Over the course of history, Art and Architecture have inspired countless people across the world. Films has hundreds of programs that explore key areas of Art and Architecture, including Surrealism, Romanticism, Photography, Greek and Roman Masterpieces, and more!

Frank Gehry and Alvar Aalto: Ideas and Influences

Celebrated architect Frank Gehry lives and works in Los Angeles a world away from Finland, where his idol, the late Alvar Aalto, created stunning additions to the urban landscape and helped originate Scandinavian modernism. This film studies parallels between the two creative giants, examining their respective styles and documenting an in-depth conversation about Aalto between Gehry and architect Juhani Pallasmaa. Several works are discussed including Aalto’s Saynatsalo Town Hall and National Pension Institution, and Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall while commentary from L.A. Philharmonic conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen further illuminates Gehry’s ideas. (29 minutes)

Quake Proof: Building the Perfect Bridge

A behind-the-scenes look at modern anti-earthquake preparation, this program documents the replacement of a major section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Anticipating the 2007 demolition of the bridge’s eastern cantilever span, the video shows viewers how the new design and construction will presumably withstand a high-magnitude earthquake. Footage of the construction process accompanies detailed scenes of seismologists and engineers at work testing bridge columns with a giant shake table, predicting the area’s next quake, and demonstrating the phenomenon known as liquefaction. The result is a first-rate architectural case study. A Discovery Channel Production. (52 minutes)

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Math is the universal language that continues to expand, advance, and change the world we live in. Films's vast educational video collection captures the essence of Math from fundamental theory all the way to advanced computing and programming!

Supercomputing: The Power of Visualization

Astonishing ways to share scientific data are emerging in the digital age. This program explores the phenomenal growth of supercomputing and its impact on medicine, oceanography, air traffic control, law enforcement, and other fields. Showcasing practical examples of dynamic visualization technology, the video looks at three-dimensional renderings of cities accurate to the square foot, medical imaging capabilities on the cellular level, and instantaneous collaboration between laboratories a hemisphere apart. Commentary by virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier and other innovators underscores the need to recognize the human factor in the age of supercomputers. (27 minutes)

An Introduction to Web Site Design

What do online retail outlets, electronic newspapers, blogs, and search engines have in common? They’re all Web sites! This video gives viewers a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of Web site design—a great first step toward becoming a webmaster or an interactive media designer. It explains how to identify the target audience, determine the site’s core purpose, apply Ben Schneiderman’s eight golden rules of GUI design, address technological issues and matters of visual appeal, and carry out an ongoing test/evaluation/update cycle. Interviews with two successful Web site designers are also included, to illustrate how it all comes together in the real world.

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In a world of special effects, it's still the written word that seems to capture our minds and expand our creative borders. Films's vast educational video collection covers every aspect of literature from Ancient Literary Classics to Contemporary Western Works!

Alice Walker: A Stitch in Time

What were Alice Walker’s motivations in writing "Everyday Use"? In this program, the author discusses her short story with her official biographer, Evelyn C. White. Over the course of the interview, Walker talks about the autobiographical aspects of the story, the significance of quilting to African-American women, the perception of class differences, and the important life lessons she wished to explore. (23 minutes)

K-8 English and Language Arts

Kenneth Grahame: The Wind in the Willows

The improbable adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Mr. Toad himself in an artfully versioned, masterfully spoken, superbly animated version. Divided into three segments, this redaction of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic introduces viewers to gentle, inquisitive Mole and to Mole’s House, his sampling of gentlemen’s pleasures, and finally his return to his Home Sweet Home; to the suave and ever-optimistic Rat; the irrepressible Toad who discovers the motorcar and the aeroplane and goes to jail (or gaol) for calling a policeman "fat-cheeked"; the level-headed Badger who tries and fails to make Toad see reason; and to the slyly wicked Weasels, who are trounced as they fail to upset the gentle balance of nature in Kenneth Grahame’s placid woods. (84 minutes)

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This attention-getting four-piece poster set is designed to help students turn sizes and amounts into the numbers that shape their world. Conversion and comparison tables give the what while fun facts offer insights into the how. A Cambridge Educational Product.

Mathematics Core Curriculum Video Library

Theoretical and applied math, math in nature, logic, and background on life as a mathematician are all examined in this 20-program educational video collection.

PracticePerfect Interactive Math Collection: Integral Calculus on CD-ROM

This CD-ROM contains over 6,300 problems and step-by-step solutions sorted into three main categories and twelve subcategories, such as volume, surface area, continuous and discontinuous functions, derivatives of functions, and rules of differentiation. A quick and easy-to-use worksheet generator can produce practice assignments with up to 25 exercises per page. Available for Windows only.

