To aid in the selection of video's for your class and research needs, we've created a large number of filmographies on many subject areas.
If you'd like help linking streaming videos to your Canvas Course Reserves or reserving DVDs for you or your students, please contact
mediaservices@american.edu
This is a selective list of video holdings in the American University Library. Filmographies are created by doing multiple keyword searches in the catalog to capture as many titles on a topic as possible.
For complete, up-to-date holdings please search the library catalog search box on the Media Services homepage. (http://www.american.edu/library/mediaservices/) Finding Aids on the same page includes other subject oriented content.
For more information take a look at the Streaming Video Guides and Browsing Collections.
Baghdad ER. 2007. 1 videodisc (64 min.). An unforgettable look at the 86th Combat Support Hospital, which is the premier U.S. Army medical facility in Iraq. Watch as doctors and nurses fight to save lives of wounded soldiers on a frighteningly routine basis. DVD 3996
BBC history of World War II. 2005. 12 videodiscs (1870 min.). A collection of separate, unrelated series (10 series in all) produced by the BBC over a span of some 16 years from 1989 to 2005 relating to World War II. DVD 1350-1359
Beyond Baghdad. 2004. 1 videodisc (60 min.). "As the Bush administration struggles to right its Iraq policy, Frontline coorespondent Martin Smith travels across the Iraqi-Turkish border to Kurdish Mosul and Kirkuk, across the rebellious Sunni lands of central Iraq to Baghdad and finally farther south to the Sacred Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf, to take a long, hard look at the Iraq to which the president vows to bring democracy. In this diverse and fractured land can his experiment work? Through encounters with tribal sheiks, ayatollahs, politicians, aid workers, soldiers, and U.S. authorities, the film reveals what the United States is facing." --from container. DVD 1031
Bill Moyers journal. Bill Moyers journal: Moyers collection. 2007. 1 videodisc (58 min.). "Tracing a President's steps in escalating war, this edition of the Journal looks back to Lyndon Johnson's deliberations on U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Using a compilation of excerpts from taped conversations in which LBJ wrestled with what to do in Southeast Asia, Bill Moyers draws a parallel between two very different men united, across time, by their role as Commander-in-Chief. “Granted, Barack Obama is not Lyndon Johnson, Afghanistan is not Vietnam, and this is now, not then. But listen and you will hear echoes and refrains that resonate today,” says Moyers."--Container. DVD 6797
Bill Moyers journal: Buying the war. 2007. (87 min.). "The Bush administration marketed and sold the war in Iraq to the American people. How and why did the press buy it, and what does that say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda? In this program, veteran journalist Bill Moyers, award-winning producer Kathleen Hughes, and their investigative team piece together the reporting and political spin that shaped the public mind prior to, during, and following the 2003 invasion. Exposing the disappearance of a watchdog mentality in mainstream newspaper and TV journalism, the documentary also highlights the work of intrepid Knight Ridder reporters who dug beneath the surface of administration claims, only to be drowned out by the drums of war. Further insight comes from journalists Dan Rather, former anchor of CBS evening news; Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the press; Bob Simon of 60 minutes; and Walter Isaacson, former chairman of CNN."--Container. DVD 2927 and Streaming video
Bill Moyers Journal: Jonathan Miller on Atheism / Journalist Carlo Bonini. 2007. 1 streaming video (57 min.). Carlo Bonini and Giuseppe D'Avanzo-called the Woodward and Bernstein of Italian journalism-are coauthors of Collusion: International Espionage and the War on Terror. In this program, Bill Moyers and Bonini discuss Nigergateas they trace the trail of the forged intelligence documents purporting that Iraq sought to buy yellowcake uranium from Niger. Also on the program, Jerry Miller-exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing by the Innocence Project-talks about clearing his name, and British Renaissance man Jonathan Miller discusses his documentary series A Brief History of Disbelief, the hidden story of atheism. Broadcast date: May 4, 2007. Streaming video
Bridge to Baghdad. 2003. 1 videodisc (59 min.). "Days after the U.S. declared the war officially over, Next Next Entertainment and DCTV sent a crew to a now smoldering Baghdad to rediscover the young Iraqis. While the American teenagers waited anxiously stateside for phone calls and emails that never came, the Iraqi youth were emerging to begin their adult lives in a strange new world. Bridge to Baghdad II allows these two groups to resume the conversation that was cut short by a war. In Bridge to Baghdad II, the young Americans and Iraqis hold another satellite dialogue where they are finally able to ask the questions which have been burning inside them for weeks: What happened during the war? How do you feel now that Saddam is gone from power? Were there things you wanted to say last time but could not because of the regime? In this hour long special to air on WorldLink and NHK, the American and Iraqi youth together tackle the largest question of all: what now? The hour-long program provides a human connection to the struggles facing Iraq today. Far from the standard "talking head" reporters, Bridge to Baghdad II is told by the fresh young faces of America and Iraq who speak frankly and directly about the hopes and fears of a new life in a free society."--Packaging. HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 2661
