S8.E3 ∙ Going Vertical

Teens and young adults discovering their true identities while dressing up as fictional characters.

With over 70,000 abandoned homes and an unofficial unemployment rate of nearly 50 percent, Detroit is one of the most distressed and violent cities in the nation. Left behind are an estimated 50,000 homeless dogs. Enter Hush. Born and raised in Detroit, he assembles a rag-tag group of eclectic individuals, mostly friends, to tackle the overwhelming problem of abandoned dogs in the failing Motor City. As tough and resilient as the dogs they try to save, this unique, crazy and irreverent group of optimists brings compassion to a city that continues to spiral downwards. In the process, they rescue not only severely neglected and abused dogs but also the isolated and forgotten people in the decaying neighborhoods of Detroit.

Death Makes Life Possible (DMLP) is a feature documentary film that takes the viewer on a beautiful journey through one of life's most feared experiences: death. Scientists, spiritual teachers, health professionals, scholars, children, and those who have had mystical near-death experiences share their stories with anthropologist, Marilyn Schlitz. She explores the mysteries of death and examines scientific research; ways to cope with grief; and considers the possibility that consciousness might survive after bodily death. Engaging in this exploration of the inevitable can help to transform the fear of death.

The Boys of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn is a story of fathers and sons in three generations, their life choices and the consequences that follow. Grandfather, an ex-mobster, father, an ex-gangsta wannabe - now a turban wearing Sikh, and a hot tempered boy who lives across the ocean with his mom. After noticing her son's lack on interest towards his father, mother and son travel to New York to face the situation. After blaming her ex-husband for years she finally discovers the hidden reason why he is incapable of being present in their son's everyday life.

The silence of the flies takes place among small agricultural communities located in Venezuela's Andes region where suicides have become a very significant part of their everyday. The film explores through different cases the motives, the means, the places, and most important, the silence surrounding this delicate matter. Countries seem to ignore that several rural communities in Latin America face a sort of suicide 'outbreak' probably associated with the contradictions presented by cultural globalization. This is a documentary that challenges our prejudices about life in a rural environment.

Christopher is a young dancer/prostitute. This film shows a week in his life. In addition to interviews with him about his clients and his methods there is footage of him with his clients. Christopher answers questions about his self image, his future plans and the realtionships that he's formed with some of these men.