Blogs, and Rethinking the News

If you can't beat 'em blog 'em

[DVD-1427]. 2005. 20 min.

The rise of the blog as a form of serious news reporting means that conventional journalists must become familiar with the blog format and rethink typical journalistic approaches. This ABC News program examines the blogger "community," reviews major news stories that were broken by bloggers, and demonstrates ways in which blogging differs from traditional reporting methods.

Christian Youths, Evangelical Christianity, and the "Jesus Camp"

Jesus Camp

[DVD-1453]. 2006. 93 min.

A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America that requires Christian youth to assume leadership roles in advocating the causes of their religious movement. The film follows Levi, Rachael, and Tory to Pastor Becky Fischer's 'Kids on Fire' summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated soldiers in 'God's army'. The film follows these children as they hone their 'prophetic gifts' and are schooled in how to 'take back America for Christ'

Immigration and the U.S. Border Crisis

De nadie (No One)

[DVD-1421]. 2005. 80 min.

Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival, 2006; Best Feature Documentary, Mexican Academy Awards 2006.

The impoverished Central Americans who leave their countries in hopes of a better life in the United States have a rough road ahead of them. De Nadie shows how, during their perilous 2500-mile journey through Mexico, they put their last money, dignity, health and life on the line. Mexican filmmaker Tin Dirdamal follows a number of refugees in a South-Mexican refugee centre, from where they hitch illegal rides on freight trains to the northern border. Apart from the Mexican immigration service and police, the illegal aliens are threatened by the security service of the railroad companies, the criminal La Mara Salvatrucha gang and the train itself. 16-year-old Jos from Honduras lost an arm when he fell under a train; young Adolfo witnessed the murder of his parents by La Mara. Protagonist Maria, whose house was destroyed in Hurricane Mitch, barely survived an encounter with the violent gang. Contorted with fear and worries, her face speaks volumes. Director Dirdamal visits Maria's relatives who stayed behind in a Honduran slum. The horror stories of refugees, filmed with a handheld camera, are alternated with interviews with employees of the railroad, the immigration service and a relief organisation, and complemented by factual background information. The only hope along the way comes from a volunteer organisation near the railroad tracks that hands out food to passing refugees, as they board a train towards an uncertain future.

Nutrition, Disease, and the Future of Food

Diet and Disease in Modern Society
[DVD-1349]. 2004. 36 min.


Investigates the relationship between diet and a number of frequently inter-related diseases and conditions, including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Topics covered include lipoproteins, fats, fiber, electrolyte minerals, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

The Future of Food
[DVD-1422]. 2004. 88 min.

Documents the trend of unlabeled genetically-modified foods which have become increasingly prevalent in grocery stores. Unravels the complex web of market and political forces that are changing the nature of what we eat. Explores organic and sustainable agriculture as alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture.


Nutrition and Exercise
[DVD-1359] 2003. 24 min.

When diabetes forced Yvonne to take her health seriously, she enlisted the help of a registerd dietician and started exercising. By looking at Yvonne and others, this program details how the right foods combined with an adequate amount of exercise can help you avoid certain diseases and cope with existing medical conditions. Basic exercise tips and fitness assessment pointers are combined with suggested daily diets, especially the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, as explained by Dr. John Cook, director of Vascular Medicine at Stanford Medical School and author of the "Cardiovascular Cure."