Bush's war. 2008. 1 videodisc (270 min.). From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge. Reveals the defining stories of the "war on terror" in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence. On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga will unfold in this special documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history. On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga will unfold in this special definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history. DVD 4329
Journalists under fire. 1998. 1 videodisc [60 min.]. Anthony Feinstein talks about his book "Journalists under Fire: The Psychological Hazards of Covering War." Interviewed by Andrew Maykuth he describes the psychological stress experienced by journalists who cover violent conflicts. There is also a question and answer session with the audience. DVD 2464
The case for war: In defense of freedom. 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). With the debate over the war in Iraq reaching a fever pitch, this program follows one of the advocates for the war against Saddam Hussein. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neo-conservative case for an assertive American foreign policy. DVD 3025
Chasing Saddam's weapons. 2004. 1 videodisc (60 min.). "With the credibility of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair at stake, BBC reporter Jane Corbin takes viewers inside the high-stakes search for Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. Through exclusive access to top-secret location and key U.S. officials leading the hunt, including David Kay, Frontline reveals new details about what the search has uncovered and questions whether the investigation's final results will justify the White House's call for war."--Container. VHS 7818
Control room. 2004. 1 videodisc (86 min.). A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian casualties as well as footage of American POW's, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration does not want the public to see. HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 962
Counterfeit coverage. 1992. 1 videodisc (27 min.). Explores how Kuwaiti government over a 6-month period uses one of the biggest public relations firms in America, Hill and Knowlton, to wage an unprecedented media campaign entitled "Citizens of a free-Kuwait" to argue the case for war. DVD 5904
Crucible of empire: the Spanish-American War. 2007. (120 min.). Examines the colorful characters and historic events surrounding this 100-year-old war and its relevance through the 20th century. Using reenactments, interviews with noted authors and popular historians, and more than a dozen newly arranged popular songs from the period, Crucible of empire looks at the influence of race, economics, new technologies and the news media on America's decision to go to war. DVD 5874 and Streaming video
D-day to Berlin. BBC history of World War II. 2005. 1 videodisc (ca. 150 min.). Follow one of the greatest military campaigns ever, as this documentary tracks the invasion of the Allied troops at Normandy all the way to the final assault on Berlin. DVD 1358
The dark side. 2006. (90 min.). Amid revelations about faulty prewar intelligence and a scandal surrounding the indictment of the vice president's chief of staff and presidential adviser, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Frontline goes behind the headlines to investigate the internal war that was waged between the intelligence community and Richard Bruce Cheney, the most powerful vice president in the nation's history. In "The Dark Side," Frontline tells the story of the vice president's role as the chief architect of the war on terror, and his battle with Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet for control of the "dark side." Drawing on more than 40 interviews and thousands of documents, the film provides a step-by-step examination of what happened inside the councils of war. DVD 2270 and Streaming video
Deutschland, erwache! Germany awake!: Nazi Germany's propaganda use of feature films. 2006. 1 videodisc (86 min.). A documentary on World War II German motion pictures and their use as propaganda tools. Includes clips from more than 20 films made between 1933 and 1945, including Jud Süss and the Rothschilds. DVD 7915
Drew Pearson's Washington merry-go-round [no. 8]. Neel archive. 1 videodisc (13 min.). This Drew Pearson presentation begins with Pearson's commentary about the U.S. "prospect of war in Indo-China." He discusses President Eisenhower and a conference that concerns the sending of troops into Korea; also discusses the position of various Congressmen on this issue. Pearson then abruptly switches to an interview with William White, President of the New York Central Railroad. The discussion includes commentary by White concerning Robert Young's attempt to seize control of that railroad. Information also includes the NYCR ownership of hotels in New York. The program ends with a segment of "Drew Pearson's predictions of things to come.". DVD 7408
