Wednesday, June 13 2012 • 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Battle: Change from Within (58 min.) is a documentary about educator Eliot Battle and the pivotal role he played in desegregating schools, housing, and the Columbia community. As Battle facilitated changes with quiet resolve, he faced resistance from both the black and white communities. His calm demeanor and dedicated work within existing institutions and systems allowed him to bridge the gap between the two races and change Columbia for the better. The filmmakers will be on hand for a Q & A after the film.

Thanks to everyone who came to the Deadline In Disaster showing at the Columbia Public Library. For more links about Joplin , check out our blog post from the DBRL Next Blog. Here are some questions about the film that you can respond to in the comments section of this blog post:

1. How should journalists decide when to act as a citizen and when to act as a reporter?
2. Did this challenge your views of what it’s like for a town to be hit by a tornado?
3. Why do you think it was important that the Joplin Globe published a newspaper the next day after the storm?

We recently added Shooting Robert King to the DBRL collection. The film played at the 2009 True False Film Fest under the title Blood Trail. The True False blog has an interview with King from last year and a panel discussion video from 2009. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

Shooting Robert King will take you on an incredible, visceral journey that spans fifteen years, three tragically brutal wars and across one of the most singularly astonishing lifetimes of modern history. From war-torn Bosnia to Chechnya, Iraq and more you’ll witness first hand the tragic true horror of the worlds worst modern conflicts, all through the lens of a man who knew no boundaries.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.

This hard-hitting, heartbreaking documentary takes an unprecedented close-up look at the bullying epidemic in today’s schools. Alex returns to seventh grade knowing that once again he will be punched, choked, and called names, with every school-bus ride a terrifying test of endurance. School officials turn a blind eye to the bullying that 16-year-old Kelby suffers every day even after she’s deliberately struck by a car.

“BULLY” will be showing May 21 (5:00 & 7:15), May 22 (8:00), May 23 (5:00 & 7:15), and May 24 (5:00 & 7:15). Please visit http://ragtagfilm.com for more information.

May 18: Bully opens at Ragtag. (via)
May 19: Fly Fishing Film Tour, 12:00 pm at Ragtag. (via)
May 19: The Other Side of the Glass, 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Bradley Room of Holiday Inn Executive Center. (via)
May 22: Joplin, Missouri, 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Ragtag. (via)
May 22: Deadline in Disaster, 6:30 p.m. at Southern Boone County Senior Center, free. (via)
May 23: Deadline in Disaster, 6:30 p.m. at Columbia Public Library, free. (via)
May 23: Future Shorts, 6:30 p.m. at Ragtag. (via)
May 24: Deadline in Disaster, 6:30 p.m. at Callaway County Public Library, free. (via)

We recently added Born to Be Wild to the DBRL collection. The film currently has a rating of 98% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Director David Lickley is also responsible for the documentary Bears from 2004. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

Narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman. An inspiring story of love, dedication, and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them, saving endangered species one life at a time. Stunningly captured in, a heartwarming adventure transporting moviegoers into the lush rainforests of Borneo with world-renowned primatologist Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.

We recently added Hearts of Darkness to the DBRL collection. When it was released in 1991 it won many awards including two Primetime Emmys. The film currently has a rating of 100% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s a synopsis from IMDB:

Documentary that chronicles how Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now was plagued by extraordinary script, shooting, budget, and casting problems–nearly destroying the life and career of the celebrated director.

Check out the film trailer or the IMDB site for more info. If you want more perspective from Coppola’s wife Eleanor, check out her book Notes on a Life from 2008.

May 11: Marley opens at Ragtag. (via)
May 16 & 17: Nefarious: Merchant of Souls showing at Ragtag. (via)

We recently added The War Room to the DBRL collection. The 1993 film was recently re-released by Criterion as a two disc set and currently has a rating of 95% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

The 1992 presidential election was a triumph not only for Bill Clinton but also for the new breed of strategists who guided him to the White House and changed the face of politics in the process. For this thrilling, behind-closed-doors account of that campaign, the filmmakers closely followed the brainstorming and bull sessions of Clinton’s crack team of consultants. Fleet-footed and entertaining, this is a vivid document of a political moment whose truths still ring in our ears.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info. The directors of this film also directed the documentaries Down from the Mountain (2000) and Kings of Pastry (2011).

We recently added Woody Allen: A Documentary to the DBRL collection. The film played on the PBS series American Masters last year. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

Iconic writer, director, actor, comedian, and musician Woody Allen allowed his life and creative process to be documented on-camera for the first time. With this unprecedented access, Emmy®-winning, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Robert Weide followed the notoriously private film legend over a year and a half to create the ultimate film biography.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.