Broken Token

Appalachian Journey

July 1991 •English

Appalachian Journey is one of five films made from footage that Alan Lomax shot between 1978 and 1985 for the PBS American Patchwork series (1991). It offers songs, dances, stories, and religious rituals of the Southern Appalachians. Preachers, singers, fiddlers, banjo pickers, moonshiners, cloggers, and square dancers recount the good times and the hard times of rural life there. Performers include Tommy Jarrell, Janette Carter, Ray and Stanley Hicks, Frank Proffitt Jr., Sheila Kay Adams, Nimrod Workman and Phyllis Boyens, Raymond Fairchild, and others, with a bonus of a few African-Americans from the North Carolina Piedmont.

To Hear Your Banjo Play

January 1947 •English

A short film about Pete Seeger and the birth of banjo music throughout the Southern United States.

John Heroux: Gulf War Fighter Pilot

March 2012 •English

In 1991, John Heroux served in Operation Desert Storm, piloting one of forty F16 Fighter Planes sent in to target large manufacturing facilities deep inside Iraq. Looking back on these missions, John explains that pilots, himself included, felt no pride at causing destruction, but did have pride in serving their country and completing their tasks. This is his story.

The History Channel - Sniper - Deadliest Missions

September 2010 •Portuguese

Saddam: America's Best Enemy

January 2005 •English

Documents a 40-year relationship between Saddam Hussein and the U.S., through accounts given by those who were witness to and participants in those years of violence. It is about a man and a superpower who used each other, in a marriage of convenience between strange bed-fellows. Includes selected archival footage of Saddam's beginnings, filmed to immortalise his exploits, at 20 years of age, in 1959. Includes also images from the film, Saddam Hussein, le maître de Baghdad, directed by Michel Vuillermet (Zarafa Films)

Conte: Transitioning Politics

November 2023 •English

An extraordinary tale of resilience unfolds against the backdrop of intense political rivalry and media scrutiny. Joanne Conte, the indomitable child of Italian immigrants, weathers the storm of public vilification as her past is unceremoniously plastered across the front pages of Colorado papers and on The Maury Povich Show. Yet, this assault on her character is not enough to halt the unwavering march of her life of service. She breaks barriers as the first transgender person to be elected to a city council in U.S. history, but her identity extends far beyond this groundbreaking accomplishment. As a valiant soldier, an impassioned activist, and a tenacious politician, Conte carves out a formidable legacy. This is an emotionally charged and evocatively detailed portrait of Joanne Conte, a multifaceted individual who lived her life far beyond the simplistic narratives of headlines.

Velda: A Mom's Story of Suicide

January 2024 •English

In the poignant and thought-provoking short film, a distressed mother, Velda, takes center stage as she recounts the tragic tale of her son, Michael, who battles inner demons after being sent to war. As she navigates through the gut-wrenching chronology of his enlistment on the eve of 9/11, his traumatizing experiences in combat, and his futile attempts at readjustment after returning home, the narrative unravels to reveal the silent and insidious toll of war on the mental health of soldiers. Compelled by her son's devastating suicide, Velda transforms her grief into a call for action, articulating her concerns about the military's approach to mental health issues in a letter to the president. This heart-rending short film underscores the often overlooked consequences of war, giving voice to those left in its devastating wake.

Buffalo Soldiers: George Jordan and the Indian Wars

November 2023 •English

“Buffalo Soldiers: George Jordan and the Indian Wars” is a poignant examination of the marginalized history of the Buffalo Soldiers - African American servicemen who bravely served in numerous conflicts only to face scorn, ridicule, and suppression of their stories back home. The film's epicenter is George Jordan, a formerly enslaved man turned soldier whose exemplary courage in battles etches a stark contrast against his forgotten legacy. Juxtaposing the resistance of Apache Chiefs and braves with Jordan's unwavering will to protect his comrades and white settlers, the narrative challenges us to reconcile often overlooked aspects of the formation of the West. With a stark reminder of Jordan’s decline due to his heroic yet under-acknowledged efforts and the refusal of the Army to provide him with care, the film crescendos into a plea for recognition of the Buffalo Soldiers, ultimately asking what we can give to make our country better.

Keyboard Fantasies

October 2021 •English

As a sci-fi obsessed woman living in near isolation, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote and self-released Keyboard Fantasies in Huntsville, Ontario back in 1986. Recorded in an Atari-powered home-studio, the cassette featured seven tracks of a curious folk-electronica hybrid, a sound realized far before its time. Three decades on, the musician – now Glenn Copeland – began to receive emails from people across the world, thanking him for the music they’d recently discovered.

Diary Of A Disgraced Soldier

November 2009 •English

In Iraq 2003 Corporal Martin Webster filmed fellow soldiers beating Iraqi youths during rioting in Al Amara. Two years later, a British newspaper obtained his footage. The story that ran led to outrage across the world.

100 Miles to Redemption

July 2022 •English

A poignant story about overcoming our demons and finding hope through darkness. Haunted by the affects of PTSD induced by fighting a war, the physical injuries that led to copious amounts of opiates, the emotional strain of his squad leader committing suicide, losing his best friend from overdosing on heroin, all combined with his drug addiction ultimately left Shawn losing all hope in life.

The River in Me

Invalid date •Chinese

Traversing 700,000 square kilometers over 700 days, the filmmakers bring the stories of five people who crisscross the Yellow River to perform their art. At the center of the web is Su Yang, a contemporary artist and musician and his exchange with traditional practitioners of Qin Opera, Shadow Puppetry, Hua’er, and Shaanbei Storytelling.​

Wirklich alles?!

November 2002 •English

The Staggering Cost of the Never-Ending War on Terror

January 2023 •English

9/11 marked a new era in global terrorism, and a "War on Terror" was launched by the US. Since then, trillions have been spent on conventional warfare, counter-terrorism, secret intelligence, homeland security, cyberdefence and more, in pursuit of a sometimes indefinable enemy. We look at the costs and impact of this effort. Is there less terrorism today than before the war started? Is our world any safer?

War of Lies: How to Sell an Invasion

November 2022 •English

Saddam Hussein's arsenal of "weapons of mass destruction" was George W. Bush's main justification for waging war against Iraq in 2003. After the invasion of the country, American leaders recognised that they had been mistaken, and that the Baghdad tyrant did not possess such a capability. Bush claimed it was an error and defended his good faith, denouncing the negligence of his secret services. But the brutal truth lies elsewhere: The war in Iraq was based on lies.

Afghanistan: War without End?

June 2011 •English

Key decision makers reveal the inside story of how the West was drawn ever deeper into the Afghan war. Reporter John Ware charts the history of a decade of fighting and looks at when the conflict may end.

Afghanistan: The Battle for Helmand

July 2011 •English

Mark Urban tells the inside story of Britain's fight for Helmand, told with unique access to the generals and frontline troops who were there.

Harmonium in California

January 1980 •French

Through concerts and interviews, folk-progressive group Harmonium takes Quebec culture to California. This documentary full of colour and sound, filmed in California in 1978, recounts the ups and downs of the journey of the Quebec musical group Harmonium, who came to feel the pulse of Americans and see if culture, their culture, can succeed in crossing borders.

Sprout Wings and Fly

October 1983 •English

Set in the North Carolina Appalachians, Sprout Wings and Fly honors the fiddle playing of 82-year-old Tommy Jarrell of Toast, NC. Tommy was quirky, gregarious and generous, and this film shows him at his best, in fine fiddling form.

The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time

March 1982 •English

Documentary about the blacklisted folk group The Weavers, and the events leading up to their triumphant return to Carnegie Hall.