe deftly copes with her carping mother and juggles her duties as housekeeper to a rich household with her ambitions to finish her education. A Muslim couple face difficult choices that test both their faith and love for each other in their yearning to start a family.

Been Rich All My Life Featuring the Silver Belles 2006
Sunday, February 18, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Heather Lyn MacDonald, Director/Producer
This documentary is an admiring portrait of the Silver Belles, a troupe of veteran Harlem tap dancers now between the ages of 84 and 96. It is valuable as a historical document as well as a how-to movie about making the most of "the older years." The film includes clips of the women's glory days, dancing at the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club, and working with band-leaders like Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. The New York Magazine said of the film, "charming subjects and a fine sense of history. Recommended." Shown in celebration of Black History Month.

Paradise Now 2005
Thursday, February 22, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Hany Abou-Assad,
"Paradise Now" follows two Palestinian childhood friends, Saïd and Kaled, who have been recruited as suicide bombers for a strike on Tel Aviv, and focuses on their last days together. When they are intercepted at the Israeli border and separated from their handlers, a young woman who discovers their plan causes them to reconsider their actions. Nominee, 2006 Academy Awards, Best Foreign Film.

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion 2003
Sunday, February 25, 2007 Worsham Theater, UK Student Center
Director: Tom Peosay, Director & Photographer
Ten years in the making, this award-winning documentary was filmed during nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal. China’s occupation of Tibet is powerfully chronicled through personal stories, interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in film. A definitive exploration of a legendary subject, “Cry of the Snow Lion” is an epic story of courage and compassion.

The Clay Bird 2004
Thursday, March 01, 2007 Kentucky Theater
Director: Tareque and Catherine Masud, Writers,
"The Clay Bird" is set in East Pakistan during the late 1960s. The country would be reborn in 1971 as the secular democratic state of Bangladesh after a bloody uprising against an Islamic military junta installed by West Pakistan. The film poses a single overriding question: should religious faith be based on fear or on love? "The Clay Bird" touches upon the themes of religious tolerance, cultural diversity, and the complexity of Islam.

Powwow Highway 1989
Sunday, March 04, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Jonathan Wacks
Two men of the Northern Cheyenne tribe go on a complex quest. Buddy Red Bow is a Vietnam veteran and social activist whose sister has been framed and jailed in New Mexico. Buddy and his friend Philbert Bono take Philbert's decrepit old Buick "war pony" on a long road trip that makes some unexpected stops along the way. In this acclaimed comedy/drama about Native Americans, the two friends come to understand their past, fight for their future, and appreciate their differing styles as warriors on the Powwow Highway.

Only Human (Seres Queridos) 2005
Thursday, March 08, 2007 Kentucky Theater
Director: Dominic Harari & Teresa De Pelegrí
When Leni comes home to introduce her fiancé Rafi to her idiosyncratic Jewish family, everything goes smoothly until the lovers reveal that Rafi is Palestinian. Starring Oscar-nominated Norma Aleandro, this irreverent family comedy fuses brilliant characterization and unrelenting humor to rework the age-old story of meeting the parents with a modern twist. "Only Human" warmly addresses some of today's most salient issues: the meaning of family and community in an ever-shrinking world and the challenges and consequences at stake when cultures clash within our very homes.

Normal 2003
Sunday, March 11, 2007 Central Library Theater
Director: Jane Anderson
After being married to Irma for 25 years, Roy tells his wife and their pastor that he is a woman and plans to pursue sex reassignment surgery. Irma struggles to understand her husband as he begins to change his appearance at home and then at work. Their two children are also affected by their father’s transformation. This film does a good job of portraying some of the reactions of people who are confronted with gender transformation in a friend or loved one. Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange

My Brother . . . Nikhil 2005
Thursday, March 15, 2007 Kentucky Theater
Director: Onir
In Goa, India in the early 1990s, Nikhil Kapoor is the state swimming champion and a hero. His father Navin Kapoor has raised his son to be a sportsman. . .a dream that he never achieved for himself. His elder sister Anamika teaches primary school and loves him dearly. His mother adores him and from her he inherited the artistic side to his personality. Then the unthinkable happens: Nikhil is arrested by the authorities for being HIV-positive. The drama unfolds as the family falls apart, friends desert him and Nikhil is cast out by society. Only Anamika and friend Nigel remain to stand by him and support him in his fight for dignity and acceptance. Winner of Audience Choice Award, Milan Film Festival, 2006.

