Kanopy Picks for International Day of Families

May 15th was International Day of Families. Check out one of these FREE-to-stream videos on the topic of families.

These videos are available through TBPL’s new video streaming service Kanopy, available on your smart TV, Roku, tablet, and more. Each month, you can view four different films from this service. Visit our webpage for more info and how to get started.

This Way of Life : Against the stunning beauty of New Zealand’s rugged Ruahine Mountains, Peter Karena and his wife Colleen raise their six children on the thin edge between freedom and disaster. As Peter hunts, trains wild horses, and struggles to instill in his kids the values of independence, courage and happiness, his escalating struggle with his own father has profound consequences on the entire Karena clan.

Standing on the Edge of a Thorn : An intimate portrait of a family in rural Indonesia grappling with poverty, mental illness, and participation in the sex trade. Shot over the course of 12 years, the film centers on Iman Rohani, a former civil servant struggling with a mental disorder, who takes in Tri, an unwed pregnant teenager 30 years his junior. Iman refuses to marry Tri, which would have made her an accepted member of the village.

Quest : This New York Times Critics’ Pick, filmed with verite intimacy for nearly a decade, is a moving portrait of the Rainey family living in North Philadelphia. Beginning at the dawn of the Obama presidency, Christopher “Quest” Rainey, and his wife, Christine’a “Ma Quest” raise a family while nurturing a community of hip hop artists in their home music studio. It’s a safe space where all are welcome, but this creative sanctuary can’t always shield them from the strife that grips their neighborhood.

Makala : A powerful testament to one man’s commitment to his family, and his endurance in working to provide them with a brighter future.

The Blonds : A look at Argentina’s recent history from the perspective of a generation forced to mourn those of whom they have no recollection. Director Albertina Carri, who lost her parents to Argentina’s brutal military junta when she was three years old, travels through Buenos Aires with her crew to unravel the factual and emotional mysteries of her parents’ life, disappearance and death. Emotionally fraught and intellectually provocative, THE BLONDS has resonance far beyond the tragic history of Argentina’s dirty war.

KANOPY KIDS PICKS

Little Bear : Family Portrait : Little Bear and his friends prepare for a family portrait by taking a lot of funny pictures.

Franklin’s Family Treasure : In “Franklin’s Family Treasure”, Mr. Turtle gives Franklin a whistle. Without realizing it’s value, Franklin traded it away until his Granny told him where the whistle originates from. Franklin and his Granny desperately tracks down who has the whistle.

Seven Little Monsters : Are you my Family : One and Six have different ideas of how to stage their Mother’s Day Party. Tempers flare and One suggests that if Six can’t go along with her plan, maybe she’d be happier with another family. Six goes off in search of a “New” family, winding up as the star attraction at the circus. But, the Monsters persuade her to come home as One realizes that without Six, they are not complete.