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With the International Space Station a reality, a return to the Moon by 2020, and a manned Mars shot a decade or so later, a career in space science has never been a more realistic option for students. Inspire them to reach for the stars as you introduce them to astronomy, astrophysics, aerospace engineering, the history of space exploration, and the process of scientific inquiry with this eight-part series. Highlights include incredible footage from orbiting observatories and space probes, commentary by leading scientists and researchers, and animated diagrams that make complex concepts easier to understand. A Cambridge Educational Production. The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

History Of Aviation

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, became a symbol of courage and adventure. She set aviation records in an age when women were expected to stay in the kitchen; her disappearance during a Pacific Ocean flight ended a brilliant and spectacular career. (13 minutes)

Albert Einstein

The father of the atomic age and modern physics, Albert Einstein was an indifferent scholar and his parents feared he would never amount to anything. But from childhood on he was captivated by the mysteries and beauty of mathematics. His curiosity led him to question fundamental assumptions about the nature of the universe. Einstein’s theories turned Newton’s laws of gravity and motion inside out, and changed our concepts of matter, space, energy, and time. Horrified that his German colleagues were willing to use science to murder and maim, Einstein became a vocal Pacifist during the First World War. He became the symbolic leader of the international scientific community in opposing Hitler’s perversion of science for the purpose of world conquest. To defeat the Axis powers in the Second World War, this gentle genius reluctantly conceded the need for development of atomic weapons. Einstein unswervingly sought the peaceful application of atomic energy thereafter. (13 minutes)

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As an educator, you possess the power to inspire and energize your students. Enhancing your already powerful skillset can pay great dividends down the road. Films's educational video collection covers several key areas in Teacher Education!

School: The Story of American Public Education

Born out of centuries of conflict and experimentation, America’s public school system is one of the nation’s most significant—but still unfinished achievements. This four-part series, narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep, is a compelling odyssey that weaves archival footage, rare interviews, and on-site coverage into an unprecedented portrait of public education in America. 4-part series, 55 minutes each.

Unequal Education

This program with Bill Moyers compares the everyday experiences of two New York City middle school students and contrasts political rhetoric with the reality of American schooling. A profile of the two students and their different schools points out the inequalities of our current system and how disproportionate funding affects the quality of education. The program also features advocates for educational reform, who debate what the Democratic and Republican parties can do to improve schools. Among those interviewed are John Chubb, author of Politics, Markets, and America’s Schools, and Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage Inequalities. (40 minutes)

Understanding Learning Disabilities

How could a child be a top math student yet not be able to read? Why can another child read well but not be able to write a paragraph that makes sense? While watching children being taught new ways to learn, this program offers expert insight into the nature of learning disabilities, why learning disabilities may also be accompanied by ADHD or social disorders, and what can be done to help children learn to compensate and succeed. A Meridian Production. (16 minutes)

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Since diversity is the cornerstone of our country, the importance of understanding different cultures and their languages cannot be understated. Films's educational video collection spans diverse areas in Spanish, French, German, and more!

The Chinese Words for Horse, Cat, and Bear

The Chinese Word for Horse: A horse can have a pretty good time galloping round on his own, but if he can persuade a hungry man not to hunt him, then together horse and man can grow the food they need, and be able to gallop wherever they want to go. The Chinese Word for Cat: When a cat makes friends with your granddaughter, the rats may already have arrived in your grain store. So don’t choose a cat because it’s cuddly. If the cat’s going to earn its keep, it must be tougher than a pack of rats. The Chinese Word for Bear: When a boy thinks he’s grown up enough to set out on his own, a ready-made home in a cave could be an unwise move—particularly if a bad-tempered bear is heading back to the same cave intent on getting his winter’s sleep. (30 minutes)

George Sand: The Story of Her Life

Surveying the uncompromising life and career of the erstwhile Amandine Aurore-Lucie Dupin, this program familiarizes viewers with her literary output, political beliefs, and the widely varied circles she inhabited. Beginning with her birth in Paris, the film describes Sand’s semi-aristocratic upbringing, stifling marriage, turbulent romances, creative evolution, and visionary proto-feminist stance. Sand’s memoir excerpts and artworks are featured; her stays in Venice and Mallorca and her experiences in Paris during the Revolution of 1848 are also detailed along with analysis of her major novels, including Indiana, Les Maîtres Sonneurs, Le Péché de Monsieur Antoine, and many others. (52 minutes)

Masters of the Spanish Word

Examining the lives and accomplishments of major authors writing in Spanish, this five-part series offers remarkable insight into their poetic, dramatic, and fictional expression. Calderón de la Barca, Gustavo Bécquer, Rubén Darío, and Rafael Alberti are each featured in a program, with an additional episode devoted to the picaresque novel, a literary form with Spanish origins. Incorporating archival photographs, paintings, and drawings, these visual histories make up a powerful narrative woven through four centuries of Spanish-language literature. English, 5-part series, 20-25 minutes each.

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