Of Two Minds (2013)

Director: Lisa Klein & Doug Blush
Run Time: 89 min.
Call Number: RC516 .O326 2013
  
"More than 5 million Americans are affected by bipolar disorder, but it was one person in particular who influenced co-director Lisa Klein to make the documentary 'Of Two Minds.' That would be Klein's older sister Tina, who died at age 42. The personal connection gives 'Of Two Minds' (co-directed with Doug Blush) its greatest strength, the intimate bond it establishes with a trio of people coping with the manic-depressive nature of the illness.
. . . These bright, lively people who tend to feel the necessity to 'play sane every day' are completely candid with the filmmakers. They talk about the black depressions, suicide attempts and difficult relationships that can be business as usual for anyone living with the affliction." 
—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

The Island President (2012)

Director: Jon Shenk
Run Time: 101 min.
Call Number: QC903.2.M415 I85 2012

"The title refers to former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, whose country—actually 2,000 islands in the Indian Ocean—is quite literally disappearing as he walks the eroding beaches and discusses the devastation caused by the 2004 tsunami. That was a turning point, both in awareness of the islands' geographical vulnerability and in its political impact. Maldives' torture-addicted previous president was ousted and a more democratic government was established. . . . [T]hat changed again, when right-wing elements forced Nasheed to resign, making him essentially a man without a country.  Directed by veteran filmmaker Jon Shenk ('Lost Boys of Sudan,' 'The Rape of Europa'), the movie mostly concentrates on Nasheed's ability to reach political consensus when dealing with such heavyweights as China, India and the United States."
 —John Hartl, Seattle Times

The Untold History of the United States (2014)

Director: Oliver Stone
Run Time: 796 min.
Call Number: E741 .U58 2014

"History is a record of what happened and, perhaps, why. But, implicitly, it can also be about what could have happened but didn't. If Lincoln hadn't gone to the theater that night in April, for example, he might have died of old age.

Once events happen, they can't 'unhappen,' yet it is human nature for us to ask, 'What if?' Oliver Stone has asked the question through much of his film work over the years, and asks it again in the first four films in his 10-part documentary series, 'The Untold History of the United States' . . .

In fact, 'What If' might have been a more accurate title for the series . . . because much of their content isn't untold, per se, but, rather, retold with Stone's interpretation and emphasis."

—David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle