Product Description:
Choose a title above from the following Academic Success programs:
#32975 No Bone Unturned: Bioarchaeology and Forensic Anthropology (Run Time 14 min.) DVD $49.95
This ABC News program spotlights the work of Doug Owsley, curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, who is a keen interpreter of the silent yet expressive language of bones. Owsley and his biographer, Jeff Benedict, give examples of how he has used bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology to unravel mysteries ranging from identifying an exhumed Civil War cavalryman to determining the true cause of death of Branch Davidian leader David Koresh. Owsley's career-risking suit against the government for the right to study the Kennewick skeleton is also discussed. (14 minutes)
#5595 Archaeology: Developments in Artifact Analysis and Preservation (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
Archaeology tells us about the lives and customs of earlier societies. This program demonstrates the traditional techniques of excavation, exploration, and conservation. In the past few years, technological advances have affected the field of archaeology. The program explains some of the new approaches to analyzing tree marks, rocks, sediment, and vegetable debris to date objects and provide a larger context for them. Finally, we look at the preservation of artifacts by means of a new nuclear technology. (23 minutes)
#34478 The Greek Awakening: Art from the 5th Century BC (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
Beginning about 500 BC, Greek artists and architects began working at an unprecedented level of sophistication, paralleling the rise of Athens as a Mediterranean power. This program illustrates the awakening of that classical Greek vision, from which emerged the most influential sculptures and buildings of Western culture. With detailed visual analysis of the Parthenon, its frieze in the British Museum, the theater at Epidavros, and other exemplary works, The Greek Awakening offers a wide-ranging tour of the nation's most enduring monuments and an understanding of their relationship to classical Greek identity. (24 minutes)
#34479 Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $89.95
Far from disappearing after the Hellenistic age, Greek art flourished with the rise of Christianity and the Orthodox church. This program explores the development of icon painting, the influence of Greek artists on later European movements, and the advent of neoclassical architecture as a manifestation of age-old cultural legacy. With historical context from the conversion of Constantine through Greece's post-WWII development period, Beyond the Classical provides a double portrait of a national art movement that has drawn on its own roots to reinvent itself, and set of aesthetic principles that have shaped societies around the world. (25 minutes)
#34480 The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
This program studies cultural transformations that began in the fifth century BC as Greek art discarded religious functions and moved toward human-centered concerns. Views of Cycladic sculpture and Koiros statues demonstrate an evolving realism, leading to stunning examples of the idealized human figure: the Kritios boy, the Temple of Zeus pediments, Praxiteles' Hermes, and others. With additional focus on the Olympic games, their architecture, and painted Greek pottery-which spread sensual imagery as well as goods-The Measure of All Things evokes ancient obsessions with the body, and humanity's place in nature, that are alive and well today. (24 minutes)
#38797 Thebes, Part 1: Life on the West Bank of the Nile (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
It has long been held that ancient Egyptians viewed the east bank of the Nile as life on Earth and the west bank as life in the hereafter, a vision that strictly ruled their urban planning. But recent archaeological digs at Thebes have revealed a somewhat different story. This program examines the houses of priests and other structures that indicate bustling activity on the funereal west bank-among the temple complexes as well as at Deir el-Medina, a village for the onsite laborers and craftsmen who were previously thought to be the only permanent residents of the necropolis. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#38798 Thebes, Part 2: Death on the West Bank of the Nile (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Ancient Egypt's greatest concentration of divine and funerary monuments is located on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes. Using computer-generated animation, onsite commentary by members of France's National Center for Scientific Research, and close-up archaeological footage, this program addresses the origin and evolution of religious belief in Egypt, the offices and power of the priesthood, and the layout, function, and symbolism of the Temple of Karnak and its precincts. Specific aspects of death such as mummification and the ritual of the open mouth are given special attention. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#38805 Delphi: Place of Peaceful Conflict (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
