Purple Dreams
Filmmaker Joanne Hock documents the lives of at-risk inner city youth as they succeed at their passions in arts education.
Filmmaker Joanne Hock documents the lives of at-risk inner city youth as they succeed at their passions in arts education.
“Refugee” tells the story of Aicha Diop, a West African refugee who made the biggest sacrifice of all when she boarded a plane for the US in 2003, leaving her 5 children behind. Despite the trauma of her past, a life-threatening illness, and the harsh realities of life in the South Bronx, Aicha perseveres, driven solely by the desire to provide her children with a better future and to be reunited with them once again. “Refugee” is the remarkable story of a mother’s love, and how the power of hope can propel us through insurmountable obstacles, even after losing everything.
The tragedy of the Japanese American incarceration experience didn’t end with the people who were in the camp.
Kim Swims is a documentary film about the inspiring story of an accomplished open water swimmer’s attempt to become the first woman to swim 30 miles through a stretch of cold, rough and shark-inhabited waters off of the San Francisco coast.
Josh’s parents emigrated from China to Colorado in order to have a second child (in response to China’s one-child policy). Josh was raised navigating two cultures: his traditional Chinese background and an American way of life, often observing the differences and dissonances between the two. In his film LOVE ME, Josh candidly questions the ways in which he was raised, including intense pressures to succeed. In doing so, he poses questions about how young people can find self love and true passions while negotiating societal expectations.
MANKILLER examines the life and legacy of the formidable American hero, Wilma Mankiller, who defied all odds to become one of the most influential leaders in the United States. Mankiller overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief in 1985. The film reunites the team of Gale Anne Hurd and Valerie Red-Horse Mohl for their third and most powerful documentary. Mankiller’s humble leadership style and her strength remind audiences of the true meaning of servant leadership and serves as a wake-up call to take action for positive change.