S1.E8 ∙ Stephen Frears

An ode to movie culture and its beguiling hold on our imagination, modeled on an actual legal deposition, and accompanied by a procession of 35mm publicity stills from studio press kits.

is a film about the feminine. Visiting the celebrations of the Virgin Mary's (Marias) from Brasil, Cuba, México, Peru and Nicarágua, the director Joana Mariani observes the similarities and disparities among their cultures, and listen to women who have their very particular stories about life, faith and devotion. The result is a very singular film that shows that the image of the Virgin Mary (Maria) is a lot more than a religious figure or the mother of Christ.

"The back salto ruined my life. Maybe I should do a front one?" The story of phenomenal Bulgarian weightlifter Angel Guenchev's Olympics rise and subsequent fall from grace. Refusing to submit to the fate of a petty criminal in the post-1989 turmoil, he starts from scratch in search of redemption.

The eastern Ukrainian town of Snezhnoje, which prospered during the Soviet era when miners there were spoiled with all kinds of privileges, now lives in poverty.

A twelve year old boy, living in a yurt but in love with hip hop and computer games is caught between modernity and tradition, aspirations and poverty and decides to become a Buddhist monk.

Join a grassroots coalition as they rise up against the fracking industry to stop a controversial hazardous liquids pipeline in Kentucky.