Hidden Warriors: Women on the Ho Chi Minh Trail 2003
Thursday, March 29, 2007 Kentucky Theater
Director: Karen Turner & Phan Thanh Hao
"Hidden Warriors," a collaboration of American and Vietnamese film makers, tells the stories of the North Vietnamese women who maintained and defended the strategic Ho Chi Minh Trail after 1965. Their military service in a heavily bombarded area of Vietnam, and their experiences after the "American War" are revealed through interviews and archival footage. This film is part of the UK Gender and Women’s Studies Spring Film Series. Director Karen Turner, a specialist in Vietnamese history, will introduce her film and talk about her recent trip to Vietnam.

 

2006

Children of Heaven 1997
Sunday, February 12, 2006 Central Library Theater - Reception by Council on American-Islamic Relations (chair: Abdul Quayyum)
Director: Majid Majidi
Ali is the son of impoverished parent living in Tehran. He loses his little sister's just-repaired shoes and knows this will add to the financial stress of his family. His sister, Zahra, reluctantly agrees to hide the predicament from their parents by sharing Ali's beat- up sneakers. Though a size too big, Zahra wears them to school in the morning, then trades them back to Ali so he can run to his afternoon school. This film provides an entrancing look at everyday life in Iran while presenting a lovely story of tenderness and youthful determination. Though in Farsi, the English subtitles should pose no problems for young audiences.

Travellers & Magicians 2005
Thursday, February 16, 2006 Central Library Theater
Director: Khyentse Norbu
Buddhist lama and filmmaker Khyentse Norbu has made a beautiful film, the first feature film shot in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The main character, Dondup is a westernized government official who wants to leave his post in a remote Bhutanese village for the excitement of America. Missing the bus, Dondup is forced to hitchhike, encountering an interesting assortment of fellow travelers. A Buddhist monk becomes a thorn in his side, teasing him about his desire to escape his beautiful country. This monk tells a mystical fable of another young man, a magician in training, who is also seeking escape. The film weaves in and out of these two stories as the travelers pass through the extraordinary landscape of Bhutan.

Daddy and Papa 2004
Sunday, February 19, 2006 Central Library Theater
Director: John Symons
This delightful documentary explores the growing phenomenon of gay fatherhood. Through the stories of four different families, the film delves into some of the particular challenges facing gay men who decide to become dads. From surrogacy, foster care, and interracial adoption, to the complexities of gay marriage and divorce, to the battle for full legal status as parents, Daddy and Papa presents a revealing look at some of the gay fathers who are breaking new ground in the ever-changing landscape of the American family.

Out in the Heartland 2005
Sunday, February 19, 2006 Central Library Theater
Director: Gretchen Hildebran
This documentary explores the human impact of the campaign to ban gay marriage in Kentucky. Through the stories of gay parents in our state, the film examines how their daily lives in neighborhoods, churches and schools are effected by the anti-gay rhetoric that is part of this campaign. Some of the gay parents in the film will participate in a panel discussion following the screening.

Rize 2005
Thursday, February 23, 2006 Kentucky Theater
Director: David LaChapelle
"Rize", an uncommon documentary by photographer David LaChapelle, explores the phenomenon known as krump and clowning, a radical social innovation occurring in the South Central and Watts areas of Los Angeles. The dance, krumping, is athletic, fast, aggressive and visually stunning. Reminiscent of martial arts and of African dance, krumping also borrows moves from strippers and gymnasts. Krumpers face off one-on-one and try to out-krump one another. The annual culmination of this competition is Battle Zone, held for the fifth year between the two main factions of the movement, the Clowns and the Krumps. The Clowns, true to their name, wear outrageous makeup and costumes.

