As a child, I climbed up on a stool to reach the balcony so as not to lose any of the show displayed in my street in Casablanca. On Saturday, our day of rest, the wandering musicians would come under our windows to collect a few coins. Amongst them the Black Gnawas with their multicolored costumes, their big drum hanging from their neck, and their hat whirling on top of their head, at the same time frightening and fascinating. Later, as a teenager, my ear glued to the radio. I guesse... more

A lonesome middle-aged bachelor, a divorced single mother, and a jovial young mullah are the protagonists of this intimate account of gender relations in Iran. Their stories revolve around the institution of temporary marriage, also called lust-marriage, a Shia practice that allows a man and a woman to legally marry for a fixed period of time ranging from a half-hour to 99 years. Is this religiously sanctified prostitution or a loophole for couples to have a relationship within the rigi... more

The Tinku is a controversial and violent ritual that divides the Quechua community of Piruani. Some of the natives believe this celebration goes against their Christian beliefs and prosperity. Others believe in the deep cultural tradition that celebrates nature through personal sacrifice. The blood in the Tinku is a sublime act.

A Kashmiri poet has said of the Indian occupation of Kashmir, “they make a desolation and call it peace.” Once the epitome of a syncretic, mystical culture, a deep heritage of learning, of arts and craft, the crucible of Buddhism, Hinduism and sufi Islam, full of verdant forests, snow-capped peaks, populated by a guileless, beautiful people, all until the dark cloud of terror enveloped the Kashmir valley overnight. This film is the story of the conflict recounted as personal history, i... more

More than 30 years since the first public acknowledgement of AIDS, a great deal of work still needs to be done to provide people living with HIV with the proper care they deserve and find a cure for the disease. Today, every 9.5 minutes someone is infected with HIV in the United States, paralleled with the pandemic across Sub-Saharan Africa. What was initially thought to be a gay white man’s disease is now a Black disease. While African-Americans represent only 12% of the U.S. population, the... more

At least two years, twelve hours every day, memorizing over 6000 verses from Koran–that is what small kids have to do in Hifz-Khana. Many parents send their children very willingly to this special department of a madrasa, the Islamic orthodox school. Generally, cameras are strictly forbidden; filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz still managed to enter and observe in these madrasas in Bangladesh. The result is a film that approaches very carefully this unique religious practice, which is contradictory to th... more

Stereotypes are often perpetuated and exaggerated through the media. This video analyzes stereotypes specific to America's indigenous peoples, as seen in cartoons and liquor and cigarette advertisements. Interviews with Native American teenagers and adults indicate that the struggle continues, and there are still many obstacles to overcome.