About 30 new movies have been added to the collection so far this year. Be sure to browse all the way to the bottom!

• AV 294.3 BUD            The Buddha : the story of Siddhartha

Tells the story of the Indian sage who attained enlightenment as he sat beneath a fig tree 2500 years ago. The Buddha never claimed to be God or God’s emissary on earth. He was a human being who, in a world of unavoidable pain and suffering, found a serenity that he taught others to find also. The film draws upon paintings and sculptures as well as scenes in India today that echo the Buddha’s world of long ago. The testimony of contemporary Buddhist, including poet W.S. Merwin and his Holiness the Dalai Lama, provide insight into the ancient narrative.

• AV 302.23 DIG            Digital nation

Within a single generation, digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture, from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we socialize and even conduct war. But is the technology moving faster than we can adapt to it? And is tur 24/7 wired world causing us to lose as much as we’ve gained? This program presents an in-depth exploration of what it means to be human in a 21st century digital world.

• AV 333.822 BUR            Burning the future : coal in America

Coal provides half of America’s electricy, but at what cost? Though rhetoric about ‘clean coal’ abounds, 36% of US global warming emissions comes from our coal-burning plants. This film examines the forces that have set in motion a groundswell of conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia. Faced with toxic ground water, the obliteration of acres of mountains, and a government that appeases industry, ordinary citizens launch a valiant fight to arouse the nation’s help in protecting their mountains, saving their families and preserving their way of life.

• AV 338.19 FOO            Food, inc. : a Robert Kenner film

Lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how our food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profits ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

• AV 522 TEL            Telescope : hunting the edge of space

Provides an overview of the history of the telescope and discusses how the technology has been used to learn about the universe.

• AV 523.1 JOU            Journey to the edge of the universe

This film presents a non-stop voyage from Earth to the edge of the universe using a single, unbroken shot through the use of CGI technology. Building on images taken from the Hubble Telescope, the film explores the science and history behind the distant celestial bodies in the solar system.

• AV 536 ABS            Absolute zero

Brings the history of human understanding of the concept of cold to life, with dramatic recreations of high moments in low-temperature research and the quest for ever-lower notches on the thermometer.

• AV 551.3 EXT            Extreme ice

Follows the progress of photojournalist James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, the largest photographic story ever attempted of the cryosphere, the large mantle of ice that covers large portions of the Earth and that plays a critical role in weather.

• AV 551.46 DRA            Drain the ocean : see what lies beneath our seas

Three-quarters of Earth is an alien world, lying beneath the surface of the oceans. And although it encompasses over half of the world’s species, we know more about the surface of Mars than the bottom of the ocean. If we could remove the water, what would we see? This film explores one of Earth’s last great frontiers as never before — revealing unimaginable landscapes more dramatic than anything on dry land.

• AV 575            Life

From the makers of Planet Earth, this series explores the more colorful strategies the world’s creatures employ to procreate, evade predators, and obtain nourishment.

• AV 576.8 WHA            What Darwin never knew

On the 150th anniversary of the publication of “The Origin of Species”, NOVA reveals answers to the riddles that Darwin couldn’t explain. Stunning breakthroughs in a brand new science — nicknamed “evo devo” — are linking the enigma of origins to another of nature’s great mysteries, the development of an embryo.

• AV 709.2 CLO            The mystery of Picasso (In French with English subtitles)

An historical document explores the mind and motivations of Picasso as he creates over 15 works before the camera.

• AV 770.92 PHO            The photographers

Photographers who have worked for National Geographic reflect on their art.

• AV 775 DIG            Digital Digest photography : Video segments on digital photography

Covers the basics of digital photography including the camera, f-stops, and shutter speeds, ISO selection, exposure, the rule of thirds and odds, saving, storing, and printing files, memory, batteries, flash, and more.

• AV 786.2 NOT            Note by note : the making of Steinway L1037

Follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano from forest floor to concert hall. Each piano’s journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor.

• AV 811 POE            Poetry Lounge : spoken word and the art of self-expression

Learn the fundamentals of writing and performing “spoken word” poetry by watching slam champions as they perform their work, share their inspiration, and describe writing techniques for this format.

