A thousand-mile bike ride from Portland, Oregon, to Salt Lake City, Utah, highlights endangered wildlands in the Western United States.

Media students in London set out to complete a homework assignment. Their project: to 'look for happiness' through the lens of a video camera. Taught that ‘there are only about 40 original films in the cinema, and that all the rest just remake those same stories’, the students begin their journey. But art quickly imitates life as the students realize that the happiness they seek is their own.

Citizenship, civil and human rights, and individual versus state responsibility have been important threads in American political discourse for centuries. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a unique microcosm in which these themes have gained new urgency. Here, the individual and the communal, the local and the national are inseparably intertwined, and precedents will be set that will reverberate in national political debates for decades to come. Despite, or maybe because of the incompetent response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the disheartening reluctance of all levels of government to effectively engage in the rebuilding process, New Orleanians have turned to each other for material and moral support. At the same time, volunteers from all over the nation have become the muscle for new and established grassroots organizations, setting up food banks, providing medical care, gutting homes, and rebuilding schools and public libraries. Our documentary follows these events, takes stock of the loss that defines the 'storm generation,' and features interviews with 'third responders,' who dedicate themselves to rebuilding morale among those dispirited by the slowness of recovery. In short, in a series of interviews, our documentary chronicles the achievements of both the local residents and the millions of volunteers, while exploring the limitations and fragility of a recovery process built upon the shoulders of individuals operating almost entirely without government support. Throughout, the film thus examines larger themes relevant to American society today, culminating in a final discussion of American citizens' vision of and trust in democratic processes.

The connection between human life and water is universally celebrated in the major ritual ceremonies of the world. Water was once even considered to be nature’s endowment to life. Like air, however, we took it for granted. Filmed in 14 countries across the globe, ‘One Water” highlights mankind’s ever-changing precarious relationship with water, delivering stunning non-verbal visual sequences, compelling expert commentary, local music and a score performed by the world renowned Russian National Orchestra.

In January, 2003, Kathryn Blume and Sharron Bower organized readings of the ancient Greek play, Lysistrata, to protest the imminent preemptive war on Iraq. Word of the Lysistrata Project exploded across the Internet and six weeks later, on March 3, 2003, over 1,000 simultaneous productions were performed in 59 countries around the globe. This 2,400 year-old play uncannily mirrors strong women who dare to speak out against the hypocrisy of war while facing ridicule and accusations of treason from the powers of male-dominated government. As the famous and ordinary alike joined together in a worldwide chorus of dissent, this inspiring film demonstrates the power of theatre as a tool for change. NOTE: This film contains adult content.

Florida closed the Lake Apopka Muck Farms in 1998 when it found over 1,000 birds poisoned by pesticides. The state spent $100M researching the bird deaths but nothing on the 2,500 ailing farmworkers. This film documents one woman who, for 10 years, has sought the studies and healthcare they deserve.

Hanh is an HIV-positive widow in Vietnam. Nada, a survivor of the Bosnian war. And Jacqueline works the slums of Bamako, Mali. Three very different lives. Three vastly different worlds. But each have overcome gender barriers to rise up and claim a voice in their societies. Hanh, Nada, and Jacqueline are sparking remarkable changes from fighting AIDS and rebuilding communities, to empowering and educating young girls all over the world.

The extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women, Christian and Muslims united, who formed a thin but unshakable white line between the opposing forces, and successfully demanded an end to the fighting, armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions. Together they took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003. This film intersperses contemporary interviews, archival images, and scenes of present-day Liberia to recount the experiences and memories of the women who were instrumental in bringing lasting peace to their country.

Shorts by Rollins College students: This is My Rollins College T-Shirt, The Snake & Rat, Out of the Muck