Film Library

 For climber, skier, and guide Leighan Falley, the mere sight of the Alaskan wilderness elicits an insatiable wanderlust. To reconcile her adventurous spirit with the demands of parenthood, she would need to learn to fly.

Centered around exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, Chavela weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks brings the Ella Brennan’s remarkable story to the screen showing how she became a leading force in the contemporary restaurant business despite the challenges of being a woman in a male dominated field. With the success of New Orleans iconic establishment Commander’s Palace, restaurateurs and chefs from around the world and all walks of life credit the important role Ella has played in building and enhancing American cooking and hospitality. With interviews with current and former chef including Emeril Lagasse, Danny Meyer, Tim and Nina Zagat, Daniel Boulud, Jeremiah Tower, and many more.

Jane Goodall, a young and untrained woman, challenges the male dominated scientific consensus of her time with her chimpanzee research and revolutionizes people’s understanding of the natural world.

Holding History tells the story of Charles L. Blockson’s lifelong journey to unearth and preserve the history, culture, and contributions of people of African descent.

Mindy Alper is a tortured and brilliant 56 year old artist who is represented by one of Los Angeles’ top galleries. Acute anxiety, mental disorder and devastating depression have caused her to be committed to mental institutions undergo electro shock therapy and survive a 10 year period without the ability to speak. Her hyper self awareness has allowed her to produce a lifelong body of work that expresses her emotional state with powerful psychological precision. Through interviews, reenactments, the building of an eight and a half foot papier-mache’ bust of her beloved psychiatrist, and examining drawings made from the time she was a child, we learn how she has emerged from darkness and isolation to a life that includes love, trust and support.

The planet’s busiest maternity hospital is located in one of its poorest countries: the Philippines. There, women face devastating consequences as their country struggles with reproductive health policy and the politics of conservative ideologies.

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.

The tragedy of the Japanese American incarceration experience didn’t end with the people who were in the camp.

“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.

Filmmaker Joanne Hock documents the lives of at-risk inner city youth as they succeed at their passions in arts education.

In 1936 when 18 African-American athletes participated in the Berlin Olympic Games, history forgot all except one. This is the story of the other 17.