Osama 2003
Sunday, February 26, 2006 UK Student Center Theater
Director: Siddiq Barmak
The first film to be made in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, Osama indicts the former extremist government by portraying oppression as part of the fabric of everyday life. The heroine, Osama (Marina Golbahari), is the 12-year old daughter of a widowed Afghan doctor who is forced to stop working when the Taliban come into power. Left without a means of income, the mother dresses up her daughter as a boy and sends her out to work with a sympathetic shopkeeper. Pressed into a military training school, Osama is ruthlessly bullied by the boys because of her feminine features. The director shot this film in Kabul and recruited his non-professional cast from orphanages and refugee camps.

Divan 2005
Thursday, March 02, 2006 Kentucky Theater
Director: Pearl Gluck
When her parents divorced, filmmaker Pearl Gluck left her Jewish Hassidic community in Brooklyn for secular life in Manhattan. When she becomes an adult, she seeks to repair her relationship with her father by traveling to Hungary to retrieve a family heirloom, a couch upon which esteemed rabbis once slept. In Hungary she is deeply affected by the historic evidence of the devastation of the Jewish communities. Gluck says the divan become "a concrete tool . . . for yearning, contemplating, and reflecting on the world I left behind." The film illuminates her personal family history, the culture of Hasidism, and gives voice to current and former members of Ultra Orthodox Judaism.

Crash 2005
Sunday, March 05, 2006 Central Library Theater
Director: Paul Haggis
Exploring the complexities of racial intolerance in America, "Crash" tells interlocking stories of whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, Persians, police and criminals, rich and the poor, powerful and powerless. Racism affects all their lives as they crash into one another over a 36 hour period. No one character is totally ruled by his prejudices, nor does any one of them succeed in freeing themselves from making false assumptions about the people they meet. This film offers no easy answers to the questions we must continue to ask ourselves about the effects of prejudice and oppression in our country. Starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, and more.

Up The Ridge: A U.S. Prison Story 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006 Kentucky Theater
Through the lens of Wallens Ridge State Prison in Virginia, this documentary offers viewers an in-depth look at the United States prison industry. More maximum security prisons are being built every year, many in rural areas. Communities in economically depressed areas welcome the prisons for the jobs they offer. Hundreds of thousands of inner-city minority offenders are being moved to distant rural prisons where their families can not afford to visit them often. Racial and cultural differences feed conflict between guards and prisoners that to often lead to human rights violations and death of prisoners.

 

2005

The Story of the Weeping Camel
Sunday, February 13, 2005 Central Library Theater
In the Gobi Desert a family of nomadic herders assist in the birth of a white camel that the mother rejects. All efforts to reunite the two fail. Musicians are invited to perform an ancient musical ritual to heal the rift between mother and child. Nominated for an Academy Award. Screening with support from the UK International Hospitality Program.

Monsieur Ibrahim
Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Central Library Theater
In a working class neighborhood of Paris in the 1960's, a young Jewish boy, Momo, is abandoned by his father. An elderly Muslim shop keeper (Omar Sharif) befriends Momo and together they begin a journey that will change their lives forever. Support from the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation.

Real Women Have Curves
Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Central Library Theater
Ana, a first generation Mexican-American teenager finishes High School and wants to go on to college. Her mother insists that Ana help support the family by working in her sister's garment shop. Ana struggles to find a balance as she considers her aspirations, her cultural heritage, and her family's need for her financial support. This humorous film speaks to the struggles of immigrant families.

Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter
Sunday, February 27, 2005 Central Library Theater - Reception provided by the Alzheimer's Association Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter.
Documentarian Deborah Hoffman chronicles the stages of her moth-er's Alzheimer's disease and her responses to the illness. The desire to cure the incurable, to set right her mother's confusion and. forgetfulness, to temper her mother's obsessiveness, gives way over time to an acceptance which is liberating for both daughter and moth-er. A panel discussion, arranged by local Alzheimer's Association, will follow the screening.

Mujahid: The Holy Warrior 2004
Director: Nadeem
This film is the story of two friends who return to Pakistan from Afghanistan where they went to fight as "jehadis." Director Nadeem explores the attempted reintegration of these young men into main-stream society. His characters express the frustration and hopeless-ness that makes them vulnerable to conversion to extremist causes. The film offers us a perspective on soldiers who were once considered "freedom fighters" and now might be considered "terrorists."

