God Grew Tired of Us

After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands of other "lost boys," Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Panther have found their way to America , where they experience electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land.  89 min.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Garden

This Oscar-nominated documentary follows a group of low-income families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from bureaucratic real estate developers. A lightning rod for controversy in 2004, this cause célèbre drew the attention of numerous notable activists and politicians, including Joan Baez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigoisa. 80min.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

 This poignant documentary chronicles the true story of a modern-day St. Francis of Assisi , a homeless San Francisco street musician by the name of Mark Bittner who adopts a flock of wild parrots as he searches for meaning in his life. With a surprise ending that left festival audiences cheering, director Judy Irving's film celebrates urban wildness -- human and avian -- and links parrot antics to human behavior.  83 min.