• AV 844 ETR            Etre et avoir (In French with English subtitles)

At the center of this intimate and touching story is Georges Lopez – a remarkably devoted teacher responsible for nurturing a dozen children ages 3-11 in all their school subjects and life’s lessons. Demonstrates how a teacher, if well trained, dedicated and sensitive to a child’s educational and emotional needs, can hugely influence a generation of children at their most critical time of development.

• AV 863 LIK            Like water for chocolate  (In Spanish with English subtitles)

Romantic fantasy set in the early 20th century about a young couple blocked from marrying by the demands of her cold and selfish mother. To be near his love, the young man marries her sister, and she expresses her passion for him through her cooking.

Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel

• AV 863 PAN            Pan’s Labyrinth  (In Spanish with English subtitles)

Set in 1944 Spain, against the backdrop of anti-Franco guerilla warfare, young Ofelia and her mother go to live with her new stepfather on a rural military outpost. Ofelia finds herself in a world of unimaginable cruelty. Soon she finds the creatures of her imagination in which she used to escape have become a reality and she must battle them to save both her mother and herself. In the terrifying fight that ensues, Ofelia soon learns that innocence has a power that evil cannot understand.

• AV 909.83 APR            April 14, 2009

Correspondent Sharmeen Obaid investigates the increasing power and influence of a new branch of the Taliban in Pakistan that is helping make the country one of the Obama administration’s top foreign policy concerns. Also, a look at South Korea, a country that’s embraced the wired world more thoroughly than any other and is now potentially facing a new public health crisis: internet addiction.

• AV 937 ANC            Ancient Rome : The mobile society

Featuring interviews with expert scholars and practical demonstrations of ancient tools, this video examines the marvel of Roman roads.

• AV 937 ANC            Ancient Rome : the rise of apartments

Explores how the ancient Romans inhabited multistory apartments more than 2,000 years ago. These apartments provided more than just places to live — offering baths, cleaners, and restaurants, all housed in complexes that were several stories high. Visits the Roman baths still in use today in England.

• AV 951.04 NAN            Nanking

In 1937 the Japanese army invaded China’s capital city, unleashing a horrific onslaught of murder and rape. Incredibly, a small group of Westerners who stayed behind saved thousands. Using interviews with Chinese survivors, archival footage and readings of the Westerners’ letters and diaries, this tragic chapter in history is brought to life.

• AV 974.71044 SAC            Sacred ground

This documentary examines the controversy surrounding the plans to rebuild on the site of the World Trade Center after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001.

• AV F ANN            Annabel Lee & other tales of mystery and imagination

Short film renditions of some of Poe’s classic horror stories.

• AV F DAN            Dances with wolves

A former Union soldier is assigned to an abandoned fort within Sioux Indian territory, where he learns to love and respect his Native American neighbors and chooses to share in their hardships.

Based on the novel by Michael Blake.

• AV F GLO            Glory

Two idealistic young Bostonians lead the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, America’s first Black regiment in the Civil War.

• AV F I                        I, Claudius

In this BBC miniseries Derek Jacobi plays Roman Emperor Claudius, who reflects in old age on his life and his remarkable family, giving us a history lesson that’s unlike anything you learned in school.

• AV F MAS            Masada

The story of the siege of 980 when zealot Jews who escaped the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. took refuge in a palace on the mountain of Masada.

Based on the novel: The antagonists / by Ernest J. Gaines.

Originally released as a motion picture in 1981.

• AV F TRO            Troy

In 1193 BC, Prince Paris, the son of the King of Troy, falls in love with Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta, and convinces her to follow him away from her husband Menelaus. This results in an epic war. The Greeks sail to Troy and lay siege. Achilles, the greatest warrior in all the world, is called in to fight against Troy and give Greece the upper hand. Hector, the eldest son of Priam, King of Troy, and the greatest Trojan warrior, embodies the hopes of the people of his city.

Here’s a summary of the films that have been added to our collection this year. Enjoy!

SOCIAL STUDIES:

AV 200.92 THR    Through the Eastern gate (DVD)
Documents the aspirations, practices, and beliefs of three young Westerners who follow three different Eastern spiritual traditions. An intimate, compelling look at the people who turn their backs on materialism to find new meaning in their lives.

