Central Skagit Library District

In this award-winning documentary, filmmaker Kimi Takesue finds an unlikely collaborator while visiting her resilient Japanese-American grandfather in Hawai’i. A recent widower in his 90s, Grandpa Tom immerses himself in his daily routines until he shows unexpected interest in his granddaughter’s stalled romantic screenplay and offers advice both shrewd and surprising. Tom’s creative script revisions serve as a vehicle for his memories of love,...

This touching documentary chronicles the long and colorful life of Lily Yeh, an artist who has committed herself to creating community-based art projects in some of the world's most troubled areas.. Beginning with the creation of an unprecedented sculpture garden in the projects of North Philly that became known as "The Village of Arts and Humanities," THE BAREFOOT ARTIST also shows Yeh working in various far-flung locations, such as Kenya and Rwanda,...

A towboat drifts down the Mississippi River, due for the port of New Orleans. The water, the banks, the bright lights of a port ahead, the lure of a coming paycheck and a home-cooked meal: This is the world of Barge. On board, dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of an industrial ecosystem teeming with line boats, fleet boats, and a few million tons of cargo moved each year. Amongst the crew...

This documentary uncovers the largely unknown and pivotal role played by Black landowning families in the deep South who controlled over a million acres in the 1960s. They were prepared to put their land and their lives on the line in the fight for racial equality and the right to vote in America’s most segregated and violently racist state.. In the face of escalating terror, Black landowners and independent farmers provided safe havens, collateral...

This documentary film tells the story of Vanessa, a teenager born in Mexico who has lived in the United States with her family since she was six years old. Once an excelling middle-school student with big dreams of becoming a doctor, Vanessa begins to be haunted by her undocumented status as she reaches high school.. Reconsidering her aspirations, Vanessa begins to give up on academics. Then, in the summer of 2012, President Obama approves the "Deferred...

In popular Western imagination, a Muslim woman in a veil – or hijab – is a symbol of Islamic oppression. But what does it mean for women’s freedom when a democratic country forbids the wearing of the veil? In this provocative documentary, filmmaker Diana Ferrero portrays the struggle of two women – one in France and one in Iran – to express themselves freely.. In 2004, the French government instituted an "anti-veil law," forbidding Muslim...

In this one-hour election special, award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa takes us on location to: Cleveland, Ohio where Arab Americans who are Muslim and Christian register to vote and run for office to combat Islamophobia; Orlando, Florida as Latino Evangelicals find their political voice and support conservative causes as well as immigration reform; Orange County, California, where Asian American candidates face off in one of the state's predominantly...

Winter in China. A town in the snow. Night is falling. Wrapped in her red coat, an elderly woman walks through a housing complex to her modest apartment. Inside, Fengming settles into her armchair and remembers.. She begins to recount the gripping and almost unbelievably heartrending story of her troubled experiences as a once-ardent member of the socialist movement - a former journalist accused of harboring right-wing tendencies, separated from her...

Through the eyes, words and songs of its popular music stars of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, DON’T THINK I’VE FORGOTTEN: CAMBODIA’S LOST ROCK AND ROLL examines and unravels Cambodia’s tragic past. Combining interviews with surviving musicians and never-before-seen archival material and rare songs, the film tracks the winding course of Cambodian music as it morphs into a unique style of rock and roll. A vibrant musical culture that was nearly...

In this insightful short documentary, body acceptance activists Keena and Jessica speak candidly about growing up overweight, and the size discrimination they have faced. "While I have all the confidence in the world, I’m told every day that my body is revolting." Jessica turns heads in the street—for both her striking fashion, and larger than average body. Keena is the heaviest she has ever been—and the happiest. Brought together by social...