Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Nance Ackerman invites us into the lives of this determined family for an intimate and touching experience of child poverty in one of the richest countries in the world. Ackerman spent two years with Isaiah years after the House of Commons promised “to eliminate poverty among Canadian children,” 8-year-old Isaiah is trying hard to grow up healthy, smart and well adjusted despite the odds stacked against...

While the LGBT community has long had to struggle with stereotyping by outsiders, gay men also have to deal with widely held perceptions from their peers that they're supposed to fit a certain image - men who are stylish, carefully groomed, trim and to a certain degree effeminate. But not all gay men fit this profile, and this has led in part to the rise of "Bears" - gay men who are stocky, hirsute, outwardly masculine and proud of it. As gay culture...

Ethnic notions is Marlon Riggs' Emmy-winning documentary that takes viewers on a disturbing voyage through American history, tracing for the first time the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice. Through these images we can begin to understand the evolution of racial consciousness in America. Loyal Toms, carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, grinning Coons, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies roll across the screen in cartoons,...

They have more cardholders than VISA, more customers than Amazon, and more outlets than McDonald's. Meet America's librarians. The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject of librarians. A vivid blend of factual documentary, feature film, and storytelling, it reveals the history and realities of librarianship in the entertaining and appealing context of American movies. Interviews with...

Almost from the beginning of cinema, filmmakers have looked at the continent of Africa with a mixture of fear and fascination, prejudice and contempt. South Africa, with its fabulous mineral wealth, exotic locations, and white settlers, attracted scores of movie makers. Now, when the era of white rule has ended, In darkest Hollywood asks: What was the role of cinema during the 45 year reign of apartheid? Through a mosaic of feature, documentary, and...

"Element City [is] where Fire, Water, Earth and Air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted, and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in." --container

In this illustrated lecture, Stuart Hall examines gender and racial stereotyping in the media. He focuses on the concept of "representation" to show how reality is never experienced directly, but is instead filtered through symbolic cultural categories. Ideal for classes on cultural studies, African American studies, media studies, communication, sociology, and anthropology, among others.

A neurotic young woman who is married to an engineer in the industrial wasteland of northern Italy, searches in vain to find meaning in her life.