Nations of The World
Category: Documentary
NOTE: Some actor or director listings that appear in this section may not be the complete listing for that person. Please use our search by actor or search by director for the most comprehensive listings.
SKU: D34029
In the wake of escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians at the turn of the 21st century, this compelling documentary examines the 50-year conflict from the viewpoint of the Palestinian people, offering background into the fight for a Palestinian state versus Israel's struggle for survival. 121 min. Standard; Soundtrack: ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
The Inner Tour(2002)
SKU: D72832
Filmmaker Ra'anan Alexandrowicz's moving documentary follows a busload of Palestinians from the disputed West Bank on a three-day tour of Israel, with stops ranging from a kibbutz built on the site of a former Arab village to the Sea of Galilee and the city of Tel Aviv. The journey offers a revealing look at how both sides see the ongoing ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Checkpoint(2003)
SKU: D73988
What is life like along the border between Israeli and Palestinian territory for both the Palestinian residents--who often must cross over daily for work, school or medical treatment--and the Israeli border guards, who must watch out for terrorist attacks? Director Yoav Shamir's documentary, filmed over two years at a variety of checkpoints, ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
To Die In Jerusalem(2007)
SKU: D00003
Two grieving mothers--one Palestinian and the other Israeli--offer testimonies concerning the lives of the daughters they lost on March 29, 2002, when 17-year-old Ayat al-Akhras carried out the suicide bombing inside a Jerusalem market that killed 17-year-old Rachel Levy. This moving documentary follows Levy's mother as she seeks to ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D98764
Two Palestinian construction workers desperate to find employment sneak across the border into an Israeli city, where they find work on a project adding housing in the Occupied Territories. This revelatory documentary follows the two men as they bond with other illegal workers and escape, night after night, back to the safety and impoverishment ... more
Regularly $26.99

$24.29
Palestine Blues(2008)
SKU: D30841
Filmmaker Nida Sinnokrot takes a hard-hitting look at the construction of the "security wall" designed by the Israeli government to protect the nation's population against terrorist attacks. Filmed from the perspective of Palestinians whose lands intersect with the intended path of the wall, the film reveals the strife and struggle ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D06989
The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinian Hamas in Gaza has cost many lives. As the situation escalated, a group of young men was spotted surfing in Gaza in 2007. When word spread north to Israel, various Israelis and Americans attempted to deliver boards to their Palestinian counterparts, and this documentary examines how ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
PRE-ORDER
The Law In These Parts(2011)
SKU: D39313
How did Israel establish its control over Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip? Is it justice or tyranny? This bold documentary realized in the form of a legal interrogation presents former high-ranking members of the West Bank Military Command--prosecutors, judges, and legal advisors--offering their insights about the history ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
available 6/4/2013
SKU: D93531
Four years before her tragic death in 1967, Iranian poetess Forough Farrokhzad saw the release of her challenging and lyrical short documentary "The House Is Black" (1963), a bracing account of the suffering faced by the residents of an Iranian leper colony. Farrokhzad's sole directing effort is accompanied in this two-disc set by the ... more
Regularly $49.99

$44.99
Bakhtiari Migration(1973)
SKU: D10037
Though the journey now incorporates modern conveniences like trucks to provide transport for livestock, the 200-mile seasonal migration of Iran's Bakhtiari people remains a five-week ordeal requiring tremendous stamina from the travelers. This striking documentary chronicles the ritual still embraced by nearly half a million who yearly ... more
Regularly $19.99