In ancient Greece, Delphi held a central position between Attica, governed from Athens, and the Peloponnese, ruled by Sparta. Using the ruins at Delphi as a lens, this program views the continuous struggle for power that characterized the Greek city-states through accounts of the "big dig" carried out between 1892 and 1902 and recent archaeological studies conducted by researchers at the French School of Athens. Home to the Pythic games, elaborate state-financed commemorative structures, and oracular divination, sacred Delphi was a safe outlet for state rivalries that constantly threatened to tear Greek civilization apart. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#38806 Volubilis: Western Outpost of Roman North Africa (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
Once the Berber town of Volubilis, in modern-day Morocco, was absorbed into the Roman Empire, subsequent construction aimed at Romanizing it. The result was a blend of European and African, imperial and tribal, that brought out some of the best of both worlds. This program tours the ruins of the town to point out key landmarks and explain their primary political purpose: to tightly bind this important defensive outpost to the interests of Rome. Monuments, inscriptions, and mosaics offer insights into the civic, social, and private life of the municipality. Commentary is provided by Rachid Bouzidi, assistant curator at Volubilis, and former curator Hassan Limane. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (27 minutes)
#11180 Batak: Ancient Spirits, Modern World (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
This program featuring sociocultural anthropologist James Eder-author of On the Road to Tribal Extinction-travels to the island of Palawan in the Philippines archipelago to document the Batak tribe's eco-friendly hunter/gatherer way of life. Repeatedly displaced by immigrants and increasingly driven to take part in the island's growing cash economy, the tenacious Batak struggle to maintain their cultural and spiritual identity while attempting to adapt to the modern world. Can conservationists, who approve of their sustainable methods of harvesting, help to secure the tribe's ancestral forest before it is all lost? Contains nudity. (50 minutes)
#31405 Egypt: Sexuality, Gender, and Culture (Run Time 46 min.) DVD $129.95
In Egypt during the time of Ramses II, one thing was feared above all others: infertility. In this program, Egyptologists, archaeologists, a museum curator, and the director of antiquities in the Valley of the Kings take a fresh look at the prominent place of sexuality in ancient Egyptian culture. Topics of inquiry include the creation myth of Egypt, procreation as a religious duty, references to sexual practices in hieroglyphics and depictions on pottery, the practice of incest and the acceptance of adultery, religious and magical rites revolving around fertility, and Egyptians' lack of concern with virginity and paternity. The digs at Deir el-Medina, Deir el-Bahri, and KV 5, the family mausoleum of Ramses II, are featured. Contains mature themes and explicit language. A Discovery Channel Production. (46 minutes)
#32746 Baalbek: Roman Temple Complex (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
On the plains of Beqaa, on the site of the Phoenician city of Baalbek, stands what is arguably the world's most impressive testament to Imperial Roman architecture: the gigantic temple complex dedicated to Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus. Its six-story columns are the tallest ever erected, and its stones-some weighing nearly a thousand tons-are the largest ever used. In this program, architect Jean-Pierre Adam, of the National Center of Scientific Research, and Chaker Ghadban, former director of Lebanese antiquities, utilize the existing remains and computer-generated animation to demonstrate how the immense temples at Baalbek were built. (27 minutes)
#32748 Carthage: The New Town (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Its Phoenician founders called it Kart Hadasht, The New Town, but history knows it as Carthage-the heart of the Punic Empire and base of the Mediterranean's renowned merchant mariners. Blending archaeology and virtual reality, this program depicts the city as it was during its heyday as a major economic, political, and cultural center. Its ingenious military port, bustling streets, and comfortable homes illustrate why it occupied a key position in the geopolitics of the ancient world and a prized place in the literature of antiquity. Site conservator Abdelmajid Ennabli is featured with M'Hamed Hassine Fantar, of the Institute of National Cultural Heritage, Tunisia. (27 minutes)
#32752 Iraq al-Amir: The Palace of Qasr al-Abd (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Considered the most imposing Hellenistic site in Jordan, the Qasr al-Abd at Iraq al-Amir was the dream of Hyrcanus, an unscrupulously ambitious member of the influential Tobiad family. With the assistance of architect Francois Larche, of the National Center of Scientific Research, this program virtually reconstructs the ornate but uncompleted palace-ironically, a symbol of Hyrcanus' failed aspirations. Fawzi Zayadine, of the Jordanian Department of Antiquities, places Hyrcanus, both the player and the pawn, within the context of the power struggle between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Dynasties. (27 minutes)
