Documentaries
CEM’s documentaries have won national Emmy and duPont-Columbia awards and screened to critical acclaim on the BBC, PBS, Canal+, CBC, Arte and at Sundance, Tribeca, IDFA and other international film festivals.
Earth Wisdom for A World in Crisis
With the dramatic increase in global warming, the United Nations has realized that native peoples may possess some critical keys to the very survival of our species. This program talks to a range of renowned indigenous leaders and tells a story of the non-violent resistance at Standing Rock.
Vanishing Coral
“Vanishing Coral” presents the personal story of scientists and naturalists who are working with local communities to protect coral reefs that are being destroyed by warming seas, pollution, and destructive fishing practices.
Sound of the Soul
Sound of the Soul is a compelling portrait of an Arab country where Muslims, Christians, and Jews have lived together in relative peace for centuries. Beautifully photographed during the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, the film presents unforgettable performances from groups from Morocco, Ireland, Russia, Afghanistan, Mauritania, the USA, Portugal and France, which carry viewers into what the film’s Moroccan sufi guide calls ‘the hearing of the heart’ – the essential Oneness at the core of all religions
and faiths.
Healing A Soldier's Heart
Healing A Soldier’s Heart, follows the courageous journeys of four Vietnam veterans, all suffering from severe PTSD, who return to Vietnam to finally face the demons that have been haunting them for almost forty years. Under the guidance of Dr. Edward Tick, the vets venture back to the actual trauma sites – the places where they fought and killed their former enemies, or saw their own friends and comrades die.
Our House in Havana
Our House In Havana follows the emotionally charged return trip of Silvia Morini, a vivacious 68-year-old Cuban, who after 38 years living in the U.S.A., decides to return to Cuba to search for the house, the neighborhood and the faded remains of her once-opulent, privileged life. Our House In Havana is an intimate, thought-provoking cinematic journey, seasoned with Cuban history, culture, music, and passion.
Last Images of War
Last Images of War is the compelling and tragic story of four photojournalists who covered the Afghan-Soviet war, felt an intense commitment to provide the world with the dramatic images it so craved, and who were ultimately consumed by the story and the conflict they were reporting on. This unforgettable, Emmy Award-winning film explores the motivation and ideals which carried these three men and one woman to their deaths in what was considered a Holy War or “Jihad” against the Soviet Union.
John Collier's Story: A Visual Journey
JOHN COLLIER, JR: A VISUAL JOURNEY provides an intimate portrait of the life, the stunning photographic work, and the unique humanitarian insights of one of this century’s greatest teachers. When he was eight, John Collier was hit by a car and suffered severe brain trauma that left him with learning disabilities and speech and hearing impairments. As a result, he never finished grammar school, yet he went on to become an internationally renowned photographer, anthropologist, educator, and one of the founders of the field of visual anthropology.
Afghanistan: Fight for A Way of Life
This film explores the historical, religious and cultural background that led to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December, 1979. It documents the three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their struggle to maintain their cultural traditions and way of life.
School Colors
SCHOOL COLORS gives a first-hand look at the events, relationships, and conflicts at Berkeley High in the 1990s, a large, multicultural, urban school. The documentary examines how sharply segregated along color lines America’s public schools remained forty years after Brown v. Board of Education. School Colors explores segregation in the classroom, the social segregation of the student body, and finally, the school’s efforts to achieve greater racial equality and harmony.
Face to Face: Young Arabs and Americans
This groundbreaking television documentary features a live digital satellite link between four students at a San Francisco high school and four Arab high school students in Amman, Jordan. The conversation ranges from political disagreements to cultural stereotypes and misconceptions, interracial dating, drugs, the Intifada, teen suicide bombers, Martin Luther King, the bias of the media, and U.S. support for Israel. The students are articulate, honest and candid about the political and social factors contributing to the tragic Middle East stalemate.
To Find the Baruya Story
This intriguing film portrays the work of French anthropologist Maurice Godelier among the Baruya – a tribe famous throughout the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea as salt makers and traders. Dr. Godelier, one of modern anthropology’s most prominent figures, began living among and studying the Baruya people in 1967.
Her Name Came on Arrows
In the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea, French anthropologist Maurice Godelier invites five of his Baruya friends and informants to his house to discuss Baruya kinship and rules of marriage. As Godelier poses questions, the kinship rules that provide the cohesive fabric of Baruya culture are brought to life. Abstract terms are given practical meanings as Godelier investigates Baruya customs of stealing wives, exchanging sisters for wives, stealing names and exchanging “food for blood.” Throughout the interview, a wealth of information comes to the surface.
yogaHOPE: Mind Over Trauma
The yogaHOPE Trauma Informed Mind Body Program (TIMBo) which is designed specifically for women and strategically addresses the effects of stress and trauma on the body and the mind. This short documentary film follows Sue Jones, the founder of TIMBO during her trip to Haiti to help the victims of trauma and sexual abuse. Designed specifically for women, TIMBo builds compassion and resilience in the community, significantly improving symptoms of PTSD, improving self-compassion, and positively impacting women’s relationships with themselves and others.