Bedford CSD

The violent political unrest of 1960's Italy brings simmering tensions between two feuding brothers to the point in this critically acalaimed film. Eager to distance themselves from each other, Accio (Elio Germano, Do You Like Hitchcock?, Respiro: Grazia's Island) and older brother Manico (Ricardo Scamarico, Romanzo Criminale, Three Steps Over Heaven) join opposing political parties but are tied together by their dysfunctional working class family...and a beautiful girl named Francesca (Diane Fleri). As the turblent decade comes to a close, the brothers slowly discover they're more alike than they thought, but that realization might come too late.

Not of this World by Accent Cinema

Starring Margherita Buy and Silvio Orlando. Not of This World is a magical film about love, truth, religion, and family ties. Not of This World swept the Italian Academy Awards and won prizes at the Chicago, Montreal and AFI Film Festivals. In the words of Los Angeles Times, Not of This World is a film that possesses a seductive warmth and passion. Italian film with English subtitles.

Of Love and Shadows

Starring Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Connelly

Hot Hollywood star Antonio Banderas (Spy Kids 1 & 2, The 13th Warrior) and Academy Award winning Jennifer Connelly (Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind) heat up this sexy and intriguing thriller! Francisco Leal (Banderas) is an on-the-edge photographer whose work with a beautiful magazine reporter (Connelly) uncovers a government's nightmare: a secret so deadly, the military will stop at nothing to eliminate them! Now, as they are thrown together into danger...and drawn closer by passion...they must risk everything for a chance at freedom! It is an exciting story of courage and compassion that’s captivated critics and moviegoers everywhere!

The Best of Youth- Winner Cannes Film Festival Award

In the award-winning epic tradition of The Godfather and Cold Mountain, The Best of Youth has wowed critics and earned honors at numerous film festivals worldwide. As Italy explodes in an era of social unrest, a single ill-fated incident sends the lives of equally idealistic brothers Nicola and Matteo Cerati careening in opposite directions. Divided by politics but bonded by blood, the next 40 years will find the brothers' divergent paths intersecting through some of the most tumultuous events in recent history! A stunning cinematic achievement- you don't want to miss this incredible motion picture! Italian with English subtitles.

The Sky is Falling

Summer 1944, in an elegant villa in Tuscany. Penny and her sister Baby, who lost both their parents in a car accident, have come to live with relatives. Their aunt (Isabella Rossellini) is married to a striking, Jewish German man (Jeroen Krabbe) - an intellectual, and a lover of music and arts. Through Penny's eyes we witness the fascinating world of the villa: the family camaraderie, the unconventional guests, the peasant neighbors, and so forth. The girls experience friendship, struggles with school and religion, and the first furtive feelings of love...and the horrors of war. Italian with English subtitles

The Sky is Falling features two major stars of the international screen: Isabella Rossellini (Roger Dodger, Big Night, and Blue Velvet) and Jeroen Krabbe (The fugitive, The Price of Tides, Immortal Beloved). The film is a moving account of man's struggle for hope against all odds.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs- A film by Ermanno Olmi

Renowned director Ermanno Olmi's award winning drama is a poignant look at rural peasant life in Northern Italy at the turn of the century. This moving story brings to life the hardships and adversity facing a family struggling to survive under oppressive rule.

At a great sacrifice a family sends their young son to school to learn in lieu of having him work on the farm. Relying on his precious pair of clogs, the little boy must walk the long distance to school every day. When they break, his father sneaks into a prized grove in their village to obtain their wood for a new pair. The callous, wealthy landlord catches him and he is punished severely for the infraction.

Winner of the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Olmi's breakthrough film is considered by many to be a masterpiece- a revealing, serious piece of filmmaking that exemplifies his mastery of movement, color and imagery and above all, depicting the humanity of his subjects. Italian with English subtitles.

Earth Science

Planet Earth-BBC Video- 5 Disc Set

Narrated by David Attenborough. From the creators of Blue Planet: Seas of Life comes this epic series celebrating the Earth as never before. With an unprecedented budget, using high definition photography and revolutionary ultra-high speed cameras, five years in the making, over 2000 days in the field, using 40 cameramen across 200 locations, Planet Earth is the ultimate portrait of our planet.

