FILM, VIDEO, DVD: ALPHABETICAL LISTINGS
A B C D E F G H I J K L MN O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Film, Video, DVD: C
Cage and Cunningham ED-558
95 min / 1991 / VHS
College through adult
American composer John Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham
forged a collaborative artistic relationship that made them legends
of off-center performance and spanned decades. Exciting footage
from their shows and interviews with them, colleagues, students,
and fans show their dedication and philosophies.
Cahokia Mounds: Ancient Metropolis ED-417
60 min / color / 1994 / CAM / VHS
High school through adult
Before America was discovered, while Europe was in the midst of the Dark Ages, a Native American civilization thrived in what is now the United States’ mid-western region. Cahokia, distinctive for its unique system of mound structures and tens of thousands of citizens, was the major urban center of this civilization. This video focuses on Cahokia, its architecture, people, and customs.
Cajun Country: Don’t Drop the Potato ED-346
58 min / color / 1992 / PFP / VHS
Middle school through adult
Folklorist Alan Lomax traces the history of the Cajun people, French-speaking Louisianians whose rich culture is full of tall tales and zesty zydeco music.
Calder’s Little Circus ED-58
19 min / color / c.1968/ RC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
In this classic program, the artist Alexander Calder performs on one of his famous wire-sculpture circuses in Paris. The film gives great insight into the character of Calder while also providing a more thorough understanding of his sculpture and drawings. This program may be shown with the companion The Works of Calder.
The Candid Image: A Portrait of Erich Salomon
50 min/ 1992 / VHS
College through adult
With hidden camera and often while hidden, in the 1930s, Salomon photographed murderers in courtrooms, German chancellor Von Hindenburg, and tempestuous conductor Toscanini in performance. He not only had stealth to capture pictures of hard-to-find subjects but did it with artistic flair. Salomon died at Auschwitz during WW II. This video tells his story and augments with photos made from negatives he had hidden from the Nazis.
Canon PE-8
9 min / color / 1963 / IFB / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
This film presents a visual equivalent of the musical form known as the canon. Colors and shapes represent the different voice parts, and designs illustrate movement patterns and intervals. Norman McLaren’s ironic sense of humor adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of this short film.
Career Day: Fine Art series
3 parts; times vary / 1993 / CRYS / VHS
High school through adult
Interviews with working artists and those in related fields to help students assess their art career aspirations.
1. General Art Appraiser, Gallery Owner, Two Independent Artists (33 min) FAC-1
2. Production Sculptor, Potter, Printmaker (28 min) FAC-2
3. Education Art Restorer, Art Historian, High School Art Teacher (28 min) FAC-3
Caravaggio: Genius on the Run WA-633
38 min / 1999 / VHS
College through adult
Caravaggio's life was just as dramatic as the tones in his paintings.
This film follows him from his early influences of art in Milan
to his rise of stardom in Rome. He was a rebel in the art world
for using real models to revolutionize his religious themed work.
However he was a real rebel of society because the law always
seemed to follow him throughout his life even though he was constantly
being praised for his work.
Career Opportunities in the Fine Arts ED-392
23 min / color / 1993 / LUC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This trip through today’s art world goes behind the scenes of the gallery system and art markets around the country. Aspiring young artists discuss the problems they have encountered and suggest ways in which to improve portfolios and present them. Interviews with art dealers and galley owners complete this intriguing look at a very competitive career field.
The Carnival of the Animals ED-352
27 min / color / 1984 / CORF / VHS
Preschool through middle school
French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ The Carnival of the Animals comes alive in this rendition performed by the Mormon Youth Symphony. Combined with the verses of Ogden Nash and narrated by Gary Burghoff, this salute to “feather, fur, and fins” is especially suited for young music lovers. This is a fascinating look at the animal kingdom.
Carrie Mae Weems: Framing AT-78 NEW!
28 min /1992/ DVD
Middle elementary through adult
Framing as an element of composition can change the focal point and meaning of a picture. Photographer Carrie Mae Weems demonstrates the usefulness of framing to children in clear and thought-provoking manner. Comic magicians Penn & Teller provide clever emphasis to the topic designed to instill creative and critical thinking skills. Subtitled for hearing impaired.
The Case of the Grinning Cat by Chris Marker NEW!
58 min /2004/ DVD
College through adult
Chris Marker, a French cinema-essayist reflects on the art, culture, and politics at the start of the new millennium. He explores his personal engagement with Paris through the urban scenes, political interactions, and commentary that reflect his interest in how art and poetry are connected to the urban streets.
Caspar David Friedrich: The Boundaries of Time WA-363
40 min / color / 1988 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
This program presents an intimate look at the life and work of one of the great German Romantic artists. The musical score echoes the power of Friedrich’s large masterpieces, fulfilling the artist’s own desire to have his paintings viewed with classical music. Based on writings by Friedrich’s friend and pupil, C.G. Carus, and Friedrich himself, this is a beautiful collage of the Romantic world seen through the artist’s eyes.
Casting Small Figures in Bronze AT-38
18 min / color / 1989 / MMA / VHS
Middle school through adult
Jack Witt, a sculptor and teacher living in Ashland, Virginia, introduces the technique of lost-wax bronze casting through the step-by-step creation of a small figure. As he works, he imparts his thoughts and feelings about lost wax as a process and bronze as a medium.
Cathedral ED-288
60 min / color / 1985 / PBSV / VHS/DVD
High school through adult
This award-winning animated film, hosted by author David Macaulay, takes us into the heart of a medieval town in the year 1214. The town’s church has just burned, but miraculously the cloak of the Virgin Mary, the church’s precious relic, was saved. In order to pay homage to their Patroness, the townspeople construct a great cathedral. Through a combination of fine animation and live shots, Macaulay reveals in detail how cathedrals were planned and constructed, where the revenue to build and maintain such projects came from, and how cathedrals functioned as microcosms of medieval life. Recommended for students of history, art history, architecture, and animation.
Cathedral Engineers WA-208
28 min / color / 1984 / FL / VHS
High school through adult
Armed only with simple tools and rudimentary mathematics, how did skilled artisans create the wonders in glass and stone that are the cathedrals of Bourges, Chartres, and Bouvais? Architectural historian Robert Mark demonstrates the intricacies of barrel vaults and flying buttresses. He shows how the massive walls and small windows of the Romanesque period gave way to the soaring structures of Gothic cathedrals. The film is appropriate for general audiences and is of special interest to students of Medieval art, architecture, and history.
The Cathedral of Speyer WA-278
18 min / color / 1983 / EBEC /VHS
High school through adult
Soaring high above the Rhine River, the Cathedral of Speyer captures the dignified and somber essence of Romanesque architecture. Named for a nearby German city, the cathedral dates to 1025. No earlier building shows such a large-scale concept and accurate execution of the Romanesque style. Historical photographs and drawings enhance this lesson in the rudiments of Romanesque architecture, as viewers witness the architectural evolution of one of the world’s most impressive ecclesiastical monuments.
The Caves of Altamira WA-423
26 min / color / 1989 / FFH / VHS/DVD
Middle school through adult
The 20,000-year-old caves of Altamira, Spain, are among the greatest and the least known of the monuments of prehistory. Closed to visitors to prevent disintegration, the caves are known only through a replica located in the Archaelogical Museum in Madrid. This tour of Altamira shows the cave paintings in their extraordinary power. The camera is able to clarify what the naked eye cannot: the artistic relationship between the caves themselves and the art with which these proto-Spaniards decorated them.
Cel Mates ED-366
12 min / color / 1992 / NFBC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This clever film within a film is aptly subtitled Talking About Brad Caslor, Richard Condie and Cordell Barker (and What They Do). These 3 animators have won over 50 international awards and are referred to as “the three Cs of animation.” The viewer is treated to a most humorous examination of the basics of animation using examples from their works, and we come to appreciate the type of personality that willingly commits to a life of solitude for the sake of art. Just don’t expect to see much of the animators in this film because, in addition to being really talented, they are also really shy!
