January 21
The Most Dangerous Man in America:
Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)
In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a high-level Pentagon official and Vietnam War strategist concludes that the war is based on decades of lies and leaks 7,000 pages of top-secret documents to the New York Times, making headlines around the world. The film gives the riveting story of how one man’s profound change of heart creates a landmark struggle involving U.S. newspapers, its president and Supreme Court—a political thriller whose events lead directly to Watergate, Nixon’s resignation and the end of the Vietnam War. (94 minutes)

February 25
View from a Grain of Sand (2006)
Thirty years ago, urban Afghan women were making unprecedented strides socially and professionally. Now they are virtually erased from the public face of their nation. Combining v?rit? footage, interviews and archival material, the film is a harrowing, thought-provoking, yet intimate portrayal of Afghan women’s history over the last 30 years—from the rule of King Zahir Shah in the 1960s to the Karzai government. The documentary features members of RAWA (Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women) and tells the story of how war, international interference and the rise of religious fundamentalism have stripped afghan women of rights and freedom. (82 minutes) This film will be preceded by the 11-minute film:

Why Are We In Afghanistan? (2009) U.S. military action in
Afghanistan originated in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. That was then. This is now. Reasons for the war have become cloudier as other factors have developed. This film looks at domestic pressures and geo-strategic interests that keep the U.S. in the region, and the long history of U.S. foreign interventions that forms the broader context for this war.

April 1
American Casino (2009)
"It is rare that a documentary director has the privilege to shoot a film that, while in production, becomes the greatest story of our time. The “worst case scenario” of January 2008, when we began work on American Casino, turned into reality in the year that followed. We were able to follow our characters through Wall Street’s collapse, foreclosure, bankruptcy, homelessness. We watched whole neighborhoods ravaged by the subprime meltdown. I have spent much of my career filming in war zones and post apocalyptic societies — Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan. But I never expected such a disaster at home. To be there, with a camera, while it was happening, telling the story, was certainly the highlight of my career.” Leslie Cockburn, Director (92 minutes)

April 22
Hearts and Minds (1974)
Peter Davis’ landmark documentary unflinchingly confronts the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. Using a wealth of sources—from interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroad—Davis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war. Hearts and Minds is an overwhelming emotional experience and the controversial winner of the 1974 Academy Award for Best Documentary. (112 minutes)