#32753 Uxmal: Thrice Built (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Set in the heart of the Puuc hills, the imposing remains of Uxmal-Thrice Built, in the Yucatec Mayan language-testify to that city's extraordinary past. This program travels to the Yucatan Peninsula to explore the ruins of this significant Mayan cultural center. Aerial photography captures the magnitude of the site, while a ground-level inspection homes in on details such as the long-nosed Chac masks and carved mosaic facades associated with Mayan architectural ornamentation of the period. The Pyramid of the Magician, Nunnery Quadrangle, Governor's Palace, and Grand Pyramid are featured. (27 minutes)
#32754 Palmyra: Venice of the Sands (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Thriving in the shadows of the Roman and Parthian Empires, the polyglot oasis town of Palmyra, "the Venice of the Sands," grew rich on the caravan trade between northern Syria and Babylonia. In this program, archaeological footage and 3-D computer-generated images enable viewers to step into that bustling multicultural center, with its busy streets, temples to ancient gods, and silent tombs. In addition, the socioeconomic history of the region is described, along with Palmyra's bid for rulership of the eastern Roman Empire during the reign of Zenobia. (27 minutes)
#32755 Qusair Amra: Desert Castle (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
Standing in the Jordanian desert is a singular archaeological treasure: the bath complex at Qusair Amra. Inside, the walls display lively frescoes depicting hundreds of characters engaged in a wide variety of activities. Using a computer-generated reconstruction of the least well preserved paintings, this program restores the faded images to their original vibrant colors in order to unravel the fascinating visual narrative. These frescoes are a splendid example of figurative representation as depicted in Arab art-and a valuable window on life during the Umayyad dynasty. (27 minutes)
#32756 The Ancient Mediterranean: Conquest, Commerce, and Cultures (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $129.95
To travel the Mediterranean is to sail into a past that scattered Roman temples in Lebanon, Greek theaters in Jordan, and Phoenician houses in Tunisia. This program studies the unifying influence of the Mediterranean on the civilizations that flourished on its shores. Vivid archaeological footage and computer-generated animation capture distant echoes of the clash of conquest and the jingle of commerce that once resonated from end to end of this ocean superhighway of the ancient world. (27 minutes)
#32757 Mesoamerica: The Rise and Fall of the City-States (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $129.95
Filmed on location in central and southern Mexico, this program touches on the Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec cultures-and a civilization that preceded them all at a city dubbed Teotihuacan by Nahuatl-speakers centuries after its fall. Expert commentary and 3-D computer images shed light on the complex societies that emerged, grew strong, and disappeared in the highlands and lowlands of Mesoamerica. (27 minutes)
#33404 Cousin Bonobo (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $129.95
This program launches an investigation into the identity of the bonobo, formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee. To what extent is this remarkable African ape closer to humans than all the other animals on the planet? Scientists from around the world, including Yves Coppens, paleoanthropologist at the College de France, and Paula Cavalieri, philosopher and founder of the Great Ape Project, discuss their findings on the genetics, biology, intelligence, sexual behavior, and matriarchal social organization of the bonobo. (51 minutes)
#33510 Thieves of Time: Who Owns the Past? (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $129.95
This program, introduced by author Tony Hillerman, studies Native American burial grounds over five centuries of cultural, scientific, and legal change. The Native American Graves Repatriation Act, covering the ownership and study of human remains and sacred objects, is given special emphasis. Interviews with Martin Sullivan, director of the Heard Museum, in Phoenix; Paul Bender, former dean of The College of Law at Arizona State University; Richard Rabinowitz, Harvard University historian; and Walter Echo-Hawk, of the Native American Rights Fund, are featured. (28 minutes)
#36339 Sahara Marathon: The Sahrawi's Race for Sovereignty (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $129.95
Exhausted by years of guerilla warfare against Morocco's annexation of Western Sahara, the Sahrawi people are still waiting for the referendum on their sovereignty promised in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire. This Wide Angle documentary presents the story of a unique annual marathon in the Sahara desert, designed to draw attention to the plight of the Sahrawi. Following the race through brutal heat and punishing sirocco sandstorms, the program focuses on two competitors-Jorge Aubeso, a top Spanish athlete sympathetic to the cause, and Abdullah, a Sahrawi self-trained runner determined to win the race for his nebulous homeland. The filmmakers poignantly convey the story of 165,000 people, far from the mainstream media spotlight, who fear that their problem may never be resolved without a return to armed struggle. Anchor Mishal Husain discusses the conflict with former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker. (57 minutes)
