Amal

Who Killed Fourth Ward?

Originally founded as Freedman’s Town after the Civil War, The Fourth Ward is one of the oldest and most culturally significant black communities in Houston, Texas. In the 1970s, the city along with big business interests planned to redevelop the Fourth Ward in order to revitalize the dilapidated real estate and freshen the image of downtown Houston. The price of progress in this case would be the removal of many poor black families. The film explores a complex series of encounters with elected city officials, businessmen and the people of Fourth Ward in order to better understand how a city like Houston works. Who makes the decisions about where resources are spent and so determines the growth and wealth of the community.

A Few Notes on Our Food Problem

"This Oscar-nominated short subject documentary film discusses the issue of how to feed a growing world population. The film, which was shot in locations around the globe, including Brazil, Uganda, India, and Taiwan, was directed by James Blue" (US National Archives).

The Olive Trees of Justice

The son of a French colonialist in Algeria returns to Algeria after learning that his father is ill. Memories from childhood return. He also must deal with some problems involving the Algerian fight for independence.

The March

The March, also known as The March to Washington, is a 1964 documentary film by James Blue about the 1963 civil rights March on Washington. It was made for the Motion Picture Service unit of the United States Information Agency for use outside the United States – the 1948 Smith-Mundt Act prevented USIA films from being shown domestically without a special act of Congress. In 1990 Congress authorized these films to be shown in the U.S. twelve years after their initial release. In 2008, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (Wikipedia)

Paris at Dawn

Johan van der Keuken's first film is a uniquely beautiful portrait of Paris at dawn.

Hawaii

Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley and takes her to the exotic island kingdom of Hawaii, intent on converting the natives. But the clash between the two cultures is too great and instead of understanding there comes tragedy.

Clio Capers

"Clio Capers" is a short film about the Clio Club, the Latin club James Blue belonged to at Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon. The film features "Jupiter" and his fellow immortals atop Mt. Olympus looking back through the "Clio scrapbook," actual home movie footage James Blue shot of club activities between 1946-1948. Originally shot on 8mm film. No sound.

Boran Herdsmen

This film demonstrates the time-honored solutions to the problems associated with the Boran's dependence on cattle for living. Direct government intervention and the indirect impact of modernization are forcing the old patterns to change. The film depicts herding practices, movement patterns, watering strategies, and the lifestyle of the herdsmen. The film has special currency for issues in rural development and agricultural, environmental, and human adaption.

Evil Wind Out

"Evil Wind Out" (1963) was written, directed, and narrated by James Blue, with cinematography by Stevan Larner. "This film shows how a Colombian public health service doctor overcomes superstition in a backward village, and, through health education and proper treatment, he is able to significantly reduce the village's infant mortality rate. This results in a demand for a clinic, which the people of the village build with assistance from the Colombian government under the Alliance for Progress. This is the third of three films directed by James Blue for the Alliance for Progress - Colombia" (National Archives). The film was produced by the United States Information Agency (USIA) for audiences outside of the United States.

A Letter from Colombia

"A Letter from Colombia" (1963) was written, directed, and narrated by James Blue, with cinematography by Stevan Larner. "This film illustrates the growing awareness by Colombians of the things they can do for themselves with government assistance under the Alliance for Progress program. The film shows the introduction of modern techniques in land reform and public housing and the progress made by the Colombian people. This is the second of three films directed by James Blue for the Alliance for Progress - Colombia" (National Archives). The film was produced by the United States Information Agency (USIA) for audiences outside of the United States.

Boran Women

Traditionally confined to the roles of life-givers, nurturers and homemakers, Boran women of Kenya are slowly realizing the importance of education and the difference it can make in their lives. They attach great importance to the traditional role of women in a herding society and perform dawn to dusk tasks with little deviation from customary ways. Remarkable though is the obvious independence they demonstrate in performing tasks which normally would fall under the male domain, like building their own houses. The film is principally observational with occasional segments in which the women speak directly to the camera.

The School at Rincon Santo

"The School at Rincon Santo" (1963) was written, directed, and narrated by James Blue as part of his "Colombia Trilogy." Stevan Larner is the film's cinematographer. Its subject concerns the people of the mountain village of Rincon Santo, Colombia, in which the townspeople came together to build a community school with the support of Alliance for Progress funding. The film was produced by the United States Information Agency (USIA) for audiences outside of the United States.

Harambee: Pull Together

Harambee is a traditional Swahili chant meaning heave-ho or pull together the slogan for a united Kenya. Harambee Day or Independence Day is celebrated in this small town in North Kenya with political speeches and an auction at the native school. The film shows how North Kenya- isolated for years- tries to adapt to the new concept of nationhood. Government officials from South Kenya are appointed as ambassadors to spread the idea of national unity to a people unaccustomed to it.

Sahara

Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt, a former Navy SEAL, sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a confederate ironclad battleship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.

I Am Cuba

A study in contrasts set in and around Havana that explores Cuba's 1959 revolution: a young woman's fascination with the excess of an American-owned casino leads to her downfall in the eyes of her street vendor boyfriend; a tenant farmer revolts the only way he knows how, attacking the land he works; university students gain first-hand knowledge of political upheaval; and, in the hills outside the city, the members of a poor peasant family are patriotically swept up into the burgeoning revolt.

Foxes

A group of friends come of age in the asphalt desert of the San Fernando Valley, as set to a blazing soundtrack and endless drinking, drugs and sex.

Far from Men

A French teacher in a small Algerian village during the Algerian War forms an unexpected bond with a dissident who is ordered to be turned in to the authorities.

Taxi for Tobruk

During World War II, French Commandos join forces with a German officer in order to survive the African desert.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.