In the Pit (2006)

Director:
Juan Carlos Rulfo

IMDB

Synopsis:
The hardships of a Mexico City construction crew struggling to complete a second deck atop the massive Periférico Freeway are explored in director Juan Carlos Rulfo's studied look at the modern work ethic. As countless drivers zoom past the enormous worksite day after day, the anonymous workers toil away in a relentless drive to finish construction on the massive freeway addition by the scheduled completion date of December 2005. Despite the long hours and sometimes harsh working conditions, workers such as "Shorty" and "EL Grande" look past the sub-standard safety conditions to focus on the task at hand. Though both men know that when the project is finally completed they will likely receive little to no recognition for their monumental feat, the differing attitudes that they take towards their jobs offers a compelling look at the divisive opinions that many Mexicans hold in regards to both themselves and their country.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (2003)

Directors:
Kim Bartley, Donnacha O'Briains

IMDB

Synopsis:
Taking its title from a poem/song by Gil Scott-Heron, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is an award-winning international documentary. Irish filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain went to Venezuela to make a documentary about the charismatic, democratically elected president, Hugo Chavez. Very popular with the Venezuelan people, Chavez is a firm supporter of socialism and a redistribution of wealth from the oil profits in his country. He's also an outspoken opponent of the Bush administration's tactics in Afghanistan. In April 2002, the filmmakers ended up witnessing the failed coup that took place when a group of oil-interested parties tried to remove Chavez from office. Pedro Carmona was supposed to be installed as the new leader. However, due to the loyalty of his people, Chavez was back in power in 48 hours. While the state-controlled media (Channel 8 in Venezuela) gave the president a call-in show to talk with the public, privatized media outlets reported that pro-Chavez supporters had fired on an anti-Chavez march. After making its U.S. premiere at the 2003 South by Southwest Film Festival, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (also known as Chavez: Inside the Coup) has aired around the world on the RTE, BBC, and CBC.

Balseros (2002)

Directors:
Carles Bosch, Josep Maria Domènech

IMDB

Synopsis:
In 1994, after local protests against his regime had reached a fever pitch, Cuban leader Fidel Castro made a surprising announcement -- that any ships that wished to leave Cuba would not be stopped by his seagoing forces. Before long, dozens of jerry-rigged vessels were attempting to make the 90-mile journey to the United States across shark-infested waters, but American president Bill Clinton responded by announcing the Cubans would not be given asylum, while those who had already arrived were sent to a refugee camp in Guantanamo Bay. The Cuban expatriates at Guantanamo Bay had to wait nine months before they were allowed to enter the U.S. and begin the long process of finding new homes in America. Filmmaker Carlos Bosch followed the stories of the Cuban exiles, and, in 1999, tracked down a handful of them to see how they had fared in their first five years in their new country. Balseros is a documentary which shares the stories of the Cuban settlers and the surprising places (both good and bad) where the dream of freedom has taken them.

Missing Young Woman (2001)

Director:
Lourdes Portillo

IMDB

Synopsis:
Ciudad Juarez is a Mexican city which is near El Paso, TX, on the opposite side of the U.S./Mexico border. Since the adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Ciudad Juarez has become a hub for international manufacturing, with a number of American firms opening plants there to take advantage of the city's large work force and wages far lower than their American counterparts would claim. However, Ciudad Juarez has also become known for something other than business -- since 1994, over 200 women have disappeared in the city, and a large number of them have been later found brutally murdered and left in shallow graves in the desert on the outskirts of town. Missing Young Woman is a documentary that examines this chilling crime spree, and the inability (or lack of inclination) of police to find the culprit. For some time, the police had pointed to an Egyptian immigrant as a likely suspect, but that man went behind bars -- and the killings and disappearances failed to stop. Director Lourdes Portillo also explores the theory that the arrival of American industry into Ciudad Juarez may have some link to the murders. Missing Young Woman was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival.

Orozco the Embalmer (2001)

Director:
Tsurisaki Kiyotaka

IMDB

Review:
Attracted to Colombia, the land of love and violence, the corpse photographer Tsurisaki Kiyotaka is led to the most dangerous area called 'El Cartucho' in Bogota where public order is the worst in the world. There he met an old veteran embalmer, Froilan Orozco, in the neighborhood of "rue morgue". It was not surprising that Tsurisaki became interested in the profession and deeply impressed by the fact that as an embalmer Orozco could continue mourning for countless victims of violence and bloody history in Colombia. This led Tsurisaki to undergo the long-term coverage of 3 years. Tsurisaki infiltrated 'El Cartucho' and revealed the essence of love and violence through the coverage of an embalmer Froilan Orozco. Is it social or bizarre? Is it beauty or bad taste? It's all up to you to judge what it is.

Pictures from a Revolution (1991)

Director:
Alfred Guzzetti,Susan Meiselas and Richard P. Rogers

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102665/

Review:
In this lively, intellectually stimulating discourse on the power of images, renowned photojournalist Susan Meiselas returns to the scenes of a revolution she witnessed and captured with her camera. Richly suffused with context and color, PICTURES FROM A REVOLUTION catches up with the places and people behind Meiselas' iconic photographs of war-torn Nicaragua in the late 70s and 80s. Delving into the lives of guerrillas, Sandinistas, and bystanders, scattered from Miami to Managua, a decade after they faced off in a bloody struggle, this artful film finds both disappointment and modest pride amidst still-fresh, stirring memories. Once photographed wielding contact bombs and marching in the streets, these incredible Nicaraguans now live much as they did before the revolutionary days. The stories behind the acclaimed photos will ignite a new understanding of social struggle while inviting reflection on the war photographer's complex relationship with her subjects.