#9335 Mending Ways: The Canela Indians of Brazil (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
For the Canela, peace is more important than justice, and sharing-especially of sexual partners-means survival and prosperity. By putting the good of the tribe first, the Canela have retained their tribal identity for centuries, thanks both to the bonding that occurs through ritualized, extramarital, multiple-partner sex and to their ability to maintain communal harmony via their intricate family relationships. But can they survive the outside influences of sexual monogamy and materialism, which have finally infiltrated the tribe? This program, based on the research of Smithsonian Institution anthropologist Dr. William H. Crocker, documents the unique Canela way of life, focusing on their extraordinary bonding rituals and their conflict resolution skills they call "mending ways." Contains nudity. A Co-production of the National Human Studies Film Center, Smithsonian Institution. (50 minutes)
#11857 Treasure Seekers: Archaeology Turns from Passion to Plunder (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Archaeology was born of treasure-seeking, but it became the stimulus for rampant pillaging of antiquities in the 18th and 19th centuries. This program charts the escalation of archaeological acquisition from gentlemanly passion to national plunder, from Lord Elgin and the marble friezes of the Parthenon to Richard Lepsius and his Egyptian collection that took sixty barges to transport to Berlin. Also examined is how greed gave way to altruism and preservation, most notably under August Mariette, the acquisitions expert for the Louvre who curtailed the sacking of Egypt and created the Cairo Museum. (50 minutes)
#11860 At the Service of the State: Archaeology as Political Tool (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
In 1940, Hitler's archaeologists excavated sites in Poland to try to prove that Germans had lived there before the Poles-an anthropological justification for political aggression and military invasion. This program explores the use of archaeology as a tool for propaganda and diplomatic machination by focusing on the long-standing connections between Germany and Greece. The program also looks at how Mussolini, like Hitler, used Greek motifs and Roman regalia to package the image of his party and, by so doing, align the destiny of fascist Italy with ancient traditions. (50 minutes)
#11861 The Future of the Past (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
What are the concerns of archaeology today? How will improved methods and scientific technology shift perspective on the past? The last episode of this series looks at the shift from excavating grand palaces to discovering and learning more about some of the earliest communities, such as at San Jose Magote in the Oaxaca Valley in Mexico, where evidence has been found of human habitation dating back 3,000 years. The program also interviews Professor George Bass of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in Texas, the father of underwater archaeology, who has discovered and cataloged numerous shipwrecks off the coast of modern Turkey, some dating from the Bronze Age. (50 minutes)
#30089 The Sphinx in Context: Solving the Riddle (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Starting when the first explorers laid eyes on the incomparable Sphinx, theories have proliferated about who built it and why. In this program, Zahi Hawass, of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities; Egyptologist Fayza Haikal; Kathryn Bard, editor of The Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt; authors Paul Jordan and Robert Schoch; and others employ the latest scientific scholarship and research to dispute those many theories while addressing a century of preservation and restoration efforts. Their keen insights, in combination with 3-D computer animations, vintage newsreel footage, archival photos, and artwork, bring to life a story of monumental proportions. (51 minutes)
#30090 Stonehenge in Context: From Modern Myth to Ancient History (Run Time 51 min.) DVD $149.95
Using 3-D computer re-creations of Stonehenge during its three phases of construction, archival film and photos of archaeological excavations, and artwork, this program traces the long history of Britain's most famous Neolithic landmark. Archaeologists Geoffrey Wainwright, Dave Batchelor, and Gillian Swanton and authors Rosamund Cleal, Clive Ruggles, Christopher Chippindale, and Mike Pitts consider the many theories posited over the centuries, summarily debunking some and conservatively praising others. Remarkable footage of a recent attempt to build a similar monument using ancient human-powered methods is included. (51 minutes)
#33104 The Masai Today: Changing Traditions (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
Swahili or English? Extended or nuclear family? Cattle or camel herding? For the proud, pastoral Masai tribe of Africa, Western culture's advance brings decisions in every area of an ancient lifestyle. Filmed over the course of seven years, this program follows one family as it contends with the challenges of modernity facing the Masai people as a whole. Through interviews and an extremely detailed depiction of Masai daily life, the program explores changing gender relations, language and identity, tribal leadership and family structure, and the influence of education. (53 minutes)