Faat-Kine
Sunday, March 06, 2005 Worsham Theater, UK Student Center
Ousmane Sembene is one of Africa's leading filmmakers. Faat-Kine, is a brash, self-made woman who manages a gas station, supports her mother, and puts two children through college. Faat-Kine's children are embarrassed by her unwed status and set out to find her a husband. Sembene successfully combines hilarious comedy and social consciousness with a feminist slant. Shown in cooperation with the UK Woman's Studies Program

Paper Clips
Wednesday, March 09, 2005 Kentucky Theater
Struggling to grasp the concept of six million Jewish Holocaust vic-tims, the students at Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee decide to collect six-million paper clips to better understand the extent of this crime against humanity The film details how the students met Holocaust survivors from around the world and how the experience transformed them and their community. Special support from Central Ky. Jewish Federation, Thomas and King, and an anonymous gift.

When the Spirits Dance Mambo
Sunday, March 13, 2005 Central Library Theater
This documentary traces the role of sacred African thought and practice in the formation of Cuban society, culture and music. Director Marta Morento Vega expresses the soul of her people through this documen-tary. This film is a tribute to the historical and spiritual roots of ritual, music, dance and belief that enriches the lives of many Cubans and Americans today. Winner of Best Documentary at the 2003 American Black Film Festival.

 

2004

M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake
Sunday, February 15, 2004 Central Library Theater
Director: Heather Lyons, Director and Producer
Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers and prolific African American artists, boldly moved from Lexington, Kentucky to New York City in 1933 to pursue artistic careers. By 1937 they had opened a photo studio next door to Harlem's renowned Apollo Theater. Their studio became a Harlem gathering place for the great African American performers, writers and political figures of the time including Duke Ellington, Eartha Kitt, Joe Lewis, Katherine Dunhill, Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Dr. W.E.B. DuBois. The Smiths also contributed their work to social justice campaigns such as the "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign and the Anti-Lynching Bill. The narration was for this film was written by poet Nikky Finney and performed by Ruby Dee.

Dangerous Living: Coming Out In The Developing World
Saturday, February 21, 2004 Central Library Theater - Two Documentaries.
Director: Scagliotti, Hunt, Baus and Williams
Dangerous Living examines the struggles and triumphs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people living outside of the western world. The film crew traveled to five continents to tell the stories of brave individuals working to make their homes and safer for GLBT people. Dangerous Living examines the oppression of GLBT people in many countries including Honduras, Kenya, Egypt, and Thailand. This award-winning documentary is narrated by Janeane Garofalo.

No Dumb Questions
Saturday, February 21, 2004 Central Library Theater
Director: Melissa Regan (Director/Producer)
Uncle Bill is becoming a woman and his 6, 9, and 11 year old nieces are struggling to understand how and why. With just weeks until Uncle Bill's first visit as Aunt Barbara, the sisters navigate the complex territories of anatomy, sexuality, personality, gender and fashion. Their reactions are funny, touching, and distinctly different. This film offers a fresh perspective on a complex situation from a family that insists there are no dumb questions.

Left Luggage 1998
Tuesday, February 24, 2004 Central Library Theater
Director: Jeroen Krabbe
Set in Antwerp Belgium, in 1970, this film tells the story of two families with differing Jewish cultures. The main character is a young woman moving between the two families who, at the start of the film, is indifferent to her Jewish heritage. Chaja is a liberal philosophy student and the daughter of couple who's marriage is in trouble. She reluctantly accepts a job as a nanny for an Hassidic family who's customs are foreign and disturbing to her. Rarely do films show events unfolding in such a graceful manner, from so many points of view. This film is funny, tragic and bittersweet.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
Sunday, February 29, 2004 Worsham Theater, UK Student Center
Director: Aparan Sen
Meenakshi Iyer is traveling with her nine month old son, Santanam. Raja Chowdhary, a Muslim, is introduced to her through a mutual friend before they board the bus. Because Meenakshji is traveling alone with her infant, Raja takes on the responsibility of looking after her and everyone on the bus assumes they are a couple. When the bus is stopped by an angry mob of Hindu extremists on the prowl for Muslims, Meenaksi tries to distance herself from him. But fate has other ideas.

