Media Beat

ALA VRT Notable Videos for Adults 2016 Winners

The American Library Association (ALA) Video Round Table Notable Videos for Adults Committee has compiled its 2016 list of Notable Videos for Adults, a list of 15 outstanding films released on video within the past two years and suitable for all libraries serving adults.  Its purpose is to call attention to recent video releases that make a significant contribution to the world of video.  The list is compiled for use by librarians and the general adult populace.

The Notable Videos for Adults Committee selected 15 outstanding titles from among 48 nominees for this year’s list of Notable Videos for Adults.  The availability of closed captions (CC) and/or subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) is preferred; inclusion and exclusion of same is indicated below. (repost)

Alive Inside  (2014) 78 minutes. City Drive Films. DVD. Available from various distributors. Does not include captioning.  Social worker Dan Cohen starts a campaign to provide nursing home patients access to music that reawakens their joy in life. [Owned by IUB Library — DVD.]

Call Me Lucky  (2015) 105 minutes. MPI. DVD. Available from various distributors. English subtitles, does not include captioning.  Stand-up comedian Barry Crimmins advocates for victims of internet child pornography.

E-Team  (2014)  89 minutes. Ro*Co Films. DVD. Available from http://www.rocofilms.com. Does not include captioning.  Human Rights Watch emergency team members travel to international hot zones to investigate abuses firsthand. [Owned by IUB Library – DVD.]

Freedom Summer  (2014) 120 minutes. PBS. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH. Organizers and student civil rights workers register voters in 1964 Mississippi and confront racism and resistance.  [Owned by IUB Library — DVD and online streaming.]

God Loves Uganda  (2013) 83 minutes. First Run Features. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH. The punitive homophobic government policies of Uganda are linked to the anti-gay theology of United States evangelist missionaries. [Owned by IUB Library — DVD and online streaming.]

Great Invisible  (2014) 92 minutes. Ro*Co Films. DVD. Available from http://www.rocofilms.com. English subtitles, does not include captioning. The high price of our dependence upon fossil fuel is made visible in this examination of the BP Deepwater oil spill. [Owned by IUB Library – DVD.]

India’s Daughter  (2015) 62 minutes. Women Make Movies. DVD. Available fromhttp://www.wmm.com. English subtitles, does not include captioning. India questions its traditional gender roles following the brutal rape of a young medical student. [Owned by IUB Library — DVD.]

Kill Team  (2015) 79 minutes. Bullfrog Films. DVD. Available fromhttp://www.bullfrogfilms.com/ and various distributors. Includes SDH. A whistleblower reports on war crimes committed by members of his platoon in Afghanistan. [Owned by IUB Library – online streaming.]

Missing Picture  (2013) 96 minutes. Strand Releasing. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH. Atrocities of Cambodian labor camps under the Khmer Rouge are reimagined with archival footage and clay figurines. [Owned by IUB Library – DVD.]

Punk Singer  (2013) 82 minutes. MPI. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH.  Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of Bikini Kill and LeTigre, co-creates the riot grrrl movement and influences a third wave of feminism.

Salt of the Earth  (2015) 110 minutes. Sony. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH.  Photographer Sebastian Salgado travels the globe documenting humanity, inhumanity, and nature.

The Square  (2013) 109 minutes. City Drive Films. DVD. Available from various distributors. English subtitles, does not include captioning. Activists in Cairo Egypt’s Tahrir Square experience victories and defeats as they advocate for democracy and freedom over the course of two years. [Owned by the IUB Library – DVD.]

Watchers of the Sky  (2014) 121 minutes. Music Box Pictures. DVD. Available from various distributors. Includes SDH.  United Nations workers continue the life mission of Raphael Lemkin, a pioneer in the field of human rights and international law. [Owned by IUB Library —  online streaming.]

Web: Connecting Is Just the Beginning  (2013) 84 minutes. Sundial Pictures. DVD. Available from http://sundial-pictures.com. English subtitles, does not include captioning. After receiving laptops, villagers in rural Peru and a filmmaker teach each other about interconnectivity. [Owned by IUB Library — online streaming.]

Whole Gritty City  (2014) 89 minutes. Band Room Productions. DVD. Available fromhttp://alexanderstreet.com/. Does not include captioning.  New Orleans marching bands give student musicians purpose as they face challenges of adolescence. [Owned by IUB Library —  online streaming.]

Be sure to check back with Media Services for availability of titles.  “We Like to Watch!” (an old ALA VRT motto!)

~ Monique Threatt

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