#33257 Enigma of the Etruscans: Clues from a Shipwreck (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
At the height of its power and influence, the Etruscan civilization extended from the Po Valley to Campania, and its merchant fleet was the master of the Mediterranean. This program documents the salvaging of the first Etruscan ship ever found: a spectacular wreck off the coast of southern France with a perfectly preserved lower hull and laden with hundreds of amphorae. What artifacts are waiting to be found among the many containers of wine? Lying on the seabed for thousands of years, this vessel and its cargo are a tantalizing link to a civilization that has, as yet, given up too few of its mysteries. (50 minutes)
#33258 In the Footsteps of the Celts (Run Time 52 min.) DVD $149.95
The construction of a high-speed train line in eastern France quickly turned into the start of a major archaeological dig when a Celtic necropolis was discovered. Who were the Celts, a people that dominated broad stretches of Europe for more than 500 years? In this program, archaeologists, paleoanthropologists, and other team members follow the migratory trail of the Celts across Europe, unearthing vestiges of a civilization vaster and more sophisticated than previously believed-including traces of a cultural blending of Celts and Etruscans and evidence of a well-developed knowledge of mathematics. (52 minutes)
#33418 Spirits of the Rocks: The Culture of the San Bushpeople (Run Time 79 min.) DVD $149.95
The extraordinary rock paintings of the San bushpeople provide a culturally rich point of reconnection with humankind's collective past. In this program, anthropologists Patricia Vinnicombe-author of the groundbreaking book People of the Eland-and Frans Prins as well as Megan Biesele, cofounder of the Kalahari Peoples Fund, take part in an ethnographic sojourn with the San in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. To better understand this venerable indigenous people, they immerse themselves in their culture, partaking of their art, myths, beliefs, rituals, and healing dance. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (80 minutes)
#34155 The Korubo People of Amazonia (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $149.95
This program documents a visit by Brazilian government officials to the Korubo people, hunter/gatherers of the Javari River Valley. Transcending a history of mutual distrust and violence with other groups, especially Caucasians, the Korubo warm to the camera team after receiving medical help for their malaria-stricken leader. The team's unprecedented access leads to breathtaking, revelatory footage of Korubo hunting and fishing techniques, hygienic practices, and sophisticated technology hand-wrought from vegetation. The program underlines the importance of Brazil's Fondacao Nacional do Indio policy that protects Korubo land, and in so doing, protects the Korubo themselves. Contains nudity and mature subject matter. (Portions in Spanish with English subtitles, 58 minutes)
#35053 Music Moves the World: The Power and Passion of Rhythm, Melody, and Dance (Run Time 53 min.) DVD $149.95
This program travels to both developing and industrialized countries to capture culture-defining rhythms and melodies and explain the important roles they play in human society. With stops in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, the video observes how music is used by gauchos and Cossacks, Sufis and Buddhist monks, Papuan warriors and Western soldiers, Senufo weavers and flamenco dancers, marching protesters and singing soccer fans, and many others. Harmony and polyphony, music as an organizing principle, the spiritual qualities of sound, and how the brain processes music are touched upon as well. (52 minutes)
#37539 Constant Change: The Diversification and Spread of Language (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $149.95
In this program, John McWhorter, author of The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language; Lyle Campbell, of the University of Utah; Brian Joseph, of The Ohio State University; and population geneticist Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza examine factors that contributed to the diversification and spread of languages, including early migration, the introduction of agriculture, and genes. Language transfer from mother to child and from one population to the next is also investigated, along with the concept of dialects and commonalities among the world's more than 6,000 languages. (48 minutes)
#37541 Civilization to Colonization: Language Takes Written Form (Run Time 48 min.) DVD $149.95
Writing is a relative latecomer to the history of language. This program tracks its emergence in Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica and its spread down through the millennia via conquest-usually violent, sometimes benign-and colonization. The creation of creoles and pidgins resulting from the interaction of specific populations is also addressed, and speculation is made about the first things to be written down. Noam Chomsky; Peter Daniels, coeditor of The World's Writing Systems; the Manhattan Institute's John McWhorter; MIT's Michel DeGraff; and Salikoko Mufwene, of The University of Chicago, contribute. (48 minutes)