Shadow Magic
Sunday, March 07, 2004 Central Library Theater
Director: Ann Hu
An Englishman arrives in Peking, China in 1902 with a hand-cranked projector and a box of the earliest silent movies. Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends the Englishman and together they open the Shadow Magic Theater. Liu's choice of such a nontraditional endeavor brings him into conflict with his father's authority as well as the traditions of his community. He further complicates his life by falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. The story reaches its climax when the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show their films to the Empress Dowager.

Raising Victor Vargas
Sunday, March 21, 2004 Central Library Theater
Director: Peter Sollett
The Vargas family lives on the Lower East Side of New York. Grandma who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, now finds herself raising her three grandchildren: Victor, Nino and Vicki. Victor, who is about 16, fancies himself a ladies' man but is not as experienced as he tries to portray. Grandma worries about the hazards that surround her grandchildren, fearing that she might lose these children to the streets. Victor, Nino and Vicki are exasperated by their grandmother's old world ways, but they love and need her. This movie does not focus on the gangs, drugs or violence that we see in many inner city dramas. It is a coming of age story and a story of strong family ties with a recognition of the struggle and commitment that many grandparents are making today to raise their second set of children.

Kabul, Kabul 2003
Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Kentucky Theater
Director: Sedika Mojadidi
Sedika Mohadidi crated this documentary about her journey back to Afghanistan after a 23-year absence. She recounts herstruggle to reconcile the different levels of loss that many like her have experienced from the war. Her piece wrestles with the irreconcilable impulses of memory, home, representation, loss, and desire in the face of a 10 year occupation and civil war that has left Afghanistan and its people devastated.

 

2003

Lagaan 2002 Sunday, February 16, 2003 UK Worsham Theater
Director: Shutosh Gowariker
Set in 1893 during the British occupation of India, this romantic costume epic combines sports, politics, romance, comedy, drama, and musical numbers. The rains have failed, and the people of a small Indian village hope that they will be excused from paying the crippling land tax ( a lagaan) that their British rulers have imposed. Instead, a British officer challenges them to a game of cricket. If they win there will be no tax; if they lose, however, the increased tax burden will destroy their lives. One farmer rallies the community to take up the challenge. Lagaan is a highly successful "Bollywood" film and Academy Award nominee for best foreign film from the world's largest movie industry in Bombay, India

The Truce 1998
Tuesday, February 18, 2003 Central Library Theater
Director: Francesco Rosi
Based on the life of Jewish Italian chemist Primo Levi, The Truce depicts Levi's nine-month circuitous journey home following his release from Auschwitz. Along the way Levi rediscovers hope, dignity and a sense of moral outrage, emotions previously suppressed by the horror of his daily life. American actor John Turturro's portrayal of Levi strikes a perfect balance between despair and laughter.

The Education of Little Tree 1997
Saturday, February 22, 2003 Central Library Theater
Director: Richard Greenberg
Eight-year-old Little Tree is orphaned and sent to live with his grandparents in the Smoky Mountains in the 1930's. His Cherokee grandmother, white grandfather, and a Cherokee elder teach Little Tree about his Cherokee heritage including an appreciation for the natural world. He thrives under their care until he is forced to go to a government boarding school where he faces solitary confinement and corporeal punishment. An excellent family film.

Stranger with a Camera 2000
Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Kentucky Theater, State Theater - Two Appalshop Documentaries
Director: Elizabeth Barret
In 1967 Canadian filmmaker Hugh O'Connor visited the mountains of Central Appalachia to document poverty. A local landlord, who resented the presence of filmmakers on his property, shot and killed O'Connor, in part because of his anger over the media images of Appalachia that had become icons in the nation's War on Poverty. Filmmaker Elizabeth Barret, a native of Appalachia, uses O'Connor's death as a lens to explore the complex relationship between those who make films to promote social change and the people whose lives are represented in such media productions.