$14.99
People Of The Wind(1976)
SKU: D17709
The annual migration of Iran's nomadic Bakhtiari people to take their animals to summer feeding grounds--a grueling eight-week, 200-mile odyssey across the formidable Zagros Mountains--is followed in this breathtaking documentary that earned an Academy Award nomination. James Mason narrates. 110 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D40385
Journalist, author, and poet Ahmad Shamlou offered the world complex ideas with his deceptively simple verse, revealing the abstract and elusive through the surface of the ordinary. The Iranian artist is profiled in this documentary, which provides a close look at his literature and his engagement in human rights issues of the 20th ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D72938
Iranian pop singer/actress Faegheh Atashin, known as "Googoosh," became a national celebrity in the '60s and '70s, only to find her performing career cut short by the 1979 Islamic revolution. Googoosh's influence on Iranian culture, her reluctant disappearance from the stage, and her triumphant 1999 North American concert tour are ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
The Tree That Remembers(2002)
SKU: D04388
Deeply haunted by the 1992 suicide of an Iranian student just outside Montreal, filmmaker Masoud Raouf--who similarly left Iran to live in Canada--gathered fellow former political prisoners together in an effort to explore their memories of crusading for liberty during the reign of the last shah of Iran. This moving documentary provides ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
SKU: D46187
Join filmmaker Aryana Farshad's captivating quest to her native Iran and explore the religious rituals and traditions that have fascinated the Western world for centuries. Includes rare glimpses of the women's chamber at the Great Mosque, the fire rituals in Zarathustra, and the dance of the Dervishes in Kurdistan. Narrated by Shohreh ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D85398
Iran's 2001 presidential election is the subject of this documentary from outspoken director Rakhshan Bani-Etemad. Her remarkable look inside Iranian society offers a profile of young, middle-class women dedicating themselves to a president up for re-election, as well as the story of Arezoo Bayat--a poor, single mother whose own campaign ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
SKU: D01026
Iranian author Ahmad Mahmoud is the subject of this probing documentary, chronicling five decades of Mahmoud's output, including well-received short story collections and novels. Displaying a strong interest in political themes, Mahmoud himself offers insights about how works such as "The Native Boy," "The Strangers," and "The Neighbors" ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D42784
Killed in a tragic car crash in 1967 at the age of 32, Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad enraged authorities and enlightened the world with her provocative verse. This three-part documentary tribute reviews Farrokhzad's innovative art and includes interviews with friends and family members, film footage of the poet shot by admirer Bernardo ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
Iran: The Next Iraq?(2005)
SKU: D99646
Is the Iranian government's oft-declared refrain "Death to America" an empty threat, or genuine cause for alarm? This History Channel documentary explores the nation's military history, its past relations with the United States, and evidence surrounding the regime's nuclear ambitions. 50 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D91658
Can the persistent unrest in the Middle East be traced to the Treaty of Versailles? Marty Callaghan's provocative documentary revisits the end of World War I and the signing of the 1919 agreement that saw the Ottoman Empire subsequently segregated into European-controlled "spheres of influence" that became Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
Letters From Iran(2006)
SKU: D95929
Through letters from a former Iranian exile to an American friend, this absorbing documentary provides a revealing look at life in present-day Tehran. As the man tries to express his ambivalent feelings about his return through his writings, he reveals information about the political and cultural changes that have gripped Iran since ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D90992
The influence that the Ancient Persian civilization has had on world history, religion, art, and culture over the years is extraordinary, and this in-depth documentary goes back in time to shed light on the Achaemenid and Sassanid Empires. Witness all the sublime sites and be privy to the amazing stories concealed within the ruins of ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
For Neda(2010)
SKU: D59758
During the unrest in the Tehran streets following the 2009 Iranian presidential election, 26-year-old aspiring musician Neda Agha-Soltan was fatally shot, and her dying moments--captured on cell phone video--would fuel outrage across the globe. Her story, recounted by her family as well as exiles who knew her, as well as the larger ... more
Regularly $29.99

$19.99
Iranium(2011)
SKU: D07971
In this Fox News documentary, conservative host Sean Hannity acts as your guide through the controversy over Iran's provocative pursuit of nuclear technology. Featuring interviews with politicians, Iranian dissidents, and Middle East experts, the program offers an alarming view of how the Iranian government aims to achieve dominance ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
This Is Not A Film(2011)
SKU: D84927
Confined to house arrest in his apartment in Tehran, filmmaker Jafar Panahi co-directs--quite illegally, since the Iranian government banned him from filmmaking for 20 years--this daring documentary about his plight and his severely constricted daily existence. Shot in part on a mobile phone and smuggled out of the country, this film ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
NEW RELEASE
SKU: D65408
Though only ruins of the once-splendid citadel now remain in modern-day Iran, the city of Persepolis once represented the hub of luxury in the Achaemenid Empire. This program delves into the city's long history, beginning with its construction by Darius the Great and its establishment as "the richest city under the sun." 57 min. Soundtrack: ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D59974
From the time of Israel's declaration of statehood in 1948, progress toward peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis has been fitful at best, as the occasional hopes of accord have proved tenuous and fleeting. This documentary chronicles the tumult of half a century to provide context and understanding as to its roots. ... more
Regularly $24.99