Celebrating Malissia WA-335
17 min / color / 1990 / VM / VHS
Middle school through adult
Malissia Lee Surface, born in 1889 in Blacksburg, Virginia, was a mountain woman who led a reclusive life, removed from many of the cultural changes of the 20th century. This program is a verbal and visual portrait of Malissia by her friend, Virginia artist Joni Pienkowski. Through the artist’s sketches, drawings, and personal reminiscences, the viewer is given a glimpse of the unusual and enviable relationship that existed between the artist and her subject. Vintage photographs and traditional mountain music enhance a sensitive video portrait of this intriguing and elusive woman.
Cézanne: The Man and His Mountain WA-361
58 min / color / 1989 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
This program focuses on French artist Paul Cézanne’s use of a single image-Mont St. Victoire in Provence-to define form, color, and light in his paintings. Richly illustrated with many of Cézanne’s works and with views of the Provence countryside, the story opens with the artist at 67, at odds with both peers and critics, and traces his career to his final recognition by some art historians as “the father of modern painting.”
Cezanne in Provence WA-629
57 min / 2006 / DVD
High school through adult
Paul Cezanne was the painter who Picasso called "the father of us all" as a tribute to his incredibly vast influence over those artists who came after him. As a child, Cezanne played and explored through the Provence region of France. This superb PBS production captures the breathtaking beauty of Cezanne's beloved home and the vital link it had to his paintings and his entire life.
The Chaco Legacy WA-429
60 min / color / 1981 / PBS / VHS
Middle school through adult
Travel back 900 years to uncover the puzzling sophistication and technological genius of the Chaco Canyon inhabitants. How did this civilization build complex and comprehensive projects like a network of roads connecting 70 outlying communities? Anthropologists believe the Chaco civilization was an ingenious technological society that subsequently collapsed because of the gradual depletion of its resource bases.
Chagall “To Russia, Asses and Others” NEW!
51 min /2003/ DVD
High school through adult
Marc Chagall was critiqued for a lack of technique, for naïveté, yet this film reveals the depth of his aesthetic and talent. Traveling from Russia to France to America and then back again, his work was continually reflective of his Jewish life and upbringing. Through archival film footage and readings of his words, the viewer comes to understand Chagall when he said, “The artist transcribes only what we possess, not what we see.”
A Chairy Tale ED-31
10 min / b&w / 1958 / IFB / 16mm
Preschool through adult
Norman McLaren is the inspired creator of this amusing film. A young man tries to sit in a kitchen chair, but the chair declines to be sat upon. The ensuing struggle for mastery and understanding forms the story. This entertaining film is well suited to discussions about sharing and compromise.
Changeling ED-135
9 min / color / 1975 / PFI / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
Changeling is a tale of a young penguin in the Antarctic, shunned by his fellow birds because of his strange coloring. When the others cluster around the TV set for their favorite programs, he is shoved aside, forced to remain alone. Suddenly, a helicopter appears and the young penguin is trapped and carried far away. Later, the others see him on television and he becomes an instant hero. When he returns home, it is as a celebrity. This moral fable provides entertainment as well as food for thought and discussion.
The Changing Audience for Theater PE-55
26 min / color / 1989 / FFHS / VHS
High school through adult
In the fifty years separating the Greek playwright Aeschylus from the later works of Euripides, classical Greek theater changed. Plays had been performed in honor of the god Dionysus and for the enjoyment of spectators. Now they were targeted at audiences who took pleasure in the spectacle itself. Where once the play set the stage and described the scene, actual sets later came into use-at first to stimulate imagination, later to imitate it. In Roman times, there were troupes of traveling actors, and by 100 A.D., the theater had acquired a permanent stage.
Charles M. Russell: An American Artist WA-186
19 min / color / 1982 / BARR / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
Among visual artists, Charles M. Russell (1864-1926) was one of the foremost in documenting the American West. By the time he was 16 he followed his dreams to the mountains and plains of Montana, where he lived the life of a hunter and cowboy. Sketching and modeling were just a hobby for him, but he captured the West exactly as he saw it. Over the next 40 years, Russell created a treasure of American art-a record of the West so rich and personal that it remains as vivid for us today as it was for him at the turn of the century.
Charles Smith’s “Block Painting” AT-1
25 min / color / 1961 / UVA / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
In this film, the noted Virginia painter and printmaker Charles Smith demonstrates “block painting,” a technique he invented. Many of his works are shown. This is an excellent accompaniment to the exhibition Charles Smith’s Zoo.
Chartres Cathedral WA-160
30 min / color / 1963 / EBEC / 16mm, VHS
High school through adult
Three periods of medieval architecture are represented in Chartres cathedral: Romanesque, Early Gothic, and Late Gothic. As John Canaday analyzes the seemingly contradictory elements that exist at Chartres, the cathedral becomes a glorious architectural embodiment of faith, intellect, and engineering.
Cherokee History Series
4 parts, times vary / 1994 / LUC / VHS
Middle school through adult
This four-part series is a comprehensive history of the Cherokee people from 1500 to 1900 using re-enactments, dramatizations, and actual photographs to relate the history. Produced by Cherokee Heritage Indian Educational Foundation. Telly Award Winner.
Native American Lifestyles, 1500-1820 (26 min) CH-1
The Cherokee Trail of Tears, 1825-1850 (13 min) CH-2
Cherokees and the Civil War, 1850-1870 (23 min) CH-3
A New Dawn for the Cherokees, 1865-1880 (20 min) CH-4
Chihuly Over Venice WA-587
90 min / 1999 / HV / VHS
College through adult
Acclaimed glass artist Dale Chihuly goes on a quest to the glass blowing centers of the world to create a magnificent and unique chandelier installation to hang over the canals and alleys of Venice, Italy. This beautiful video captures not only the elaborate craft of glass blowing but also the stunning scenery of Ireland, Mexico, and Venice.
Children in the Museum ED-215>
21 min / color / 1984 / SI / 3/4"vc
College through adult
(Available to nonmembers)
In excerpts from interviews with children in all types of museums, we hear their diverse interests as they respond with candor and charm. Prepared by Robert Wolf, Mary Ellen Munley, and Jane Glaser for the Smithsonian Institution. For museum educators and exhibition designers, or anyone else who works with children.
Chinese Art:
Treasures of the National Palace Museum OA-37
41 min / color / 1999 / FFH / VHS
High school through adult
Spotlights 33 works of seldom seen Chinese art. This informative video can provide insight into ancient Chinese life and traditions through these exquisite and rare works. Includes works from the Neolithic Period, and the Shang, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties.
The Chinese Word for Horse OA-34
12 min / color / 1987 / MG / VHS
Elementary school through adult
“The Chinese word for horse looks like a horse”-so begins a delightful, animated presentation of a Chinese fable about the meeting between horse and man. It is a fable in which the horse convinces man that, through cooperation and a little “horse sense,” man can prosper. The story is brought alive with the animation of the Chinese characters for all the elements in the tale. The characters, or pictograms, are currently used in China and have been a recognized written language since at least 200 B.C. Their simplicity and directness in telling the story dramatically illustrates how written language communicates ideas and thoughts. Beyond the enjoyment of a classic, timeless story, this film offers a unique opportunity to read and interpret written language as it first developed in simple, pictographic form.
Chinua Achebe WA-428
28 min / color / 1988 / PBS / VHS
Middle school through adult
Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe is the author of political essays and novels; a storyteller who weaves the fabric of memory into the music of history. Achebe is the president of the town council in his village in Nigeria. In this program, he discusses with Bill Moyers the impact of colonialism on his culture and relates that he began his own writing in reaction to certain stereotypes in western literature.
