KUED Programs

From the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916, to Ang Lee's triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, this films brings together a group of actors, writers, directors -- and iconic film images -- to examine how Chinese people have contributed to and been portrayed in an industry that was often ignorant and dismissive about race. Moving far beyond the stereotypical and exotic images of Suzy Wong and Bruce Lee, such artists as Wayne Wang, Joan Chen, David Henry Hwang, Nancy Kwan and Amy Tan, among many others, share their experiences of being "the other." These storytellers and film clips from more than 90 films -- some dating back to the 1890s -- weave a rich tapestry and complex history.

America in the 1960s and 70s was in turmoil. The civil rights struggle, the war in Vietnam and the sexual revolution defined a nation in conflict. But at 10 o'clock every Saturday night, in dorms and dens, in living rooms and bedrooms across the country, Americans watched "The Carol Burnett Show." For 11 years, the wacky performer yelled like Tarzan and won -- and sometimes broke -- our hearts with her edgy, always sympathetic, characters. She could fall down a flight of stairs or hold her own in a duet with Julie Andrews. Yet, as with so many brilliant comedians, hers was a difficult childhood. A glimpse of something deeper and darker began to emerge in the dramatic career that followed her TV variety show.

America in the 1960s and 70s was in turmoil. The civil rights struggle, the war in Vietnam and the sexual revolution defined a nation in conflict. But at 10 o'clock every Saturday night, in dorms and dens, in living rooms and bedrooms across the country, Americans watched "The Carol Burnett Show." For 11 years, the wacky performer yelled like Tarzan and won -- and sometimes broke -- our hearts with her edgy, always sympathetic, characters. She could fall down a flight of stairs or hold her own in a duet with Julie Andrews. Yet, as with so many brilliant comedians, hers was a difficult childhood. A glimpse of something deeper and darker began to emerge in the dramatic career that followed her TV variety show.

To celebrate his 40th anniversary at the Metropolitan Opera, conductor James Levine's life and current work are the subject of a documentary that captures the essence of his unparalleled musicianship and his singular teaching and performance style, while looking back at creative milestones since his Met debut in 1971 at the age of 28. Over the past 12 months, filmmaker Susan Froemke has followed Levine. Included in the film are intimate scenes between the maestro and longtime collaborator Placido Domingo as they rehearse Verdi's Simon Boccanegra; intense rehearsals with the Met Orchestra as they prepare for their first performance of Beethoven's 5th Symphony at Carnegie Hall; and Levine's poignant coaching sessions with aspiring young singers preparing to launch their careers. The film provides a revealing portrait of one of classical music's giants, exploring how Levine transformed the Met's orchestra into one of the great ensembles, elicited legendary performances from leading singers, and nurtured new generations of artists.

Filmmaker Scott Hicks - director of the 1996 award winning feature film Shine and more recently No Reservations, for which Philip Glass wrote the score - documents an eventful, but apparently typical, year in the career and personal life of the distinguished composer as he interacts with family, friends and colleagues. Romping with his young children on the Nova Scotia coastline, cooking pizza and deconstructing philosophy in the farmhouse kitchen, creating new works in his cluttered Baltimore studio or collaborating with Chuck Close, Ravi Shankar and Woody Allen, this film follows Glass across three continents - from his annual ride on the Coney Island "Cyclone" in Brooklyn to the world premiere of his new opera in Germany and in performance with a didgeridoo virtuoso in Australia. It is a very intimate, often verite, portrait of artistic sensibility and pursuits.

Nearly a century after his death, John Muir is remembered and revered as the father of the environmental movement, the father of conservation, and the founder of the Sierra Club. It was this Scottish-American who believed it was our responsibility as citizens to care for and protect our natural surroundings. He taught us by example and passion -- through his actions, his writings, his art -- how to do so. Through his tireless advocacy, he almost single-handedly saved the Yosemite Valley of California from destruction and was the force behind the creation of the National Parks Service. Filmed throughout the majestic, breathtaking landscapes and wilderness traveled by Muir those many years ago, this documentary places our nation's most important asset in a cultural and social context. Muir's story could not be a more timely reminder of America's unique and, ultimately, threatened eco-system.

This program is adapted from his son Christopher's 2003 play and based on the remarkable letters Dalton Trumbo wrote during the devastation wrought by the "Red Scare" in the mid-20th century. With credits for Kitty Foyle and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo to his name -- and the anti-war novel Johnny Got His Gun -- the young Trumbo was one of the highest paid Hollywood writers. Refusing to testify before the HUAC in '47, he was part of the group known as the Hollywood Ten; convicted for contempt, he spent 11 months in federal prison and lost all right to ply his craft. Writing 30 scripts under pseudonyms -- he won an Oscar in '56 for The Brave One as Robert Reich -- he was not recognized publicly again until 1960, when Otto Preminger credited him on Exodus and Kirk Douglas did so on Spartacus -- actions considered to mark the end of the blacklist. As late as 1993, Trumbo was awarded a posthumous Acadamy Award for Roman Holiday ('53).

Explore the life of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novelist, often referred to as the greatest living American writer. In candid interviews, Philip Roth discusses intimate aspects of his life and art as he has never done before: his unliterary upbringing in Newark, New Jersey, his writing process, the inspiration behind his most famous novels, and the many controversies he stirred throughout his career. With 31 books to his credit, including Goodbye, Columbus; Portnoy's Complaint; Sabbath's Theater; American Pastoral; and The Human Stain, Roth practically invented the genre of factual-fictional autobiography and commands ownership of the Jewish-American novel. Interviewees include Mia Farrow, Jonathan Franzen and Nicole Krauss.