This stunning television experience captures rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet's best loved, wildest and most elusive creatures. From the highest mountains to the deepest rivers, Planet Earth takes you to places you've never been to experience sights and sounds never before captured on film. Prepare to be overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of Planet Earth.

The National Parks-America's Best Idea-Ken Burns-6 Disc Set-PBS

The national parks spring from an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most precious portions of the land should be preserved, not for the royalty or the rich, but for everyone, for all time. Here are the stories of those magnificient places and the unfortgettable people who kept them from destruction-stories of struggle and conflict, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration, set against a backdrop of stunning beauty and grandeur.

Nearly a decade in the making, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, a six part documentary series from acclaimed filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, is a breaktaking journey through the nation's most spectacular landscapes and a celebration of the people--famous and unkown-who fought to save them for future generations to treasure.

Social Studies

Apocalypse Now The Complete Dossier-Dual Feature

Two disc Special Collector's edition includes over two hours of bonus materials from filmmaker Francis Coppola and his American Zoetrope vault including:

Watch the films with Francis Coppola. Director Francis Coppola introduces both Apocalypse Now, his classic 1979 film, and his acclaimed 2001 Apocalypse Now Redux version (with 49 additional minutes of controversial and unusual scenes that were added to the original film). Coppola recounts obstacles he faced during the original film's production while describing the "definitive version" issued in 2001 - a film closer to the one Coppola had originally envisioned. Both films include audio commentary by the celebrated director. "The Hollow Men" A complete reading of T.S. Elliot's 1925 poem by Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), excerpts of which were used in Apocalypse Now. This complete recitation has never before been seen outside the Zoetrope cutting room. "Monkey Sampan" An unusual "lost scene" from the original shooting. Plus additional scenes and A/V featurettes.

Commanding Heights-

Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy confronts headd on critical concerns about the new interconnected world. Based on the new interconnected world. Based on the best-selling book by Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw, this groundbreaking PBS series explores changing world-the great debate over globalization and the future of our society.

Commanding Heights reunites the team that created The Prize-Daniel Yergin and award winning producer William Cran (from Jesus to Christ)-and is the first in-depth documentary to tell the inside story of our new global economy and what it means for individuals around the world. Filmed on five continents, the powerful narrative combines stunning film footage with dramatic stories and extraordinary interviews with world leaders and thinkers from twenty different countries, including: Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, former Secretary of Treasury Robert Rubin, Rep. Richard Gephardt, and President George W. Bush's Economic Advisor Lawrence Lindsey.

Commanding Heights dramatically captures the issues that hae defined the wealth and fate of nations and shows how the battle over the world economy will shape our lives in the twenty -first century.

Hairspray

It's 1962 and change is in the air in Baltimore. Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big hair and big dreams has only one passion in life- to dance on "The Corny Collins Show." When her chance arrives, she grooves her way into instant stardom and the eys of teen dream Link Larkin (Zac Edfron). But with the program's scheming stage manager (Michelle Pfeiffer) against her, trend-setting Tracy will need the help of her best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes), her big hearted mother (John Travolta) and sassy co-host Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) to show the world that all it takes to make a dream come true is a toe-tappin' beat and a little HAIRSPRAY!

Platoon-An Oliver Stone Film-Collector's Edition 2-Disc Set

Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director, Platoon stars Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor, an idealistic new recruit who quickly comes to realize the savage brutality of war. As he struggles to adapt to the rules of the jungle, he witnesses his platoon divide into two opposing fractions Led by Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger), a combat-loving sadist, the soldiers massacre a Vitanemese village while on patrol. When Sgt. Grodin (Willem Dafoe), a kind hearted free spirit, confronts him, the two set out on a path of mutual destruction, taking the entire platoon with them. Fear, chaos, and the heart-pounding fight for survival ensues as teh men are faced not only with an unforgiving enemy, but also with their own deadly cruelty.

Darfur Now-Six Stores. One hope.

