Greensburg, Kansas was hit by an EF5 tornado, the most powerful and devastating storm in American history (destorying 95% of the city). At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, Greensburg was hit by an …
Continue ReadingCannabis Cultivation: I grow Green
Well shot, well edited, and paced quickly enough that you don’t get bored, but slowly enough that important topics are covered in depth. Where else are you going to find an instructional documentary that takes …
Continue ReadingDispatches: Beslan
The school siege at Beslan was the bloodiest act of terrorism ever to take place on Russian soil. Yet beyond this horrible truth remain many unanswered questions. There is no agreement on who the terrorists …
Continue ReadingCocaine Cowboys
More of a real-life exploitation film than a bonafide documentary, Cocaine Cowboys is tailor-made for anyone who worships Brian De Palma’s Scarface. It’s no surprise that this slick, energetic film found a niche audience among …
Continue ReadingPromises (2001)
Promises presents a powerful portrait of seven Palestinian and Israeli children who live in and around Jerusalem. As filmmaker B.Z. Goldberg, who was raised in Israel, notes, “They live no more than 20 minutes from …
Continue ReadingInside Mecca
For over 1400 years, Mecca has been one of the most important cities in the Arabian Peninsula. By the middle of the 6th century, there were three major settlements in northern Arabia, all along the …
Continue Reading24 Hours on Craigslist
The community website Craigslist.org has become one of the most popular sites on the internet, boasting 10 million active users and 3 billion pages views per month. ’24 Hours on Craigslist’ documents a random day-in-the-life …
Continue ReadingRuby Ridge
A documentary on the Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge. “Ruby Ridge was the site of a violent confrontation and siege in the U.S. state of Idaho in 1992. It involved Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver’s …
Continue ReadingHoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James. It follows the story of two black high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players. Originally intended to be …
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