Wednesday, October 11, 6:00 - 8:00pm

My Country, My Country:
Working alone in Iraq over eight months, filmmaker Laura Poitras (P.O.V. "Flag Wars") created an extraordinary, intimate portrait of Iraqis living under U.S. occupation.

Her principal focus is Dr. Riyadh, an Iraqi medical doctor, father of six and Sunni political candidate. An outspoken critic of the occupation, he is equally passionate about the need to establish democracy in Iraq , arguing that Sunni participation in the January 2005 elections is essential. Yet all around him, Dr. Riyadh sees only chaos, as his waiting room fills each day with patients suffering the physical and mental effects of ever-increasing violence.

Poitras gained remarkable access to the Sunni community, U.S. military and the U.N., resulting in this powerful mosaic of daily life in Iraq not seen in the mainstream media.

Visit the film's online site.

Wednesday, September 20, 6:00 - 8:00pm

Al Otro Lado (To the Other Side):
The proud Mexican tradition of corrido music — captured in the performances of Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte and the late Chalino Sanchez — provides both heartbeat and backbone to this rich examination of songs, drugs and dreams along the U.S./Mexico border.

“Al Otro Lado” follows Magdiel, an aspiring corrido composer from the drug capital of Mexico, who faces two difficult choices to better his life: to traffic in drugs or to cross the border illegally into the United States. Interspersing performance footage by corrido superstars with the day-to-day struggles of Magdiel as he embarks on an uncertain journey, filmmaker Natalia Almada paints an illuminating portrait of the narcotics underworld, illegal immigration and the corrido music that chronicles it all.

An Official Selection of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Visit the film's online site.

Wednesday, August 23, 6:00 - 8:00pm

Waging A Living:
The term "working poor" should be an oxymoron, but more than 30 million Americans - one in four workers - are stuck in jobs that do not pay the basics for a decent life. "Waging a Living" chronicles the day-to-day battles of four low-wage earners fighting to lift their families out of poverty.

Shot over a three-year period in the northeast and California, this observational documentary captures the dreams, frustrations and accomplishments of a diverse group of people who struggle to live from paycheck to paycheck. By presenting an unvarnished look at the barriers that these workers must overcome to escape poverty, the program offers a sobering view of the elusive American Dream.

Visit the film's online site.

Wednesday, July 19, 6:00 - 7:30pm

The Tailenders:
This an unusual filmic essay that examines the missionaries' strategic use of media and the intersection of their activities and global capitalism. The film explores how meaning, carried by the simple sound of a human voice, changes as it crosses language and culture.

Global Recordings Network, founded in Los Angeles in 1939, has produced audio versions of Bible stories in over 5,500 languages, and aims to record in every language on earth. The network distributes the recordings, along with ultra-low-tech hand-wind players, in isolated regions and among displaced migrant workers. GRN calls the target audience "the tailenders" because they are the last to be reached by worldwide evangelism. Filmed in the Solomon Islands, Mexico, India and the United States .

Visit the film's online site.