Harlan County U.S.A.

Harlan County U.S.A. 1977

7.50

This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.

1977

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson 1993

8.00

Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson is a 1993 film made by acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Though Tyson was in jail serving a sentence for rape, Kopple used existing interviews with the boxer, as well as her own extensive interviews with those closest to Tyson, to explore the man's history. The film traces Tyson's story from his troubled and tumultuous upbringing, through his rapid ascendancy in the ranks of the boxing world and his subsequent struggle with the trappings of fame. Fallen Champ earned Barbara Kopple a Directors Guild of America award as Best Documentary Director of 1993.

1993

Miss Sharon Jones!

Miss Sharon Jones! 2015

7.10

Two-time Academy Award® winner Barbara Kopple shines a powerful, inspiring and entertaining spotlight on contemporary soul queen Sharon Jones. As she prepares to release her much-anticipated new album, Sharon comes face to-face with the greatest challenge of her life: a grave cancer diagnosis. Follow this tour de force over the course of an eventful and remarkable year as she struggles to hold her band The Dap-Kings together while battling her way back to the stage with the unstoppable determination of a true soul survivor

2015

Killing the Colorado

Killing the Colorado 2016

6.00

The drought in the American West is predicted to be the worst in 1,000 years. Join five Academy Award-winning filmmakers as they explore the environmental crisis of our time and how to fix it before it's too late.

2016

Gumbo Coalition

Gumbo Coalition 2022

1

Two Black and Latinx civil rights champions join forces to fight structural racism amid a troubling resurgence of white supremacy.

2022

Wild Man Blues

Wild Man Blues 1997

6.60

Wild Man Blues is a 1998 documentary film directed by Barbara Kopple, about the musical avocation of actor/director/comic Woody Allen. The film takes its name from a jazz composition sometimes attributed to Jelly Roll Morton and sometimes to Louis Armstrong and recorded by both (among others). Allen's love of early 20th century New Orleans music is depicted through his 1996 tour of Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band. Allen has played clarinet with this band for over 25 years. Although Allen's European tour is the film's primary focus, it was also notable as the first major public showcase for Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn.

1997

American Dream

American Dream 1990

7.10

When workers at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota are asked to take a substantial pay cut in a highly profitable year, the local labor union decides to go on strike and fight for a wage they believe is fair. But as the work stoppage drags on and the strikers face losing everything, friends become enemies, families are divided and the very future of this typical mid American town is threatened.

1990

This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous

This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous 2017

5.60

A groundbreaking film that portrays the journey of Gigi Lazzarato, a fearless woman who began life as Gregory, posting fashion videos to YouTube from his bedroom, only to later come out as a transgender female. With never-before-seen personal footage, the film spotlights a family’s unwavering love for a child.

2017

My Generation

My Generation 2000

5.00

A documentary about the three Woodstock music festivals.

2000

A Murder in Mansfield

A Murder in Mansfield 2017

7.20

Oscar®-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio. Her 12-year-old son Collier gave a devastating videotaped testimony blaming his father for the murder. Now, over two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt. Collier’s depth of character is a wonder to behold from childhood to adulthood. Out of this tragic story, we witness the power of human resilience.

2017

New Homeland

New Homeland 2018

1

Canada, our friendly neighbors to the North, who welcomed 27,000 refugees (just 6,000 fewer than America) in 2017 alone, despite having a tenth of the U.S. population. Many of the refugees came from Syria and Iraq, and their journeys to safety were physically and mentally taxing. To tell the story of their experience, Academy Award®-winning director Barbara Kopple uses a unique and creative setting: summer camp. Located on a small island in the Canadian wilderness, Camp Pathfinder has given boys from Canada and the U.S. a place to belong for over a century. A few years ago, its director—saddened and disturbed by what he was seeing in the news—decided to give refugees the opportunity to attend the camp. Kopple’s film chronicles their stay, beautifully capturing the bonds of new friendship. But not all the boys are able to escape the mindset of war. Through the eyes of these youngsters, NEW HOMELAND documents the highs and lows of starting over.

2018

Desert One

Desert One 2019

6.20

The true story behind one the of most daring rescues in modern US history: a secret mission to free hostages captured during the 1979 Iranian revolution.

2019

High School Musical: The Music in You

High School Musical: The Music in You 2007

1

Students from Arlington Heights and Western Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas prepare to put on their version of the Disney hit High School Musical.

2007