Save Darfur. Now. This acclaimed documentary follows the story of six people who are determined to end the sufferings in Sudan’s war ravaged Darfur. The six- an American activist, an international prosecutor, a Sudanese rebel, a sheikh, a leader of the World Food Program and an internationally known actor – demonstrate the power of how one individual can create extraordinary changes. Be an eyewitness to the tragedy and the triumphs, the fear and the pride as these six individuals take us into a grim world of atrocity. Be prepared to be touched by this inspiring story and discover how you can be a voice to help save Darfur now.

Eyes On the Prize- America's Civil Rights Movement

Eyes on the Prize is an award wining 14 hour documentary series on the civil rights movement that brilliantly illuminates the struggle for racial equality and social justice. Produced by Blackside, the series uses compelling human stories and engages viewers in the landmark events of 1954 to 1985. Henry Hampton, the creator and executive producer of the series is recognized as one of the world's most acclaimed documentary filmmakers. Using words and perspectives from people who were determined to make our nation live up to the promise of equality, Eyes On the Prize teaches essential lessons about race, leadership, and justice for all.

General Idi Amin Dada-A Self Portrait-Criterion Collection.

In 1971 the small African nation of Uganda was taken by self-styled dictator General Idi Admin, beginning an eight-year reign of terror that would result in the deaths of over 300,000 people. In this chilling yet darkly comic documentary, director Barbet Schroeder turns his cameras on the infamous tyrant, revealing the dynamic, charming, and appallingly dangerous man whose fanatical neuroses held an entire nation in their grip. Made with the full support and participation of the dictator-and featuring an accordion score by Admin himself-General Idi Amin Dada provides a candid and disturbing portrait of one of the 20th century's most notorious figures.

Gladiator

Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, Gladiator is a dazzling combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling. Discover the unparalleled power of Gladiator, masterfully directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner), and featuring a riveting performance from Russell Crowe, hailed by Newsweek as “a genuine larger -than-life hero!” The general who became a slave, the slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire.

Glory

The heart-stopping true story of the first black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War, Glory stars Matthew Broderick, Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (2001 Best Actor, Training Days; 1989 Best Supporting Actor, Glory), Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman, Broderick and Elwes are the idealistic young Bostonians who lead the regiment; Freeman is the inspirational sergeant who unites the troops; and Denzel Washington is the runaway slave who embodies the indomitable spirit of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts. 2 Discs.

Golden Door A Film by Emanuele Crialese

Miramax Films and Martin Scorsese present Golden Door. At once epic and intimate, it's the stunning romantic drama about two very different people yearning for a better life in America at the turn of the 20th century. Sacrificing everything, Salvatore Mancuso, an innocent Sicilian peasant, begins his transatlantic odyssey to the land of promise. During the perilous and grueling journey, he meets a beautiful and worldly Englishwoman, Lucy, an unexpected romance blossoms. Looking forward to their new life together, neither is prepared for the realities of Ellis Island, where they'll stop at nothing to make it through the golden door into the America of their dreams

Horatio's Drive- Americas First Road Trip- A film Directed by Ken Burns

Horatio’s Drive recounts the simultaneously inspirational and hilarious saga of Horatio Nelson Jackson, an eccentric Vermont doctor, who in 1993 – on a visionary whim and a 50-dollar bet-became the first person to drive an automobile across the continent, heralding the future of the “horseless carriage” as a vehicle destined for more than inner-city travel and as a machine that would transform American life.

Kamp Katrina- A Film by Ashley Sabin and David Redmon

Fourteen people signed up and were put into tents for six months in a woman's backyard dubbed "Kamp Katrina." The filmmakers lived practically full-time in the tent city and what they captured is an urban platoon movie. Its setting looks like a combat zone and its characters who are numerous at first and varied, get picked off by the ones and twos until only a couple are left. You settle in with the residents and become immersed in the chaos, brutality, and surreal humor of their situation. Thanks to hard work and nimbleness on location, plus cleverness in the editing room, Kamp Katrina provides excellent views of the last of its platoon going to its special hell. You're left with the question that hangs over all platoon movies: Was the battle worth the pain?

Made in L.A.

Made in L.A. traces the moving transformation of three Latina garment workers on the fault lines of global economic change. Through a groundbreaking lawsuit and consumer boycott, they fight to establish an important legal and moral precedent: to hold an American retailer liable for the labor conditions under which its products are manufactured. But more than this, Made in L.A. provides an intimate view into both the struggles of recent immigrants and into the organizing process itself: the enthusiasm, discouragement, hard-won victories and ultimate self-empowerment.

Lupe, Maria, and Maura meet at Los Angeles' Garment Worker Center, which provides legal aid for immigrant workers and helps them organize to confront the powerful garment industry. There they learn that other workers suffer the same conditions: working 10 to 14 hour days, being denied minimum wage and overtime pay, forced to take piece-work home, sometimes locked inside factories, afraid to protest because of their undocumented status, deprived of their dignity.

The Center discovers that many of the labor abuses seem to come from subcontractors for a trendy, new, national women's apparel chain, Forever 21, which, at a time, produced 95% of its line in Los Angeles. The workers decide to target the company and 19 plaintiffs file suit for unfair labor practices in a cutting edge attempt to reform the entire garment industry. Made in L.A. captures their struggle in real-time as it unfolds over three exhausting, sometimes demoralizing but ultimately life changing years.

While Made in L.A. deftly interweaves the story of the groundbreaking boycott and lawsuit, the focus is always on the women themselves, how they became agents of change, gaining self-confidence and self esteem as they become more deeply involved in the struggle. They grow from victims into activists, and become determined to take control of their lives. As director Carracedo concludes: "These women's struggle mattered not just for its own sake but because it served as a catalyst for each of them, in her own way, to stand up and say: "I exist. I have rights.”

Sand and Sorrow

Executive produced and narrated by George Clooney, this film details the historical events that have given rise to the Arab-dominated Darfur government's willingness to kill and displace its own indigenous African people, and examines the international community's "legacy of failure" to respond to such profound crimes against humanity n the past. Offering unparalleled access to a contingent of African Union peacekeeping forces, the film provides an exclusive look at the situation on the ground as this disturbing chapter in human history unfolds. Human rights activist John Prendergast, Harvard University professor Samantha Power and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof take viewers deep inside Darfur and into the heart of the crisis.

Schindler's List

Directed by Steven Spielberg-- Meet Oskar Schindler. A German living in occupied Poland during World War II. A member in good standing of the Nazi party. A womanizer, a war profiteer...and ultimately a man of conscience. A man who became one of the great unsung heroes and humanitarians of the war. Schindler's List chronicles Oskar Schindler's spiritual odyssey from war profiteer to humanitarian and hero. Winner of 7 Academy Awards in 1993, including Best Picture, this harrowing and heart rending film is Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece and perhaps one of the finest and most important movies ever made. It depicts Schindler's ultimately successful attempt to rescue 1,100 Jews from Hitler's "Final Solution" by getting them to safety outside Poland. This beautiful movie allows viewers to feel like they're actually a part of one of the darkest, most horrific periods in history. They story of the Holocaust needs to be told over and over again, in hopes that future generations can understand the horrors perpetrated on an entire race of people and prevent future occurrences. Review by Mike Powers on Amazon.com

The Civil War- A Film By Ken Burns-Public Broadcasting System Home Video

Hailed as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling, Ken Burns’ epic documentary brings to life America's most destructive- and defining - conflict. With digitally enhanced images and 5.1 surround sound, here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one. The most successful public television miniseries in American history! 9 part series now digitally remastered for optimal picture and audio quality.

The Devil Came On Horseback

An up-close, honest and uncompromising look at the crisis in Darfur, The Devil Came on Horseback exposes the on-going tragedy in Sudan as seen through the eyes of one American witness.

Using the exclusive photographs and first hand testimony of former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle, the film goes on an emotionally charged journey into the heart of Darfur, Sudan, where in 2004, Steidle became witness to a genocide that to-date has claimed over 400,000 lives. As an official military observer, Steidle had access to parts of the country that no journalist could penetrate. Unprepared for what he would witness and experience, Steidle returned to the U. S. armed with his photographs, intent on exposing the images and stories of lives systemically destroyed.