$19.99
Death In Gaza(2004)
SKU: D86162
A unique perspective on the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this shocking documentary examines the deeply ingrained prejudices that poison the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinian children are raised to hate Israelis, whose military presence is always at the fore. Director James Miller was killed during the making of the film, ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Wall (Mur)(2004)
SKU: D86236
Arab-Jewish filmmaker Simone Bitton's documentary chronicles the story of the early 21st century's most imposing physical manifestation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the controversial "security wall" built by Israel to separate itself from the Palestinians. The wall's effects on both societies are examined, as are differing views ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
The Shape Of The Future(2004)
SKU: D88173
Focusing on the possibilities for a joint settlement instead of revisiting the violence of the past, this documentary dealing with the long Israeli-Palestinian conflict aspires to present a picture of what an eventual agreement might look like. Exploring points of contention such as Jerusalem, settlements, and the Palestinian "right ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D44268
What happened? Just as it appeared President Clinton, Yasser Arafat, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak were on the road to a breakthrough in the ongoing and fragile peace process, the July 2000 Camp David talks broke down and the second Palestinian Intifada was underway. This illuminating documentary includes remarks from the major ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
SKU: D35648
Does Saz speak for anyone besides himself? This provocative documentary chronicles the life of the young Palestinian rapper who uses his background as both the resident of a Jewish neighborhood and a proud Arab male as the starting point for his unique music, which for him, constitutes an ambitious attempt to further the reconciliation ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Hijacked(2006)
SKU: D87069
Members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked five commercial airplanes in September of 1970, killing no hostages but exploding four of the aircraft in order to call attention to the Palestinian cause. Can the tragic events of September 11, 2001 be linked directly to the actions of these Marxist-Leninist militants? ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Hijacking The Holy Land(2010)
SKU: D06994
Engrossing documentary attempts to detail what's truly at the heart of the Middle Eastern struggle between the Palestinians and Jewish people over control of Israel that has been waging for decades. Through intense footage that reveals a deep hatred of Jews ingrained in Palestinians, and interviews with experts who postulate that the ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
5 Broken Cameras(2012)
SKU: D60523
The human toll of the settlement of the West Bank is placed in unforgettable perspective from this footage captured by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who spent five years chronicling passive resistance to the Israeli Army's occupation of his town. Edited by Israeli filmmaker and co-director Guy Davidi, the result is an experience not ... more
Regularly $29.99

$23.99
Afghan Stories(2002)
SKU: D41499
Filmed during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this unblinking documentary provides a harrowing look at the war-torn land through the eyes of those in the midst of the conflict. Includes interviews with an Afghan royal and former Taliban prisoner, a refugee couple trying to escape, a peace activist and his militaristic son, and an ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Return To Kandahar(2003)
SKU: D03337
This documentary follows the acclaimed 2001 drama "Kandahar" by accompanying its star, Nelofer Pazira, back to Afghanistan, where she hopes to reunite with the childhood friend whose story served as the basis for the earlier film's script. What Pazira finds in Kabul is a region battered by war with the Russians and the cruelties of ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Daughters Of Afghanistan(2003)
SKU: D65858
Gripping documentary examines the obstacles faced by women trying to find their identity in post-Taliban Afghanistan. Join Canadian reporter Sally Armstrong as she relays the fascinating stories of five very diverse women, including a doctor who ignored death threats in order to practice medicine, a single mother struggling to feed ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D92496
Liberated from the totalitarian restrictions of Taliban rule, women in Afghanistan flock to a beauty academy launched by Western hairstylists to encourage the local women to develop their fashion sense and overtly assert their new independence from the horrors of Sharia law. This absorbing documentary is an eye-opening chronicle of ... more
Regularly $26.99

