Politics & Government

This edition of The American Experience chronicles a dark chapter of American history, the refusal of this nation to come to the aid of German Jews in the months and years before and during World War II. Hal Linden narrates this tale which uses the story of one German immigrant, Kurt Klein, to illustrate the problems of an entire ethnic group. The obstacles Klein faced in reaching America, and the further obstructions he struggled against to free his parents are well chronicled. Klein's struggle is presented as a race against time as Hitler's policies toward the Jewish people become clear. This documentary is an unflinching look at a black episode of world history and a sobering reminder that responsibility for the events of the Holocaust can not be laid solely at German feet. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

Directed by Michael Moore, whose aura of controversy only grew after his Oscar acceptance speech at the 2003 Academy Awards, Fahrenheit 9/11, like Moore's Bowling For Columbine and Roger & Me, promises to expose the corporate wrongdoings and big-money scandals perpetrated by America's financial elite. This movie, however, looks beyond the inner echelons of General Motors and Lockheed Martin in hopes of outing the evildoers in the White House, particularly in regards to the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. In addition to criticizing the administration's handling of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, Moore digs deep into the surprising relationship with the Bin Laden family held by both Bush administrations, and questions whether or not potential Saudi involvement with the attacks has been ignored. As Fahrenheit 9/11's Cannes Film Festival debut approached, marking only the second time in 48 years that a documentary has been included among the festival's main competition, Miramax's parent company Disney announced it would not be distributing the film due to its partisan nature, and, according to Moore, out of trepidation that the Florida-based Goliath's multi-million-dollar tax breaks might be negatively affected by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, whose review within Fahrenheit 9/11 is less than favorable. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

This video tells the story of King Charles I, who became the only English king ever to be deposed and executed. He was a patron of the arts and was devoted to his people; however, he was a poor administrator and strategist. He was involved in two civil wars, both of which were won by his opponents. In 1648, he was tried for treason by a court comprised of his enemies. An adherent to the theory of the divine right of kings, he refused to enter a plea at his trial by the Parliamentarians and was convicted. He was beheaded on January 30, 1649. The film features historic reenactments, period imagery and art, and commentary by historians. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Participant Productions, the same studio that heralded An Inconvenient Truth into theaters returns with an insider's look into former president Jimmy Carter's book tour as seen through the eyes of director Jonathan Demme. Using an experimental approach, the camera follows the promotional tour and subsequent reaction to the ex-head of state's controversial tome Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which theorizes a Middle East peace solution and how Israel's staunch stance has negatively effected the region. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

The legislative branch of the United States government, or Congress, is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives, as mandated by the Constitution. This program examines the inner workings of Congress, including lawmaking, committees, the checks and balances among the two political parties and among the two houses, as well as the influence of special interest groups and lobbyists. Included are the historical components of the branch's formation, as well as the details that are involved in day-to-day congressional operations. Insights and views of noted educators and political officials contribute to the understanding of this important branch of the American government.
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide

Explore the live of the woman whose name has become synonymous with the French monarchy as filmmakers explore just how one wanton sovereign set into motion the wheels of the French Revolution. From her early childhood in the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire to her grim final hours in a French prison cell, this two-hour portrait of Marie Antoinette paints a vivid portrait of a historical figure that was as tragic as she was courageous. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Between 1998 and 2002, it seemed the Dixie Chicks could do no wrong. Their first major-label album, Wide Open Spaces, was a smash hit, topping the country charts and eventually selling 12 million copies, while their subsequent albums Fly and Home respectively moved ten and six million units. Their concert tours were consistent sellouts, making them the most commercially successful female group in the history of the recording industry.
However, things took an unexpected turn for the Dixie Chicks in March 2003; with the United States expected to invade Iraq in a matter of days, the group's Texas-born singer Natalie Maines said during a concert in England, "Just so you know, we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." While the spontaneous quip earned cheers during the show, the Dixie Chicks soon found themselves at the center of a firestorm of controversy at home -- radio stations pulled their music from playlists, conservative political commentators organized boycotts and protests against the groups, and during shows the Chicks became the targets of death threats. As Maines and her bandmates Emily Robison and Martie Maguire weathered the storm, they had things of their own to deal with, including marriages, childbirth, and making a new album with producer Rick Rubin. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck teamed up to follow the Dixie Chicks as they recorded their 2006 album Taking the Long Way, fought back against the accusations lobbed against them, and struggled to hold on to their personal lives in the midst of intense media scrutiny. Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing (titled for a comment shouted at them by a fan) was the result; the film became the first documentary to enjoy its world premiere as a Gala Presentation at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In the mid-1800s, corporations began to be recognized as individuals by U.S. courts, granting them unprecedented rights. The Corporation, a documentary by filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott and author Joel Bakan, delves into that legal standard, essentially asking: if corporations were people, what kind of people would they be? Applying psychiatric principles and FBI forensic techniques, and through a series of case studies, the film determines that this entity, the corporation, which has an increasing power over the day-to-day existence of nearly every living creature on earth, would be a psychopath. The case studies include a story about how two reporters were fired from Fox News for refusing to soft-pedal a story about the dangers of a Monsanto product given to dairy cows, and another about Bolivian workers who banded together to defend their rights to their own water supply. The pervasiveness of corporate influence on our lives is explored through an examination of efforts to influence behavior, including that of children. The filmmakers interview leftist figures like Michael Moore, Howard Zinn, Naomi Klein, and Noam Chomsky, and give representatives from companies Burson Marsteller, Disney, Pfizer, and Initiative Media a chance to relay their own points-of-view. The Corporation won the Best Documentary World Cinema Audience Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

In 1961, as Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his final address to the nation before leaving the office of President of the United States, he warned that America "must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence...by the military-industrial complex." Nearly 45 years later, as the United States finds itself waging a war in Iraq for reasons that seem increasingly unclear with the passage of time, Eisenhower's statement becomes all the more pertinent, and the question becomes more apt: has the machinery the United States established to wage war helped prevent conflict, or has it done more to inspire it? Documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki offers an in-depth look at how the United States has readied itself for battle, and why and how the nation goes to war in the film Why We Fight. Named for Frank Capra's famed series of Defense Department films (which explained the motives behind America's entry into World War II), Why We Fight features interviews with foot soldiers, Army recruits, Pentagon personnel, decorated veterans, members of Congress, national security advisors, top military strategists, and many more as they talks about the core philosophies of American military strategy and how they have changed since the end of the Second World War. Why We Fight received the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Amidst accusations that the White House stifled the investigation into the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, documentary filmmakers at Globalvision adapt author Paul Thompson's inflammatory expose The Terror Timeline into a film which follows a small group of the victim's families as they descend upon the nation's capitol in search of the truth. For the first time on camera, six of these families - including the so-called "Jersey Girls" - recall their arduous efforts to spark a detailed investigation, and the disappointment that followed when the 9/11 commission failed to offer adequate answers to their pressing questions. A closer look at buried stories, overlooked news clips, and government press conferences reveal a startling pattern of shaky truths, clever spin, and outright deception as filmmakers detail how the government's powerful opposition to the 9/11 Commission was eventually overcome due to the persistence of the 9/11 families, and how the Final Report filed failed to answer a vast majority of their pressing questions. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The ways in which African-American voters have been marginalized in the electoral process are examined in this activist documentary. In the investigation of ballot counting in Florida in the much-contested 2000 presidential election, it was discovered that many of the communities where inaccurate tabulating took place were largely populate by African-Americans, who have traditionally been loyal Democratic voters. Filmmaker Ian Inaba digs into the controversy over the 2000 ballot count and the ways in which race played a hand in the legal decisions that resulted in George W. Bush's appointment as president. Ianba's research also leads him to Representative Cynthia McKinney, a congresswoman from Georgia who spearheaded an investigation of the firm that created voter lists for the State of Florida (and had ties to high-ranking Republican figures) and was also an outspoken opponent of Bush's policies regarding terrorism and the war in Iraq. In the 2002 election, McKinney had reason to believe she had fallen victim to the same corruption she sought to expose when she lost her House of Representatives seat in a hotly contested election. American Blackout received its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The incisive wit of Real Time host Bill Mahr cuts a telling swath through a wide variety of contemporary topics in this collection of memorable clips from the popular HBO Original Series. Additional "editorials" covering topics that most newspapers wouldn't dare to touch make this release worth checking out for fans of Real Time who just can't get enough of Mahr on the small screen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide