Upon This Rock

For over three-quarters of a century, Russian-born Marc Chagall set new standards for modern art with his colorful, heartfelt paintings, murals and stained glass works. In rare filmed interviews and looks at his creations Chagall's devotion to his Jewish heritage and his love of humanity is shown.

A tribute to the spirit and humanity of people who are physically different from the average: very tall and very large men and women, a bearded woman and her long-time husband, Siamese twins joined at the midsection, and several little people including actor Billy Barty. We meet some at Gibsonton, Florida, where carnival folk winter. They talk about their lives and accomplishments. The camera also goes on the road to visit a grandfather with a distinctive face, a legless mechanic from Kentucky on a second honeymoon in LA, a marathon runner and motivational speaker who has no feet, a karate student with partial limbs, and an armless, down-to-earth mom in Texas.

The brutes and the belles. The gadflies and the good ol' boys. The taboos and the profound truths. They're all part of a tennessee state of mind -- a realm of places, personalities and ideas. Williams is front and center for this exploration, reading from his works, placing them in the context of his life, and serving as guide in visits to his career-shaping refuge in New Orleans and his later-day writing quarters in Key West. Also, dramatizations by distinguished actors -- including Jessica Tandy, Broadway's original Blanche DuBois, in a recreation of her A Streetcar Named Desire triumph -- give flesh-and-bone immediacy to some of the writer's famed works. In his own words. In his own places. The resilient character and memorable characters of one of our greatest writers reside in Tennessee Williams' South.

Harry Rasky, a noted Canadian filmmaker, produced, wrote and directed this fantastic documentary. Filmed in 1979 and 1980, it was first shown on CBC in 1980. It is a warm, affectionate, and revealing 90-minute tribute that focuses on the 1979 tour, the “New Skin” and “Recent Songs” albums and “Death of a Lady’s (and Ladies) Man” book and album. In a highly entertaining fashion, it intercuts live music segments with Cohen comments on life and sometimes on his poems and songs. As with other Cohen items, this film seems more entertaining, and filled with more profundity, viewing after viewing.

Portentously portrays the evacuation of Portland, Oregon, when threatened by a nuclear attack on its state-of-the-art civil defense system.

American Documentary