The educational archives: Patriotism. 2003. 1 videodisc (177 min.). Collection of films from the 1950s and 60s shown in public schools concerning patriotism. DVD 1771
The Fall of Saigon: April 29-30, 1975. 2007. 1 streaming video (54 min.). The end of the Vietnam War came abruptly on April 30, 1975, the day the American-supported government of South Vietnam collapsed and the capital, Saigon, fell to communist forces. This program presents those dramatic events as captured by an NBC News team on the scene, culminating in the exclusive footage of enemy tanks overrunning the presidential palace. Not available in French-speaking Canada. Streaming video
Fixer: The taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi. 2008. 1 videodisc (84 min.). Examines the life and death of Naqshbandi, a translator, driver, and cultural guide for foreigners in Afghanistan, who was taken by the Taliban with a group of Italians, but while the journalists were released, Naqshbandi was killed. Explores the botched hostage negotiation, government corruption, and how news stories are gathered and shaped. DVD 6927
Le fond de l'air est rouge = A grin without a cat. 2009. 1 videodisc (180 min.). An overview of the worldwide political upheavals during the Sixties and Seventies. Interweaves footage from the Vietnam War and the antiwar protests in the U.S., May '68 in Paris, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, Salvador Allende and the coup in Chile, Che Guevara and Regis Debray in Bolivia, the Shah of Iran, Fidel Castro, et alia. Contains official images, film clips, news coverage trims and neglected reels. DVD 6039
Frank Capra's why we fight. 2005. 2 videodisc (403 min.). Films created by director Frank Capra and sponsored by the U.S. government to help explain the "official war policy". These films were required viewing for the armed forces and were also widely shown in civilian theaters. DVD 1922
Frontline journalists: Death and danger in Afghanistan. 2008. 1 videodisc (50 min.). This documentary showcases the chaos and extreme dangers that journalists face in the most war-torn areas of the world. DVD 4209
Frontline world stories from a small planet: March 28, 2006. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Bosnia, the men that got away: Ten years after the end of the war in Bosnia, the two men most responsible for carrying out Milosevec's ethnic cleansing -- former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and his top general Ratko Mladic -- are still at large. Reporter Jennifer Glasse travels to Bosnia, Serbia and the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague to find out why. Israel, the unexpected candidate: In the wake of an electoral victory by the militant group Hamas and with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a deep coma, acting prime minister Ehud Olmert was widely considered to be the successor to Sharon. Explores what his election would mean for both Israelis and Palestinians at this historical crossroads in the Middle East. DVD 3157
Gunner palace. 2005. 1 videodisc (85 min.). In the world's most dangerous war zone, 400 American soldiers carry out their mission from a bombed-out pleasure palace once owned by Saddam Hussein. Welcome to a place called "Gunner Palace" and experience what life is like for the soldiers who live there. For these war hardened soldiers "minor combat" involves everything from executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs and mortar attacks from an enemy they never see to post-raid parties around the palace pool. This is their story which shows a side of the war not seen on the nightly news. DVD 2492
Hijacking catastrophe: 9/11, fear, & the selling of American empire. 2004. 1 videodisc (64, 34, 161 min.). This film discusses how the events of September 11, 2001 have influenced United States politics, from advancing a pre-existing military agenda to curtailing civil liberties and social programs. Places the Bush administration's justifications for the war in the context of the struggle by neo-conservatives to increase American power globally by means of force. Contends that the administration has deliberately manipulated intelligence, political imagery, and fear to garner support for American military intervention. DVD 1564
Imaginary witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust. 2009. 1 videodisc (92 min.). This documentary examines the American film and television industry's response to the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi persecution of the Jews before, during, and after World War II. Uses film clips, newsreel footage and interviews of filmmakers and Holocaust survivors. DVD 8070
Independent intervention. 2006? 1 videodisc (76 min.). Norwegian filmmaker Tonje Hessen Schei questions the American press' coverage of the war in Iraq, focusing especially on the negative influence of corporate media conglomerates and embedded war correspondents. Also explores the outsider-led media democracy movement. DVD 4179
