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Friday Morning Documentaries    

Fall 2009

Friday 10 to 11:45  a.m.                      Library 3023

Wade Brynelson, Wayne Wilson

We have carefully chosen outstanding documentary films that will help our viewers better understand our changing world.  This is a drop-in class with no signup required. 


Sept. 11 - Frontline: Sick Around the World (2008)

With the U.S. health care system needing urgent care, PBS' Frontline looks to other leading capitalist democracies to see how their health care systems operate and whether those systems might be a model for much-needed reform at home. But are Americans willing to accept taxation or socialized medicine? Will U.S. insurance providers undermine change? Correspondent T.R. Reid examines systems in the U.K., Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Taiwan.

Sept. 18 - War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death (2007)

Based on Norman Solomon's revealing book and narrated by actor Sean Penn, War Made Easy exposes the government's and the media's purported history of deceiving the American people and leading us into war after war. Using archival footage of past presidents, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon and both Bushes, and media correspondents like Walter Cronkite, the documentary sheds light on propaganda pushing and draws parallels between the Vietnam and Iraq wars.

Sept. 25 - The Future We Will Create: Inside the World of TED (2007)

Hailed "the hottest gathering in the world" by Wired magazine, TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is an annual event where an eclectic group of brilliant minds exchanges bold ideas for the future. Actress Daphne Zuniga is your host on this all-access tour of the conference. Guests include former Vice President Al Gore, musician Peter Gabriel, environmentalist Majora Carter, as well as comedians, authors and innovators from around the world.

Oct. 2 - America at a Crossroads: The Case for War: In Defense of Freedom (2007)

This film follows one of the advocates for the war against Saddam Hussein. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neoconservative case for an assertive American foreign policy. Perle finds no shortage of candidates willing to challenge him on these issues. 60 minutes.

Oct. 9 - The People's Republic of Capitalism (Part I) (2008)

Ted Koppel examines the growing and complex economic ties between the United States and China as the People's Republic settles into its role as America 's largest business partner—and its biggest economic rival. This four-part documentary looks to the city of Chongqing and its populace to explore the impact of China 's expanding economy and reviews the effects of cheap labor, imported goods and job outsourcing on America . 90 minutes.

Oct. 16 - National Geographic: Guns, Germs and Steel (Disc I) (2005)

NOTE: This week will be in Mendocino 2009 because of the Library's furlough closure.

Why is life on Earth inequitable? After journeying to the four corners of the world to answer to that query, Prof. Jared Diamond came up with a straightforward explanation: People's fortunes hinge on their geography and their contact with guns, germs and steel. Interlacing science, anthropology and historical reenactments, this insightful documentary based on Diamond's best-selling book brings to life his intriguing hypothesis. 90 minutes.

Oct. 23 - A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2006)

Award-winning filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack examine the world's dependence on oil and the impending chaos that's sure to follow when the resource is dry in this straight-from-the-headlines documentary. Through expert interviews on a hot-button topic that might represent the world's most dire crisis, the film underscores our desperate need for alternative energy and spells out in startling detail the challenge we face in finding it. 82 minutes.

Oct. 30 - View from a Grain of Sand (2006)

Combining verité footage, interviews and rare archival material, this film is a harrowing, thought-provoking, yet intimate portrait of Afghan women's history over the last 30 years—from the rule of King Zahir Shah in the 1960's to the current Hamid Karzai government. Told through the eyes of three Afghan women—a doctor, a teacher and women's rights activist—this documentary tells the story of how war, international interference and the rise of political Islam have stripped Afghan women of rights and freedom. Together with rarely seen archival footage, their powerful stories provide illuminating context for Afghanistan 's current situation and the ongoing battle women face to gain even basic human rights. 82 minutes

Nov. 6 - Frontline: Inside the Meltdown (2009)

Shining a light on the economic meltdown that changed the mood of the 2008 presidential election, this edition of Frontline offers an inside look at what caused the crisis and who--if anyone--could have stopped it. Segments focus on the failures of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and AIG; the U.S. government bailout costing taxpayers $700 billion; and the roles of the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve in repairing the damage.

Nov. 13 - Food, Inc. (2008)

Drawing on Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, director Robert Kenner's documentary explores the food industry's detrimental effects on our health and environment. Kenner spotlights the men and women who are working to reform an industry rife with monopolies, questionable interpretations of laws and subsidies, political ties and rising rates of E. coli outbreaks.

Nov. 20 - Frontline: Ten Trillion and Counting (2009)

What do you do when you're hundreds of billions of dollars in debt and still counting? That's what Frontline seeks to find out in this episode that explores the impact of the growing national deficit on President Obama's plans for this country. Enlisting commentary from financial experts and government finance insiders, the program explains why our national debt has soared and offers solutions for reducing it.

Dec. 4 - The People’s Republic of Capitalism: Disc 2 (2008)

Ted Koppel examines the growing and complex economic ties between the United States and China as the People's Republic settles into its role as America's largest business partner —and its biggest economic rival. This documentary looks to the city of Chongquig and its populace to explore the impact of China's expanding econid.