Political Media Offered by Penn State Media Sales
| Capital of Earth: The Maroons of Moore Town More on DVD Version | This historical documentary, filmed in Jamaica, focuses on the Maroons, direct descendants of escaped African slaves who formed rebel communities in the Blue Mountains. After a hundred years of guerrilla warfare against the British, they won freedom and political autonomy. Illustrates aspects of their unique and original West African heritage that are now at odds with the pressures of modern social and economic change. Directed and produced by Jefferson Miller. |
| Exploring Language: Thinking, Writing, Communicating -- Apes and Language More on DVD Version | This series has a dual purpose: to explore the social, psychological, and political implications of language and to teach the fundamentals of clear, concise writing. In the first program, a debate over whether apes are capable of language includes comments by some of the leading animal language researchers: Herbert Terrace, Roger Fouts, and Duane Rumbaugh. Produced by the International University Consortium. |
| Exploring Language: Thinking, Writing, Communicating -- The Rhyme and Reason of Politics More on DVD Version | Senator S.I. Hayakawa, former Senator Eugene McCarthy, Professor of Political Rhetoric Kathleen Jameson, and political media consultant Tony Schwartz analyze the persuasive powers of political speeches, including those of Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, and comment on the impact of recent social factors such as Vietnam, Watergate, and televised political commercials. |
| Magical Death More on DVD Version | Focuses on the role of an older Yanomamo Indian, Dedeheiwa, who is a prominent political leader and renowned shaman from a village in the Orinoco River area of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil. Documents the activities that take place in a two-day period during which Dedeheiwa organizes many of the co-villagers in a joint magical attack on the souls of children in a distant village. Shows use of hallucinogenic snuff by shamans. Suited for courses relating religious activities to political and social organization. (Ref: Chagnon, N.A., Studying the Yanomamo, NY: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1974.) Also see The Feast (31606) and Yanomamo: A Multi-Disciplinary Study (50259). From the Yanomamo series. Napoleon Chagnon. Blue Ribbon winner, American Film Festival. |
| Managing Globally: 1 -- Global Business: An Overview More on DVD Version | This twelve-part series reviews the economic, political, and cultural environment affecting the growth of international marketing, competition, and the management of multinational corporations. The first program examines the expansion of U.S.-owned businesses in the world marketplace, and highlights volume of export sales and the overseas operations of production facilities. Partners in an architectural firm describe projects in Indonesia and Turkey. Host: Fran Dorn. Produced by the University ofMaryland's Office of Instructional Development. |
| Managing Globally: 12 -- Global Business: The Future More on DVD Version | Speculates on the opportunities and challenges of the future in the global economy. Will tomorrow bring stiffer competition? How will economic and political conditions affect businesses? Executives and futurists predict what the coming years may hold for international business and trade. |
| Nomads on the Savanna More on DVD Version | Ethnographic study of the Hawazma Baggara, cattle pastoralists in the Sudan, during the rainy season. Shows a variety of activities: building houses and sun shelters, milking and marketing, animal husbandry, political meetings, feasts, and afternoon socializing. The program, recorded in South Kordofan, Sudan, was shot on Super-8 film and retains filmic quality in its video format. Anthropologist and writer: Barbara J. Michael, University of Alabama. |
| Palettes: "The Flagellation of Christ" More on DVD Version | Piero della Francesca's painting is considered one of the most mysterious in the history of art. Although approximately thirty hypotheses have been formulated in attempts to explain its political meaning, "Flagellation," probably executed between 1450 and 1460, still remains an enigma. The work, bold in its restraint, is considered a manifesto of Renaissance thought. |
| Quest for Peace: Hans Bethe More on DVD Version | Hans Bethe of Cornell University, a Nobel laureate in physics, discusses the impotence of political mechanisms in the face of new technological developments, applies the laws of physics to the new technology associated with strategic defense, and questions whether new technology can re-create a world environment that existed prior to the first atomic bomb. |
| Quest for Peace: Richard Falk More on DVD Version | Richard Falk, professor of international law at Princeton University, discusses the revival of political democracy as a move toward a just world order and offers an assessment of U.S. foreign policy since World War II as it pertains to the prevention of a third world war. |
| Tapir Distribution More on DVD Version | A prominent Yanomamo headman of southern Venezuela kills a tapir and presents it to his brothers-in-law, who comprise an important political bloc in the village, as a gift designed to reinforce a shaken alliance. Shows the preparation and distributionof meat along dominance and kinship lines. Also see Meat Fight (21770) for cross-cultural comparisons. From the Yanomamo series. Timothy Asch and Napoleon Chagnon. |