Indymedia war and peace trilogy. 2003? 1 videodisc (80 min.). In Independent media in a time of war, journalist and host of Democracy now!, Amy Goodman, criticizes the pro-military bias of the mainstream news media, whose reportage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq downplays or ignores the impact on civilians while overstating the success of U.S. military operations. The speech was recorded at Christ Church, Troy, New York on Apr. 21, 2003. Footage of the speech is interwoven with footage of news reports and graphic scenes from the war. Voices against war chronicles the experiences of people on the streets of Manhattan who participate in a Feb. 2003 protest against the war in Iraq. Womens' fast for peace examines the case of 125 women in upstate New York who, on the eve of the Iraq War, fasted to create a culture of peace rather than of war. DVD 937
Iraq in fragments. 2007. 2 videodiscs (225 min.). Documentary in three parts. Offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the U.S. presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied. American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. DVD 3049
Iraq's guns for hire. National Geographic DVD Exclusive. 2009. 1 videodisc (46 min.). "For up to $600 a day, private security contractors in Iraq's war zone risk their lives to protect VIPs and transport critical supplies. See how these mercenaries survive in the "kill zone.""--from National Geographic Channel website. DVD 7440
Journalism: Yesterday and Today. 2004. 1 streaming video (46 min.). Judging from headline news reports, the evolution of broadcast and print journalism may seem abrupt, but in truth it has been going on for decades. The NewsHour taps longtime industry insiders to provide perspective on the Fourth Estate in flux in this video compilation-a mix of classic and recent segments. Episodes include... Conversation-David Brinkley: Jim Lehrer talks with iconic newscaster David Brinkley about his lengthy career as a reporter and his book Washington Goes to War. The Rise of the New News: Terence Smith is joined by distinguished retired broadcaster Marvin Kalb and media personality Bill O'Reilly to discuss changes in the broadcast and cable news industry. Segment also sold as a part of A Changing Industry: The New News. Conversation-Walter Mears: Terence Smith interviews retired Pulitzer Prize-winning political correspondent Wally Mears on his four-decade journalism career and his book Deadlines Past. Don Hewitt's Perspective: Terence Smith and Don Hewitt discuss how the news business changed during Hewitt's 36-year tenure as executive producer of 60 Minutes. Streaming video
The killing fields. 2001. 1 videodisc (141 min.). Dith Pran is an aide, translator and friend of a journalist who is covering the war in Cambodia. He is eventually exiled to the labor camps in Cambodia's countryside, where he endures four years of starvation, torture and war before escaping to Thailand. HOME USE COLLECTION DVD 1874
The Legacy of War: Vietnam. 2000. 1 streaming video (42 min.). The year 2000 marked the 25th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. In this classic NewsHour program, Gwen Ifill and Terence Smith sit down with renowned historians and correspondents to ask them to address some of the lingering issues associated with that war. Episodes include... Vietnam's Legacy-Historian's View: Gwen Ifill is joined by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Michael Beschloss, Stanley Karnow, Richard Norton Smith, and Jonathan Holloway to discuss the Vietnam War's cultural, political, and emotional impacts on American history. Vietnam's Legacy-Covering the War: Terence Smith talks with Morley Safer, David Greenway, Christiane Amanpour, and Kenneth Bacon about the Vietnam War's effects on journalism and the media. Segment also sold as a part of The Legacy of Vietnam: Learning the Lessons of War. Streaming video
The life and times of Rosie the Riveter. 2007. 1 videodisc (65 min.). Five women, who worked in the shipyards and defense plants during World War II, recount their experiences at work and offer comments on society's expectations of them during the war effort and after the war. Their narratives are interspersed with sequences from war department films, newsreels, and Hollywood movies made during that time which concerned women working outside the home. DVD 5425
The Media and Democracy in the Arab World. 1999. 1 streaming video (45 min.). This program goes behind the scenes at Al Jazeera, the CNN of Arabia.Dedicated to freedom of speech, Al Jazeera has earned the admiration of the West and the ire of the Arab nations-with the exception of Qatar, where the independent news agency is based. Interviews, clips of the highly controversial and extremely popular debate show The Opposite Direction, and reportage covering the first democratic election in Qatar, the role of women in Iranian politics, jihad in Afghanistan, U.S./British air strikes on Iraq, and the war in Kosovo demonstrate Al Jazeera's commitment to boldly present the other opinion. Streaming video
Militainment, Inc. 2007. (124 min.) "Militainment, Inc. offers a fascinating, disturbing, and timely glimpse into the militarization of American popular culture, examining how U.S. news coverage has come to resemble Hollywood film, video games, and "reality television" in its glamorization of war. Mobilizing an astonishing range of media examples -- from news anchors’ idolatry of military machinery to the impact of government propaganda on war reporting -- the film asks: How has war taken its place in the culture as an entertainment spectacle? And how does presenting war as entertainment affect the ability of citizens to evaluate the necessity and real human costs of military action? The film is broken down into nine sections, each between 10 and 20 minutes in length, allowing for in-depth classroom analysis and discussion of individual elements of this wide-ranging phenomenon."--Container. DVD 4426 and Streaming video
