Feature Films and Documentaries
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Tahiti
Rand McNally. 1 VHS cassette (33 mins.): color. English, Feature film. France, 1992.
Discover paradise in the tropical islands of French Polynesia! Tour romantic Tahiti, famed for its extravagant beauty and quiet seclusion, plus the verdant island of Bora Bora and the unspoiled, primitive Marquesas. Step ashore at Papeete on Tahiti. Marvel at black pearls in the making at the Tahiti Pearl Museum. Attend a Heiva to see traditional grass-skirt dance on competition and canoe races. See a vanished era in Arahurahu Marae where ancient ceremonies occurred. Then ferry to Moorea for superb beaches and soaring, cloud-misted mountains. Sail to Huahine and escape to the simple life. Go diving in Bora Bora's famous blue lagoon and view the colorful underwater denizens. Board the Aranui cargo ship -- the only link to the remote Marquesas. See where Herman Melville found his tropical refuge in the Taipvai Valley. Explore the back country wilderness of Nukuhiva to approach the Vaipo Waterfall. Discover the inspiration for Paul Gaugin's paintings and see his grave. Watch the traditional Motu haka unity dance on Ua Pou.
Tailor, The (with Early on Sunday)
1 VHS cassette (50 mins. / 16 mins.): color. Soviet languages with English subtitles, 1988.
"The Tailor: Sobering look at the spiritual void and disillusionment of the current generation of middle- aged adults. They entered life with faith in their destiny and in love. But by the dawn of the Brezhnev years, they were aged before their time, having lost the opportunity for creative self-realization.
Early on Sunday: A simple, endearing film. On a Sunday morning in winter several old village women go to the forest to gather wood. Their unpretentious observations evoke bursts of laughter, feelings of compassion, and an immense respect for the dignity and patience of these women."
**Taking Aim
Monica Frota. 1 VHS cassette (41mins.): color. Portuguese, English subtitles, Documentary. Brazil, 1985.
"In 1985, Monica Frota, an independent Brazilian film/videomaker collaborated with the Kayapo of the Brazilian rainforest to develop "Mekaron Opoi d'joi," the first Kayapo media project. "Taking Aim" is a witty, provocative exploration of issues of power and representation. Ultimately, "Taking Aim" challenges the stereotypical portrayals of traditional societies perpetuated by conventional ethnographic film and video." (from the video jacket)
Tango: Our Dance
Jorge Zanada. 1 VHS cassette (70 mins.): color. Spanish with English subtitles. Documentary. Argentina, 1985-87.
"The sensuality and stylized rituals adored by the inhabitants of Buenos Aires are captured in the complex art form of the tango. Jorge Zanada, the director, spent years researching the role of the tango in the national landscape, exploring the machismo and passion that feed the dance. With a special appearance by Robert Duvall." (from the video jacket)
Taxi Blues
Pavel Lounguine. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): color. Russian with English subtitles, Feature film. Russia, 1990.
"TAXI BLUES is a sexy, subversive up-to-date peek at a face of Russia never before seen in movies. The Story centers on a hard-working, patriotic taxi driver who starts to go over the edge when he meets up with a flaky, westernized, Jewish jazz musician who represents everything the taxi driver despises...and secretly desire. Filled with offbeat humor and irony, TAXI BLUES captures a Russia populated with boozers, punks, hustlers, and black marketeers - an unforgettable, exhilarating vision of a society at war with itself and coming apart at the seams."(from the video jacket)
Taxing Woman's Return, A
Juzo Itami. 1 VHS cassette (127 mins.): color. Japanese with English subtitles, Feature film. Japan, 1989.
