Andrew Young Movies
- 2013
The Hemingway family claims one of the most distinguished and complex legacies on the U.S. cultural landscape. Though patriarch Ernest Hemingway established a reputation as the single most brilliant American writer of the 20th Century, his life was marred by violent inner turmoil that ended with the shocking act of suicide. In successive years, two of Hemingway's granddaughters, Margaux and Mariel, achieved fame in their own right - the former as a fashion model and actress, the latter as an actress. But the siblings experienced much different levels of success; while Margaux floundered in B-budget, direct-to-video pictures such as They Call Me Bruce, Mariel earned acclaim for her outstanding work in such contemporary classics as Star 80, Personal Best, and Manhattan. This schism drove a rift between the sisters, and in time, Margaux began to experience severe emotional problems of her own, that, in an eerie echo of Ernest's fate, led to a tragic suicide in 1996. In Running from Crazy, acclaimed documentarian Barbara Kopple etches out a portrait of the Hemingway family, reflects on Margaux's life via family documentary footage, and, most significantly, focuses on Mariel as she struggles to overcome the tragic legacy of her grandfather and sister by living a healthy lifestyle that will steer her as far away from depression as possible. In the process, we see Mariel gradually coming to terms with her family and studying them with a new, fresh perspective. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2012
- NR
Grammy-nominated classical violinist Philippe Quint and singer/songwriter Nellie McKay star in this tale of a Russian immigrant torn between the music of the streets and a career on the stage while attempting to live up to his father's high expectations. Trained by his cellist father Vadim since he was just a young boy, Russian violinist Sasha (Quint) earns a scholarship to Julliard, and begins training to become a classical musician. Meanwhile, Vadim and Sasha's cousin Arkady face deportation when their visas expire, prompting the talented young violinist to fear that he, too, may be in the U.S. on borrowed time. Now, as the recital that could launch Sasha's career draws close, a chance meeting with talented street performer Ramona (McKay) shows him a side of the music he's never known. Sensing that his heart is leading him down a different path than the one carved out for him by his domineering father, Sasha joins Ramona's band and realizes that he'll never be his own man until he finds the courage to break free from his father, and embrace the music that truly moves him. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2012
Men and women who lived and worked at the Grand Coulee Dam in the depths of the Great Depression recount their experiences as part of a project that helped pull America out of a dark financial and emotional time. Though the mile-long structure would become the largest hydroelectric power-producing facility of its time, there was no shortness of negative consequences, particularly those felt by the Native American population forced to watch their food source dwindle, and their sacred spaces destroyed. As a counterpoint to those responsible for making the project great, Native peoples offer unique insight into the environmental impact that can accompany technological achievement. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 2011
According to the broadest outlines of history, the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution formally abolished slavery in 1865, but the truth is far more complex. In this documentary, historian Sam Pollard argues that domestic slavery continued for years in a covert, thinly-veiled form for decades after the said legal shift; he therefore suggests that it constitutes a grave moral breach within American society. The program undertakes a historical approach; it begins during the period of Reconstruction, with the U.S. on the brink of economic failure. This was a period when African Americans first had the option of social and political ascendancy, and - tragically - Southern States resorted to slimy, underhanded tactics to preserve the status quo - such as debtors' peonage, convicts leased to private businesses, and forced convict labor in operations run by the state. In the program, Pollard leads the audience on a chronological tour of this disturbing history, unveiling one shocking detail after another. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2010
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This earnest but deeply disturbing chronicle from PBS's American Experience documentary series travels back to the 1960s to recount events leading up to the violent intersection of two lives: that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights pioneer and one of the greatest Americans of the 20th century, and that of James Earl Ray, a trained assassin whose bullet ended King's life and arguably signaled the end of an era. The program also explores the events that ensued and led up to Ray's capture and imprisonment. In telling its heartbreaking story, the documentary draws upon eyewitness accounts from members of King's inner circle, as well as extensive interviews with Hampton Sides, author of the tome Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Novelist, filmmaker, and P.S. 99 graduate Robert H. Leiberman crafts this look at his childhood neighborhood of Kew Gardens, Queens - a place where numerous Germans sought refuge from Adolph Hitler while building a tightly knit, hybrid community of German-speaking Americans in the 1940s and 50s. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2007
