Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL

Sep 23, 2022

1h 34m

★ 0.0

An eye-opening look at the history of politics and propaganda in the NFL.

Overview

Celebrated author and Nation magazine sports editor Dave Zirin tackles the myth that the NFL was somehow free of politics before Colin Kaepernick and other Black NFL players took a knee.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Media Education Foundation

Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL Trailers

Cast

Self

Dave Zirin

Self (archive footage)

Marco Rubio

Self (archive footage)

Rush Limbaugh

Self - San Francisco 49ers Quarterback (archive footage)

Colin Kaepernick

Self (archive footage)

Donald Trump

Self (archive footage)

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Self (archive footage)

Bill Russell

Self (archive footage)

Muhammad Ali

Self (archive footage)

Tommie Smith

Self (archive footage)

John Carlos

Self (archive footage)

Jackie Robinson

Self (archive footage)

Billie Jean King

Produced in 1988, this feature documentary presents a living history of Quebec's last 40 years as seen through the eyes of one couple. Pauline Julien and Gérald Godin, two Quebec artists, share their perspectives on the events that have marked Quebec's evolution. Julien, a singer, and Godin, a poet, express their love and passion for the province (and each other) while providing a unique take on the Quebec nationalist movement.

5.0

Vince Carter: Legacy

Oct 1, 2021

Explores the fantastic highs and unsettling lows of 8-time All-Star and slam dunk champion, Vince Carter, as he looks back on his record-breaking 22-season professional basketball career.

7.2

What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?

Aug 16, 2019

Summer 2017, a string of brutal police killings of young African American men has sent shockwaves throughout the country. A Black community in the American South tries to cope with the lingering effects of the past and navigate their place in a country that is not on their side. Meanwhile, the Black Panthers prepare a large-scale protest against police brutality.

4.6

Know Your Ally: Britain

Jan 1, 1944

Know Your Ally: Britain was a 45-minute propaganda film made in 1944. It was narrated by Walter Huston and produced by the United States War Department and Signal Corp to solidify Anglo-American solidarity within the ranks as well as counter Nazi propaganda aimed at weakening the Alliance.

6.3

Polish Prayers

Nov 14, 2022

The tenth edition of Polish Pride parades a colorful trail of rainbow flags through the streets of Warsaw. Along the route, Antek and his friends line up to warn of the “pink threat” in prayer and edifying hymns. As traditional Catholics, he and his Brotherhood hold deeply conservative views: sex before marriage is out of the question, homosexuality can be cured, abortion is a great evil and Poland is for the Poles. His sister thinks his homophobic ranting is pointless, because in a few years the planet will be destroyed anyway as nobody is doing anything about climate change.

No Image Available

5.7

Marvel & ESPN Films Present: 1 of 1 - Genesis

Mar 17, 2015

This documentary explores the connections between elite athletes and Marvel superheros such as Spider Man, Black Widow and Captain America.

0.0

Racist Trees

Nov 9, 2022

Can a tree be racist? A few years ago, debate on this issue reached as far as Fox News. The focus was a row of tamarisk trees along a huge golf course in Palm Springs, which screened off the neighborhood of Crossley Tract. This is a historically Black neighborhood, named after its founder Lawrence Crossley, who was one of the first Black residents to settle in the largely white tourist paradise, established on indigenous land over a century ago.

0.0

So This Is God's Country?

Jan 1, 1966

A Mondo documentary focused on the 1960's American lifestyle, consumerism, religion, adversity, and oddity. An outsider's look at a country afflicted by episodes of racism and neo -Nazism. Scenes of a Ghost Town, LSD in NYC, Sunset Strip Los Angeles California, Amish, Klu Klux Klan, African-American Fashion Show, etc.

0.0

Still We Rise

Dec 8, 2022

50 years on, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy is the oldest continuing protest occupation site in the world. Taking a fresh lens this is a bold dive into a year of protest and revolutionary change for First Nations people.

0.0

Nana

Apr 13, 2018

Maryla Michalowski-Dyamant, born in Poland, survived Ravensbruck, Malchow, and Auschwitz, where she was the forced translator of the “Angel of Death”, Dr. Mengele. She dedicated her post-war life to publicly speaking of her survival to the young generations, so that it would never be forgotten or repeated. Alice and Serena, her daughter and granddaughter, explore how Maryla’s fight against intolerance can continue today, in a world where survivors are disappearing, and intolerance, racism and antisemitism are on the rise.

