America ReFramed

Indie Films Series / 7 Seasons

America ReFramed brings to life compelling stories, personal voices and experiences that illuminate the contours of our ever-changing country. Since 2012, the series has premiered 170 films - more than half helmed by female makers and a third credited to BIPOC makers - centering stories of the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, the formerly incarcerated, veterans, immigrants and more.

Watch Latest: S12 E6

1h 12m / TV-PG

Geographies of Kinship | Preview

30s / TV-PG

GEOGRAPHIES OF KINSHIP weaves together the complex personal histories of four adult adoptees born in South Korea with the rise of the country’s global adoption program. Raised in foreign families, each adoptee sets out on a journey to reconnect with their roots, mapping the geographies of kinship that bind them to a homeland they never knew.

Geographies of Kinship | I Saw Myself As White

3m 7s / TV-PG

LenaKim Arctaedius and her sisters, like many Korean adoptees, were adopted from Korea to Europe, Australia and North America to parents who are not of the same race. As children, and now as adults, they continue to struggle with identity and belonging.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Kill the Indian, Save the (Wo)Man

1m 16s / TV-PG

As Kendra explores her identity as a Native woman, she realizes who she is and how she is a "perfect example of assimilation." It's a moment of transformation but also spotlights the many cases of forced assimilation of Indigenous people in the United States.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Indigenous Adoption

3m 20s / TV-PG

From 1958 to 1967, Indigenous children were separated from their communities and adopted by white families under the Indian Adoption Project. The children, who suffered from loss of tribal identity, would be deemed Lost Bird - the name of an early Native adoptee in the late 1800s.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Dear Birth Mother

1m 9s / TV-PG

For Kendra, searching for and finding her birth mother comes with mixed emotions. The first step of connecting with April opens the door to a journey for both as mother and daughter, and as women adopted from a Native tribe.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Native Identity

2m 7s / TV-PG

"White guilt. Native anger." Kendra, who was raised in a loving white household, is now discovering her identity as an Indigenous woman. But this comes with an internal struggle as she reunites with her biological mother and Lummi community while recognizing the past.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Indigenous and White

1m 59s / TV-PG

Native adoptee Kendra and her white adoptive parents are aware of the unique situation they are in as a family. In the U.S., the history of Native adoption has been one of trauma for Indigenous children, parents and communities, and continues to be an issue in the courts today.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Trailer

1m 46s / TV-PG

Kendra, a Native adoptee, grew up assimilated in a loving, white family with little connection to her heritage. Now, as an adult with a family of her own, Kendra embarks on a seven year journey to find her biological mother, April, and return to her Lummi homeland. Together, Kendra and April, also a Native adoptee, navigate what it means to be Native and to belong to a tribe from the outside.

Daughter of a Lost Bird | Preview

30s / TV-PG

Kendra, a Native adoptee, grew up assimilated in a loving, white family with little connection to her heritage. Now, as an adult with a family of her own, Kendra embarks on a seven year journey to find her biological mother, April, and return to her Lummi homeland. Together, Kendra and April, also a Native adoptee, navigate what it means to be Native and to belong to a tribe from the outside.

Sapelo | Black Brotherhood

1m 27s / TV-PG

On Sapelo, brothers JerMarkest and Johnathan are growing up together under the watchful eye of their adoptive mother, Cornelia Walker Bailey. As they explore the island freely, we know the world awaits these young Black boys.

Sapelo | Cornelia Walker Bailey

1m 8s / TV-PG

Meet Cornelia Walker Bailey, the elder matriach of the Georgia island of Sapelo. The storyteller, and her husband Frank, are working to preserve the heritage and culture of their people known as the Saltwater Geechee.

Sapelo | Growing Up Black

1m 6s / TV-PG

Eleven-year-old JerMarkest and 10-year old Johnathan are brothers growing up on Sapelo. Home to the Saltwater Geechee people, the island, and their adoptive parents, are giving the brothers a chance to live, learn and play in a safe space.

Sapelo | Their Own Little World

1m 50s / TV-PG

Welcome to Sapelo. The island in the state of Georgia has been the home to the Saltwater Geechee and remains a haven for the people still living there. But when developers come knocking, preservation of heritage and land becomes essential.

Sapelo | Trailer

1m 38s / TV-PG

On Sapelo island, two young brothers, JerMarkest and Jonathan, are coming of age in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee. As Sapelo’s storyteller and elder matriarch, their adoptive mother, Cornelia Walker Bailey, works to preserve what remains of her African-American community in the face of encroachment by property developers.

Sapelo | Preview

30s / TV-PG

On Sapelo island, two young brothers, JerMarkest and Jonathan, are coming of age in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee. As Sapelo’s storyteller and elder matriarch, their adoptive mother, Cornelia Walker Bailey, works to preserve what remains of her African-American community in the face of encroachment by property developers.

For the Love of Rutland | The Opioid Crisis In Vermont

1m 8s / TV-PG

Like towns and cities across America, Rutland, VT is not immune to the opioid crisis. The epidemic, and the lies told to people like Stacie, has created a wave of destruction for the people who continue to fight addiction and the community that surrounds them.

For the Love of Rutland | Growing Up Black in Vermont

1m 7s / TV-PG

In a state that is ranked as the second whitest in the US, Lisa Ryan knows what it is like growing up and living as a Black woman in Vermont. She shares her experience as the town of Rutland is divided on refugee resettlement.

For The Love of Rutland | The Working Poor

1m 46s / TV-PG

For many Americans, they are living and working in poverty every single day. In Rutland, VT, which is welcoming Syrian refugees, long-time town residents like Stacie and her family question why when they themselves struggle with being employed and putting food on the table.

For the Love of Rutland | White Syndrome

2m 1s / TV-PG

What is 'White Syndrome'? In other words, white privilege. Stacie and her foster moms, Penny and Cassy, sit and talk about why they are able to enjoy freedoms that others do not simply because of the color of their skin.

For the Love of Rutland | Trailer

1m 14s / TV-PG

An attempt to bring Syrian refugees to invigorate the economically struggling and predominantly white town of Rutland, VT unleashes deep partisan rancor. Despite a lifetime of feeling invalidated and shamed for her poverty and addiction, long-time Rutland resident, Stacie, emerges as an unexpected and resilient leader in a town divided by class, cultural values and political leanings.

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