| This Constitution: A History -- The Rise and Fall of Prohibition More on DVD Version | Looks at one of the most controversial episodes in the history of the American Constitution: the attempt to regulate alcohol consumption through an amendment to the Constitution. Operates on three levels: A concern with the historical tension between social demands and constitutional authority; a case study in constitutional politics -- the effort to use the authority of the Constitution to secure certain political goals; and an investigation of how a constitution retains its legitimacy in times of massive social change. |
| Trobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism More on DVD Version | An ethnographic documentary about cultural creativity among the Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea. Shows how the Trobrianders have taken the very controlled game of British cricket, first introduced by missionaries, and changed it into an outlet for mock warfare and intervillage competition, political reputation building among leaders, erotic dancing and chanting, and riotous fun. The game is a gigantic nonverbal message about peoples' attitudes and experiences under colonialism. Produced by Jerry W. Leach. Blue Ribbon winner, American Film Festival. |
| Women, Men, and Media: Sex, Lies, and Politics More on DVD Version | In this December 1991 panel discussion held under the auspices of the Women, Men, and Media organization, reporters and political activists examine media portrayals of women candidates and gender-related issues; namely, "character," or more precisely, the relevance of the sex lives of politicians. The panel ponders such questions as: Have women reporters been the moving force behind questions of character and personal conduct? Have women forced family issues into the mainstream? |
| Pennsylvania Parade #146 - The Powers that Be: Strictly Political More on DVD Version | THE POWERS THAT BE is a series of ten half-hour documentaries which chronicles the daily work world of three commissioners of a rural Pennsylvania County (Clinton County.) The series illustrates the practical political problems that best elected officials of small-to-medium size local governments. This program introduces the county, the three commissioners, and the nature of elective office. The burden of the program is on describing the political background in which the commissioners operate, beginning with their Inauguration Day. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural lAmerica Documentary series. |
| Pennsylvania Parade #148 - The Powers that Be #5: Search for Success More on DVD Version | THE POWERS THAT BE is a series of ten half-hour documentaries which chronicles the daily work world of three commissioners of a rural Pennsylvania County (Clinton County.) The series illustrates the practical political problems that best elected officials of small-to-medium size local governments. Clinton County is plagued by high unemployment and a dwindling industrial base. The commissioners are committed to activating economic development. The problem is how? Other agencies within the county have been trying to do the same thing for years. Businessmen's and development groups are suspicious of the intentions of the commissioners, and there is competition from surrounding counties. The commissioners run headlong into politics, old animosities, and turf protection. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural lAmerica Documentary series. |
| Pennsylvania Parade #147: The Powers that Be #2: Emergency More on DVD Version | THE POWERS THAT BE is a series of ten half-hour documentaries which chronicles the daily work world of three commissioners of a rural Pennsylvania County (Clinton County.) The series illustrates the practical political problems that best elected officials of small-to-medium size local governments. A flood threatens Clinton County and the commissioners are on the scene throughout the night monitoring rising water levels. They observe information-flow problems, miscommunication, and noncooperation among the agencies and persons responsible for flood management. At stake is the public's welfare: property and (perhaps) lives. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural lAmerica Documentary series. |
| A Death to Pay For: Individual Voices More on DVD Version | Papua New Guinea has undergone tremendous socio-political upheaval and change in this century. In particular, dramatic cultural shifts occurred from the 1970's to the 1990's. A Death To Pay For articulately captures these often painful transitions within a series of interviews following a drunken melee and murder of a young man. 100 page booklet and discussion questions for teachers included. |
| Staying Afloat More on DVD Version | What can therapists do to protect themselves? This program explains how to avoid mistakes that can contribute to problems, how to defend a suit, and what preventive measures to take. Topics include getting informed consent, maintaining the therapeutic alliance, avoiding undue influence, knowing the relevant literature, and taking appropriate notes. Consultation, collegial support, and political action are also discussed. |