The Chosen One WA-384
26 min / color / 1991 / CAP / VHS
Middle school through adult
Once every 10 years, in the foothills of the great mountain Kilimanjaro in Kenya, the Kisongo Maasai install a new chief (Olaigwanani) of the Maasai Moran, the young warrior group. This videotape shows the actual installation of Joseph Ole Manto, “the chosen one.” Detailed preparations for the installation ceremony are shown, including face-painting and the elaborate greeting rituals performed for visiting members of other tribes. Joseph Ole Manto speaks about having to marry the old and the new as he recalls his decision to quit school and the prospects of a career in order to answer the call of duty, according to the wishes of his people. A lyrical soundtrack, based on the traditional rhythms of the Maasai, completes this glimpse at a rarely seen important tribal celebration.
Chris and the Magical Drip ED-136
24 min / color / 1978 / PFI / 16mm, VHS
Elementary school through adult
The annoying sound of a dripping faucet keeps Chris awake. When he finally does manage to drift off into a dream, he finds himself on a fascinating tour of the world of sound, with the ever-present Drip as his guide. For 11-year-old Chris, this adventure reveals the many ways that sound helps us to understand our world, leading him to appreciate the sounds we usually take for granted. Music by Neil Diamond, with a guest appearance by Vincent Price, and Stan Freberg as the omnipresent Drip. 1979 Emmy Award.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude WA-485
58 min / color / 1996 / BPI / VHS
High school through adult
Christo and Jeanne-Claude met in Paris in 1958, and so began an extraordinary adventure in art, a series of spectacular public art works in many parts of the world that reached its climax with the wrapping of the German parliament, the Reichstag, in Berlin in June 1995. While Christo alone is responsible for the drawings, collages, and other art works that generate the means to pay for the projects, Jeanne-Claude is at least an equal partner when it comes to the realization of these ideas. This portrait of the indefatigable duo reviews all their main projects since 1958: “Wrapped Coast” (Australia, 1969), “Valley Curtain (Colorado, 1972), “Running Fence” (California, 1976), “Surrounded Island” (Miami, 1982), “Pont Neuf” (Paris, 1985), “Umbrellas for Japan and California” (1992), and “Wrapped Reichstag” (1995). Major emphasis is placed on the struggle to obtain permission for the “Wrapped Reichstag” project, which took more than 20 years.
Christo: Ten Works in Progress WA-204
52 min / color / 1979 / BPI / 16mm
High school through adult
Christo, the Bulgarian-born artist who settled in New York in 1964, may well be one of this century’s most “public” artists. Urban landmarks and huge tracts of land have been transformed through Christo’s ingenious use of fabric and rope; his illustrious “wrappings” have shrouded motorcycles, magazines, bottles, entire buildings, islands, even sections of coastline. Ten Works in Progress documents some of Christo’s more daring projects of the past 15 years. He is seen at work wrapping a woman in plastic, unfurling his celebrated orange curtain between 2 mountains in Colorado, installing his 24-mile-long white fabric “fence” in northern California, and creating other temporary structures.
Christo’s Valley Curtain WA-290
28 min / color / 1974 / MAYSLES / 16mm / VHS / DVD
Middle school through adult
In August 1972, a curtain was hung in Rifle Gap, Colorado. It was no ordinary curtain. Made of 9 tons of orange nylon fabric, the curtain was a quarter of a mile long and was suspended 365 feet above the floor of Rifle Gap. It hung for 24 hours before the wind tore it to pieces. This magnificent creation was the work of Bulgarian-born New York artist Christo Javacheff. Documentary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles captured the drama of the hanging of the curtain along with negotiations with engineers, architects, politicians, and construction workers. Says one hard-hat: “‘It’s not the erection of it that’s important, it’s the thought.’” (Vincent Canby, The New York Times)
Chuck Close: Portrait in Progress WA-541
57 min / 1998 / HV / VHS/DVD
College through adult
Rising to notoriety in the Pop Art era with his gigantic-scale, close-up portraits of faces, Chuck Close has worked on the edge between abstraction and representation. This video follows his evolution as an artist from childhood through his tragic paralysis in 1988 and beyond. Close, despite the physical limitations, has devised methods of working that have allowed him to continue to marvel with his amazing studies in paint.
Chuck Davis: Dancing Through West Africa PE-38
28 min / color / FL / 1987 / VHS /DVD
Middle school through adult
Chuck Davis, an internationally renowned ethnic dancer, along with several other American dancers, is filmed in West Africa as the group encounters the traditional dances of Senegal and the Gambia. The film is an intimate and inspiring portrait of African dance and village life, celebrating life, movement, and a sense of community. It focuses upon 3 different tribes or ethnic groups (Wolof, Mandinka, and Diola), showing the warmth of the West African people and the importance of dance in their daily lives. The film concludes with a stimulating performance in the United States by Davis and the African-American Dance Ensemble.
Chuck Jones WA-463
26 min / color / 1994 / CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
“Eh, what’s up, Doc?” This phrase automatically conjures up images of Bugs Bunny, along with his good buddies Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. In this video we meet the person behind these clever and riotous cartoon characters, animator Chuck Jones. Viewers will love hearing how these lively animated characters came to be. During this interview, Jones also gives a small lesson in drawing as he re-creates several of his characters on paper.
Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens: A Life in Animation ED-453
85 min / 2000 / LV / VHS
Middle school through adult
In the great era of Hollywood cartoons, 1930s through 1950s, Warner Brothers Studios had a stable of loony, genius animation directors. Among them was Chuck Jones who worked up to his death at 90 and blended over-the-top humor with expert craftsmanship. Enjoy Mr. Jones’ wry commentary with many clips of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, and Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote.
Cinderella ED-191
40 min / color / 1983 / MG / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Through ballet, mime, music and puppet animation, this film charmingly retells the familiar Perrault fairy tale Cinderella. All characters in the film are portrayed by puppets, delicately animated frame-by-frame. The story is told entirely in mime and movement, with no narration, against a background score especially composed for the film. The marriage of music and animation results in a touching and humorous retelling of this most popular of children’s stories.
Circle Within the Square ED-518
52 min / 1989 / IM / VHS
High School through adult
Mimar Sinan was the prolific genius who created Islam’s greatest architecture in the 1500s, the classic Ottoman Empire style. Called Sinan (Spear Head) because he was so tall, he designed and built over 500 magnificent mosques, palaces, bridges, caravanserai, tombs, and public buildings, many for Sultan Suleyman. This film is a record of his life and beautiful works with good historic detail.
The Civil War
Varied; see below / color / 1990 / PBS / VHS / DVD
Middle school through adult
Produced by award-winning documentarian Ken Burns, The Civil War is widely considered the definitive film history of the war. It interweaves thousands of eloquent photographs and paintings with the words of those who lived through a war that shattered the Union and shaped a nation.
-
1. The Cause (99 min) CW-1
This first episode traces the causes of the war, rooted in the Cotton Kingdom of the South and the Northern abolitionists who opposed slavery. This segment explores the overriding issues of Union vs. states’ rights and the events that precipitated the war: John Brown’s raid, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and the firing on Fort Sumter in 1861.
2. A Very Bloody Affair (69 min) CW-2
Episode 2 begins with the political infighting that threatened Lincoln’s administration and then follows Gen. George McClellan’s ill-fated campaign on the Virginia Peninsula. During this episode, we witness the battle of ironclad ships, partake of camp life, watch slavery begin to crumble, and take part in the bloody battle of Shiloh.
3. Forever Free (76 min) CW-3
Convinced by July 1862 that emancipation was morally and militarily crucial to the future of the Union, Lincoln was forced to wait for a Union victory to issue his proclamation-but “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee saw to it that there were no Union victories to be had. This episode takes us to the banks of Antietam Creek and the bloodiest day of the war.
4. Simply Murder (62 min) CW-4
Episode 4 chronicles 3 important battles: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Vicksburg. Lee loses his right-hand man, “Stonewall” Jackson, and some Northerners voice strong opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation.