#39446 To Love Oneself: Grassroots Humanitarian Activities in Benin, Ethiopia, and Mali (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Taking a grassroots approach to dealing with the physical and societal ills plaguing their countries, individuals and small groups in sub-Saharan Africa are creating success amidst widespread civil and economic instability. This program illustrates five empowering instances of solidarity and self-help: the Yeredeme project, run by single mothers in Mali; the Janjigui So association, for Malian women with improperly healed fistulas; the Fasil Circus, an entertainment troupe providing education and purpose for at-risk children in Ethiopia; the work of Adama "Kansaye" Diallo, a benefactor and mentor of street children in Mali; and the smuggling of black market gasoline into Benin-a valued service abetted by sympathetic mechanics and border guards that is a vital means of subsistence for the scooter-driving polio victims who do it. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 52 minutes)
#39447 Who Controls Africa? Power Structures in Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Women form the backbone of sub-Saharan Africa and consistently exert some measure of control alongside men, whether it is as a local ruler, a witch, an activist, a wage earner, a laborer, or a caregiver. This program examines female, male, and mixed power structures, with a focus on the Bijagos Islands, where three queens and a king still rule autonomously even as the state government in Guinea-Bissau seeks to take control; Mali, where women ably run small businesses in a culture where both male-dominated democracy and male/female sorcery exist side by side; and Ghana, where all-male asafo companies-former military units that today are dedicated to social service-meet in rowing competitions for prestige and to honor their king. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 55 minutes)
#39448 Growing Up in Africa: Helping Children in Benin, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Based on recent statistics, 90 percent of the world's orphans live in sub-Saharan Africa; 40 percent of African children work seven days a week; and many support themselves by prostitution or are subjected to enslavement. This program highlights the work of the Terre des Hommes Oasis Center, in Benin, which rescues, rehabilitates, and returns exploited children to their families; the Jinja School for Orphans, in Uganda; extended families on Kenya's Lamu Island, who educate and support the locale's many orphans; Barbara Petersen, who feeds and counsels street children in South Africa; and, also in South Africa, the Dance for All project, an initiative that brings dance to the poor areas of Cape Town. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 50 minutes)
#39453 The Talking Picture: The Impact of Mass Media in Kenya, Mali, South Africa, and Uganda (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
As Africa continues to modernize, the influence of the media in daily life is growing ever larger. This program examines the importance of the press, radio, the Internet, and TV via segments involving the Sowetan, a widely circulated South African newspaper that has its roots in the anti-apartheid struggle; KKC Kagadi, a rural community radio station in Uganda; Kenya-based Africa Online, an Internet service provider with a pan-African reach; and ORTM, the national broadcaster of Malian television. In the process, the program addresses racism, women's issues, grassroots entrepreneurship, access to online information, and the exploitation of street children-particularly twins. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 47 minutes)
#39454 By Profession . . . an Artist": Contemporary Art in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, and South Africa" (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Historically, the arts in Africa were largely communal and unrecorded. But much has changed over the past century, and this program takes a look at art in sub-Saharan Africa as it exists today through profiles of Senegalese rap groups Alif and Wageble and the rap collective Fight and Forget, who use their music as a form of political activism; Senegalese sculptor Babacar Niang, whose workshop has trained artists who have found success in both the U.S. and Europe; Willie Bester, one of South Africa's most important resistance artists; Raymond Bogwana of Abakhaya, a world-touring crossover marimba band from South Africa; the cast and crew of Mother Courage, an AIDS documentary filmed in Burkina Faso and screened at the largest film festival in Africa; and Malian griot Fanta Diabate, matron of a 65-member family in which all, without exception, are griots-masters of words and the keepers of history. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 52 minutes)