| Pennsylvania Parade #132 - U. S. Chronicle: Country Radio/ Coa l Operator's Turn More on DVD Version | Country Radio - "If it ain't country, it ain't music." That's Dean Sharpless, station manager, chief engineer, and mid-day disk jockey at WPHB, a 5000-watt daytime-only radio station in Philipsburg, PA. Brother Sheldon is sales manager and early-morning DJ; he takes requests, makes dedications, tells corny jokes, and tries to keep local residents smiling their way to work. In a world of slick-rock formats and motor-mouthed DJs, WPHB is a time-warp, an out-of-the-mainstream mixture of local store owners doing their own commercials, syndicated religious programs with faithful local followings, "Keeping it country!" music, and promotions for the latest station-sponsored vacation tour. Good natured, somewhat daffy, locally successful: that's WPHB, and it is country. Coal Operator's Turn - "You can't separate business and politics." Alan Walker believes and practices that maxim. Walker has both business and political problems, and he is sometimes angry about them. His coal company has been pressed hard by state and local strip mine regulations---"You're gonna lose your business, one way or another"--- conservation groups---"Maybe we can't afford to do everything now."---and critics of the coal industry ---"It's very naive of people to think that businesses can run without making money. It just doesn't work out that way!" But Alan Walker is not a capitalist dinosaur; he's a young, hard-working, articulate businessman with plausible explanations for his actions and reasoned answers for his critics. Coal is a major Pennsylvania industry, and Walker is a rational spokesman, taking his turn in the public forum. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural lAmerica Documentary series. |
| Pennsylvania Parade #149: The Powers That Be #8 and 9: The Albatross More on DVD Version | THE POWERS THAT BE is a series of ten half-hour documentaries which chronicles the daily work world of three commissioners of a rural Pennsylvania County (Clinton County.) The series illustrates the practical political problems that best elected officials of small-to-medium size local governments. SusqueView, the county nursing home, has been an emotional/political/financial problem...an albatross...to the county for years. There have been charges of political favoritism in hiring staff members and in granting admission to the home; there was a long, acrimonious legal battle to remove the home from the control of lay trustees and place control in the hands of the commissioners; there have been many squabbles over funding the home between the lay trustees and past commissioners, and -- later -- among the commissioners themselves; and there have been funding disputes with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Produced by P.J. O'Connell for Penn State Television / WPSX-TV. Rural America Documentary project. |
| PA Parade # 116 She's the Chief More on DVD Version | Documentary portrait of Ms. Linda Weaver and the Johnstown police. Weaver's political and personal challenges, her relationship with her force (more than 50% of them rookies) and her commitment to the town in which she was born and raised are all elements explored in She's the Chief. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting. Rural lAmerica Documentary series. |
| Pennsylvania Parade #150 – The Powers that Be #7: Garbage! 100th Day More on DVD Version | The Powers that Be is a series of ten half-hour documentaries which chronicles the daily work world of three commissioners of a rural Pennsylvania County (Clinton County.) The series illustrates the practical political problems that best elected officials of small-to-medium size local governments. Garbage - Pennsylvania state law requires local communities (municipalities, boroughs, townships) to devise solid waste disposal plans for the future. The commissioners attempt to persuade the local communities to create a unified plan for the county, but they face opposition from the communities and from local refuse haulers. The 100th Day - After more than three months in office, the commissioners have encountered a number of serious problems and have made initial efforts at solutions. All of them resurface in the commissioners' office, in one form or another, on the final day of shooting. The final program gives an update on the commissioners' efforts on solid waste planning, the disaster warning system, fiscal problems at the county nursing home, economic development -- and politics. Produced by P J O'Connell for Penn State Public Broadcasting and The Rural America Documentary Project. © 1985 |
| Naming the Nightmare: The Journey Back from 9/11 Part 2 - Understanding Islam More on DVD Version | ©2002 Produced by Betsy Hutton Islam is the fastest growing world religion. An estimated 1.2 billion people in the world are Muslim. Learn about the history of Muhammad and the spread of Islam, the five pillars of Islam and the development of Islam as a political force. |
| Naming the Nightmare: The Journey Back from 9/11 Parts 1- 4 More on DVD Version | ©2002 Produced by Betsy Hutton Part 1: Terrorism What conditions give rise to terrorism? This program explores the historical background of terrorism, the Reign of Terror, the assassin phenomenon and how terrorim is a global issue. Part 2: Understanding Islam Islam is the fastest growing world religion. An estimated 1.2 billion people in the world are Muslim. Learn about the history of Muhammad and the spread of Islam, the five pillars of Islam and the development of Islam as a political force. Part 3: Waging War The American government is waging a two-front war on terrorism at home and abroad. On the battlefield, new technology, and tactics and an elusive target are changing the way we fight wars. At home, security precautions are raising concerns about civil liberties. Part 4: People Who Keep Us Safe Firefighters, police and rescue workers risk their lives every day. The CDC scrambles to keep up with the latest in bio-warfare. The FBI and CIA analyze clues and conduct surveillance to prevent terroristic threats. Find out how they develop new strategies and why they are committed to their work. |
