A heartfelt yet somewhat hallow, backstage snippet on the final days of the Obama presidency.

A deeply informative documentary, which doubles as a fast-paced investigative thriller.

Israeli and Palestinian youth explore the possibility of finding common ground among the chaos.

The following films illustrate the range of the festival. They are four different examples of how filmmakers handle difficult subject matter (whether it’s hard to comprehend or hard to stomach).

In 1969, a group of hippies interested in new technology, but with no regular access to equipment, were given a budget and video cameras by the CBS network—see how the revolution was televised.

Filmed over four years, the new documentary Requiem for the American Dream is the final, definitive long-form presentation of Noam Chomsky’s ideas on the interplay of power, capitalism, and democracy. Chomsky, arguably the foremost public intellectual of modern times, has been critiquing power and promoting democracy and solidarity for more than five decades in countless […]

Haiti, after gaining independence from France in 1804 after a slave revolt–turned–revolution, became known as the first black republic. What has followed in two centuries since are the violent ups and downs characteristic of many post-colonial states. But Haiti, especially after the disastrous 2010 earthquake, has often seemed specially marked for suffering. So when any […]

Produced and Directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon Released by Magnolia Pictures USA. 87 min. Rated R The interminable presidential campaign cycle is here again, prompting us all to bemoan the degradation of our national political discourse and wonder just how and why it got so dumb. With this election shaping up to be […]

Directed by Nicolas Rossier Produced by Tami Woronoff and Naashon Zalk South Africa/USA 75 min. Not rated Nelson Mandela is likely one of the most famous and admired figures of the 20th century. His story is well-known. After 27 years as a political prisoner, he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He […]