The film opens with footage of a NASA rocket launch, an animation of our solar system, and a quote from Deuteronomy 30:19 about choosing between life and death (illustrated with images of the planet Earth as seen from space, contrasted with an exploding atom bomb). This is followed by a statement that humanity has not been caring for the Earth properly according to Jewish teachings. Next comes a section about ancient Jewish texts and "sacred words" that provide "specific instructions on how to be custodians of the world in which we live." Throughout the film, quotes from the Torah, illustrated with closeups of Hebrew scrolls, Jews praying, and nature scenes, will be contrasted with the various environmental threats facing humanity today.
"To Touch the Soul" follows California State University, Long Beach Professor Carlos Silveira, a Brazilian-born artist educator and social activist who recruits 27 American university students to join him in a pilot program that uses art to help impoverished Cambodian children affected by HIV/AIDS express their wishes and desires for their futures. As Carlos and the students grapple with the realities of a culture much different from their own, a language they don't understand, art projects that don't go as planned and a three-week deadline, they form a bond with the children. Through these young Cambodian mentors—all of them abandoned by society—the Americans empower their own social activism and learn the true meaning of kindness, selflessness, courage and community.
Million Calorie March: The Movie documents the Million Calorie March awareness and fundraising campaign and incorporates stories from Marino’s 2005 book, "Big & Tall Chronicles: Misadventures Of A Lifelong Food Addict." Through flashbacks to his childhood, Marino documents the influences that led to his struggles with weight loss and his personal battle to overcome food addiction. The purpose behind Marino’s film is the increasing awareness of the spread of obesity throughout the United States and inspiring people to dig deep to fix themselves.
Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back covers four children who the Autism Society says recovered from autism. Each child received services from the Center for Autism and Related Disorders Inc. (CARD), including assessments, supervision, parent/teacher training and one-on-one behavioral therapy. The film presents documentation of therapy sessions along with interviews of the children who are now teenagers, their parents, therapists and the founder/executive director of CARD.
Reminiscencias deals with the creation and loss of memory and identity though an autobiographic exploration based on the filmmaker's own 2009 instance of amnesia. Molero had to use home movies shot by his father and grandfather, as well as digital footage shot by himself and video clips from his cell phone to determine his own past and find his identity.
The film tells the story of Joyce Fernandez, a 50-year-old woman caring for her mother, Celine Fernandez, who has had Alzheimer's Disease for 7 years. When Celine suffers a mild stroke and is hospitalized for over three months, Joyce attempts to keep herself together, especially after Celine loses all of what little speech and she originally had. The duo, staunch Catholics, keep their heads above the emotional turmoil through daily prayer.
An independent filmmaker travels the United States in search of meaningful conversations with world-renowned artists on the nature of creativity and how a person can realize his or her full creative potential. The movie is divided into three central themes: finding your voice, security versus risk, and the definition of success in the arts.