AV 305.892 JEW    The Jewish people : a story of survival (DVD)
Recounts the survival of the Jewish people throughout time, covering slavery, the loss of their homeland, exile, anti-Semitism, pogroms, the Holocaust, and other obstacles.

AV 336.3 IOU    I. O. U. S. A. : one nation, under stress, in debt (DVD)
I.O.U.S.A. tells the story of America in debt. Faced with key deficits in budget, savings, trade, and leadership, increased foreign competition and ballooning financial obligations, the federal government is critically overextended. With the economy already in shambles, 78 million baby boomers are now expecting retirement benefits from their indebted federal government.

AV 364.16 RAP    The rape of Europa (DVD)
A documentary film that explores the efforts of Europeans, Russians, and Americans to save the historic artwork of Europe during World War II, which was being looted, hidden, stolen, and destroyed by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi forces; and features interviews with eyewitnesses and historians, and newsreel footage.

AV 915.1 CHI    China from the inside (DVD)
China is rapidly becoming a world power, but much of the country and its people remain hidden to those outside its borders. This video includes visits to temples in Tibet, border areas of Muslim Xinjiang, Communist Party meetings, a village election, court rooms, newspaper offices, a women’s labor camp, and a country wedding.

AV 915.1 WIL    Wild China : a land of history, mystery and extraordinary diversity (DVD)
Location footage and commentary examine the landscape, wildlife, and people of China.

AV 951 CHI    China revealed (DVD)
Get a fresh perspective on China, one of the world’s richest cultures, as you hear individual life stories told through the eyes of the locals.

AV 951 LOS    The lost world of Tibet : a different view (DVD)
Features archival communist propaganda films to examine what Tibet was like from the 1930s to 1950.

AV 954 IND    India rising : NOW June 20, 2008 (DVD)
The global middle class is expected to swell by more than one billion people over the next decade, with the biggest increases in China and India. NOW reports from Pune, India to see if America’s middle class — and the rest of the world — can afford this unprecedented shift in the global economy.

AV 954 STO    The story of India (DVD)
This ‘ten thousand year epic’ uncovers the fabulous sights, sounds and dazzling achievements of the world’s oldest and most influential civilization. From the deserts of Turkmenistan to the Khyber Pass and the plains of Pakistan, from the Himalayas to the palm-fringed shores of Kerala, we discover a land whose past is almost unimaginably rich and which includes some of the most momentous and moving events in world history.

AV 956.94 JER    Jerusalem : center of the world (DVD)
Traces the history of Jerusalem and the city’s Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities, covering over 4,000 years including the city’s founding and major events described in the Hebrew and Christian Bible the Talmud, the Hagaddah, the Koran, and the Hadith.

AV 958.1 DAU    Daughters of Afghanistan (DVD)
Journalist Sally Armstrong exposes the ongoing struggles of women in modern Afghanistan by following the lives of five courageous women from diverse backgrounds.

AV 958.1 FIX    The fixer : Afghanistan behind the scenes (DVD)
When foreign journalists are working in hostile environments, they often rely on a local to set up interviews, interpret conversations, and provide links and leads to people and stories. In this documentary, Aaron Rockett follows a BBC journalist and his fixer, and travels through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

AV 958.1 OLD    The fixer : the taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi (DVD)
In 2007, 24-year-old Ajmal Naqshbandi, a journalist and ‘fixer’, was captured alongside an Italian reporter by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Italian journalist was released; Naqshbandi was not. This film follows Ajmal in the months before his capture as he travels with an American journalist, translating, securing meetings with warlords, and sharing his views on his country. The film also explores the convoluted aftermath of the kidnapping, revealing the shady details of a botched hostage negotiation and offers insight into the complicated relationship between western journalists and their local guides.

AV 958.104 AFG    Afghanistan : 12 years of violence (DVD)
Examines Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s, discussing the Soviet invasion, the country’s descent into tribal war, and the rise of the Taliban.

AV 962.7 SAN    Sand and sorrow : a new documentary about Darfur (DVD)
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 in the past.

AV 92 MIC    Michelangelo revealed (DVD)
A stunning new picture of cautious religious expression, personal vendettas, careful coverups, and a most gifted artist desperately trying to reconcile his loyalty to the Church with his own personal belief about the road to salvation.

