Documentary
Explore the transformative power of education through the eyes of a dozen incarcerated men and women trying to earn college degrees – and a chance at new beginnings – from one of the country’s most rigorous prison education programs.


Incarcerated men and women in New York State are admitted to the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), one of the most rigorous college programs in America. As they begin their studies at Eastern and Taconic Correctional facilities, they discover that they will be held to the same high standards as Bard College students on the main campus in Annandale-on-Hudson.

Sebastian, Dyjuan and Tamara reflect on the difficult circumstances of their childhood, while the debate team prepares to face the University of Vermont. Shawnta, Tamika and Tamara make great strides academically, only to discover that BPI keeps raising the bar. Brian and Rodney are accused of breaking prison rules and sent to the solitary housing unit, SHU, their education in serious jeopardy.

The debate union faces their rival across the river, West Point. Rodney, Sebastian and Giovannie embark on yearlong senior projects. Newly released from federal prison, Dyjuan’s younger brother, Kanan, comes for a visit, as does Rodney’s sister, Elitha. Tamara receives devastating news from home, and Shawnta reckons with her own path to prison. In New York City. Jule struggles to find work.

The debate union faces Harvard. While Rodney and Sebastian complete their 100-page senior projects and present them to faculty, Giovannie gets into trouble and is sent to SHU, not able to complete his project before being released. At graduation at Taconic; Tamara, Tamika and Shawnta receive associate degrees, while at Eastern, Rodney and Sebastian receive bachelor’s degrees.
No cast information available.

Why Not Us takes you into the locker rooms, practice facilities, dorm rooms, classrooms and communities of some of the most well-respected HBCU athletic programs in the country. Explore what it means to be an athlete, student and coach at an HBCU and why men & women everywhere are choosing to experience the rich tradition of these often lesser funded and lesser known programs.

"Il testimone" (i.e. The witness) is a tv show created, made and presented by Pif. Every episode consists of a "mini-reportage", filmed through a little camera that Pif brings himself. This makes the spectator feel as if most of the tv filtres are removed and thus they can almost witness the events with their own eyes and feel directly involved in the social messages brought on by the show. Themes vary: they go from interviews to famous individuals, to trips, to the work of associations or even small everyday realities.

30 Days is a reality television show on the FX cable network in the United States, created and hosted by Morgan Spurlock. In each episode, Spurlock, or some other person or group of people, spend 30 days immersing themselves in a particular lifestyle with which they are unfamiliar, while discussing related social issues. As in Spurlock's film, Super Size Me, there are a number of rules unique to each situation which must be followed during each such experiment. At least one episode each season has featured Spurlock as the person spending the month in the particular lifestyle. Season one premiered on June 15, 2005, and its respective DVD set was released July 11, 2006. The second season premiered on July 26, 2006. Season 3 of 30 Days premiered on June 3, 2008. FX said on November 6 that it would not be renewing the series for a fourth season, effectively canceling the show. The show has recently been picked up for re-air by Planet Green, though no new episodes have been ordered. In the United Kingdom, the program is broadcast on More4 and Channel 4. In Australia, the program is broadcast on Network Ten and Lifestyle Channel. It currently airs in Canada on Independent Film Channel and Canal Vie. It also airs on FX in Latin America. In Norway it airs on TV 2. In Sweden it airs on TV4 and Kanal 9.