5. The Universe of Battle (95 min) CW-5
This episode opens with the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. This famous 3-day battle, culminating in the legendary Pickett’s Charge, is considered the turning point of the war. Other important events of this milestone year included the fall of Vicksburg, the first appearance of black troops, the western battle of Chattanooga, and the dedication of the Union Cemetery at Gettysburg.
6. Valley of the Shadow of Death (70 min) CW-6
Beginning with a biographical comparison of Grant and Lee, Episode 6 chronicles the series of battles that pitted the two generals against each other in 1864. With casualties mounting, Grant and Lee became deadlocked at Petersburg. The program also takes us to the ghastly hospitals of the North and the South, and follows Sherman’s army through the mountains north of Atlanta.
7. Most Hallowed Ground (72 min) CW-7
Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan became political opponents in the 1864 election. With Grant stymied at Petersburg and Sherman stalled at Atlanta, opinion in the North turned strongly against the war. Victories at Mobile Bay, Atlanta, and the Shenandoah Valley, however, tilted the election to Lincoln, and the Confederacy’s last hope for independence died.
8. War Is All Hell (69 min) CW-8
Episode 8 begins with Sherman’s March to the Sea, which spelled the end of the Confederacy. In March 1865, following Lincoln’s inauguration, Petersburg and Richmond fell to Grant’s army. At Appomattox Courthouse, we witness Lee’s dramatic surrender.
9. The Better Angels of Our Nature (68 min) CW-9
Episode 9 begins in the bittersweet aftermath of surrender and goes on to narrate the tragic events of 5 days later when, on April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated. The final days of the war are recounted, and the consequences and meaning of the war are discussed.
Civilisation
52 min each / color / 1970 / TIMEL / VHS
High school through adult
This series of 13 video programs offers a personal view of the ideas, the art, and the events of the last 1,600 years in the history of Western man. The series was written and narrated by Kenneth Clark and produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
- 1. The Frozen World CIV-1
Man is snatched from the abyss of the dark ages by an upsurge in creativity, reflected in his crafts as well as in his quest for civilizing ideals of beauty and learning.
2. The Great Thaw CIV-2
A great, springlike burst of physical and intellectual energy sweeps across Europe in the 1100s. Channeled by the church, this power gives direction and confidence for the next step forward.
3. Romance and Reality CIV-3
The fantasy of 13th-century Camelot gives way to the hard-nosed practicality of the rising merchant class, as the spiritual St. Francis exits and Giotto, painter of the new reality, enters.
4. Man-The Measure of All Things CIV-4
In the Early Renaissance of the 15th century, the concept of the dignity of the individual dominates, symbolized by the small-scaled beauty of Florentine art and architecture.
5. The Hero as Artist CIV-5
The scene shifts to mighty Rome in the High Renaissance. The artists who express the grandeur of their age are 3 titans-Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo.
6. Protest and Communication CIV-6
Protest erupts in a 16th-century civilization grown rigid and uncompromising. Erasmus, Luther, and Montaigne spread the new spirit of freedom, which is summed up by the great poetic genius, Shakespeare.
7. Grandeur and Obedience CIV-7
The Counter-Reformation, baroque in its architecture and emotions, is a reaction to the severity of the preceding century, but eventually leads to illusion and exploitation.
8. The Light of Experience CIV-8
Divine authority and emotionalism are replaced by cool reason, as Dutchmen and Englishmen of the late 17th century-Rembrandt, Vermeer, Newton, and Wren-grasp the reins from Italy’s weakening hands.
9. The Pursuit of Happiness CIV-9
Baroque and Rococo create harmony in the 18th century. Music is the dominant art form expressing the emotional life of the time, and once again an age summons the geniuses it needs-Bach, Mozart, Handel, and Haydn.
10. The Smile of Reason CIV-10
Voltaire cries for justice and tolerance in the world and forges a new morality based on man’s ability to reason his way to salvation, laying the groundwork for the American and French revolutions.
11. The Worship of Nature CIV-11
Christianity has collapsed as the major civilizing force and is replaced by Nature. Wordsworth and Byron chant the new religion in their verse, while Constable and Turner splash it across their canvases.
12. The Fallacies of Hope CIV-12
The French Revolution-the romantic movement in action-brings a joyful sense of freedom, but enthusiasm turns to despair and isolation, as mirrored by the major artists and writers of the time.
13. Heroic Materialism CIV-13
Heir to Victorian materialism and an uneasy conscience, modern man struggles to find a way to give his own civilization new direction and forward thrust.
Classical Mythology: Its Origins and Impact ED-458NEW!
29 min /1999/ VHS
College through adult
Several renowned classicists explore the origins of classical mythology and its relationship with other aspects of Greek culture, tracing subsequent influences on Western civilization. Topics discussed include cultural transmission among the Mediterranean peoples of the 8th century BC, the derivation of texts attributed to Homer and Hesiod, interpretations of the myths of Phaeton and Callisto, the Roman use of myths, and applications of modern critical theory to mythology.
Claude Monet: Legacy of Light WA-350
34 min / color / 1989 / ARTSA / VHS
Middle school through adult
This lavish production explores Claude Monet’s lifelong quest to capture on canvas nature’s kaleidoscope of light and color. Filled with visual meditations on the artist’s magnificent paintings, the program reveals how Monet achieved his goal. It tells the story of the artist’s turbulent life through excerpts from letters, journals, and personal interviews. Images of his gardens at Giverny, light-drenched haystacks, and luminous water lilies amply illustrate Monet’s artistic legacy of beauty and light.
Claymation ED-102
18 min / color / 1978 / PFP / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
Will Vinton and his troupe of animators take the viewer inside their studio for a whimsical, imaginative demonstration of their Oscar-winning clay animation technique. They are shown mixing colors, molding movable characters, composing and recording music, and producing the live action film that serves as an animation guide. Using scenes from Closed Mondays, Mountain Music, and Martin the Cobbler, this fast-paced, energetic film illustrates the intricate processes of sculpting and animating clay.
Clay, Wood Fire, Spirit: The Pottery of Richard Bresnahan ED-446
56 min / 1996 / TM / VHS
High school through adult
This video captures the processes and philosophies of master potter Richard Bresnahan at work, from digging his own clay and throwing pieces at a Japanese-style kick wheel to the dramatic inaugural firing of the Johanna Kiln, the largest wood-fired kiln in North America. He spent his student days in Japan, where he excelled, and now is artist-in-residence at St. John’s University in Minnesota. Bresnahan is a consummate craftsman, artist, environmentalist, and serves as a life inspiration to all who know him.
Clementine Hunter: American Folk Artist WA-440
28 min / color / 1993 / UC / VHS
Middle school through adult
In 1940, when she was already in her 50s, Clementine Hunter began to paint memories of her life on Melrose Plantation in northwestern Louisiana. The resulting images, painted until her death at the age of 101, are vivid remembrances, pictures “put in her head by God,” of a hard but joyous life. Shot on location at Melrose Plantation, this program shows many of Hunter’s colorful paintings and includes commentary by the artist herself and by those who knew her well. Authentic local folk music and local historical context help viewers understand the rich history and culture of African Americans living on plantations in the early 20th century.
Cleopatra’s Palace ED-415
51 min / color / DSC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Alexandria, the cultural center of Cleopatra’s empire, was engulfed by the sea during earthquakes nearly two thousand years ago. Take an expedition to the bottom of the harbor to explore the Egyptian queen’s sunken palace. These ruins of Egypt’s last dynasty reveal secrets, haunting statues, and other artifacts from the reign of the legendary Cleopatra.
Climates ED-230
9 min / color / 1976 / IFB / 16mm
Middle school through adult
The climates in this film are of a subjective sort; atmosphere and mood are induced by watercolor designs. These color washes suggest landscapes through which faces and figures appear. The effect is dreamlike, creating an ebb and flow of color, form, and line, and is heightened by accompanying music. The animation is of texture more than design; washes of color come and go at the bidding of the music or the whim of the artist. This film is especially suitable for watercolor classes and for discussions about imagination and dreams.