Models of Writing: Reporting. 1 streaming video (25 min.). In this program, the widely-respected press and television journalist John Pilger introduces ideas about reporting. He describes his basic training, and some of the editorial constraints on his writing. He advocates principles of simplicity, truthfulness, meticulous checking of facts, and steadfastness in the face of powerful censors. He gives examples of brave reporting by V. H. Russell (of the Crimean War) and W. S. Pritchett (of the Second World War); he admonishes contemporary newspapers, with examples from the tabloid press, for having abandoned what he sees as true journalistic principles, and presents other examples of what he considers appropriate and praiseworthy reporting. Streaming video
My country my country. 2007. (90 min.). Working alone in Iraq over eight months, director/cinematographer Laura Poitras creates an extraordinarily intimate portrait of Iraqis living under U.S. occupation. DVD 2569
News war: Secrets, sources & spin. 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Part I takes a closer look at the unintended consequences of the Valerie Plame investigation, a confusing affair that ultimately damaged both reporters' reputations and the legal protections they thought they enjoyed. DVD 2621
News war: Secrets, sources & spin. 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Part II examines recent First Amendment battles between the federal government and the press -- how much can the press reveal about secret government programs in the war on terror without jeopardizing national security? DVD 2622
News war: Stories from a small planet. 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). In the fourth hour of News War, FRONTLINE/World reporter Greg Barker travels to the Middle East to examine the rise of Arab satellite TV channels and their impact on the "war of ideas" at a time of convulsive change and conflict in the region. His report focuses on the growing influence of Al Jazeera, and the controversy around the recent launch of Al Jazeera English, which U.S. satellite and cable companies have declined to carry. Barker also visits the "war room" of the State Department's Rapid Response Unit, which monitors Arab media 24 hours a day, and meets with U.S. military officers whose mission is to engage the Arab news channels in debate. DVD 2624
News war: What's happening to the news? 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Take a look inside the battle over the future of the Los Angeles Times, pitting editors and reporters against corporate owners at the Tribune Company in Chicago. FRONTLINE explores the future of news with TV executives from ABC to the Daily Show, current and former TV anchors, including Charles Gibson, Dan Rather, Connie Chung and Ted Koppel, bloggers, webcasters, and executives at Google and Yahoo to see where the news business is headed. DVD 2623
Nightline: November 12, 2007. 2007. 1 videodisc (60 min.). In a special Veterans Day edition of ''Nightline,'' Vanity Fair and ABC News' Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross partner to take a harrowing look at the 'other' war in eastern Afghanistan. DVD 5080
The Nuremberg trials. 2006. (60 min.). This American Experience production draws upon rare archival material and eyewitness accounts to re-create the dramatic tribunal that defines trial procedure for state criminals to this day. DVD 3148 and Streaming video
On Air: America's Alternative Media. 2006. 1 streaming video (54 min.). Do TV viewers find any real differences when they switch between the major news networks? How rigorous is the reporting? Has subservience to corporate interests replaced true journalism? This program explores the emergence of alternative media in the form of blogs, satellite broadcasts, and documentaries that examine rarely visited yet vital issues. Focusing on the political arena and the modern anti-war movement, the film presents interviews with outspoken journalists, editors, and filmmakers-including Mother Jones managing editor Roger Cohen, Outfoxed director Robert Greenwald, Guerilla News Network founder Ian Inaba, and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! Some language may be offensive. Streaming video
Operation homecoming: Writing the wartime experience. 2007. 1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.). Gives firsthand accounts of American troops through their own writings. DVD 3023
Pictures from a revolution. 2007. 1 videodisc (88 min.). In this discourse on the power of images, photojournalist Susan Meiselas returns to the scenes of a revolution she witnessed and captured with her camera in war-torn Nicaragua in the late 70s and 80s. Delving into the lives of guerrillas, Sandinistas, and bystanders a decade after they faced off in a bloody struggle, this film finds both disappointment and modest pride amidst still-fresh, stirring memories. Once photographed wielding contact bombs and marching in the streets, these incredible Nicaraguans now live much as they did before the revolutionary days. DVD 4453
