Documentaries Shown at the Library

Desperate crossing: the untold story of the Mayflower

From their self-imposed exile in Holland to their perilous crossing of the Atlantic, to their first year in the new world, Desperate Crossing is the definitive story of how the Pilgrims came to live and prosper in an unfamiliar land.
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Helvetica is a documentary film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. An exploration of urban spaces and the type that inhabits them, Helvetica invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day.
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A passionate and inspiring look at former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to expose the myths and misconceptions of global warming, and to create public awareness on the subject.
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Documentary in three parts. Offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the U.S. presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied. American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
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In the late ’60s and early ’70s a handful of hippie cyclists literally reinvented the wheel. These early pioneers scavenged dumpsters and junkyards to build a better way down the mountain. Little did they realize that their obsessive tinkering with modified bikes, known as "klunkerz," would ultimately lead to the birth of a multi-billion dollar industry and an Olympic sport.
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Winner of several critics association awards for Best Documentary, the film covers all the bases of baseball's first Jewish star. The Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer's magnificent career is highlighted with archival footage and individual accounts.
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Follows photographer Edward Burtynsky as he travels through China photographing the effects of that country's massive industrial revolution.
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Take a journey deep inside the American style of debt, where things seem fine as long as the minimum monthly payment arrives on time. Shocking and incisive, it paints a picture of a national nightmare, which is all too real for most.
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An insider's look at the decisions that led to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and the handling of the occupation. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003. Features interview with high ranking officals, including Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, and General Jay Garner, as well as Iraqi civilians, American soldiers and prominent analysts. Examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulfed Iraq.
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In September 2003, freelance Iraqi cameraman Yunis Khatayer Abbas was arrested and accused of planning to kill Tony Blair. This documentary is a fascinating portrait of an ordinary man trying to make sense of an absurd and nightmarish situation.
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Michael Moore interviews Americans who have been denied treatment by the United States health care insurance companies -- companies who sacrifice essential health services in order to maximize profits. Sheds light on the how complicated it can become for communities and individuals, and the sacrifices they have made when they are denied health care coverage.
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Follows the 2002 race for Mayor of Newark, N.J. between 32-year-old Cory Booker and four-term incumbent Sharpe James. Fought in Newark's neighborhoods and housing projects, the election pits the young challenger against an old style political machine.
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The life and times of Ralph Nader, political analyst and presidential candidate. Includes footage and interviews with those who knew and worked with him, including an interview with the man himself.
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Follows a group of extraordinary actors from the Drama Program of Long Island's ANCHOR Organization (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation) as they embark on a remarkable four-month-long journey to mount an exceptional and lavish stage performance of The Wizard of Oz. With subtlety and compassion, the filmmakers intimately portray the performers as they struggle daily with their learning disabilities, all the while coming to grips with their roles in the play.
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