$24.29
SKU: DR1300
In the aftermath of the U.S.-led effort to depose Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi army was disbanded, resulting in the need to train a new military force determined to restore order and resist the violent insurgency that targeted both American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. This documentary explores the challenges faced by the U.S. forces ... more
$14.99
Shadow Of Afghanistan(2006)
SKU: D07693
Aiming to educate viewers about the Muslim community and explore the long history of Afghanistan, this documentary created by independent filmmakers to portray an Afghan soldier's point of view. The chronicle spans more than two decades of dangerous history in the country, covering the Soviet occupation, civil war, and the fateful merging ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Motherland Afghanistan(2006)
SKU: D35264
The heart-rending statistic that one in seven women in Afghanistan die during childbirth is the starting point for this moving documentary. The film follows an Afghan doctor as he struggles to improve conditions in local hospitals after the U.S.-led war to depose the Taliban in 2001, facing daunting challenges due to the country's harsh ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
Awakening(2006)
SKU: D91742
Do the futures of Afghanistan and India depend on the economic freedom of women? Exploring a fresh cultural phenomenon in the two historically restrictive countries, this inspirational documentary chronicles the growth of grassroots "micro-loan" institutions organized by women living in the nations' most poverty-stricken villages. 48 ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Taliban II: The Revival(2007)
SKU: D20530
Ejected from power in Afghanistan after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the Islamic movement known as the Taliban later took hold of the tribal areas in Pakistan and battled President Pervez Musharraf for control of the entire country. This documentary explores the beliefs and practices of the Taliban, detailing how ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Beyond Belief(2007)
SKU: D20701
Two Boston-bred "soccer moms" who lost their spouses in the September 11th terrorist attacks decide to become more directly involved in the welfare of widows in Afghanistan. This affecting documentary follows the two women as they travel around the world to try and make a difference in the lives of those suffering the very conditions ... more
Regularly $26.99

$24.29
SKU: DR1299
Ejected from power in Afghanistan after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the Islamic movement known as the Taliban later took hold of the tribal areas in Pakistan and battled President Pervez Musharraf for control of the entire country. This documentary explores the beliefs and practices of the Taliban, detailing how ... more
$14.99
Frontrunner(2008)
SKU: D03646
The unusual rise of Afghani physician and political leader Dr. Massouda Jalal is chronicled in this riveting documentary. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the U.S.-led response in Afghanistan, the stage is set for the nation to hold its first-ever democratic elections, when the election of a woman as president ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
Afghan Star(2009)
SKU: D81316
Can a reality TV series unite the war- and strife-ravaged nation of Afghanistan? Well, the "American Idol"-like show "Afghan Star" has helped do so since 2005, and this acclaimed documentary follows the four finalists--two of them women who perform in spite of Taliban pressure and death threats--of the 2008 season, revealing how the ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
SKU: D59780
Follow-up effort from the makers of "Afghan Star" focuses on the Afghani reality show-singing competition contestant Setara, and more particularly, the consequences she faced after losing her head scarf during performance. Having put her vocal aspirations aside for marriage and motherhood, her notoriety remains a source for conflict ... more
Regularly $29.99

$19.99
Love Crimes Of Kabul(2011)
SKU: D59769
Their transgressions were premarital sex, or fleeing an abusive home. Their possible penalties ranged up to 20 years in prison. This numbing documentary, boasting unprecedented access to Afghani courtrooms and prisons, looks at three incarcerated women caught up in the society's system, and the not-appreciably-better alternatives they ... more
Regularly $29.99

$19.99
SKU: D37210
The tumultuous 20th-century history of the world's most volatile region is chronicled in this compelling documentary. Mixing rare newsreel and TV footage with interviews with historians, scholars and leaders, the program traces the political, religious and socioeconomic changes in the Middle East, from the first discovery of oil in ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D00224
The exotic mystique of Lebanese vocalist Fairuz is explored in this documentary tribute to the artist's appeal in her homeland of Beirut. Featuring a variety of intimate stories told about her adoring fans, the film reveals how Fairuz has managed to bring together listeners of different faiths and political persuasions for nearly 50 ... more
Regularly $29.99

$26.99
SKU: D92051
Broadcasting a view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict not often seen by Western audiences, the Arab television station Al-Manar has been accused of serving as a mouthpiece for the Beirut-based Hezbollah terrorist group. This controversial documentary takes you behind the scenes of Al-Manar's network operations, offering unique insights ... more
Regularly $14.99

$9.99
Voices Of Iraq(2004)
SKU: D68749
In an effort to give the citizens of Iraq an opportunity to break the 24-year silence imposed upon them by Saddam Hussein, the producers of this raw and honest documentary distributed over 150 digital cameras to a wide range of individuals, allowing them to sound off about the roles they will play in a transitional and chaotic time ... more
Regularly $14.99

