Balkan Express

The Chinese documentary movement continues to evolve, reaching new levels of awareness of issues complicating its mission to objectively capture the reality of its society. Among these issues is that of performance in its subjects; this is especially critical given that an increasing number of documentaries are personal portraits that delve into subjective experiences. Perhaps the most memorable instance of the past year is Qiu Jiongjiong's stark black-and-white series of interviews with transsexual cabaret singer Madame Bi Langda. Madame Bi's recollections of past experiences explicitly touch on how she performs her way through life, whether interacting with friends, lovers or her audience. More than a document of the increasingly complicated gender identity politics in China, it's also a poignant testimony of a life dedicated to articulating the aesthetics of living.

Take a trip down memory lane with the Burma-Shave roadside signs.

Africa's history is stained with suffering; but after generations of slavery, oppression, and diaspora, many ancestral Africans are now returning to reclaim their heritage.

"The Great Fire of Salonica: Birth of a City" is a 62 min. documentary recounting the experiences of people during the destruction of the city in 1917 in Northern Greece. On Saturday, 18 August 1917 Salonica faces the most destructive fire in its history. It destroys 3/4 of the city center, burns down more than 8 thousand buildings, leaves around 74 thousand people homeless, and accounts for 8 million GBP in damages. On top of the ashes, a new city is born. The multi-racial, multi-religious and multilingual Balkan metropolis (where Ottomans, Jews and Christians lived together with more than 300,000 soldiers of the Entente multinational Army at the time of the fire) is redesigned by the decision of the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos and his government. Based on Ernest Hébrard's plan, it is rebuilt from scratch to assume the urban design it has today. The fire's impact on social, political and economic levels is a decisive turn in city's history.

On April 1 1980, five individuals seeking political asylum crashed a bus through the gates of the Peruvian embassy in Havana, Cuba. In the following days, 10,000 people stormed that embassy's grounds, signifying wide-spread disdain for Cuba's dictatorship. Fearing that continued civil unrest might cause further violence, Fidel Castro proclaimed that any Cuban wishing to immigrate to the United States could board a boat at the nearby port of Mariel. In what some considered a bold move, Castro forced prisoners and street indigents to board these same boats. While only a small percentage of the 125,000 Mariel refugees were actually criminals, Castro succeeded in tarnishing the image of those fleeing the country. However, for the vast majority of those who left Cuba, this was the beginning of a costly journey to freedom. The exile would begin not only with a parting of personal possessions, but a separation from family that for many would last a lifetime. But for the Marielitos the cost of their mass exodus was outweighed by something previously unimaginable: a chance to pursue their dreams. Dr. Jose Garcia left through Mariel as a 13 year-old boy. His journey takes us through personal accounts of lives affected by the Mariel exodus, of those who departed and also those who stayed behind. Culminating with his long anticipated trip back to his birthplace, we see the emotional reuniting of family and friends as we explore and listen to the unheard 'Voices From Mariel'.

Historian, educator, composer, and vocalist Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon is interviewed by Bill Moyers. Interwoven with footage of her and Sweet Honey in the Rock's musical performances and seminars, she explains the history of Black America's tradition of communal singing, and its collective composition and repertoire of songs of resistance, pride, faith, and courage from the days of slavery through the end of the twentieth century. A musical, cultural, and historical journey for the viewer.