Living By Instinct

SPINNING PLATES is the story of three extraordinary restaurants and the incredible people who make them what they are. The first is a cutting-edge restaurant named seventh-best in the world, whose chef must also battle a life-threatening obstacle to pursue his passion. The second is a 150-year-old family restaurant still standing only because of the unbreakable bond with its community. And the third is a fledgling Mexican restaurant whose owners are risking everything just to survive and provide for their young daughter. Their unforgettable stories of family, legacy, passion and survival come together to reveal how meaningful food can be, and the power it has to connect us to one another. It's not what you cook, it's why.

ALIVE INSIDE is a joyous cinematic exploration of music's capability to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals around the country whose minds have been revitalized and awakened by the simple act of listening to the music of their youth.

In the United States, more than 2500 individuals are serving life-without-parole sentences for crimes they committed when they were seventeen years old or younger. Children as young as thirteen are among the thousands serving these sentences. Directed by Joshua Rofé (who spent four intensive years on the project), LOST FOR LIFE tells the stories of these individuals, their families and the families of juvenile murder victims. This searingly powerful documentary tackles this contentious issue from multiple perspectives and explores the complexity of the lives of those affected. What is justice when a kid kills? Can a horrific act place a life beyond redemption? Could you forgive?

At the time of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the Mufti of Rwanda, the most respected Muslim leader in the country, issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from participating in the killing of the Tutsi. As the country became a slaughterhouse, mosques became places of refuge where Muslims and Christians, Hutus and Tutsis came together to protect each other. KINYARWANDA is based on true accounts from survivors who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing. The film interweaves six different tales that together form one grand narrative that provides the most complex and real depiction yet presented of human resilience and life during the genocide. With an amalgamation of characters, we pay homage to many, using the voices of a few. Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award (dramatic category) at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the World Cinema Audience Award at AFI Fest.

A powerful, emotional and relevant reminder of the heartbreaking toll war takes on the innocent, this award-winning documentary tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II. As part of a campaign to conquer all of China, the Japanese subjected Nanking?which was then China's capital?to months of aerial bombardment, and when the city fell, the Japanese army unleashed murder and rape on a horrifying scale. In the midst of the rampage, a small group of Westerners banded together to establish a Safety Zone where over 200,000 Chinese found refuge. Unarmed, these missionaries, university professors, doctors and businessmen?including a Nazi named John Rabe?bore witness to the events, while risking their own lives to protect civilians from slaughter. The story is told through deeply moving interviews with Chinese survivors, chilling archival footage and photos, testimonies of former Japanese soldiers?and a staged reading of the Westerners' letters and diaries by Woody Harrelson, Mariel Hemingway, Jurgen Prochnow and others. NANKING is a testament to the courage and conviction of individuals who were determined to act in the face of evil and a powerful tribute to the resilience of the Chinese people?a gripping account of light in the darkest of times. This version of the film features descriptive narration for the blind and visually impaired, created by the Narrative Television Network.

Imagine discovering that you don't own the mineral rights under your land, and that an energy company plans to drill for natural gas two hundred feet from your front door. Imagine you have little or no recourse to protect your home or land from such development. Narrated by actress Ali McGraw (Love Story, The Getaway), SPLIT ESTATE is the Emmy-winning film that explores the shocking effects of oil and natural gas drilling on the environment and families in the Western United States. Outlining the dirty side of hydraulic fracturing and natural gas (an energy source the industry touts as a clean alternative to fossil fuels), this compelling documentary maps a tragedy in the making?as citizens in the path of a new drilling boom in the Rocky Mountain West struggle against the erosion of their civil liberties, their communities and their health.

A refreshingly original fairytale, Randa Chahal Sabbag's THE KITE follows sixteen-year-old Lamia - who must cross a border checkpoint between Lebanon and Israel to marry a cousin she has never met. Neither she, nor her betrothed, are eager to consummate a marriage to a virtual stranger. The situation is further complicated by Lamia's surprising admission that she is also in love with the Israeli soldier guarding the border. Sabbag's enchanting drama about marriage and tradition is underscored by delicate symbolism and artful references to politics of Lebanon's annexed territories. Lebanon's Official Submission to the 2003 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, THE KITE is a selection of the prestigious, award-winning Global Lens Collection, presented by the Global Film Initiative.