The Warrior's Heart (Common Text 2014-2015): Films

The story of the five Marines and one Navy corpsman that were forever immortalized as a symbol of WWII by raising the American flag at the battle of Iwo Jima. When Joe Rosenthal’s photograph of the event becomes a symbol of hope for the families at home, the three surviving men are pulled from combat and sent on a tour across America to raise desperately-needed bond money. It is a trip that brings out the truths of both that symbolic act, and their lives during war.

The deeply moving true story of a five-star-hotel manager who used his wits and words to save more than 1,200 lives during the 1994 Rwandan conflict.

The making of the motion picture "Hotel Rwanda."
Contents: A story that needed to be told. The beginning / Keir Pearson ; My promise / Terry George -- Chronicles. The Rwandan Schindler / Nicola Graydon ; The struggle of memory against forgetting / Anne Thompson ; The triumph of evil / Frontline PBS -- History. A brief history of Rwanda ; Basic facts ; Timeline : the Rwandan crisis ; Resources and further reading -- The screenplay. Screenplay ; Credits ; Bios.

A revealing drama that focuses on the 16th president’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country, and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Bosnia. Rwanda. Kosovo. Sierra Leone. Pakistan. Just a few of the world’s humanitarian and political crises in the past years. Whether the result of war or nature, disasters devastate populations and cripple health systems. Despite the immense dangers and difficulties of the work, one organization, Doctors Without Borders, has continuously intervened at the frontlines of overwhelming human need. Four volunteer doctors are followed as they provide emergency medical care under extreme conditions in war-torn Congo and Liberia.

Mapendo is a survivor of genocide in the Congo. She brought her ten children to Phoenix Arizona for resettlement. She has since become an internationally-recognized spokesperson for displaced women and children in Africa and for human rights. This is her story- past, present and future.

As the War in Iraq continues, the first measures of its psychological toll are coming in. A medical study estimates that more than one in seven returning veterans are expected to suffer from major depression, anxiety, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For those who have survived the fighting, the battle is not over. For some, the return home can be as painful as war itself.

NCC English Professor Christina Rau discusses her travels around the world and the poetry inspired by her experiences.

America has committed billions of dollars to escalate military action in Afghanistan and Pakistan, using war as a tool for peace. In this edition of the Journal, Bill Moyers considers a different path to peace with humanitarian Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, as they discuss Mortenson’s efforts to build schools and nurture communities in that embattled region. Moyers also speaks with historian and columnist Thomas Frank about the state of the Union when Obama took office and the lessons of the preceding years Frank calls “a low, dishonest decade.” An essay on the cost of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—and the hypothetical trade-offs made to fund them—concludes the program.

Navy SEALs recruits are trained to control panic under conditions of absolute chaos. The amygdala holds the key to how we respond to panic. Recruits are taught to control signals from the amygdala.

Ghosts of Rwanda marks the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide in 1994 with a documentary chronicling one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In addition to interviews with key government officials and diplomats, this documentary offers eyewitness accounts of the genocide from those who experienced it firsthand. Frontline illustrates the failures that enabled the slaughter of 800,000 people to occur unchallenged by the global community.

On June 5, 1989, one day after Chinese troops expelled thousands of demonstrators from Tiananmen Square, a solitary, unarmed protester stood his ground before a column of tanks advancing down the Avenue of Eternal Peace. This Frontline report investigates the mystery of the Tank Man-his identity, his fate, and his significance for the Chinese leadership. Drawing on interviews with Chinese and Western eyewitnesses, filmmaker Antony Thomas recounts the amazing events of the spring of 1989, when a student protest that began in Tiananmen Square spread throughout much of the rest of China. From there, Thomas looks at what the Tank Man’s life might be like in today’s China.

The Oscar-nominated actor, who exec-produces and stars in The Guard, explains why it gets harder every year to make movies.

Artists engage politics, inequality, and the many conflicts that besiege the world today. Featuring artists Nancy Spero, An-My Le, Alfredo Jaar, and Jenny Holzer.

Interview with Dick Couch, Former Navy SEAL and former CIA Maritime Operations Officer.

It’s hard to always show compassion -- even to the people we love, but Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle.

This U.S. Navy video details some of the underwater training required to be a U.S. SEAL.

The Mission Continues provides opportunities for military veterans to continue to serve, an effort that aids both them and their communities. Founder Eric Greitens says the lessons of Judaism have shaped his life and taught him about humanity’s duty to repair the world.

America's new wounded warriors—Why are their family caregivers overworked and under-supported?