Suggested Classroom Activity: Have students create free-flowing areas of watercolor washes on paper; then, ask them to describe, in written form, what images are suggested; have them share their findings with the whole class.
Close Harmony ED-152
30 min / color / 1980 / LCOA / 16mm
Middle school through adult
This sensitive documentary records an unusual intergenerational experiment. Music teacher Arlene Symond brought together 4th- and 5th-graders of Friends School in Brooklyn and members of the Council Center for Senior Citizens to rehearse and perform a combined concert. The resulting chorus ranged in age from 9 to 90. The concept of breaking down the barriers between generations is inspired and inspiring; the 2 groups can make joyful music together. Academy Award, Best Documentary.
Closed Mondays ED-45
8 min / color / 1974 / PFP / 16mm
Middle school through adult
A street bum wanders into a museum at night. As he moves through the gallery, his imagination is stimulated and the works of art come alive. His emotional responses to the art vary from mockery to fear to pleasure. Closed Mondays is made by a process called clay animation (see the film Claymation). This is an excellent film for use in studying art appreciation, art education, studio art, filmmaking, and film history.
Clothing and Fashion: A History WA-337
26 min / color / 1973 / BENCH / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
The dramatic evolution of fashions in clothing from Egyptian times to the early 1970s is presented in amusing yet meticulously authentic animation. Man is the only animal to cover his body with materials not natural to him. His choices have been noted less for utilitarian reasons than for social status, conformity, and vanity. The costumes of past ages are freshly viewed and understood as the fashion of their times. Especially recommended for classes in art and social studies. Red Ribbon, American Film Festival.
Cloudland ED-330
8 min / color / 1992 / PFP / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Animator Faith Hubley draws upon dream imagery from Australian aboriginal art and mythology to create a magical film journey. Through her fluid animation, Hubley blends mythic creatures and surreal landscapes to paint a childlike view of a different world. Cloudland can be used to stimulate a lively discussion about how we see, hear, and interpret art, other peoples’ cultures, and our own dreams. Recommended for art, music, cinema, psychology, social studies, perceptual studies, and anthropology.
C’mon Geese WA-339
28 min / color / 1989 / BFF / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This program tells the amazing story of how one man realized his childhood dream of flying with geese! Wildlife sculptor Bill Lishman carefully fostered the birth of a dozen goslings, built an ultralight aircraft that could fly comfortably at “goose speed,” and ultimately was able to soar and glide with the geese in V-formation. C’mon Geese is not only a film about geese and flying; it is an inspiring tribute to human ingenuity and to the role that creativity plays in the achievement of dreams.
Co Hoedeman, Animator ED-297
28 min / color / 1980 / NFBC / VHS
Middle school through adult
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Co Hoedeman divides his time between family, farm, and studio. This film, while showing all 3 aspects of his life, places particular emphasis on his work as an animator. He is shown working on a short animation clip, created especially for the film. Excerpts from some of his many films are shown, including The Owl and the Raven, Lumaaq, Sand Castle and Tchou-Tchou, all of which are listed individually in this catalogue.
Cockaboody ED-56
9 min / color / 1978 / PFP / VHS
Preschool through adult
A very true-to-life animated film about 2 young sisters at play. They dress in their parents’ clothes, explore the bedroom and bathroom, engage in make-believe, and display a range of emotions, from intense anger to loving tenderness. The expressive watercolor animation technique used by filmmakers John and Faith Hubley makes this an excellent accompaniment to watercolor activities.
Collecting America: Folk Art and the Shelburne Museum WA-364
27 min / color / 1989 / FI / VHS
Middle school through adult
Thirty-seven buildings on 45 acres of picturesque Vermont land; this is the Shelburne Museum of Art! This outstanding survey celebrates Electra Havemeyer Webb’s collection of American folk art pieces that fill all 37 buildings of the museum. The program explores Webb’s childhood and the development of her unusually varied collection, which her traditional mother called “American trash.” Especially recommended for groups interested in antiques and American history.
Color in Everyday Life AT-69
25 min / 1993 / IM / VHS
Middle school through adult
This live action video illustrates the powerful yet often unnoticed influence of color on feelings and actions. Students learn the language of color to aid in designing interiors and fashions, choosing clothing, making aesthetic decisions and understanding their own preferences.
Color Lithography: An Art Medium AT-3
32 min / color / 1954 / UM / 16mm
Middle school through adult
Artist Reginald Neal gives a step-by-step demonstration of the process of color lithography, from the preparation of the stones to multicolor printing.
The Colourmen AT-49
30 min / color / 1992 / WN / VHS
Middle school through adult
The early painters had to be their own colourmen, making their own colours in their studios. Then, during the 17th century, entrepreneurs began to supply artists with paints and other artists’ materials. The Colourmen is the history of this journey: from the first syringe containers to the original collapsible metal tube to today’s marriage of traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing processes. The program shows watercolors and oil colors being made; skilled hands, trained by years of experience, manipulate the brushes.
A Comment on the Art of Romare Bearden and Charles White: Griots of Imagery WA-448
27 min / 1993 / PRAISE / VHS
High school through adult
Bearden’s art is based on his reflections concerning what he called “the prevalence of ritual” in African-American life. White’s art reflects his concern with the struggle of African-Americans to transcend the vicissitudes of American life. Based on a 1993 exhibition at the Manhattan East Gallery in New York City, this video explores the themes, techniques, and backgrounds of these two internationally acclaimed artists.
Coming of Age in Ancient Greece: Images of Childhood from the Classical Past NEW!
42 min /2003/ DVD
College through adult
Dolls, yo-yos, hoops, and dice are only some of the surprisingly familiar objects that appear in this lesson on ancient Greek childhood. Did children have pets? Did girls go to school? What do the myths tell us about parents’ hopes and fears? These questions and so many more are answered by experts and by referencing statues and vase paintings.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt WA-332
80 min / color / 1989 / DC / VHS
College through adult
This Academy Award-winning videotape documents the background and continuing growth of the NAMES Project Memorial Quilt. It is a film about love, fear, and the politics of AIDS. A poignant program, Common Threads takes a bold and unflinching look at the deaths of AIDS victims and how these victims are remembered in the fabric of a quilt. Beyond the publicity and the statistics, the film reveals the quilters as men, women, and children who seek to warn others, to remember their loved ones, or simply to share their story.
The Common Wealth of Women ED-163
43 min / color / 1985 / RI, VWCH / 16mm, VHS
High school through adult
Looking out across the past 350 years, this film goes beyond the romantic myths of colonial mistresses, plantation belles, and Victorian ladies to recognize both renowned and unknown Virginia women whose accomplishments shaped their families, their communities, and the nation. These women-black, white, and Native American-struggled against prejudice, social restrictions, and unfair laws, with dignity, compassion, and grit. The film links past and present by combining historic reenactments with important artifacts and with interviews of women today. What emerges is the common bond of values that has prevailed through generations as women continue to reach for new worlds of experience.
A Composer’s Notes: Philip Glass and the Making of an Opera PE-26
87 min / color / 1988 / BFI / 16mm
College through adult
A Composer’s Notes is a unique film, shot during the creation and rehearsal of Akhnaten, a work by acclaimed American composer Philip Glass. The film looks at the composer’s first 2 operas (Einstein at the Beach and Satyagraha) and follows the progress of 2 contrasting productions of Akhnaten, which relate the rise and fall of the 14th-century B.C. Egyptian pharaoh. In his Stuttgart production, director Achim Freyer compares Akhnaten’s rebellion against a thousand-year-old socio-political system with the political conflicts of today. Australian-born director David Freeman’s approach at the Houston Grand Opera is to reveal Akhnaten as an individual. Beyond this behind-the-scenes examination of the making of an opera and the particular problems of staging a work by Philip Glass, the film offers an intimate portrait of the composer and his musical roots.
The Computer as an Art Tool ED-247
12 min / color / 1986 / AA / VHS
Middle school through adult
Made during the exhibition of the same name at the Hurlbutt Gallery in Connecticut, this film explains many of the techniques and programs used to create computer-generated art. Bronwyn Dunn, creator of the program, dispels the argument that computer graphics are not art and shows how computer artists use the computer as a tool in the creative process. Excellent for students, as an introduction to computer-generated art techniques, or for professionals interested in what state-of-the-art means in the computer world.
Computer Careers for Artists ED-390
23 min / color / 1994 / LUC / VHS
Middle school through adult
Two dynamic graphic designers discuss the career opportunities available for young artists today. With the advent of new computer technology, media projects become creative challenges for the artist who can successfully manipulate the equipment. This program emphasizes that creative concepts and hard work are still the most important ingredients for success as a professional artist working with computers.
Computer Magic AT-40
59 min / color / 1989 / CINEM / VHS
High school through adult
Have you ever wondered how the lifelike special effects used in automobile commercials are created, and who creates the introduction graphics for news and other television shows? Answers can be found in this extraordinary video program about the production of some the world’s most high-tech “computer magic.” See how engineers and computer experts work together to create realistic movement and scale for fictitious computer-generated people, objects, and locations. This dazzling display of imagery and genius is recommended for those who are interested in computer graphics as a science or as an art form.
The Concert PE-14
12 min / color / 1975 / PFP / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
Filmmakers Claude and Julian Chagrin created this comic mime fantasy. A London musician turns a pedestrian crosswalk into a piano keyboard and bounds around on the black-and-white “keys” to play his song. He must cope with pedestrians, birds, dogs, and intrusive motorists. This is an excellent film for dance and mime students, as well as for general audiences.
Concierto de Aranjuez PE-47
29 min / color / 1993 /BF / VHS
High school through adult
This buoyant and lively video captures the essence of Spanish sculpture and architecture set to the music of Concierto de Aranjuez, Joaquin Rodrigo’s most famous work. Alternately touching and compassionate, guitarist Pepe Romero eloquently relates the story and inspiration behind this beautiful work. Sir Neville Marriner conducts the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in this rich visual and aural feast.
Coney ED-143
5 min / color / 1975 / PFI / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
A quick jaunt through New York’s famous-and infamous-Coney Island area, at all times of the day and night, all seasons of the year. The harsh reality of Coney Island today is viewed through the sweet, emotional/visual filter of pink cotton candy. A film by Caroline and Frank Mouris.
Connections series
10 parts, 50 min ea part, 5 disks / 1978 / DVD
Middle school through adult
This famous BBC series has been added to our collection by popular
demand. James Burke turned science into a detective story. This
interdisciplinary approach had never before been applied to history
or science and it succeeded tremendously. Winner of the Red Ribbon
in the American Film Festival, the scope of the series covers
19 countries and 150 locations, requiring over 14 months of filming.
As the Sherlock Holmes of science, Burke tracks through 12,000
years of history for the clues that lead us to eight great life
changing inventions-the atom bomb, telecommunications, the computer,
the production line, jet aircraft, plastics, rocketry and television.
Burke postulates that such changes occur in response to factors
he calls "triggers," some of them seemingly unrelated.
These have their own triggering effects, causing change in totally
unrelated fields as well. And so the connections begin...
-
Connections DVD # 1 CON-1
Volume 1:The Trigger Effect
Both the beginning and the end of the story are here. The end
is our present dependence on complex technological networks illustrated
by the NYC power blackouts. Life came almost to a standstill:
support systems taken for granted failed. How did we become so
helpless? Technology originated with the plow and agriculture.
Each invention demands its own follow-up: once started, it is
hard to stop. This segment ends in Kuwait, where society has leapt
from ancient Egypt to the technology of today in 30 years.
Volume 2: Death in the Morning
How did a test of gold's purity revolutionize the world 2500 years
ago and lead to the atomic bomb? Standardizing precious metal
in coins stimulated trade from Greece to Persia, causing the construction
of a huge commercial center and library at Alexandria. This wealth
of nautical knowledge aided navigators 14 centuries later. Mariners
discovered that the compass's magnetized needle did not point
directly north. Investigations into the nature of magnetism led
to the discovery of electricity, radar and to the atomic bomb.
Connections DVD # 2 CON-2
Volume 3: Distant Voices
Telecommunications exist because the Normans wore stirrups at
the Battle of Hastings- a simple advance that caused a revolution
in the increasingly expensive science of warfare. Europe turned
its attention to making money to wage wars. As mine shafts were
dug deeper, they became flooded, stimulating scientists like Galileo
to investigate vacuums, air pressure and other natural laws to
mine deeper silver. This led to the discovery of electricity and
magnetism's relationship and to the development of radio, and
deep space telecommunications that may enable contact with galactic
civilizations.
Volume 4: Faith in Numbers
Each development in the organization of systems (political, economic,
mechanical, electronic)influences the next, by logic, by genius,
by chance, or by utterly unforeseen events. The transition from
the Middle Ages to the Renaissance was influenced by the rise
of commercialism, a sudden change in climate, famine and the Black
Death, which set the stage for the invention of the printing press.
Connections DVD # 3 CON-3
Volume 5: The Wheel of Fortune
The power to see into the future with computers originally rested
with priest-astronomers who knew the proper times to plant and
harvest. The constellations influenced life spectacularly, particularly
when the ailing Caliph of Baghad was cured by an astrologer using
Greek lore. His ancient medical secrets were translated and spread
throughout Europe, ushering in an era of scientific inquiry. The
need for more precise measuring devices in navigation gave rise
to the pendulum clock, the telescope, forged steel and interchangeable
machine parts-the basis of modern industrial system.
Volume 6: Thunder in the Skies
A dramatically colder climate gripped Europe during the 13th century
profoundly affecting the course of history for the next seven
centuries. The changes in energy usage transformed architecture
and forced the creation of new power sources. The coming of the
Industrial Revolution, spurred on by advances in the steam engine,
scarred England indelibly: but a moment in history later, gasoline-powered
engines opened the way to the heavens.
Connections DVD # 4 CON-4
Volume 7: The Long Chain
Often, materials discovered by accident alter the course of the
world. In the 1600s Dutch commercial freighters controlled Atlantic
trade routes. Competing British lines induced America to produce
pitch to protect hulls of their royal vessels. This arrangement
lasted until 1776, after which a Scottish inventor tried to produce
pitch from coal tar. By the time he succeeded the navy was using
copper instead. Subsequent experiments with coal tar yielded gaslight
lamps, waterproofed garments, a brilliant mauve dye that established
the German chemical industry and nylon, the first of the miracle
plastics.
Volume 8: Eat, Drink and Be Merry
When Napoleon marched huge forces across Europe, he needed an
efficient way to store provisions. A Frenchman preserved sterilized
food in empty champagne bottles, an idea modified by the British,
who tried tin cans. Still, canned foods sometimes spoiled, which
led to experiments with refrigeration. Later, it was discovered
that gases may be stored at very low temperatures in a thermos
flask, a device handy for picnics, for polar explorers and for,
storing large quantities of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. When lit
by a spark these gases can send rockets into space.
Connections DVD # 5 CON-5
Volume 9: Countdown
What happens when you combine a carbon arc light, a billiard ball
coating, a spoked wheel and consecutive images? Motion pictures!
Complex and sometimes incredible events led to Thomas Edison's
remarkable invention; the beginnings of limelight on a Irish mountain;
George Eastman's production of celluloid from the slightly explosive
gun cotton; the "magic lantern" of an Austrian ballistics
teacher. Then Eadweard Muybridge settled a bet in 1872 by photographs;
does a horse raise all four feet when galloping? (Yes.) Today
moving pictures, together with television, are enormously powerful
mass media. Have we become trapped by our own technology?