$9.99
The Making Of An Army(2005)
SKU: D20531
In the aftermath of the U.S.-led effort to depose Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi army was disbanded, resulting in the need to train a new military force determined to restore order and resist the violent insurgency that targeted both American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. This documentary explores the challenges faced by the U.S. forces ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Nice Bombs(2006)
SKU: D02787
After living away from his homeland for 24 years, documentary filmmaker Usama Alshaibi returns to Baghdad to find a nation greatly transformed since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein. This engrossing film chronicles Iraqi-American Alshaibi's travels and his reunion with family members who, among other things, have grown disconcertingly ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D01839
Targeted because of their Christian beliefs, Assyrian men, women, and children living in Iraq face violent persecutions that are chronicled by this vivid documentary. Narrated by Jim Caviezel ("The Passion of the Christ"), the film not only includes first-person accounts from those facing assault from terrorists, but also footage of ... more
Regularly $14.99

$13.49
NEW RELEASE
The Road To Fallujah(2009)
SKU: D11504
Filmmaker Mark Manning--the only unembedded Westerner to reside in Fallujah in the wake of the 2004 warfare that decimated the Iraqi holy city--offers a sobering documentary portrait of the conflict's aftermath and its human toll. First-person accounts from affected civilians, as well as pointed observations from American military personnel ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D83798
Iraqi-American author Zainab Salbi comes by her sense of activism by way of an incredible background, with her father having served as Saddam Hussein's personal pilot and her arranged marriage a hell of abusive control. Howard Gardner addresses her complex past and personal beliefs in this insightful interview that also explores her ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
SKU: D91315
This colorful documentary celebrates the musical diversity of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and home to musicians spanning the classical, rock, electronic, and hip-hop genres. Blending the influences of cultures West and East, the musicians living and working in Istanbul are shown to exist in a vibrant metropolis that defies conventional ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D60874
Deciding to explore his Armenian heritage while on his honeymoon, filmmaker Mathieu Zeitinjioglou discovers the complex relationship modern-day Turks have to the grim history of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. This film effectively blends news footage, interviews, and expressive animation to reveal, with humor and insight, how efforts to ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
SKU: D00935
How much torture does it take to make an innocent man confess? This disturbing and moving documentary relates the story of Canadian businessman William Sampson, arrested and convicted in Saudi Arabia, wrongfully implicated in a terrorist bombing. Sampson was sent to prison for three years and brutally tortured until he made an admission ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
Arabia(2010)
SKU: D18078
Originally presented in the IMAX format, this documentary short delivers a compact but sweeping history of Arabia that features magnificent cinematography and fascinating facts. From the lost city of Mada'in Saleh to the experience of a frightening sandstorm and the exploration of the Red Sea, the production boasts an exotic variety ... more
Regularly $14.99

$13.49
SKU: D59183
Fueled by other Arab Spring movements and social media, thousands of Egyptians took over Cairo's Tahrir Square in a peaceful bid to force the abdication of President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of rule. With footage captured at the heart of the protest as it transpired, this remarkable documentary takes testimony from the protesters ... more
Regularly $29.99

$19.99
SKU: D59361
He was only 27 years old when he engineered a coup d'etat that gained him control of Libya...and spent four decades suppressing dissent and contributing to global tensions. This fascinating chronicle follows the rise from nomad youth to absolute autocrat of one of the modern age's most notorious figures. 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: ... more
Regularly $14.99

$13.49
NEW RELEASE
We Are Egypt(2012)
SKU: D09869
In early 2011, the whole world watched in fascination as Hosni Mubarak's 30-year grasp on Egypt dissolved in a matter of weeks. This documentary, culled from interviews with activists and opposition figures over the 14 months prior, illuminates how the uprising of Egypt's young, though stunning, was far from inevitable. 85 min. Widescreen ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
NEW RELEASE
SKU: D09775
Intertwined in both Islamic and Christian history, the city of Damascus is studied in this enlightening travelogue program. As the world's cultural center for more than a century, the Syrian capital was renowned for being home to skillful craftsmen and scholars of the Mediterranean region, as well as being a locale central to the stories ... more
Regularly $19.99

$17.99
PRE-ORDER
Syria: Behind The Lines(2013)
SKU: D41333
Explore the history and evolution of the nightmarish sectarian war taking place in Syria with this enlightening installment of "Frontline." This program reviews how President Bashar Al-Assad responded to the uprising against him and provides an overview of the expanding religious feuds that pit neighbor against neighbor in a blood-soaked ... more
Regularly $24.99

$22.49
available 6/18/2013













































