"From Akira Kurosawa, one of the great masters of Japanese cinema, director of the 'The Seven Samurai'. 'A Taxing Woman's Return is Juzo Itami's rousing follow-up to his 1987 hit A Taxing Woman. Nobudo Miyamoto (TAMPOPO), who also happens to be the director's wife, again stars as the tenacious tax inspector investigating a corrupt fundamentalist religious order (shades of Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker). More epic in scope and action-oriented than its predecessor, 'A Taxing Woman's Return' combines energy and humor with the stinging anger of authentic satire. As in all his previous films ('The Funeral', 'Tampopo', 'A Taxing Woman') Itami creates a world peopled by characters who are slightly off-kilter; they are fully fleshed caricatures who possess all the comic shortcomings of everyday humans but who live somewhere beyond Toontown. With this film, there is no doubt that Itami is truly a Japanese Master." (from the video jacket)
**Teatro! Theater and the spirit of change
Edward Burke and Ruth Shapiro. 1 VHS (58 mins.): color. Spanish with English subtitles, Feature film. Mexico.
"This multi-award winning film explores the realities of life int he Latin American country best known as a haven for the Contras. In Honduras, the quintessential 'banana republic,' illiteracy is a way of life and political opposition is stifled. Yet here, a grassroots theater company led by a Jesuit priest travels the backroads of Honduras to bring powerful and inspiring messages of social justice to people who have never before seen a play. The founder of Teatro la Fragua, charismatic Jack Warner, is a man of the theater, the Church and the people. We follow him and his band of actors toremote villages and discover the heart of Honduras -- people eager to regain control of their lives which have been torn apart by centuries of foreign intrusion. In a country that expects its people to be silent, Teatro la Fragua offers them an opportunity to stand and be heard!" (from the video jacket)
A terceira margem do rio
Ney Santana and Dora Svenerner. 1 VHS cassette (94 min.): color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1994. Actors: Ilya Sao Paulo, Sonija Saurin, Maria ribeiro, Barbara Brant, Mariane Vicentini, Chico Diaz.
**Test the West: Metamorphosis in East Germany
Bronco Video. 2 VHS cassettes: color. English, Documentary, 1991.
- Part I: 1990, "First Encounter with a New System" (30 mins.)
- Part II: 1993, "The Rebuilding of a Country" (48 mins.)
"This two part documentary focuses on the metamorphosis East Germany and its people are going through while shifting from one system to another. The video looks at the issue of German Reunification from an insider's perspective, offering an alternative to the picture painted by American mainstream media. The fall of the Berlin Wall has opened up great opportunities for the people in East Germany. Yet, along with freedom and Western consumer goods, the new system brought uncertainty and fears for many people. Suddenly, unemployment, tough business competition, and the loss of government support programs have become realities of life. There is no such thing as instant democracy, and the adjustment to a strikingly different system proves a slow and painful learning experience. This video includes interviews with a wide variety of everyday people talking about the changes in their lives, about hope and frustration in these times of transition." (from the video jacket)
This is How We Live (with Homecoming)
Vladimir Oseledchik / Tatyana Chubakova. 1 VHS cassette (30 mins. / 17 mins.) color / B&W. English, 1987.
This is How We Live: A shocking look at the alienation of many Soviet young people. The ugliest of them are homegrown fascists who happily introduce us to their program for reconstructing society through sterilization. One self-styled 'punk' says: 'They turn us into robots. We can't think like we want.'
Homecoming: Veterans of the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan returned home with unresolved feelings about a demoralizing and unpopular war. 'Nobody asked my generation whether we should have this war or not,' one veteran remarks bitterly in this film, the first to document the human impact of the Afghan war.
There'll be no Trojan War see Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu, La.
Threads of Hope
Films for the Humanities. 1 VHS cassette (51 mins.): color. Documentary, English.