Volume 10: Yesterday, Tomorrow and You
"Why did we do it this way?" Essential moments from
the previous programs are reviewed to illustrate the common factors
that make for change. Will they go on operating to affect our
futures? And if so, can we recognize them? The second half looks
at the extent to which we have become increasingly incapable of
understanding how change occurs in our complex world and at why
we are in such a predicament. Finally, there is a look ahead to
the need for radical change in the availability and use of information
in the future, if we are to remain in control of our destinies.
Connections 2 series
20 parts, 23 min ea part, 5 disks / 1996 / DVD
Middle school through adult
James Burke the "scientific detective" is back tracking
the fascinating links between technological invention, social
history, economics, and, well, everything. "Life is a giant
3-dimensional globe made up of millions of threads that cross
and re-cross each other," says Burke as he traces the lines
that lead from a French loom to IBM, from a kink in a water pipe
to a carburetor. He makes two dozen international stops by way
of explaining how the steam pump led to carbon paper, to the entire
Industrial revolution and the moon landing, with drill bits, X-rays
and genetic engineering along the way.
-
Connections 2 DVD # 1 CON-6
Volume 1: Revolutions
Discover how the steam engine led to safety matches, imitation
diamonds and the moon in a wild ride.
Volume 2: Sentimental Journeys
What has Freud got to do with maps? Or prison reform with blue
dye? Or the inside of a star with the Himalayas? India reveals
the answers.
Volume 3: Getting It Together
Start by examining a SWAT team, which leads to hot air ballooning,
the root of many inventions.
Volume 4: Whodunit?
Who stole a set of billiard balls in 1902 and why was he the most
famous crook in history? The clues: maps from 1775, Charles Darwin's
cousin and the FBI.
Connections 2 DVD - Disc 2 CON-7
Volume 5: Something for Nothing
Something impossible happened 400 years ago. And we wound up in
outer space, thanks (en route) to pigeon lovers, the Pope, and
electric Italian frogs.
Volume 6: Echoes of the Past
On his way to finding the secret of the universe, Burke takes
us to the Buddhist tea ceremony, ties it to international spies
and Lincoln's assassination.
Volume 7: Photo Finish
The Le Mans 24-hour race is the backdrop for linking photography
and bullets, relativity and blimps.
Volume 8: Separate ways
Two trails split over slavery in the 18th Century. One route leads
to the Wild West and Brooklyn Bridge, the other coining money
and TV. Both end with a threat to peace.
Connections 2 DVD - Disc 3 CON-8
Volume 9: High Times
Unwrap a sandwich and you're on a path to World War II radar and
Neo-Impressionist painters.
Volume 10: Déjà Vu
History repeats itself, when you know how to look. Pizzaro beats
the Incas, the first stock market opens. The Queen of England
salutes a Mexican beetle and Hitler's plans misfire.
Volume 11: New Harmony
Microscopic bugs inspired the novel "Frankenstein" which
aided the birth of Socialism.
Volume 12: Hot Pickle
The connections between a cup of tea, opium dens, the London Zoo
and a switch that releases bombs.
Connections 2 DVD - Disc 4 CON-9
Volume 13: The Big Spin
The greatest medical accident in history starts a trail that leads
to Helen of Troy, 17th Century flower-power, the invention of
soda pop and earthquake detection.
Volume 14: Bright Ideas
A Baltimore man invented the bottle, which led to razors and clock
springs, and the Hubble telescope.
Volume 15: Making Waves
Hairdressers, Gold Rush miners, Irish potato farmers and English
parliamentarians are really tied together.
Volume 16: Routes
A sick lawyer in 18th Century France changes farming and triggers
the French Revolution and new medical research.
Connections 2 DVD - Disc 5 CON-10
Volume 17: One Word
One medieval word kicks off the investigation into different cultures
with the same stories that ends in cultural anthropology.
Volume 18: Sign Here
Dutch piracy starts international law and French probability math,
phonetics and Victorian séances.
Volume 19: Better Than the Real Thing
How the zipper started with technology Jefferson picked up in
Paris during a row about Creation.
Volume 20: Flexible Response
Robin Hood starts us on a trail from medieval showbiz to land
drainage, to the invention of decimals that end up in U.S. currency,
thanks to the guy who started the Erie Canal.
Conversations with Roy DeCarava WA-289
28 min / color / 1986 / FRIC / 16mm, VHS
High school through adult
“It starts before you snap the shutter. It starts with your sense of what’s important.” These are the words of Roy DeCarava, prominent 20th-century photographer, contributor to the exhibition The Family of Man, and the first black photographer to receive a Guggenheim fellowship. DeCarava focuses his lens, sensitivities, and conscience on the life, tempo, and sensibilities of black people and the contemporary urban environment. The film examines the photographer’s life and work and features appearances by noted photographer Ansel Adams, critic A.D. Coleman, and art historian Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell.
Conversations with Willard Van Dyke WA-212
59 min / color / 1981 / CG / 16mm/VHS
High school through adult
This documentary portrait of filmmaker/photographer Willard Van Dyke explores the dilemma of any artist who wishes to do meaningful work while confronting the economic realities of earning a living. Van Dyke began working as a still photographer in 1929 and was a co-founder of Group f/64. In 1935, inspired by the belief that films could “change the world,” Van Dyke moved to New York and began a career as a filmmaker. Thirty years later he became the guiding force behind the Department of Film at the Museum of Modern Art. He later returned to photography, and continued to work until his death in 1986.
Conway Thompson: Sculptor from Dry Bridge WA-120
20 min / color / 1976 / SF / 16mm
Middle school through adult
This film examines both the work and the philosophies of Virginia sculptor Conway Betty Thompson. Seen working on her sculpture in the outdoor setting she prefers, Thompson tells how her environment has influenced her style.
Copyright: The Internet, Multimedia and the Law ED-397
38 min / color / 1996 /CTC / VHS
Middle school through adult
With the Internet and multimedia developing so rapidly, everyone involved in the utilization of these technologies needs to know exactly what is legal in the area of copyright, and expert legal advice is necessary and invaluable. In this program, attorney Arnold Lutzker, a copyright expert with the highly respected Fish & Richardson law firm in Washington D.C. and author of Media Content Savvy, answers the most frequently asked questions about copyright, multimedia, and fair use put to film by educators, administrators, librarians, and parents from across the U.S.
Corduroy ED-169
16 min / color / 1984 / WW / 16mm, VHS
Elementary school through adult
This charming film, produced in live-action and animation, is the story of a stuffed bear who waits patiently on a department store shelf for somebody to take him home. When a mother refuses to buy him for her daughter because a button is missing from his overalls, Corduroy embarks on a daring search for the missing button, at the risk of being caught by the night watchman. Excellent entertainment for children and a stimulus for discussion about creative problem-solving. Based on the novel by Don Freeman. American Film Festival Finalist.
Corot: Nature in the Studio WA-615
53 min / 1996 / DVD
College through adult
Over 100 of Camille Corot's works are shown in crisp detail and
described in an imaginary conversation between Corot and a friend.
He discloses his artistic methods, major influences, his experiences
in Italy and in his home of France, and some actual locations
are juxtaposed with his landscape and architectural paintings
and drawings.
Cotton Candy and Elephant Stuff ED-212
29 min / color / 1979 / DC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
Capturing both the magic and the day-to-day routine of circus life, this film focuses on the arduous yet romantic life of a small-family traveling circus, founded by a school teacher. Excellent inspiration for art classes on a circus theme or creative writing activities.