| Legal Issues in Trauma Therapy II: Strategies and Standards More on DVD Version | Recent years have seen a vigorous and well publicized against sexual abuse survivors and their therapists, exemplified by the false memory of movement. Laura Brown, David Calof, and Alan Scheflin describe the essence of the false memory attack, and explore how therapists can modify their procedures in order to protect themselves. Four therapists who have undergone legal harassment tell their stories. Discusses the kinds of mistakes that can contribute to problems, how to defend a suit, and what preventative measures to take. Topics include getting informed consent, maintaining the therapeutic alliance, knowing when to refer, taking appropriate notes, and staying current in the field. Consultation, collegial support, media contacts, and political action are also covered. |
| Legal Issues in Trauma Therapy I: The Memory Wars, II: Strategies and Standards More on DVD Version | Recent years have seen a vigorous and well publicized action against sexual abuse survivors and their therapists, exemplified by the false memory of movement. Laura Brown, David Calof, and Alan Scheflin describe the essence of the false memory attack, and explore how therapists can modify their procedures in order to protect themselves. Four therapists who have undergone legal harassment tell their stories. I: The Memory Wars Examine the motives and tactics of the false memory movement, and its effect on providing care for trauma survivors. Topics include defamation and harassment of therapists, lawsuits by patients and family members, complaints to licensing boards, and the targeting of prominent figures in the field of trauma work. 49 minutes II: Strategies and Standards Discusses the kinds of mistakes that can contribute to problems, how to defend a suit, and what preventative measures to take. Topics include getting informed consent, maintaining the therapeutic alliance, knowing when to refer, taking appropriate notes, and staying current in the field. Consultation, collegial support, media contacts, and political action are also covered. |
| Lasansky: Inside the Image More on DVD Version | This powerful tribute to the legendary craftsman allows you to enjoy the personality and works of Mauricio Lasansky as he opens his print room to you. "There is no point in being an artist unless everything you do is done with love for your work," Lasansky explains as he expresses his desire to help students learn the need for a passionate involvement in their works. Lasansky: Inside the Image explores how such passion drove the young, struggling artist from his native Argentina when he felt the artistic constraints of a stifling political atmosphere. When he knew it was time to seek freedom and have the chance to make it as an artist, he moved to the land of opportunity, America! Lasansky: Inside the Image follows him as he develops his unique, innovative style, inevitably gaining international recognition for the Nazi Drawings he produced in the 1960s. This insightful program probes Lasansky, the man -- whose strong sense of family and work ethic molded his dream to be the best he could be. It explores his career as an educator as he receives more Guggenheim Awards (5) than any other artist. Finally, it portrays the perfect setting for his talents: at a major university where, as a teacher, innovator, and artist, he helps inexperienced students like he once was himself, and develops one of the best printmaking departments in the country. Lasansky: Inside the Image enlightens and enriches every audience. This in-depth program displays the techniques and the colorful, intense, powerful work of Mauricio Lasansky, but most of all it exposes the wonderful philosophy that is Lasansky and provides us with a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the world's great artists. Mauricio Lasansky - artist, teacher, printmaker Born in Buenos Aires in 1914, Mauricio Lasansky was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (one of his 5) in 1943 to study in the United States. Later he became Professor of Art at The University of Iowa. He gained fame in the 1960's with his Nazi Drawings, but is primarily known for his contributions to the art of printmaking. His prints are housed in scores of public collections throughout the world. |
| Blood and Oil: The Middle East in World War I More on DVD Version | Except for the Dardanelles/Gallipoli campaigns, the extensive combat operations in the Middle East during World War I have been largely overlooked in documentary programs. Given the historical significance of the Ottoman Empire's demise in 1918, and the ongoing importance of Middle Eastern oil reserves to Western economies, a close study of this conflict provides two important lessons: 1.The Treaty of Versailles, agreed to by the Western Powers in 1919, paved the way for military and political chaos in the Middle East, which continues to this very day. 2.Oil reserves in the Middle East became an important strategic concern for Western Powers, helping to justify their economic, diplomatic and military interference in the region. After the end of World War I, most of the Ottoman Empire was carved up into “spheres of influence”, controlled mostly by the British and French. The remaining territories became the modern state of Turkey in 1923 - after a five-year struggle by Turkish nationalists against Western domination. With little regard for cultural, historical, religious and demographic considerations, the West sponsored the creation of several new nations: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Thus, a “tinderbox” was built from Western greed, igniting a multitude of wars, revolts, coups and military occupations that truly have made the defeat of the Ottoman Empire little more than a hollow victory. |
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