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:

AV 531 PHY    Physics demonstrations in mechanics (8 DVDs) Fun viewing for some!

Building Big series (DVD) David Macauley’s excellent series about engineering marvels

• AV 624 BUI    Building big bridges (DVD)
• AV 624.1 BUI    Building big tunnels (DVD)
• AV 690 BUI    Building big skyscrapers (DVD)
• AV 690.146 BUI    Building big domes  (DVD)
• AV 726 BUI    Building big dams

AV 92 NEW    Newton’s dark secrets : the first modern scientist and the last of the ancient magicians (DVD)
Newton was a 17th century Einstein, who reduced nature’s chaos to a single set of laws and revolutionized the thinking and outlook of his age. But in the midst of his astonishing breakthroughs in physics, optics, and calculus, Isaac Newton was also searching out hidden meanings in the Bible and pursuing the covert art of alchemy, the changing of base metals into gold.

ART/ART HISTORY:

AV 704.9 EAS    Easter in art (DVD)
In this three part program, Tim Marlow explores the Easter story as depicted in art, from the time of the early Christians to the present day.

AV 726.5 FIV    500 years of Saint Peter’s (DVD)
Discusses the construction of the new St. Peter’s Cathedral, starting on April 18th, 1506, when chief architect Donato Bramante supervised the laying of the foundation stone, symbolizing a shift for the Roman Catholic church and establishing a course for the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

AV 759 EVE    Every picture tells a story (DVD)
Art critic Waldemar Januszczak analyzes eight European paintings to examine the stories behind them. Includes a viewer’s guide, artist biographies, and other special features.

MUSIC:

AV 780.79 BRU    Beyond the practice room (DVD)
Probes the complicated issue of who is or isn’t a child prodigy. Filmed backstage during the prestigious New York Piano Competition in June 2004, teens, 14 – 18, vie for money, medals and priceless performance opportunities. The contestants, from 13 states, six countries, started at the piano as early as two, as late as seven. But they share a single-mindedness about music; they also share various forms of stage- or performance-fright, overlaying the natural state of teen-age angst. Nothing deters them from the competition, especially if there is a prodding parent nearby.

ENGLISH:

AV F GRE    The great Gatsby (DVD)

Starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, this is “an opulent evocation of an era of hot jazz and cold champagne, of women as exotic and demanding as hothouse flowers, and of lives made soft by too much, too soon.”

AV F IMP    The importance of being earnest (DVD)
The hilarious adventure of two dashing young bachelors and the outrageous deceptions they find themselves in over love.

AV F INT    Into the wild (DVD)
Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, Christopher McCandless walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people – a fearless risk-taker who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature. Based on a true story.

AV F LOR    Lord of the flies (DVD)
A group of English schoolboys is stranded on an uncharted island at the start of the “next war.” Their efforts at survival spiral out of control in this chilling modern fable.

AV F NOR    North by northwest (DVD)
A Manhattan advertising executive is plunged into a realm of spy and counterspy and variously abducted, framed for murder, chased and crop-dusted.

AV F OF    Of mice and men (DVD)
Best friends Lennie and George find themselves unemployed in Depression-era California, unble to keep jobs because of Lennie’s childlike mentality. But once they get hired at the Tyler Ranch, they enjoy a brief period of stability — until their supervisor’s wife becomes the victim of Lennie’s compassion, forcing George to make a compassionate decision of his own. (from the DVD case)

AV 822.33 OTH    Othello (DVD)

Three versions of the play: the 2004 edition directed by Trevor Nunn, the 1995 production, and the Laurence Olivier version.

AV 822.33 ROM    Romeo & Juliet   (DVD)
Presents the Franco Zefferelli production of Shakespeare’s tragedy about two teenagers who fall in love, encounter opposition from their families, and take their own lives.

AV 822.33 ROM    William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet  (DVD)
This unconventional adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragic story of youthful star-crossed lovers is set in a futuristic Verona Beach. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

AV 822.33 ROM    William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet : with John Barrymore  (DVD)

FRENCH:

AV 843 HIR    Une hirondelle a fait le printemps (DVD) (One Sparrow Brought Spring)

HOLOCAUST STUDIES:

AV 92 WIE    I have never forgotten you : the life and legacy of Simon Wiesenthal (DVD)
Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor who lost 89 family members, helped track down over 1,100 Nazi war criminals and spent six decades fighting anti-Semitism and prejudice against all people.

