Softwaring Hard

Christopher Hitchens: Believe Me, It's Torture

June 2008 •English

When the renowned author, orator and journalist Christopher Hitchens was challenged to undergo the brutal interrogation technique known as waterboarding, few would've expected he'd accept such a task - he had previously expressed the position that the controversial procedure would not qualify as torture, and most who'd claim such a thing would not have the courage to test their convictions. Yet, in May 2007, Hitchens did just that - and his experience profoundly impacted both himself and his stance on the matter, prompting him to declare he'd been wrong, and later to publish his 2008 article for Vanity Fair's August issue, simply titled 'Believe Me, It's Torture'.

Perfume War

September 2016 •English

A single mom creates an unlikely weapon in the fight for world peace after her best friend a soldier, is axed in the head by a terrorist. Only now she finds herself in the battle of her life taking on corporate giants.

Brigitte macron, un roman français

January 2018 •French

8 Bit Generation: The Commodore Wars

May 2016 •English

The rise and fall of Commodore computers in the 70s and 80s as described by the people who created the companies and technologies.

Germany - Handle with Care!

January 1947 •English

This "March of Time" entry examines the many problems, both human and economic, that faced the Allies in their respective zones of Germany -- USA, England and Russia -- following the end of World War II, and the Allied occupation of what was left of the country following the Nazi reign of Adolf Hitler. The Cold War issues had not yet fully surfaced, so this entry, with fleeting glances into each Zone of the time, traced what economic recovery had been made by the end of 1946, and how the average German citizen of 1946 was living...or getting by.

At the Edge of Russia

January 2010 •Polish

Alexei is a nineteen year old recruit being flown in to perform his military service on the frontier of northern Russia. The base is one of few such remaining outposts on the Arctic Ocean. There are five other seasoned and long serving soldiers stationed here, each with their own personal story or secret that has caused them to retreat from the real world. Their training and breaking in of the new arrival is sometimes humorous, at times harsh. Gradually, they each reveal something of themselves in their daily interactions and private moments as they continue their absurd duty in this snow covered no man's land, hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement.

Looney Lens: Split Skyscrapers

January 1924 •English

The warping lens used to photograph 10th Avenue seems to puzzle the filmmakers.

Looney Lens: Tenth Avenue, NYC

January 1924 •English

Black & White, Short Film, United States, Silent.

The Code

September 2001 •English

The Code is a Finnish-made documentary about Linux, featuring some of the most influential people of the free software movement.

The Morning Sun Shines

April 1929 •Japanese

The Morning Sun Shines is a fiction-documentary film by Kenji Mizoguchi and Seiichi Ina. The film is a combination of a drama about a reporter, and documentary footage about newspaper production. Only 25 minutes of footage has survived.

Out of Gitmo

February 2017 •English

The dramatic story of a Gitmo detainee released from the controversial U.S. prison after 14 years. With NPR, a report on the struggle over freeing prisoners once deemed international terrorists. Also, the untold history of the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Print It Black

April 2024 •English

After the Robb Elementary school shooting in Texas, local Uvalde Leader-News journalists are left to report on the fallout – and on one of their staff members. Reporter Kimberly Rubio rises to national prominence as an advocate for gun reform after her ten-year-old daughter, Lexi, is killed in the shooting. Through the journalists’ reporting, we witness the social fabric of this small Texas town unravel as Kimberly and other victims’ families search for accountability from law enforcement and local leaders. The documentary also shines a light on the critical role of community journalism, at a time when local newspapers are folding rapidly across the country.

The 60 Minutes Deception

June 1997 •English

Should we believe everything we hear on the news? Can we trust the national media? Are we being fed the truth or an agenda? The 60 Minutes Deception takes you behind the scenes of one of America's most popular and longest running news magazine shows and reveals a shocking web of deceit! In The 60 Minutes Deception you will witness firsthand: How a dedicated and courageous journalist was viciously smeared by "60 Minutes" at the request of the White House. How Mike Wallace, the host of "60 Minutes," deliberately omitted crucial evidence and distorted interview responses through manipulative editing. Why the major news media refuses to report the truth about certain political scandals and the abuse of power. The 60 Minutes Deception is one of the most important and damaging expos�s ever produces, clearly showing the dishonest tactics used by the mainstream press in providing misinformation to the American people. Must viewing for all concerned Americans!

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

June 2014 •English

Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

Information Violence

April 2002 •English

CNN Concatenated

January 2002 •English

An 18-minute long single-channel video which uses CNN footage cut so that each word is spoken by a different newsperson. The pieces literally asks the viewers questions about media authenticity and give CNN a distinct voice

Balloonfest

June 2017 •English

Mid-Missouri cult hero Nathan Truesdell sifts through a Cleveland TV station's archives and unearths a fancy wrist watch, blistered fingers and other casualties of a misbegotten exercise in civic pride. In September 1986, the city of Cleveland attempted to set a special record: the simultaneous launch of 1.5 million balloons. But fate intervened, and the result was both crazier and more tragic than anyone could have imagined.

Unrest

October 2017 •English

When Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea is struck down at 28 by a fever that leaves her bedridden, doctors tell her it’s "all in her head." Determined to live, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story—and four other families' stories—fighting a disease medicine forgot.

Yesterday's Witness

November 1976 •English

For the first 50 years of film history, the newsreel was a fixture in American movie theaters. From 1911 to 1967, these shorts proved an influential source of information – and misinformation – for generations of American moviegoers. Television news and public affairs programs became a great improvement over the scanty information offered by the newsreels. This documentary offers insight into a medium which has disappeared.

Sea Blind, the Price of Shipping Our Stuff

January 2016 •English

17 of the largest ships emit more sulfur than all the cars on the planet. How is this possible?