Coal Bucket Outlaw 2002
Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Kentucky Theater, State Theater - Two Appalshop Documentaries
Director: Tom Hansell
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that coal produces over half of our nation's electricity. Coal Bucket Outlaw is built around a day in the life of two Kentucky coal truck drivers. This digital documentary gives us a direct look at where our energy comes from, and reveals the human and environmental price we pay for our national addiction to fossil fuels.

Honey and Ashes 1996
Sunday, March 02, 2003 UK Worsham Theater
Director: Nadi Fares
Three women in an unnamed Islamic country are caught between tradition and modernity as they try to take control of their lives. Leila's keeps her love hidden from her strict father. Naima, a successful doctor, is pressured by her family to enter an arranged marriage. Amina has few options when faced with an abusive husband. The lives of these women weave together in unexpected ways portraying a society where patriarchal authority limits the freedom of women.

Danzon 1991
Tuesday, March 04, 2003 Central Library Theater
Director: Mairia Novaro
Mexican feminist director Mairia Novaro gives us the story of Julia, a middle aged woman living a rather ordered life, which includes dancing the traditional Danzon with her partner of six years, Carmelo Benitez (Daniel Rergis). Julia and Carmelo barely speak a word to each other off the dance floor. One day Carmelo disappears and Julia goes in search of him. Her journey awakens her to new possibilities. This is a buoyant colorful film filled with music and dance.

When We Were Kings 1996
Saturday, March 08, 2003 Central Library Theater
Twenty years removed from the events it chronicles, When We Were Kings recalls the charismatic Muhammed Ali at his best. In 1974, Ali, age 32, agreed to fight George Foreman who was ten years younger and the Heavyweight Champion of the world. Promoter Don King offered the fighters five million dollars apiece for this fight. Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, provided financial backing and "The Rumble in the Jungle" made history. The film includes commentary by Norman Mailer and Spike Lee and scenes from the musical festival that King produced featuring James Brown and B.B. King. This film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1997.

 

2002

Peace of Mind: Coexistence Through the Eyes of Palestinian and Israeli 1999
Tuesday, February 12, 2002 Kentucky Theater
Director: Mark Landsman, Global Action Project
Seeds of Peace is an organization that works in a variety of ways to empower children of war torn areas to break the cycles of violence. One of their projects is the a Camp in Maine where teenagers from various sides of armed conflicts are brought together to build relationships and understanding. After spending the summer at a Seeds of Peace Camp in Maine, seven Palestinian and Israeli teenagers were given video cameras to document two years of their lives in Israel, the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority. Using the cameras as video diaries, the youth turned the lens on themselves, their families, friends and communities, revealing the internal and external challenges each one of them faces as peace seekers in a fiercely divided conflict. The film Peace of Mind that came our of this experiment is an intimate portrait of a conflict rarely seen from a youth perspective. Hendrica Van Woerkom, Director of Education for Seeds of Peace, and Bushra Jawabri, a Palestinian and one of the video film makers, will be present for the Lexington screening and will speak about their experiences.

What's Cooking 2000
Sunday, February 17, 2002 Central Library Theater
Director: Gurminder Chadha
Starring Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick, Joan Chen, and Julianna Margulies. In What’s Cooking Gurminder Chadha presents a multi-family multicultural view of Thanksgiving. We are introduced to a Jewish family with a lesbian daughter and her partner, a Hispanic family with a philandering husband and newly liberated wife, a cross-generational Vietnamese family struggling with traditional expectations for their Americanized children, and an African American family where tensions arise between a successful father and his son who thinks he has sold out. In these four different households, turkey is served with individual flair, accompanied by roasted polenta, fajitas, spring rolls or homemade macaroni and cheese. Around the holiday table there are also unexpected boyfriends, a pregnancy, a gun, and family’s finding new connections. This film is fun as well as thought provoking, successfully suggesting of how our growing national diversity impacts american

Living The Story: The Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky 2002
Thursday, February 28, 2002 Central Library Theater
Director: Arthur Rouse, Producer/ Director Joan Brannon,
The first documentary to explore Kentucky’s civil rights history, Living the Story presents the personal experiences of 15 men and women who recall life in a segregated society and the struggle to bring about social justice. Their vivid memories accompanied by archival footage tell an inspiring story of commitment, courage, and accomplishment. The efforts of these men and women changed Kentucky and their achievements can encourage this generation to do the work that needs to be done today to end discrimination.