A 2007 world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, this astonishly propulsive and dramatic film from award-winning filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern (The Trials of Daryl Hunt) is a heartfelt account of what this particular American witness saw and, just as important, what he did afterward.

"An outstanding film. It's superb, period." -Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times

The Hugo Chavez Show

Frontline looks at Venezuela's controversial and outspoken president, Hugo Chavez, and the revolution he claims is turning his country into an anti-capitalist beacon for Latin America and the world. Through the lens of his unique weekly program "Alo Presidente" and the eyes of the Venezuelans who know him well, Frontline digs below the surface of his presidency and his personality to try to understand the mercurial leader.

The Last King of Scotland

As Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker gives "one of the great performances of modern movie history" (The Wall Street Journal), one that the Associated Press calls, "nothing short of Oscar-worthy." This is Amin's incredible story as seen through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scotsman who becomes the volatile leader's personal physician; due in part to Amin's unexpected passion for Scottish culture- Amin even proclaims himself "The Last King of Scotland."

The Sun Also Rises

The most compelling characters ever created by Ernest Hemingway are brought to life by an equally awe-inspiring cast for this "excellent" (New York Herald Tribune) and stunningly faithful adaptation of the author's The Sun Also Rises!

In 1920's Paris, a group of disillusioned expatriates pursue a life of utter debauchery: American veteran Jake Barnes (Tyrone Power) lives under the cloud of an emasculating war injury; Lady Brett Ashley (Ava Gardner) substitutes a life of promiscuity for the love she cannot share with Jake; Mike Campbell (Errol Flynn) deliberately douses his passions with alcohol; Robert Cohn (Mel Ferrier) becomes more and more hopelessly obsessed with Brett; and Bill Gorton (Eddie Albert) lives faster than his writing can entail. Each member of this "lost generation" clings to the bohemian lifestyle that Paris bars and Spanish bullrings offer....living as though they were about to die.

Viva La Causa- The story of Cesar Chavez and a great movement for social justice-Teaching Tolerance

On a warm evening in 1965, hundreds of Mexican farm workers packed into a church hall in the small farming town of Delano, California. A momentous decision lay before them- should they join a strike against California grape growers started 11 days prior by their Filipino counterparts? Would this improve their appalling working conditions in the fields and help them earn enough to feed their families?

Viva La Causa tells the story of how the powerless stood up to the powerful and gained their victory, not by violence and weapons, but by their strong will.

War Dance- A Film by Sean Fine and Adrea Nix Fine

Set in war raged Northern Uganda, the Oscar nominated War Dance will touch your heart with a real-life story about a group of children whose love of music brings joy, excitement, and hope back into their poverty- stricken lives. Three children who have suffered horrific brutalities momentarily forget their struggles as they participate in music, song, and dance in their school. Invited to compete in a prestigious music festival in their nation's capital, their historic journey is a stirring tale about the power of the human spirit to triumph against tremendous odds.

Mythology

Troy

Bradd Pitt picks up a sword and brings a muscular, brooding, prescence to the role of Greek warrior Achilles in this spectacular retelling of The Illiad. Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger play the legendary lovers who plunge the world into war, Eric Bana portrays the prince who dares to confront Achilles, and Peter O'Toole rules Troy as King Priam. Director Wolfgang Petersen recreates a long-aago world of mighty warships, clashing armies, the massive fortress city and the towering Trojan Horse. 2 Disc Full Screen Edition

English

Dead Poets Society-A Peter Weir Film

We Shall Remain- PBS Home Video

They were charismatic and forward thinking, imaginative and courageous, compassionate and resolute, and at times, arrogant, vengeful, and reckless. For hundreds of years, Native American leaders from Mmassasoit, Tecumseh, and Tenskwatawa, to Major Ridge, Geronimo and Fools Crow valiantly resisted expulsion from their lands and fought the extinction of the culture. Sometimes, their strategies were militaristic, but more often they were diplomatic, spiritual, legal, and political.

From PBS's acclaimed history series, American Experience, in association with Native American Public Telecommunications, We Shall Remain establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. These five documentaries spanni