Movies: Activist

The film tells the story of 25-year-old Urmila Chaudary from Nepal. At the age of six she was sold by her family and was forced to work as a slave under appalling conditions for 12 years. Her dream is to end child slavery in Nepal. To this end she fi...

Revolutionary at 21. Lawmaker at 23. Most Wanted at 26. With intimate access to the leaders of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution, Who is Afraid of Nathan Law? chronicles one of the world’s most famous dissidents in his fight for democracy against a sup...

A silver haired woman, Mildred Norman, calling herself "Peace Pilgrim," walked more than 25,000 miles, from 1953 to 1981, on a personal pilgrimage for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until gi...

This BBC documentary chronicles the life of folk/soft-rock singer John Denver through his rise with The Chad Mitchell Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, his subsequent stardom, his popularity decline, and his tragic death at age 53....

Folk music icon Buffy Sainte-Marie became internationally renowned with her protest song "Universal Soldier." In this short documentary, she candidly discusses her hopes, creative vision and songwriting skills, as well as her role as an Aboriginal ac...

The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards presents John Santos, musician and cultural activist, with the Helen Crocker Russell Award for making music that transcends cultural barriers and serves as a tool for social justice. As an educ...

Chanda Chevannes follows scientist Dr. Sandra Steingraber as she makes speeches against fracking and gets arrested protesting “the industrialization of the Finger Lakes.”...

Journalist Alvaro Alvarez travels with former porn-star and men’s rights activist Philipp Tanzer to a Conference on Men’s Issues, shedding light on the controversial movement....

Rita Semel, interfaith pioneer and Jewish activist, is a recipient of the San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards "for her life-long successes in creating healthy, just, and inclusive communities in the Bay Area and worldwide. She builds...

Power of the People is a touching film that gives voice to poet Laura Eklund Nhaga, who is searching for the right way for her to have an impact. The possibilities and impossibilities of activism are countless, and none are indisputably more effectiv...

Willie Nelson - American Outlaw captures the most iconic moments from a one-night-only concert event honoring Willie Nelson and his music. This two-hour program is packed with over 20 original performances, never before seen interviews and captivatin...

This short film reveals the inspiration, motivation and political challenges at San Francisco City Hall during the frantic days leading up to the first government-sanctioned same-sex marriage....

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The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards presents Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, with the Robert C. Kirkwood Award for courageously addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, response, and care wit...

The San Francisco Foundation 2013 Community Leadership Awards presents Reverend Michael McBride with the John R. May Award, made for initiatives in response to a significant contemporary problem. Reverend Michael McBride has tirelessly sought to addr...

This movie captures the motivations of an animal rights activist. Through his eyes, we explore the paradoxes in our society --- of being an animal lover and yet consuming some of them --- stemming from social conditioning and cognitive dissonance. Th...

The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards presents Gonzalo Rucobo, co-founder and executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, with The San Francisco Foundation Award for helping former gang members reach their potential and successful...

Seizing her power as she confronts her mortality, trailblazing trans activist Connie Norman evolves as an irrepressible, challenging and soulful voice for the AIDS and queer communities of early 90's Los Angeles....

Toad People introduces audiences to the stories of people like Steve Clegg who make up a community-led movement to save this threatened species. In different parts of the province, people from all ages and walks of life come together to do whatever i...

Caste Aside is a documentary about the British government's controversial decision on whether or not to introduce legislation against caste discrimination in the UK. Highlighting both sides of this heated debate, the documentary speaks to Dalit right...