AV 940.53 GEN    Genocide (DVD)
Graphically depicts the events of the Holocaust through the use of contemporary newsfilm and still photos and the reminiscences of survivors.

AV 940.53 IMA    Imaginary witness : Hollywood and the Holocaust (DVD)
Explores Hollywood’s involvement with and attitude towards one of the most horrific events in world history, exploring Nazism, post-war years and the end of the 20th century.

AV 940.53 INT    Into the arms of strangers : stories of the Kindertransport (DVD)
Recounts the rescue operation, known as Kindertransport, that saved more than 10,000 Jewish and other children from the Nazi regime.

AV 940.53 UNL    Unlikely heroes (DVD)
Highlights previously unknown stories of the Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.

AV 940.5318 LIB    Liberation (DVD)
Begins in 1942, when the struggling Allies began envisioning an invasion of Europe. The film reveals the strategies and deceptions on the battlefield, exploring those fateful years in panoramic detail. The film also documents the compelling stories of the Jews of Europe – their tragedy, courage, resistance and survival.

AV 940.55 EVE    Ever again (DVD)
Examines the resurgence of violent anti-Semitism in Europe and its connection to international terrorism currently threatening the entire world. Exposes the dangerous Islamic extremism and culture of death being preached from mosques of Europe’s major cities and the new neo-Nazism spreading from Germany. Documents the anti-Semitic roots of terrorist attacks in Madrid and London which left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. Examines the shift from the traditional anti-Semitism of the right to the new anti-Semitism of the extreme left.

AV 940.55 LON    The long way home (DVD)
Examines the critical post-World War II period from 1945-1948 and the plight of tens of thousands of refugees who survived the Nazi Holocaust but whom most of the world left to fend for themselves. Their clandestine attempts to get to the Jewish homeland led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

AV 947.52 ECH    Echoes that remain (DVD)
A study of Jewish shtetl life before the Holocaust. Combines hundreds of rare archival photos and previously unseen film footage, with live action sequences shot on location at the sites of former Jewish communities in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania

AV 956.94 BEA    Beautiful music / In search of peace (DVD)
Beautiful Music is an intimate and poignant look at the 18-year relationship between a music teacher and her student – an Orthodox Jewish woman and a blind, autistic Palestinian girl with an incredible gift for classical piano.

In Search of Peace Part One: 1948-1967 chronicles the first two decades of Israel’s existence, offering new insights into the origins of the Middle East conflict.

FEATURE FILMS FOR LATIN:

AV F CLA    Clash of the Titans (DVD)

Olympian gods, mythological monsters and heroic mortals populate this imaginative spectacle.

AV F FUN    A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum (DVD)
When a wily, witty, lying, lazy, cheating slave discovers that his master’s son is in love with the girl-next-door – a virgin courtesan – he promises to help win her heart in exchange for his freedom. But the road to romance is blocked with stunning surprises, cunning disguises – and the wildest chariot race ever!

AV F SPA    Spartacus (DVD)
The story of Spartacus, the bold gladiator slave and Varinia, the woman who believed in him. When challenged by the power-hungry General Crassus, Spartacus is forced to face his convictions and the power of the Roman Empire at its glorious height.

This year we’ve added lots of good movies to our collection. Here’s a summary of what’s new since September:

AV 179 ENV    Environmental ethics : examining your connection to the environment and your community

• Profiles a diverse group of Goldman Environmental Prize winners who have made it their duty to protect their local environments. Examines both the facts and the ethical arguments surrounding resource management practices.

AV 290 REL    Religions of the world

• Explore issues that probe the very core of our existence and gain new understanding about humanity. Travel to exotic locations and observe how religions have shaped cultures, changed history, brought us closer together and thrust us into war.

AV 294.3923 TEN    10 questions for the Dalai Lama : one man’s journey through the northern Himalayas

• Ten questions are posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader.

