Season 28

2015 · 14 episodes

Episodes

1Out in the NightSeason 28 opens with "Out in the Night," about four African-American lesbian friends who became embroiled in a melee with a man who had verbally and physically attacked them in 2006 NYC. He was stabbed; and they were eventually convicted of gang assault. The case spurred sensationalized press coverage, with headlines labeling them a "Gang of Killer Lesbians." Included: remarks from the women, their families and one of the arresting officers; and surveillance-camera footage of the confrontation.
2The Overnighters"The Overnighters," about the North Dakota oil boom, details the goings-on at a Williston church whose pastor turned it into a makeshift dorm for folks unable to find housing. The emigres moved to the region in hopes of finding work. Some have, some haven't, but a housing shortage means they have nowhere to live. Not all in the community welcome the arrangement, however. Also: the Immigrant Nation short "The Caretaker"; and StoryCorps shorts "A More Perfect Union" and "The Last Viewing."
3Tough LoveA single dad in Seattle and a mother of two in NYC navigate the child welfare system in hopes of regaining custody of their children, who were removed from their care due to neglect. Patrick lost his daughter after he alerted CPS about her meth-addicted mother; he was addicted, too, but is now recovering. Hannah lost her kids after leaving them with her mom for nights on end. She's since married and is again pregnant; and her husband supports her in her quest to put her family back together.
4Web JunkieA look at Internet addiction in China via the experiences of teens at Daxing Boot Camp in Beijing, one of some 400 rehabilitation centers created by the government to treat the disorder. Patients, who are kept under constant surveillance, take part in rigorous exercise, group therapy, brain scans and classroom instruction. "It is an abyss swallowing my son," says one mother of why she sought help for her son. It's also not cheap. Parents, many at their wits' end, often borrow money to pay.
5Return to HomsThe transformation of a one-time goalie for the Syrian national soccer team from peaceful protester to armed opponent of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime is chronicled. In 2011, when the documentary begins, 19-year-old Abdul Basset Saroot—once voted the second best goalie in Asia—is singing protest songs to like-minded people in Homs. The regime responds to the protests, however, with artillery fire, tanks, jets and snipers. Assad and his friends see no option but one: take up arms.
6Tea TimeFive Chilean women meet each month for tea and pastries, a tradition they've maintained for 60 years. Through the decades, they've experienced many personal and societal changes; and weathered disagreements amongst themselves.
7Beats of the AntonovA look at life along the Sudan-South Sudan border, where many who fought to create South Sudan found themselves on the wrong side of the border once it was established in 2011. They harvest crops, raise cattle, try to avoid air raids—and make music on instruments made from found objects.
8NeulandMeet the young migrants in a Swiss integration class, who have made long and arduous journeys for a new life. Separated from their families, they struggle to learn a new language, prepare for employment and reveal their innermost hopes and dreams.
9Point and ShootRide shotgun with Matt VanDyke, who films his self-transformation from a timid 26-year-old to a motorcycle-driving rebel, fighting in the Libyan revolution. Two-time Oscar nominee Marshall Curry tells his amazing story.
10The Storm MakersMore than half a million Cambodians work abroad, and a staggering third of those become slaves. Many are young women, held prisoner and forced to work in horrific conditions, sometimes as prostitutes. French-Cambodian filmmaker Guillaume Suon presents an eye-opening look at the cycle of poverty, despair and greed that fuels this brutal modern slave trade.
11Cutie and the BoxerAn Oscar-nominated reflection on love, sacrifice and the creative spirit, this candid New York tale explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed “boxing” painter Ushio Shinohara and artist Noriko Shinohara.
12Don't Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie)In a community where silence is seen as necessary for survival, immigrant activist Angy Rivera joins a generation of Dreamers ready to push for change in the only home she’s ever known — the United States.
13Art and CraftA cat-and-mouse caper told with humor and compassion, Art and Craft uncovers the universal in one man's search for connection and respect.
14Ai Weiwei: The Fake CaseHow the government's attempts to silence Ai Weiwei have turned him into China's most powerful artist and an irrepressible voice for free speech and human rights around the globe.