Print History. 1997. 1 streaming video (28 min.). A single issue of The New York Times is said to contain more information than could be learned in a lifetime by a person living in the 15th century. This program traces the development of books, newspapers, and magazines in the Western world, from the invention of the printing press, metal type, paper, and oil-based ink to the present day. Experts from the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University Press, MIT, and The New York Times discuss the effect of print technology on the spread of Martin Luther's doctrines and the Reformation; printing in colonial America; advances stimulated by the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, and the Trans-Continental Railroad; Mergenthaler's Linotype machine; Yellow Journalism; and the impact of Time magazine. Permanence and portability, in combination with affordability and ease of replication, have made the printed word a vital form of mass communication that is unlikely to be replaced even in the age of the Internet. Streaming video
Private warriors. 2005. 1 videodisc (60 min.). FRONTLINE returns to Iraq, this time to embed with Halliburton/KBR, and to take a hard look at private contractors who play a critical role in running U.S. military supply lines, providing armed protection and operating U.S. military bases. Their dramatic story illuminates the Pentagon's new reliance on corporate outsourcing and raises questions about where they fit in the chain of command and the price we are paying for their role in the war. DVD 2664
Propaganda. 2000. 1 streaming video (30 min.). Though they often work in the shadows, their efforts have affected the destinies of entire nations, in peacetime and war. This program focuses on dictators and spin doctors who shaped the perceptions of the masses in 20th-century Europe. Archival news film and footage and historical photos spotlight the propaganda of the Russian Revolution, World War II, the Gulf War, and the NATO attacks against Serbia, as well as the PR blitzes so much a part of today's political scene. Clips from propaganda classics Battleship Potemkin, The Triumph of the Will, and The Eternal Jew are also included. A BBCW Production. Streaming video
Race films at war in World War II. 2003-2005. 1 videodisc (ca. 104 min.). Presents eight American Second World War propaganda films on race. Challenge to democracy: The Internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II is here explained according to the Government's point of view. Children of Japan: A documentary of the life of a typical Japanese middleclass family, filmed earlier the same year as the attack on Pearl Harbor. Close harmony: Attempts to show the need for good labor/management relations in the U.S. arms industry, resorting to the "step 'n fetch it" stereotype of Black Americans. Farmer Henry Browne: Shows how a black Georgian farmer does his part for the war, with his farm, his family and the service of his Tuskegee fighter pilot eldest son. Japanese relocation: A propaganda film designed to show the co-operation and satisfaction of the Japanese American internees in terms of being relocated, re-employed, re-educated and interned. My Japan: One of the most flagrant American anti-Japanese propaganda films utilizing the racial stereotypes common for the period, presented here with special intensity, and put to the purpose of selling war bonds. Negro colleges in wartime: An exposition of the teaching and training of Black Americans for war, science, industry, agriculture, husbandry, meteorology, medicine, engineering and technical trades at black colleges. Our enemy: the Japanese: Purports to educate its audience about the Japanese culture but instead is a recitation of a wide range of racial stereotypes, ethnic misrepresentations and hatred. DVD 1383
Reporting: America at war. 2003. 1 videodisc (180 min.). Explores the role of American journalists in the pivotal conflicts of the 20th century--and beyond. "From San Juan Hill to the beaches of Normany, from the jungles of Vietam to the Persian Gulf, the three-hour documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Ives tells the dramatic and often surprising stories of the reporters who brought the wars home to us. Features profiles of such distinguished historical figures as Richard Harding Davis, Edward R. Murrow and Ernie Pyle, as well as conversations with some of the most influential correspondents of our time - including Walter Cronkite, Andy Rooney, David Halberstam, Morley Safer, Peter Arnett, Christiane Amanpour, and Chris Hedges." -from container. DVD 693
Restrepo: One platoon, one valley, one year. 2010. 1 videodisc (93 min.). This documentary chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, Restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. DVD 7965
Rules of Engagement. 2008. 1 streaming video (57 min.). This edition of Frontline investigates the harrowing moral and legal landscape faced by the U.S. military in Iraq as it tells the untold story of what happened in Haditha, where 24 residents were killed by U.S. forces. Documents obtained by Frontline, unmanned drone footage of the day's events, personal accounts from Marines involved, and an exclusive television interview with an intelligence officer who watched the situation unfold shed light on what has come to be termed a massacre-and one of the worst atrocities of the entire war. Distributed by PBS Distribution. Streaming video