AV 341.41 NUR    The Nuremberg trials

• Watch as the greatest gathering of killers, Goering, Hess, Ribbentrop, Streicher and other Nazi criminals are brought to justice in a peoples court in this important film of terrible significance.

AV 341.41 NUR    Nuremberg : tyranny on trial

• Follows the hearings from accusation to sentencing, offering insight into the cases of such defendants as Rudolf Hess and Hermann Goering. Reveals how the trials galvanized modern principles regarding the laws of nations and established a new standard for atrocity: “Crimes Against Humanity.” Introduces some of the men who witnessed the hearings and those who presented the cases, including the chief counsel for the prosecution.

AV 510 DON    Donald in Mathmagic Land

• When Donald Duck finds himself in a mysterious land, he learns to appreciate the relevance of math in everyday life. The world’s most skeptical duck is whisked back in time to ancient Greece to meet Pythagoras, the father of math and science. After eavesdropping on a secret meeting of Pythagoreans Donald’s journey continues. Through his adventures in Mathmagic Land, Donald comes to appreciate how measurements, calculations, shapes, and ratios contribute to music, architecture, art, nature, games, and inventions of all kinds.

AV 514 FRA    Fractals : hunting the hidden dimension

• NOVA takes viewers on a fascinating quest with a group of pioneering mathematicians determined to decipher the rules that govern fractal geometry. Their remarkable findings are deepening our understanding of nature and stimulating a new wave of scientific, medical, and artistic innovation.

AV 514.742 DEV    The fractal geometry of the Mandelbrot set

• In two segments this film first introduces the Mandelbrot Set and how it is generated, then covers how to identify and describe various parts of the Mandelbrot set.

AV 551.21 SUP    Supervolcano : it’s under Yellowstone. And it’s overdue.

• In this Discovery Channel program we explore, through a highly realistic extended simulation, what could happen if a volcano were to erupt in Yellowstone National Park.

AV 616 MOY    Healing and the mind

• Bill Moyers talks with physicians, scientists, therapists, and patients to explore the connections between mental and physical health in this 5-part series.

AV 629.2293 WHO    Who killed the electric car : a lack of consumer confidence . . . or conspiracy?

• Investigates the development and demise of the fuel-efficient, environment-friendly electric car. Examines the Bush administration’s role in the car’s being peremptory pulled from production, the influence of the automobile industry and oil interests, and implications for the future of sustainable energy in the United States.

AV 634.92 FIR    Fire wars

• Join the front lines of America’s war on wildfire in this up-close look at the science, history, and politics of firefighting in the West.

AV 810.92 KAZ    Great American authors since 1650

• From the written words of the 17th century colonists, to the voices of the end of the 20th century, this 8-program series provides a sweeping overview of American literature and its impact on our nation and the world.

AV 913.42 STO    Stonehenge decoded : a lost city revealed

• Journey back 4,500 years to unlock the secrets of the world’s most enduring archaeological mystery . . . Stonehenge. Archaeologists reveal a revolutionary new theory about who built Stonehenge and why. Thanks to a recent discovery of a lost city just two miles from the famous stone circle, our understanding of this era is now transformed.

AV 92 LEN    Vladimir Lenin voice of revolution

• Biography profiles the fanatical philosopher who was catapulted to power by an incredible combination of passion, luck and unlikely alliances.

AV 940.53 NAZ    Nazi concentration camps / The Nuremberg trials

• Films taken by American soldiers as they liberated the notorious concentration gave the horrified world its first glimpse into the dark heart of the Third Reich. A second segment includes the official documentary of the Nuremburg trials produced by the Soviet Union to educate its citizens.

AV 940.54 HIT    Hitler’s war

• This is the tale of the men of the Kriegsmarine, the Luftwaffe and the Wermacht. These are the men who fought in vain at Stalingrad, El Alamein, Monte Cassino, Moscow and Berlin. These are the U-boat men, the Panzer crews. This is military history at its best from primary sources, drawing extensively from footage of the German news crews on all fronts.

AV 950 PEO    People’s century. Asia rising : Japan and Korea rebuild

• Tokyo, 1951. General Douglas MacArthur bid farewell to Japan — and the Japanese to six years of American occupation. But the future was uncertain: Much of rural Japan still relied on centuries-old farming methods; sanitation and public health were poor; and industry was practically nonexistent. But with massive drives to promote education and technology, Japan and her immediate neighbors proved they could run advanced industrial economies as well as — or better than — Western nations.In Asia Rising, the people remember: US military occupation of Japan, effects of the Korean War, shipbuilding, imports/exports, automobile as export, improved education, steel production, 1964 Tokyo and 1988 Seoul Olympics.

AV 951.058 TAN    The tank man

• On June 5, 1989, one day after Chinese troops expelled thousands of demonstrators from Tiananmen Square in Beijing, a solitary, unarmed protester stood his ground before a column of tanks advancing down the Avenue of Eternal Peace. Captured by Western photographers watching nearby, this extraordinary confrontation became an icon of the fight for freedom around the world. Veteran filmmaker Antony Thomas investigates the mystery of the tank man — his identity, his fate, and his significance for the Chinese leadership.

AV 951.06 KOP    The People’s Republic of capitalism

• Ted Koppel examines China’s new status as an economic superpower and its complex relationship with the United States. He focuses on Chongqing–a city in Sichuan Province with a burgeoning population and big plans for the future. While peasants in outlying areas eke out a meager living, the rising middle class revels in new riches, challenging traditional ideas about religion, sexuality, and consumerism. All this reverberates here in America, where companies scramble for cheap labor, workers find jobs shipped overseas, and shoppers snap up Chinese-made goods at big box retailers.

AV 951.93 INS    Inside North Korea

• Posing as part of an international medical team, National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling and her camera crew reveal the extraordinary, hidden face of this insular, little-known place, from the powerful control Kim Jong Il exerts over his people to the military powder keg of life along the heavily armed demilitarized zone.

AV 956.70443 OPE    Operation homecoming : writing the wartime experience

• Operation Homecoming is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American troops through their written words, and offers a profound window into the human side of the war being fought in Iraq. The film evolved out of a National Endowment for the Arts project that gathered the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

AV 962.7043 DOC    On our watch

• “The world invoked its vow ‘Never Again!’ after the genocide in Rwanda and atrocities in Srebrenica. Then came Darfur. Over the past four years at least 200,000 people have been killed, 2.5 million driven from their homes, and mass rapes have once more bee used as a weapon of war in a brutal campaign by Janjaweed militias and the Sudanese government against civilians in Darfur. FRONTLINE asks why the international community and the United Nations have once again failed to stop the slaughter”

AV 972.81053 REC    Recycled life

• “From the toxic depths of the largest landfill in Central America comes an inspiring story of the human spirit.” Filmed in and around the dump in Guatemala City, this documentary reveals the lives of those who are served by Hanley Denning and Safe Passage’s work.

AV 973.4 BUR    Lewis & Clark : the journey of the Corps of Discovery

• Ken Burns tells the remarkable story of the entire Corps of Discovery — not just the two famous Captains, but the young army men, French-Canadian boatmen, Clark’s African-American slave, and the Shoshone woman named Sacagawea, who brought along her infant son.

AV F INT    Into the wild

• The feature film adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s troubling book about Jeff McCandless, a seeker of a nobler life who died in the wilds of Alaska.

AV F JOA    Joan of Arc

• Born to a peasant French family, young Joan hears the voices of saints calling out to her to unite her besieged nation. Gaining an audience with the young king, Joan convinces him to allow her to command an army into battle – an adventure that leads to thrilling victories and heartbreaking betrayals – as Joan of Arc defies all odds and marches into history.

AV F POL    Chinatown

• Private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky climate of sunbaked southern California of the 1930s, is hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband’s extra-marital affair. He is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in Chinatown.

AV F ZHA    To live

• Set against four decades of Chinese political turmoil, this award-winning film vollows the lives of one couple as they struggle to survive their own changing status within the upheaval. As the years go by, bringing bizarre twists, tragic losses, and profound hope, they persevere, striving to reach a calm within the storm so they can realize their personal dreams.

