Birdie

This Traveltalk series short visits the State of Virginia. In 1947, agriculture was the mainstay of the economy. Tobacco, molasses from cane and peanuts were the agricultural mainstays. The State capitol, Richmond, can boast the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere. There are many attractions including old caverns with beautiful rock displays.

Oscar, not quite a child anymore, scavenges for scrap metal for his father. He spends his life in improvised landfills among what remains of leftovers. Worlds apart, yet close-by, there is Stanley. He tidies the church in exchange for a monetised hospitality, picks fruits, herds sheep: anything that keep his foreign body busy. Oscar, the young Sicilian, and Stanley the Nigerian don’t seem to have much in common. Except for the feeling of being thrown into the world, to suffer the same refusal, the same overwhelming wave of choices imposed on them by others.

A documentary revolving around the 1972 crash of the plane carrying an Uruguayan rugby team; interviews with survivors and the families of victims.

Kara Robinson Chamberlain recounts in vivid detail being taken at gun point from a friend’s front yard. Forced into in a cramped, dark storage container in her captor’s car, Kara instantly knew her life was in grave danger. In a moment she describes as a divine intervention, the 15-year-old realized she had to be her own victor and take her life back; she had to escape.

Unraveling one of the biggest environmental scandals of our time, a group of citizens in West Virginia take on a powerful corporation after they discover it has knowingly been dumping a toxic chemical — now found in the blood of 99.7% of Americans — into the local drinking water supply.

Seraphim visits a bell foundry and learns how to cast Sevenik Sevenicius the largest bell in the world.

In the bitter winter of 1978, four desperate council members from a small Virginia town hatched a daring Bigfoot hoax to save it from the brink of bankruptcy. But as the money grew, so did the greed-triggering the town's first unsolved murder.

“Sisters” is a deeply personal story about my journey back to my home country of Venezuela to investigate the possibility of a long lost sister.

After a heartbreaking loss to Vanderbilt in the 2014 College World Series Championship game, Virginia entered the 2015 season with its sights set on making the 1,186-mile trip back to Omaha. But a host of injuries and tough losses had the Cavaliers on the verge of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since head coach Brian O’Connor took the helm in 2004. A late-season run gave Virginia renewed hope as it relied on the strength of the program’s culture to make one of the sport’s most remarkable turnarounds en route to a CWS Championship finals rematch with Vanderbilt and the ACC’s first College World Series title since 1955.

Director Steve James returns to his home town of Hampton, Virginia to tell the story of how the trial of a young basketball star left a city divided.

OUT OF DARKNESS: THE MINE WORKERS' STORY is a documentary by Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple (HARLAN COUNTY, USA). Historical film footage and photographs are integrated with first-hand accounts of UMWA history and of the Pittston strike of 1989-90.

The film "Wild Animals of Virginia" explores the diverse wildlife inhabiting Virginia's forests, fields, and waterways. It highlights various species such as chipmunks, squirrels, woodchucks, beavers, muskrats, minks, otters, raccoons, elk, white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, foxes, black bears, opossums, bobcats, and skunks. The documentary emphasizes the natural laws governing these animals, their habitats, diets, and behaviors, while also touching on their historical significance and interactions with early settlers.

“Meet Me by the Magnolia Tree” is a student documentary on the history of Richmond’s gay community and the role cruising for sex played in places like Byrd Park, the Block, and Battle Abbey.

Pro wrestler Julia rules the ring, while her younger sister Nina watches anxiously from the sidelines. Determined to make Julia feel truly seen, Nina picks up her camera and steps into her world, but soon realizes her own worries may stand in the way.

Historical sites in Virginia are visited.

Liron (29) and Liel (27) are inseparable. When Liel's mental health lapses, Liron starts documenting her sister's struggle. A drunk night out and hospitalization in psychiatric wards put their relationship to the test and uncovers the depth of the pain they carry. In an intimate and intrusive documentation, we are allowed a glimpse into an invisible person dealing with trauma.

Bob Childress was the founder and builder of the famous "Rock Churches" of southwest Virginia, all established between 1919 and 1954. In 2022, Buford Jessup and his family set out to visit all seven of his great uncle's churches.

Charlie Brouwer, a Virginia sculpture artist, shares his experience of becoming legally blind later in his career. Unexpectedly, he finds acceptance through an unlikely muse.

A documentary about twin sisters whose beliefs have taken them on different paths. Filmmaker Zohra begins filming her twin sister Sanaa in their apartment in Brussels. When Sanaa silently turns to Islam, the religion the two sisters partially grew up with, Zohra becomes more and more consumed by capturing her sister. The inevitable transformation leads to a need to understand each other anew.

An uplifting insight into the lives of seven-year-old conjoined twins, who weren’t expected to live more than a few days. Cared for by their devoted father, the girls have defied all odds.