Resources

Smoke Signals

(Sherman Alexie, Motion Picture)
On a Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, reservation, nothing ever changes -- until the estranged father of Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) bites the dust in Arizona, and Victor must go collect the cremated remains. The problem is, Victor can't afford the fare. But annoying nerd Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams) will float Victor a loan ... if Thomas can tag along. This tender tale of self-discovery is based on acclaimed author Sherman Alexie's short stories.

Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

(Documentary/Biography, History/Activism)
Matt Damon narrates this documentary chronicling Howard Zinn's commitment to social change through archival materials, commentary from Zinn and interviews with contemporaries Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and Alice Walker, among others.

After Stonewall

(Documentary, LGBT Activism 1970-2000)
Melissa Etheridge narrates this documentary that explores the progress and challenges of the post-Stonewall lesbian/gay rights movement through archival footage and interviews with leaders such as Barbara Gittings, Armistead Maupin, Jewelle Gomez and Dorothy Allison. The film chronicles key events from 1970 to the end of the 20th century, including sexual liberation, conflicts with the feminist movement, AIDS and political organization.

Crash

(Motion Picture, Post-9/11)
In post-Sept. 11 Los Angeles, tensions erupt when the lives of a Brentwood housewife, her district attorney husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple converge during a 36-hour period.

Tomboy

(Motion Picture, Trans* experience)
Uncomfortable living as a girl, 10-year-old Laure decides to spend her childhood as Michael. When Michael's family moves to rural France, the child wins friends and comes to understand the complexities of gender.

Higher Learning

(Motion Picture, Race and Sex)
A California college becomes a battleground as several students make their way through school and find themselves traversing a minefield of racism and sexism in this provocative drama from writer-director John Singleton.

The Other Side of Immigration

(Documentary, US-Mexico Border and Immigration)
Contemporary immigration issues between the United States and Mexico receive careful study in this documentary, which uses extensive interviews to outline the experiences and perspectives of ordinary citizens in the Mexican countryside. In examining the economic factors prompting Mexicans to seek work in the United States and the social pressures that result, the film presents an affecting look at a complex political and moral issue.

Boys N the Hood

(Motion Picture)
In this thoughtful drama, a South Central Los Angeles high schooler struggles to stay straight in a community polluted by drugs, violence and racism -- and his cynical but devoted father will accept nothing less than the best from him.

Amreeka

(Motion Picture, Immigration and Racism)
Eager to provide a better future for her son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), divorcée Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour) leaves her Palestinian homeland and takes up residence in rural Illinois -- just in time to encounter the domestic repercussions of America's disastrous war in Iraq. Now, the duo must reinvent their lives with some help from Muna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass), and brother-in-law, Nabeel (Yussuf Abu-Warda). Cherien Dabis writes and directs.