Here’s what has been added to our collection this year:

DOCUMENTARIES –

• Secret files of the Inquisition (AV 272.2 SEC )
• Mill times; by David Macauley (AV 330.9 MIL)
• Planet earth (AV 333.954 PLA) the 5-disc set
• King Corn (AV 338.1 KIN) about the agricultural industry
• War letters : stories of courage, longing and sacrifice (AV 355 WAR)
• Exporting harm : the high-tech trashing of Asia (AV 363.72 EXP) What happens to the computers, cell phones, etc. that are thrown away in first world countries?
• Flatland : a journey of many dimensions (AV 530.1 FLA) a visual interpretation of the classic mathematical novel
• Heartsaver AED (AV 616.1 HEA) about the automatic emergency defibrillator
• Art of the western world : from ancient Greece to post-modernism (AV 709 ART)
• Craft in America (AV 745.5 CRA)
• The real Olympics : a history of the ancient & modern Olympic games (AV 796.48 REA)
• T. S. Eliot : voices & visions (AV 811.5 ELI)
• Marianne Moore : voices & visions (AV 811.5 MAR)
• Sylvia Plath : voices & visions (AV 811.54 SYL)
• Great books : Walden (AV 818 THO)
• The Canterbury tales (AV 821 CHA)
• Henry V (AV 822.33 HEN) starring Kenneth Branagh
• MacBeth (AV 822.33 MAC) the Trevor Nunn production
• Othello (AV 822.33 OTH) with Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh
• The taming of the shrew (AV 822.33 TAM) starring Liz and Richard!
• The tempest (AV 822.33 TEM)
• Great books : Gulliver’s travels (AV 823.8 SWI )
• The age of enlightenment (AV 909.7 AGE )
• The industrial revolution (AV 909.81 IND)
• China from the inside (AV 915 CHI)
• Time-Life’s Lost civilizations (AV 930 TIM) 4 disc set
• The Gallic wars (AV 937 ROM)
• The Punic wars (AV 937 ROM)
• The Roman invasion of Britain (AV 937 ROM)
• Pompeii : the last day (AV 937.06 POM)
• Knights and armor (AV 940.17 KNI)
• Berga : soldiers of another war (AV 940.53 GUG)
• Bataan rescue (AV 940.54 BAT)
• The sorrow and the pity : chronicle of a French city under the occupation (AV 944.0816 SOR)
• No end in sight (AV 956.704 NO
• Conquistadors (AV 972.8 WOO)
• Guatemala silenced (AV 972.81 GUA )
• Fahrenheit 9/11, by Michael Moore (AV 973.931 FAH)
• When the levees broke : a requiem in four acts, a Spike Lee film about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina (AV 976.3 LEE)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS:

• Sugar cane alley (AV 843 SUG)
• Small change, by Francois Truffaut (AV 843 TRU)
• Il postino : an irrestible treat about love, letters and laughter! (AV 853 POS )
• Los ultimos Zapatistas : heroes olvidados (AV 972.0816 ULT)

BIOGRAPHY –

• King Arthur : his life and legends (AV 92 ART)
• Been to the mountaintop King, Martin Luther, Jr. (AV 92 KIN)
• Martin Luther (AV 92 LUT )

FEATURE FILMS –

• All quiet on the Western front (AV F ALL) starring Richard Thomas
• Ben-Hur : a tale of the Christ (AV F BEN) with Charlton Heston
• The birth of a nation and the Civil War films of D.W. Griffith (AV F BIR)
• Dead poets society (AV F DEA) with Robin Williams
• Excalibur (AV F EXC) King Arthur
• Flags of our fathers (AV F FLA) about the Battle of Iwo Jima
• Gladiator (AV F GLA) with Russell Crowe
• Good night and good luck (AV F GOO) about Edward R. Murrow
• The grapes of wrath (AV F GRA ) with Henry Fonda
• The last of the Mohicans (AV F LAS) with Daniel Day Lewis
• Mr. Smith goes to Washington, by Frank Capra (AV F MR.)
• O brother, where art thou? (AV F O B) the Coen brothers film
• An occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge : based on the short story by Ambrose Bierce (AV F OCC)
• Pride and prejudice (AV F PRI)
• Stand and deliver (AV F STA) inspirational math film
• Pigeon feathers (AV F UPD) the Updike short story brought to film

NOT YET CATALOGED:

• Saving Private Ryan
• The atomic cafe
• Cane toads
• Control room
• Moment of impact: stories of the Pulitzer Prize photographs