#39456 White on Black: Grappling with Race in Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, and South Africa (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Speaking in broad sociocultural terms, the overall Western attitude toward Africans has been one of race-based condescension. This program addresses that historically conflicted relationship and ways in which it is changing in sub-Saharan Africa through the stories of an idealistic young French-born woman involved with the Yeredeme project, which supports and educates single mothers in Mali; a Chilean-born freelance photographer/TV cameraman who has filmed the war in Sudan and runs a modeling agency in Kenya; and a Portuguese family who moved to the Bijagos Islands to run a small hotel and restaurant there. The mixed expectations of the average tourist in Africa are also considered, along with the recently founded radical Afrikaner town of Orania-the proposed nucleus of a neo-apartheid whites-only state. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 52 minutes)
#39457 More Than Just a Game: Competitions and Celebrations in Ethiopia, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, and Sudan (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
In sub-Saharan Africa, traditionally minded people view everything as being touched by the supernatural-including what might seem, to Western eyes, to be simply athletic or recreational activities. This program explains the deeper meaning of the donga, ritualized stick-fighting bouts of the Surma culture; sacred Senegalese wrestling, an ancient village tradition that has met with immense enthusiasm in the city; weekly wrestling matches in the Sudanese melting pot of Khartoum, rituals of cohesion rather than confrontation; Tuareg camel races, symbols of communal unity and strength; the plentiful music and dancing that accompanies African festivals; and soccer, which in Ghana involves the spells of sorcerers. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 51 minutes)
#39458 Africa Calling: An Appeal for Understanding (Run Time min.) DVD $149.95
Mental images of storybook adventures and stereotyped people, on the one hand, and genocides and pandemics, on the other, make it practically impossible for Westerners to see Africa as it really is: a place with generational conflicts, cultural misunderstandings, and power struggles-just like anywhere else-plus the added dilemma of how to deal with the tension between tradition and modernity as the already rapid pace of progress continues to accelerate. Bringing together segments from other episodes in The Call of Africa series, this program strives to build bridges of genuine understanding about human rights, political power structures, the environment, public health, marriage customs, emigration, and many other vital topics through the views of real people living in the real Africa. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 57 minutes)
#37537 Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language (Run Time min.) DVD $749.75
Currently there are more than 6,000 languages spoken around the world. This five-part series traces the history and evolution of language and attendant theories and controversies while evaluating the scope of linguistic diversity, the dissemination of language, the expansion of language into written form, and the life cycle of language. Prominent figures in the field of linguistics-Noam Chomsky, John McWhorter, and Peter Ladefoged, to name only three-are featured. 5-part series, 48 minutes each.
#38796 Living Stones 2: Uncovering Ancient History (Run Time min.) DVD $899.50
This outstanding ten-part series assembles, through archaeology, a vivid composite picture of world-shaping events and day-to-day business in the ancient world. Footage of archaeologists at work, computer-generated reconstructions, and virtual walk-throughs bring the history of faraway lands and long-ago times to life. Not available in French-speaking Canada. 10-part series, 27-29 minutes each.
#11855 Lost Worlds: The Story of Archaeology (Run Time min.) DVD $899.70
This six-part series presents the definitive history of archaeology, a 250-year worldwide odyssey that began with the unearthing of the ruins of Pompeii buried beneath the ash of Mt. Vesuvius. In a short time, archaeologists started pursuing very different objectives: some were treasure-seekers hoping to plunder antiquities of the ancient world; others sought to prove theories about the origins of civilization or the historical accuracy of Homer or the Bible; still others focused on humans themselves, trying to determine the age of the species. The series also looks at how archaeology has been misused as an instrument of foreign policy and where the study is going in the future with new technologies and methods. 6-part series, 50 minutes each.
#32745 Living Stones: Where Archaeology Begins (Run Time min.) DVD $1559.40
Filmed from an archaeological perspective, this remarkable 12-part series goes back in time to study daily life in some of the major civilizations that shaped history. Ranging from southern Europe to North Africa and the Near East to Mesoamerica, the series brings history to life with vivid computerized reconstructions and breathtaking location footage. 12-part series, 27 minutes each.
#39445 The Call of Africa: Voice of a Continent (Run Time min.) DVD $1949.35
What is Africa like? In an effort to answer that short but extremely complex question, this 13-part series travels sub-Saharan Africa to speak with artists and aid workers, rappers and religious leaders, single mothers and mentors of at-risk youth, and many others about sociocultural, geopolitical, environmental, and health-related issues. An indispensable social sciences resource! Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 13-part series, 47-57 minutes each.
