Films with: Shimin, Toby

Buck

"... a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life 'horse-whisperer', he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect"--Container.

DVD 8785

Miss America

Tracking the country's oldest beauty contest - from its inception in 1921 as a local seaside pageant to its heyday as one of the country's most popular events - Miss America paints a vivid picture of an institution that has come to reveal much about a changing nation. Combining rare archival footage, with a host of intimate interviews with distinguished commentators including Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, former contestants and behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, the film reveals why some women took part in the fledgling event and why others briefly rejected it, how the pageant became a battle ground and a barometer for the changing position of women in society."--Container.

DVD 11690

Mothers of Bedford

Women are the fastest-growing U.S. prison population today. Eighty percent are mothers of school-age children. Jenifer McShane's absorbing documentary gives human dimensions to these rarely reported statistics, taking us inside Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison north of New York City. Shot over four years, Mothers of Bedford follows five women - of diverse backgrounds and incarcerated for different reasons- in dual struggles to be engaged in their children's lives and become their better selves. It shows how long-term sentences affect mother-child relationships and how Bedford's innovative Children's Center helps women maintain and improve bonds with children and adult relatives awaiting their return. Whether it be parenting's normal frustrations to celebrating a special day, from both inside and out of the prison walls, this moving film provides unprecedented access to a little known, rarely shown, community of women.

DVD 11999