S15.E8 ∙ Episode #15.8

A small Christian school in Hoboken, NJ is attracting attention for its progressive integration of fine arts, worship, and community service. The success of its intentional mission to the urban poor defies the economic model that typifies many private schools. But in an environment of insufficient funds, unattainable performance standards, and escalating drop-out rates, can any school make a difference? Can a curriculum infused with faith and art honestly and positively impact the lives of a diverse student body?

Combining unprecedented access with beautiful cinema-verite footage that allows us to experience Haiti in a way never before seen on screen, Luis Pena, the director of GRACE & MERCY, paints a beautiful portrait of a brother and sister who have dedicated their lives to rebuilding their country. GRACE & MERCY follows the tireless work of Marie Jose Poux, who runs an orphanage responsible for over 60 children, and her brother, Ben Constant, who is 'Mayor' of one of the largest tent cities in Port-au-Prince. Shot over the course of the year following the devastating January 12th earthquake, the film aims to keep the spotlight on a country that still needs our help.

In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Miyagi-born filmmaker returned to his native home region to survey the devastation, and then spent 600 days documenting the plight of animals and their families from bereaved pet owners struggling with loss to uplifting tales of survival and passion as relief volunteers sneak into restricted nuclear fallout zones to rescue and bring relief to lost, starving pets and livestock. Not looking to pass judgment, here is a film that simply takes you inside the disaster and the state of human-animal relations. Feel their gaze.

A look at the Cape Verdean community in California and their unique Afro-Portuguese culture.

How important it is to continue our ordinary lives. We realize it only when we get into a disaster. Can you imagine how difficult to live under high radioactive environment? We interviewed some fifty Fukushima people in April and September, 2011. This movie reveals the inner struggles of children, mothers and people around them. Fukushima is a 'battle field' to keep the lives of ordinary people off from radioactivity. Similar life threatening human disaster could happen to you anywhere, anytime in the world. This movie is an extraordinary documentary to show the world the inner sufferings of Fukushima people very silently.

Memories of San Pablo follows Oriana Korol, the granddaughter of American missionaries and her friend, Priya Ghosh, into the Amazon region of Ecuador. Using an experimental format of eight chapters, the film documents the intersection of cultures, between generations and locations. The film actively explores the fluid boundaries between right and wrong, repetition and progression, and connection and repulsion. By examining one small town in Ecuador it raises question about what it means to be a global citizen and a loving family member.