The Cotton Club ED-253
29 min / color / 1984 / BEA / 16mm, VHS
Middle school through adult
This film highlights the lifestyles and experiences of 5 performers who appeared in the Cotton Club revues during the Harlem Renaissance. Singer-dancer Avon Long, whose film credits include Porgy and Bess, The Sting, Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Roots, calls together 4 of his Cotton Club friends for a talk session in the cocktail lounge at Small’s Paradise. Joining him are bandleader Cab Calloway, Cotton Club showgirl Estrellita, and the Nicholas Brothers. Vintage film clips of the artists are included, as well as an impromptu performance of songs and dances from the Cotton Club days.
Courbet WA-588
50 min / 2000 / KUL / VHS
College through adult
How could a painter make common people the subject of High Art? This is the sort of true Realism that left the critics outraged, but that Gustave Courbet believed in with a passion. In the mid-1800s Paris, the radical, hard-drinking Courbet depicted peasant scenes, such as Burial at Ornans, in a beautiful and elegantly painted style like nothing ever seen before. This video uses location footage, re-creations, commentary and analyses of his greatest works by leading art historians.
Crac! ED-148
20 min / color / 1982 / PFP, PYR / 16mm, VHS
Elementary school through adult
In this charming tale, an old-fashioned rocking chair links past values with modern progress. Unique and colorful animation portrays the chair’s experiences throughout the life of a Quebec farm family. Discarded once the family is grown, the chair is rescued and put to use by a guard in a museum of modern art. A dazzling combination of French Canadian folk music and nostalgic visuals, this film is a brilliant example of the animator’s art, an affectionate visit to a happy past, and a gentle commentary on the rapid pace of modern life. Academy Award for Animation.
Creating Animation on a Computer ED-245
27 min / color / 1987 / AIMS / VHS
High school through adult
This program presents 2 videos by Tanya Weinberger, an award-winning writer, illustrator, and animator. Marsalazunt involves an elephant who gets the chance to choose a more festive skin color, while Z presents a land filled with bizarre and enchanting creatures such as pufnas and french-fried grungees. Weinberger demonstrates some of the techniques she used to create her imaginative characters, in the process illustrating the dazzling capabilities of a computer graphics system.
Suggested Classroom Activities: Have students look at magazine ads and television commercials and keep a log of special effects they think were created using computers. Discuss the different techniques. If possible, arrange for a classroom demonstration of different computer graphics systems.
The Creation ED-225
9 min / color / 1982 / BBF / 16mm
Elementary school through adult
Based on a black spiritual poem written by James Weldon Johnson in 1919, The Creation is an inspirational piece that recalls the tradition of old-time preachers. The poem reflects the awesome power of God that is conveyed so vividly in the Genesis account of creation. The glowing imagery in this thunderous sermon read by James Earl Jones is as much a part of American folk tradition as spirituals and the blues. This film can be included in such curriculum categories as poetry, folk art, black studies, drama, music, storytelling, fine arts, humanities, religion, and language arts. Film classes will be fascinated by the “clay-painting” technique pioneered by filmmaker Joan Gratz.
The Creative Spirit
60 min each / color / 1993 / AMBROSE / VHS
Middle school through adult
This 4-part series is an inspiring and entertaining look at creativity. Each program blends animation, cartoons, humorous celebrity sketches, original music and vivid on-location shooting to capture this emerging spirit of innovation and creativity. Through observation of creative people and places, we discover that creative solutions to problems begin with basic human qualities: passion, persistence, vision, caring and trust in oneself and others. Creativity is not the exclusive domain of genius-it belongs to all of us.
- 1. Inside Creativity CS-1
This program explores what creativity really is and what causes it. Original animation helps to discover the secrets of intuition. A jazz musician and composer, a cartoon animator, a master calligrapher in Kyoto, a professor at Stanford’s Business School, a designer, and a pediatric neurosurgeon discuss the nature and power of creative collaboration and share their creative secrets.
2. Creative Beginnings CS-2
This program looks at how adult creativity is formed by our childhood experiences. New teaching techniques that encourage creativity are examined, and creativity in the home is explored.
3. The Creative Spirit at Work CS-3
This program looks at creativity in the global workplace by visiting companies in Europe, the United States, and Japan to learn how businesses are using innovative programs to enhance the creative output of their people.
4. The Creative Community CS-4
This final program is about creativity as a way of caring for others, both in the community and the world, to bring out the best in all of us. Today’s complex social and environmental problems demand creative solutions. Viewers see that creative approaches to difficult issues make a difference.
Crete and Mycenae WA-307
54 min / color / 1986 / AA / VHS
High school through adult
This beautifully photographed documentary explores the cultures of ancient Crete and Mycenae and the interrelationships of the Minoan and Mycenaen peoples. Two great archaeological excavations of these civilizations, carried out separately by archaeologists Heinrich Schliemann and Sir Arthur Evans, uncovered the famous Lion Gate, the “grave of Agamemnon,” and the impressive Palace at Knossos. The results of the digs-reconstructed buildings and streets, art objects, and artifacts-are used as sources to illustrate the connections between these ancient civilizations.
The Cubist Epoch WA-308>
53 min / color / 1986 / AA / VHS
High school through adult
In the early 1900s, a group of young artists calling themselves Cubists experimented with and formulated a new way of depicting form. Led by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the Cubists rebelled against the stifling dictates of late 19th-century academic traditions. Their art was a fitting and timely exploration of new synthetic possibilities born of 20th-century technology. An excellent introduction to both Cubism and Synthetic Cubism; recommended for art history classes studying the period between 1900 and 1920.
Cupid and Psyche ED-384
17 min / color / 1983 / AGC / VHS
Elementary school through adult
This animated program is based on the Greco/Roman myth of the two sweethearts. The goddess Venus seeks revenge on Psyche, who is thought to be the most beautiful woman in the land. The jealous Venus enlists the aid of another god, Cupid, but he falls in love with Psyche and spirits her away to his home. He makes Psyche promise never to look at his face, but she breaks her vow. The adventure begins!
Curator’s Choice ED-262
30 min / color / 1983 / FI / VHS
High school through adult
Five curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art discuss their choices for an exhibition with an unusual theme: no object can cost more than $5,000. The curators, in charge of a variety of collections including ancient and classical, contemporary, musical instruments, and photographs and prints, discuss their concerns for purchasing and interpretation, and even include a few interesting highlights from their careers. A fascinating opportunity to hear from professional collectors and to find out exactly what curators do on the job.
Cut Loose: New American Furniture Makers WA-495
29 min / color / 1993 / FWA / VHS
High school through adult
In this visually stimulating and upbeat video, viewers follow four furniture makers in their daily lives and as they work in their studios. Visit Philip Agee and see his colorful bent plywood furniture, strongly influenced by American design of the 1930s-1950s. Walk through a junkyard with Jeff Benedetto as he scavenges for the castoff industrial materials he uses in his visceral, unconventional furniture. Garry Knox Bennett opens his home and studio to show us his eccentric furniture made of plated metals, colored woods and plastic, built with a strong dose of irreverence and humor. See how Gail Fredell’s elegant and beautifully crafted work is inspired by the ruggedness and solitude of California countryside. Throughout this video, the underlying theme reinforced by all the furniture makers is the power of the creative process to enhance the spirit and activate individual imagination.
Cyber Rome ED-533
39 min / 2003 / DVD
Middle school through adult
This DVD is a virtual tour re-creation of Ancient Rome circa 200
AD. Rome is shown in dynamic three-dimensional computer graphics
that give sweeping panoramas of the city and zero in on individual
architectural marvels such as the Colosseum, the Basilica Di Massenzio,
the Tabularium, and Traiano's Column as though you were there.
Italian production dubbed in English.
Cyberworld ED-425
24 min / color / 1996 / FFH / VHS
Middle school through adult
This program examines how computer technology has enhanced the architect and engineer’s ability to design buildings. The use of computer technology, especially virtual reality, in the following areas are discussed: making models, urban area design, manufacturing, and general and aviation engineering.
This way to D listings
This way to Educational Resources