Explore the rich history of the city gave rise to jazz, and endured one of the greatest natural disasters ever to strike American soil. A colorful cultural melting pot with a history that's deeper than the darkest bayou, New Orleans' diverse culture inspired such artists as Tennessee Williams and Louis Armstrong to produce works that still resonate decades after their deaths. From Huey Long's war against the "Old Regulars" to Mardi Gras, the exodus of the middle class and Hurricane Katrina, this documentary paints a vivid picture of the city where anything seems possible. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2003
As of 2003, the AIDS epidemic in Africa had surpassed all others throughout history -- including the dreaded bubonic plague -- with a staggering large death toll that had reached into the tens of millions. Throughout the continent, the numbers of people infected continue to rise sharply on a weekly and daily basis, with the exception of the Western coastal country of Angola. Director Andrew Young studied the circumstances surrounding this remarkable fact with his 2003 documentary AIDS Warriors. The oil-rich country had been embroiled in a civil war that had the unintended effect of keeping the disease from spreading as rapidly as it had in neighboring nations. After the nation's peace settlement, the Angolan leadership took an extraordinary tactic to fight the disease's spread by changing the nation's armed forces focus from warfare to education and prevention with the hopes of continuing to keep the spread of AIDS to a minimum. Part of the acclaimed PBS-produced Wide Angle documentary series, AIDS Warriors premiered July 24, 2003. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- 2000
Susan Todd and Andrew Young look at the vast diversity of Latino culture in America. The film weaves together interviews and images from the slums of Miami to the California border -- from a low-rider convention in Ronald Reagan's hometown of Dixon, Illinois, to a Puerto Rican community center in the Bronx. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- 1998
Oliver Stone is the executive producer of this political documentary recalling the idealism, struggles, and turmoil of 1968 when two visionary American leaders promised hope but were slain within months of each other. After opening with Robert Kennedy on April 4, 1968 telling people in Indianapolis about Martin Luther King's murder in Memphis, the film looks back on the lives of both during the '60s, through interviews with friends, associates, and family members. When King was killed, a dream for the future was passed to RFK. During a 1967 Mississippi trip, RFK had an emotional reaction to the conditions in which poor black children lived. News footage and photos sketch in the backdrop of the '60s. By the end of 1968, with both men gone, the dream turned to despair. This two-hour film premiered April 5, 1998 on TBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andrew Young, Rev. Benjamin Hooks, (more)
- 1996
New Orleans was once described as "the city that care forgot," and at no time does the city set its troubles aside as fully as during the raucous celebration of Mardi Gras. Cutting Loose takes a new look at this venerable Louisiana tradition, from the city's beautiful official parades and festivities to the wilder (but less public) events elsewhere in town and the elaborate parties thrown by the city's wealthy "krewes" (private social clubs). Cutting Loose received the Filmmaker's Trophy for Best Documentary at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1993
Edward James Olmos was directing American Me, a movie about gang violence in his real-life old neighborhood in east Los Angeles, and he also produced and narrated this documentary. In order to produce either movie on location, complex negotiations with the many rival gang factions were required. Here, residents and gang members of all kinds are interviewed about their lives, their plans, the future they see for themselves and their relatives, etc. None of those interviewed pulls any punches. Similarly complex negotiations enabled the documentarians to interview gang members serving time in Folsom Prison. The cumulative effect of these images and interviews may be more powerful than Olmos' feature movie, or even the classic cautionary documentary about juvenile crime, Scared Straight. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1992
This film documents the 30-year struggle of a Sicilian woman named Angela as she struggles to raise her children amongst violence and poverty. This film is the continuation of an earlier project featuring the same woman. It picks up where the former left off, showing the consequences of poverty and years of neglect on a single family. Throughout it all however, Angela's indomitable spirit offers a ray of hope. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
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National Geographic: The Last Royals documents the lives of four different kings and queens and discusses how their leadership has been diminished in a world that has seen the spread of democracy. Queen Elizabeth of England, King Ronald Muwenda Mutbei II of Burganda, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga, and King Gyanendra of Nepal are the main subjects of this documentary. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
As tropical rainforests and other unspoiled regions are exploited for their natural resources, the indigenous people who live within these ecosystems have suffered the ill effects. Their land is steadily encroached upon, with food and water sources diminishing. In addition, as modern civilization is introduced, their simple lifestyles disappear. In The Spirit of Kuna Yala, viewers will see what happens when the Kuna Yala take matters into their own hands and rebuff the modern world. They present a united front to keep the dangers of an advanced society out of their Panama Islands rainforest. ~ Alice Day, Rovi
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