Arcadia Public Library

Turn to ancient Persia, a kingdom that came from the other side of history and rose to greatness. See how Cyrus the Great was a tolerant, pragmatic ruler, who allowed his subjects to maintain certain rights. Then see how Darius built roads, adopted a currency, and created an innovative system of communication and administration.

Like the ancient world, the Middle Ages was patriarchal and male-dominated, so a woman had few options - to get married, to become a nun, or to turn to prostitution. But Chaucer's Wife of Bath, the seducer in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," and the notion of courtly love all added new dimensions to womanhood.

OCEAN OF OBSTACLES reveals the story of a dozen blind teenagers as they set out on a life changing voyage navigating the open water embarking on a seven day voyage overcoming nature, fatigue, and the scrutiny of naysayers.

Narrated by Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) THE SCENT OF FEAR takes you on a cinematic, first-hand journey across the globe analysing the effects fear has on individuals and societies. Along for the ride are leading experts in neural science, psychology, political sciences and more; providing insight of those who enjoy fear and those paralysed by it. With exhilarating characters this multi award-winning documentary analyses the universal question: why...

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Lee Grant's exploration of Reagan-era America takes us from the heartland, where farms that have fed the U.S. for a century are being dismembered by local banks, through the tent-cities of Los Angeles and welfare hotels of New York. A groundbreaking and unforgettable look at life inside an America we have been too quick to forget. “In ‘DOWN AND OUT IN AMERICA,’ the current state of American...

In a search for their identity, a group of adolescents discover they all share the same sperm donor. Filmed over 8 years, the children bond as the mystery of their biological father deepens. Future People explores the intricacies of nature vs nurture and our shared innate drive to know oneself through lineage.  

For almost 50 years, the world’s population has grown at an alarming rate, raising fears about strains on the Earth’s resources. MISCONCEPTION offers a provocative glimpse at how the world, and women in particular, are tackling a subject at once personal and global. Following three individuals, director Jessica Yu focuses on the human implications of this highly charged political issue.

Featuring an original new song written and performed by Mel Brooks, THE AUTOMAT, which Premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and was nominated for four 2022 Critics Choice Awards, tells the 100-year story of the iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, the inspiration for Starbucks, where generations of Americans ate and drank coffee together at communal tables. From the perspective of former customers - entertainer Mel Brooks, Starbucks founder...

Program highlights: Hierarchies are inevitable, so learn the rules of the game. Qualities that create power and why intelligence is not one of them. How we limit ourselves when it comes to acquiring power. Getting a job, having control over your work, and holding on to a job all require more than simply excelling at what you do. They require an understanding of power. According to Professor Pfeffer, individual power comes from political skill, which...

In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Human Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR for transgender Americans. In Washington State, six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Documentary filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a small group of embattled parents...