"This program tells the powerful story of a group of women who banded together and dared to defy the brutal dictatorship of Chile's Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The women -- mothers, wives, and sisters of the tens of thousands of victims of the regime's torture and execution -- armed only with scraps of cloth, sewing needles, and the overwhelming desire to find their loved ones, set to work to tell their stories by creating arpilleras, colorful handmade tapestries which chronicled the horror and injustice of Pinochet's reign of terror. The tapestries were ultimately smuggled out of the country and sold, with the proceeds returned to Chile to support the victims' families. The program, narrated by Donald Sutherland, explores the compelling stories of three of these women and how through their vibrant and beautiful art they were able to transform their trauma, grief, and their hope into commitment to help the survivors, and in their own way, to help democracy to return to Chile." (from the video jacket)
Tieta do Agreste
Carlos Diegues. 1 VHS cassette (115 mins.): color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1998. Actors: Sonia Braga.
"Tieta is a country girl returning to her native village after an absence of 26 years. At 17, her elder sister Perpétu denounced Tieta's sexual indiscretions and she was thrown out of the house. Tieta returns triumphantly as the rich and powerful widow of a São Paolo industrialist. Tieta arrives accompanied by Leonora, a beautiful but sad girl whom she introduces as her stepdaughter. Tieta and Leonora's presence inspires an upheaval in the life of Sant'Ana. Ascânio, the Town Hall's secretary tries to persuade Tieta to help bring electricity to the village. Leonora and Ascânio become involved in a platonic romance while Tieta embarks on a torrid relationship with Ricardo, her nephew from the seminary. Tieta soon becomes the village's major benefactor but the peace and quiet is shaken by the arrival of representatives from Embrâtania S.A. who intend to construct a highly polluting titanium dioxide plant in Sant'Ana. In the midst of all the uproar, the darkest secret of Tieta's life is revealed and she is forced to leave the village once again." (from the video jacket)
Tin Drum, The (Die Blechtrommel)
Volker Schlondorff. 1 VHS cassette (142 mins.): color. Germany with English subtitles, Feature film. Germany, 1979. Actors: David Bennet, Mario Adorf, Angela Winkler.
'The New German Cinema of the 1970s reached its zenith with this immensely powerful allegory direted by Volker Schlöndorff from Gunter Grass' extraordinary novel. THE TIN DRUM tells the story of Oskar, a boy who resolves the stop growing at the age of three in the same year the Nazis come to power. This is an epic film of Germany during the first half of the twentieth century as seen from and lived on the bottom rung. THE TIM DRUM is funnier than most masterworks--hilarious in parts-- and steamily erotic.' (from the video jacket)
To Live
Zhang Yimou. 1 VHS cassette (132 mins.): color. Chinese with English subtitles, Feature film. China, 1994.
"In a smoky gambling den in 1940's China, a drunken young man runs through his family's fortune, losing their ancestral home and all their possessions. This staggering loss proves to be their salvation...and the first step in a thrilling odyssey of survival that will take them through war and revolution, love and loss, tragedy...and triumph. Through the terrors of China's civil war, the passions of the communist takeover, the betrayals of Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward the the tragic mistakes of the Cultural Revolution, their lives unfold across four decades of momentous change...bound by love, driven by the strength of the human spirit and touched more than once by the hand of fate." (from the video jacket)
To See Paris and Die
Alexander Proshkin. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): color. Russian with English subtitles, Feature film. Russia, 1993.
"Set in the Soviet Union of the 1960's To See Paris and Die gives us a chilling picture of the self- loathing and paranoia that can result from officially sanctioned oppression. Elena Orekhova is focused on only one goal: for her gifted son, Yuri, to be sent by the Sovie government to study piano in Paris. But there is a secret that could undermine Elena's efforts, a secret she has worked very hard to keep: Yuri is Jewish. Elena is engaged in an obsessive campaign to make sure Yuri is chosen, whatever the costs. In a bravura performance that won her a Russian Oscar, Tatyana Vasilyeva as Elena brings the viewer face to face with this question: In a climate of political and religious repression, what actions--whether based on love or self-interest--can be considered just?"
Touring Italy
Questar Video, Inc. 1 VHS cassette (60'): color. English, Documentary. U.S., 1993.
Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World)
Alain Corneau. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1992. Actors: Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Anne Brochet.
"Swept away by passion, music and madness, the lives of a virtuoso musician and his two beautiful daughters are forever changed by the arrival of a flamboyant young student. Set in the luscious splendour of 17th century France and starring Academy Award nominee Gérard Depardieu, All the Mornings of the World weaves a breath-taking tapestry of sight, sound and seduction." (from the video jacket)
Trauma
Dario Argento. 1 VHS cassette (106 mins.): color. English, Feature film. Italy, 1992.
"Christopher Rydell (For the Boys, Mask) stars with Oscar-nominees Brad Dourif (Mississippi Burning, Child's Play) and Piper Laurie (Carrie, Children of a Lesser God, Twin Peaks) in theis nail biting, edge-of-your-seat tale of terror from the acclaimed brilliantly-innovative horror director, Dario Argento (Suspiria, Creepers, Demons I&II). The instant he meets beautiful, troubled young runaway Aura (Asia Argento), Davis (Rydell) falls under her strangley seductive spell. Then he gets the shocking news that Aura's parents have become the latest victims of a blood-thirsty, psychotic killer known as "The Headhunter." Following an eerie trail of decapitated victims, David and Aura discover a chilling link between the murders. But now, the monstrous, head collecting psychopath is stalking them-and their only hope for escaping th maniac's razor-edged onslaught is to unearth an unholy secret buried dep within Aura's nightmarish past. Also featuring Frederic Forrest (Falling Down) and James Russo (Beverly Hills Cop), it's a haunting vision of unrelenting horror that builds to a terrifying climax you'll never forget." (from the video jacket)
Travolti da un insolito destino {nell'azzuro mare d'agosto} (Swept Away {by an unusual destiny in the sea of August})
Lina Wertmuller. 1 VHS cassette (116 mins): color. Italian with English subtitles, Feature film. Italy, 1974. Actors: Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato.
"Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mediterranean, Swept Away is Lina Wertmüller's (Seven Beauties) controversial film about sex, love, politics and role reversals. Raffaella, a rich and stunning capitalist, particularly enjoys tormenting Gennarino, a Communist deckhand who works on her husband's yacht. Stranded on a desterted island, Gennarino reverses roles and become[s] master over Raffaella. She finds herself submitting to her new role culminating in a dramatic climax when they are rescued and must determine if their love can survive the harsh realities of civilization." (from the video jacket)
Triumph of the Will
1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): B&W. German with English subtitles, Feature Film: Germany.
Tu solo (You Alone)
Teo Escamilla. 1 VHS cassette (96 mins.): color. Spanish with English subtitles, Docudrama. Spain.
"In conflict with his father over a decision to pursue a bullfighting career, sixteen-year-old Miguel begins his study at 'La Escuela de Tauromaquia,' Madrid's famed school for matadors. Surrounded by his fellow students, Miguel will quickly learn that in the arena, one must be ready to face death tu solo... on your own. In this fascinating docu-drama you will meet an amazing group of dedicated youngsters, ranging in age form [sic] eight to eighteen, as they live and breathe the controversial sport of bullfighting as well as the world of machismo. At times heart-stopping, this unique coming-of-age film does not star professional actors, but the students themselves. Experience all the trama, joy and heartache of the sport unknown to America. You will be on the edge of your seat when watching Miguel and his friends face the bulls." (from the video jacket)
Two women
Vittorio de Sica. 1 VHS cassette (93 mins.): B&W. Italian with English subtitles. Feature film. Italy, 1960. Actors: Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eleanora Brown.
"Realistic heart-wrenching story of an Italian widow who along with her young 13 year old daughter are raped by Allied Moroccan soliders during W.W.II. Intensely moving performance by Loren deservedly won her an Oscar for Best Actress." (from the video jacket)
NOTE: ** indicates does not circulate.