Rules of engagement. 2008. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Rules of engagement cuts through the fog of war to reveal the untold story of what happened in Haditha, Iraq -- where twenty-four of the town's residents were killed by U.S. forces in what many in the media branded "Iraq's My Lai." With accusations swirling that the Marines massacred Iraqi civilians "in cold blood," the Haditha incident has led to one of the largest criminal cases against U.S. troops in the Iraq war. But real questions have emerged about what really happened that day, and who is responsible. Through television interviews with Iraqi survivors and Marines accused of war crimes, FRONTLINE investigates this incident and what it can tell us about the harrowing moral and legal landscape the U.S. military faces in Iraq. DVD 6998
Rumsfeld's war. 2004. (90 min.). With the United States Army deployed in a dozen hotspots around the world, on constant alert in Afghanistan, and taking casualties every day in Iraq, some current and former officers now say the army is on the verge of being "broken." The program digs into the aggressive attempts to assert civilian control and remake the military by the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his allies. DVD 1033
Salvador. 2001. 1 videodisc (123 min.). In 1980, Richard Boyle, a veteran war photographer whose career needs a boost, heads for El Salvador to cover the civil war there. He forms an uneasy alliance with both guerrillas in the countryside who want him to get pictures out to the US press, and the right-wing military, who want him to bring them photographs of the rebels. After the murder of Archbishop Romero, the rape and murder of an American nurse and three nuns, and the death of a fellow journalist, Boyle attempts to escape El Salvador with his Salvadorean girlfriend Maria and her family. DVD 1154
Security versus liberty: The other war. 2007. 1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.). Explore the controversial new policies adopted by the United States government following 9/11 to help prevent terrorism at home. DVD 3030
Sir! No sir! 2006? (84 min.). Recalls the unprecedented movement by American GI's against the Vietnam War, staged through demonstrations, underground newspapers, combat refusals and more, rocking the foundations of the American military. Includes archival material and interviews with key participants. DVD 2230 and Streaming video
Soldados de Salamina. 2004? 1 videodisc (112 min.). A writer is assigned to write about the Spanish Civil War. After her article is published, she receives a letter which leads her to research the shooting of the poet Rafael Sánchez. She becomes intrigued by the identity of the mysterious soldier who spared Sanchez' life. DVD 6391
The Spanish American War: Birth of a super power. 1997. 1 videodisc (100 min.). "As a war, it was small, nasty and suspicious. As news, it was godsend ... revealing look at the power of the press and its often problematic influence in the real world, where reporters can be as effective in spurring events as presenting them." Program looks at the [1898] war as it was "presented to people at that time through the accounts of newspapers nationwide ... [as the] forces, personalities and events of the war that secured America a place on the world stage are relived." - taken from the program's website. DVD 6023
Television History. 1997. 1 streaming video (28 min.). Few innovations of the 20th century can top the television in overall effect on culture and daily life. This program covers the development of TV from the labs of John Baird, Philo T. Farnsworth, and Vladimir Zworykin to the present day. Pioneered as a futuristic and somewhat farfetched experimental branch of radio technology, television began as a very expensive luxury. Though its progress was slowed by World War II, the television industry exploded in the 1950s and now enjoys a 99 percent penetration of American households, with U.S. viewing reaching 250 billion hours per year. This program is an excellent tool for anyone studying the techno-cultural phenomenon of television. Streaming video
Toxic sludge is good for you: The public relations industry unspun. 2003. (45 min.). Tracks the development of the PR industry from early efforts to win popular American support for World War I to the role of crisis management in controlling the damage to corporate image. The video analyzes the tools public relations professionals use to shift our perceptions including a look at the coordinated PR campaign to slip genetically engineered food past public scrutiny. DVD 5686 and Streaming video
The truth about lies. The Moyers collection. 1994. 1 videodisc (58 min.). Examines how deception has influenced some major events in the 20th century and how self-deception shapes our personal lives and the public mind. Investigates reasons why deception is used and recounts historical events to illustrate the consequences. Focuses on the Bay of Pigs, the war in Vietnam, Watergate, and the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. DVD 5894
Vietnam: a television history. 2004. 4 videodiscs (660 min.). This is a multi-part series on the Vietnam conflict, covering the history of Indochina, the French wars, and United States involvement, using actual film footage from news and government archives. DVD 2325