Three Seasons 1999
Saturday, March 02, 2002 Central Library Theater
Director: Tony Bui
Three Seasons was filmed in Ho Chi Minh City by Tony Bui, a 26-year-old American born in Vietnam. The first American feature to be produced in Vietnam since the war, this film tells three interlocking stories linked to the wet, growth, and dry seasons of the region. This exquisitely beautiful film focuses on the daily lives of working class people, each living with loneliness: a poor pedicab driver befriends a high-class prostitute, a young woman who sings while harvesting lotus flowers for a living touches the life of Dao, a reclusive Buddhist suffering with leprosy, and two street children encounter an American (Harvey Keitel) looking for a daughter he fathered during the war. The characters' paths cross in small ways, accompanied by flowers and kindnesses. Three Seasons won three major awards at Sundance in 1999, Audience and Cinematography Awards.

Rage and Glory 1985
Sunday, March 10, 2002 Central Library Theater
Director: Avi Nesher
Rage and Glory was first shown in Israel in 1985. This feature film is historical fiction that tells the story of the Lechi, a group of people organized in resistance to the British occupation of Palestine during the 1940s. The distribution of this film throughout Israel was permitted in 1985. However, the government did not permit the film to be shown outside the country

 

2001

Seven Sisters 2000
Tuesday, February 27, 2001 Kentucky Theater - Reception in the State Theater Lobby.
Director: Patrick Donohew
Seven Sisters (2000) is a new vision of Appalachia which powerfully evokes the coming of age of seven women through their rural to urban migration. The director, Patrick Donohew, will be joining us to discuss his work after the viewing.

Voyages
Sunday, March 04, 2001 Central Library Theater
Voted best Feature Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival, Voyages tells three linked stories focusing on the lives of three elderly Jewish women who find themselves facing new situations while struggling to make sense out of their history.

Mississippi Masala
Wednesday, March 07, 2001 LCC Oswald Building Auditorium
Mina, the daughter of an immigrant Indian family, becomes romantically involved with Demetrias, an African American. This film addresses issues about cross cultural relationships, and the various guises of racism.

Up To A Certain Point
Thursday, March 08, 2001 Transylvania College, Cowgill Building
This social comedy centers on Oscar, a Cuban screen writer who is writing about the persistence of machismo attitudes among Cuban working class men. His romance with a female dock worker reveals Oscar to be just as uncomfortable with unconventional women as his working class counterparts.

Sankofa
Saturday, March 10, 2001 Central Library Theater
Director: Gerima
A Shaman interrupts a photography session, speaking to Mona, an African American model, commanding her to "return to her source". Mona finds herself transported back in time to become Shola, a woman held captive in the dungeon and sold into slavery in the Caribbean. Gerima explores issues not previously highlighted in films about this era such as the tension between followers of Christianity and adherents to traditional African Spiritual beliefs.

Adam's Rib
Monday, March 19, 2001 U Ky. Worsham Theater
Adam's Rib is a perceptive look at a deteriorating Soviet society as well as a poignant comedy about a single women trying to cope in the quickly changing modern world. The story centers on a household of four women, a demanding grandmother, a harried working mother and her two sexually active daughters.

Hatred
Thursday, March 22, 2001 Central Library Theater
Director: Goldman
Goldman examines the connections between individually felt hatred and hatreds that lead to mass violence, genocide and war. Hatred won Australian Atom Award for "Best Social Issues"

 

2000

Through Their Eyes: Stories of Gays and Lesbians in the Mountains
Saturday, March 04, 2000 Central Library Theater
Director: Danielle Burke, April Caudill, Charles Cupp, Brittany.
A powerful documentary made by Appalachian teens Danielle Burke, April Caudill, Charles Cupp and Brittany Rowlette, working with the Appalachian Media Institute Two of these young directors will join us in discussion after the two films.

Golden Threads
Saturday, March 04, 2000 Central Library Theater
Director: Lucy Winer
This documentary explores the work of Christine Burton who founded Golden Threads, an international network for midlife and elder lesbians. Using her own mid-life crisis as part of the narrative, filmmaker Winer examines and challenges our collective fears of aging through her portrayal of Christine as she confronts and transforms the difficulties in her life.

Earth
Tuesday, March 07, 2000 Central Library Theater
Director: Deepa Mehta
This film has received international critical acclaim and is the second of Mehta's trilogy Fire, Earth, and Water (yet to be made). Earth takes place in 1947 when India and Pakistan were partitioned resulting in violence between the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. This story of the Partition focuses on Lenny, an eight year old Parsee girl, her family and their servants of various religious traditions. Ms. Mehta says of her work "We hoped to understand why war is waged and why friends turn enemies, and why battles are invariable fought on women's bodies."

The City, (La Ciudad)
Thursday, March 16, 2000 Central Library Theater
Director: David Riker
The feature film debut of writer/director David Riker. This independent film has won a number of awards including the Open Palm Award, from the Independent Gotham Awards. In preparation for writing and directing this film, Riker spent five years developing relationships within the Latin American immigrant community in New York City. The four separate stories that make up the film portray the loneliness, economic hardship, educational needs, and the necessity of hope in immigrant life; issues relevant to all American immigrants throughout our history.

Sounder 1972
Saturday, March 18, 2000 Central Library Theater
The classic 1972 film by Martin Ritt, director.
We are pleased to introduce a new generation of young people to this ground breaking film. Sounder stars Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield, both of whom were nominated for academy awards for their performances. This film portrays the struggles of a black sharecropping family in Louisiana during the depression. The racism of the era is the background to this warm and uplifting story. Sounder received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

Delta Jews
Tuesday, March 21, 2000 Central Library Theater - Three short Jewish films.
Director: Mike DeWitt
Mike DeWitt's film profiles Jewish communities in the Mississippi Delta. This documentary begins with the stories of Jews as traveling peddlers in the 19th century who eventually opened the first general stores in small towns. As generations of Jew raised families within the Southern culture of Mississippi, issues of assimilation, intermarriage, anti-Semitism, and racism

The Golem (of L.A.)
Tuesday, March 21, 2000 Central Library Theater - Three short Jewish films.
A live action short subject that won the CINE Gold Eagle award. Ed Asner stars as Rabbi Lowenstein who struggles to save L.A.'s oldest remaining synagogue. In desperation, he calls upon the aid of the supernatural, the "Golem," a figure from traditional Jewish tales.

Miriam's Daughters
Tuesday, March 21, 2000 Central Library Theater - Three short Jewish films.
Celebrate documents the celebration of two rituals, a Passover Seder and a baby-girl naming ceremony, by a group of Jewish feminists including Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and Letty Cottin Pogrebin. These women have modified and created rituals over time to honor women's lives within the Jewish tradition.

 

1999

Out of the Past
Saturday, March 06, 1999 Downtown Public Library Theater
Director: Jeff Dupre
This documentary chronicles the struggles of Kelli Peterson, a Salt Lake City high school student, to established a gay-straight alliance in her school. Her story is interspersed with short histories of other gays and lesbians, including Bayard Rustin, an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, and Barbara Gittings, an activist in the 1950’s. The film explores the critical link between knowledge of history and knowledge of self. Director Jeff Dupre, who won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, will join us for a discussion following the film.

My Own Country
Sunday, March 07, 1999 Downtown Public Library Theater
Director: Mira Nair
Based on the best selling biography of the same name, My Own Country tells the story of Dr. Verghese, a physician from India who practices medicine in the mountains of Tennessee. As his practice includes more and more patients diagnosed with HIV and AIDS, the surrounding community has difficulties facing the reality of this epidemic.

The Color of Courage
Monday, March 08, 1999 Kentucky Theater
Director: USA Network
Based on the true story of the landmark civil rights case, Sipes vs. McGhee, The Color of Courage chronicles the story of a black family struggling to retain ownership of their home in a white neighborhood in 1944. At the center of this story is the friendship that develops between Minnie McGhee (Lynn Whitfield) and Anna Sipes (Linda Hamilton). The screenplay was written by Kathleen McGhee Anderson, the granddaughter of Minnie and Mac.