7.0

The Jazz Ambassadors

May 4, 2018

The Cold War and Civil Rights collide in this remarkable story of music, diplomacy and race. Beginning in 1955, when America asked its greatest jazz artists to travel the world as cultural ambassadors, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and their mixed-race band members, faced a painful dilemma: how could they represent a country that still practiced Jim Crow segregation?

5.3

Southern Rites

May 18, 2015

Southern Rites visits Montgomery County, Ga., one year after the town merged its racially segregated proms, and during a historic election campaign that may lead to its first African-American sheriff. Acclaimed photographer Gillian Laub, whose photos first brought the area unwanted notoriety, documents the repercussions when a white town resident is charged with the murder of a young black man. The case divides locals along well-worn racial lines, and the ensuing plea bargain and sentencing uncover complex truths and produce emotional revelations.

0.0

Skin Deep

Oct 2, 1995

A multi-racial group of college students in a weekend racial sensitivity workshop discuss affirmative action, self-segregation, internalized racism and cultural identity. The film continues as they return to their campuses (University of Massachusetts, Texas A&M, Chico State, and U.C. Berkeley) and visit home.

7.7

NFL Super Bowl LII Champions: The Philadelphia Eagles

Mar 6, 2018

The unforgettable 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII is just part of the story of the Eagles' remarkable season. NFL Films takes you on a journey through each game: from the opening kickoff in Washington, through a 13-win regular season, leading up to the crowning glory at U.S. Bank Stadium. With sideline sound and in-game wires that put you right in the action, award winning cinematography, pulse-pounding music and exciting special features... "Super Bowl LII Champions: Philadelphia Eagles" is a piece of history for underdogs everywhere, and a must-have for every Eagles fan!

6.4

The True Story of Black Hawk Down

Jun 3, 2003

On October 3rd, 1993, 120 Delta Force Commandos and Army Rangers were dropped into the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their mission was a fast daylight raid to kidnap lead terrorist Mohammed Farrah Aidid, who had been killing U.N. workers delivering food to starving Somalis. Aidid’s goal was to control the country by controlling all the food. The mission abruptly changed to a rescue operation. Surrounded by Somali militia, a fierce firefight ensued that left American troops trapped and fighting for their lives. The ordeal left 18 American men dead, 70 wounded, with 3,000 Somalis casualties. This brilliant documentary tells the true story of "Black Hawk Down" through the memories and voices of the American Special Forces survivors. Also included are Somali militiamen as they recount their harrowing experiences of battle.

No Image Available

8.0

NFL: Favre 4 Ever

Oct 3, 2006

Join narrator, Billy Bob Thornton, in taking a revealing look back at the life and legacy of the eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

No Image Available

5.8

All White in Barking

Mar 14, 2007

All White in Barking is a compassionate and illuminating documentary probing the attitudes of Barking's white residents toward their new immigrant neighbours. Isaacs is an unseen, but prominent, presence, questioning prejudices and prying at preconceptions with remarkable results to produce a vivid picture of the attitudes and perceptions at the heart of an increasingly multicultural Britain.

0.0

When Liberty Burns

Mar 7, 2020

An in-depth analysis on the 40th Anniversary of the life and untimely death of Arthur Lee McDuffie at the hands of Miami Dade police officers.

0.0

NFL History of the San Francisco 49ers

Aug 15, 2006

Step onto the sidelines and stand with legends such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Bill Walsh as you watch one of the most successful teams in NFL history work its magic. From "The Alley Oop" to "The Catch", McElhenny to Montana ..."Joe the Jet" to Flash 80...Bill Walsh to George Seifert, the San Francisco 49ers boast a deep history of brilliant coaches, hard hitting defenses and high powered offenses. Now, here is a DVD collection no true 49ers fan can do without. "As Great As Gold" takes you on a tour that follows the team through the fabulous 50's, covers their resurgence in the 70's and highlights the glory years of a dynasty that won 5 Super Bowls. You'll also see the 1981 NFC Championship game, a see-saw battle which helped put the 49ers on top of the NFL's pecking order.

5.0

Stateless

Sep 17, 2020

Director Michèle Stephenson’s new documentary follows families of those affected by the 2013 legislation stripping citizenship from Dominicans of Haitian descent, uncovering the complex history and present-day politics of Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the grassroots electoral campaign of a young attorney named Rosa Iris.