USA

Bringing rice, flowers, and woven coconut leaves as offerings, clients visit Jero in her household shrine to figure out the cause of their son’s death. Jero ,the witch lights an incense brazier, sprinkles holy water, and recites mantras as preliminaries to trance. Several ancestors and the young son speak through her voice, revealing the exact reason of his premature death –witchcraft- and his wishes for cremation.Comparing with other films about Balinese trance focusing on the religious rituals, this film provides a more intimate and more realistic view of the fascinating process of communication between Jero, the spirits, and her clients in a more touching and emotional way.

“Voices in the Clouds” is an intimate exploration of Tony Coolidge’s quest to understand his heritage. At the heart of the film lies the celebration of family and cultural preservation. Through his amazing journey, the film hopes to encourage viewers to carve their own path toward self-discovery. With his mother gone, Tony reunites with his relatives in Taiwan, only to discover that he and his family are descendants of a unique, indigenous tribal culture named Atayal. The Atayal—and other tribal cultures on the island—are in danger of disappearing forever. Encountering new people in Taiwan brings greater purpose to Tony’s journey. Each discovery for him, his stoic brother, and caring wife, opens a new window into the history, struggle, and unique beauty of Taiwan’s indigenous people. They witness the remnants of an abandoned, war-torn village frozen in time. They are enthralled by the wisdom of a 100 year-old tattooed woman, and devastated by the loss of a loved one. Yet, in the end, new bonds are formed, old wounds are healed, and a new voice is given to their ancestors.

The film paints a vivid picture of Feliciano’s life, of the conflict between his love of the land and the work he has learned from his father, and the desire to see his son living what he sees as a better life in the city. Interwoven with Feliciano’s story is the complex history of his people. In his often poetic native language of Quechua, Feliciano recounts the history of the Incas, the conquest by the Spanish, and the years of the haciendas.

“Hidden Battles,” a feature length documentary, is a dramatic and deeply intimate film about the psychological impact of killing on the lives of five soldiers. How does killing change the person who pulls the trigger? “Hidden Battles” weaves together moments of reflection and realization from people who struggle with what it means to kill in all of it’s complexity. The film offers unique insight into the internal conflicts that veterans around the world continue to face long after they have left the battlefield.

Please Don’t Beat Me, Sir! is set in a ghetto in Western India. It’s about Budhan Theatre, a group of young Chhara Tribals who are considered “born criminals.” In 2003 Dakxin, a director and playwright, was arrested on false charges. We were concerned because the Chharas face are regularly brutalized by the Police. The documentary evolved from that initiative. Dakxin and his friend Roxy became our guides into why the Chhara are so reviled. They told us how the Chhara were notified as “born criminals” by the British colonial government in 1871, and how entire families were incarcerated in “soft” concentration camps. The British are long gone but their legacy remains in the shape of social discrimination and prejudice. There is however, a ray of hope in the form of Budhan Theatre, which works to bring about change in this beleaguered community.