Nils Cowan

“Te Pito o Te Henua” (The Navel of the World) tells the story of the community behind Rapa Nui’s largest and most colorful annual Indigenous celebration, the Tāpati Rapa Nui Festival. Honoring ancient rites and competitions, Rapa Nui families participate in nine days of athletic feats, cultural demonstrations and ceremonies paying respect to the land, water and other natural beings of the island. They also crown a Queen to represent her people for a year throughout Polynesia and on the world stage. The film traces the journey of 19-year-old candidate Vaitiare and her family as they join work to earn her the crown and represent this small but well-known island as its people fight for increased autonomy and recognition on the world stage. Through intimate character portraits, behind-the-curtain moments and heartfelt musical performances, “Te Pito o Te Henua” reveals the true meaning of Tāpati and the deep connections the Rapa Nui share with their lands and waters.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster (star of the film "Contact," which was based on the novel by Carl Sagan and filmed at the VLA), the program depicts many of the people whose diverse efforts enable the VLA to be a cutting-edge resource for astronomers and humanity worldwide.

A documentary on how Washington State legalized recreational marijuana and the effects of this decision on the state, the nation and the world.

Released in 2012, this 52-minute public television documentary reveals the motivations, struggles and ultimate triumphs of the people designing and building the most elaborate ground-based astronomical observatory ever, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The program documents some of the first observations made by the telescope, foreshadowing the scientific rewards that will be its heritage. Filmed on three continents--and at altitudes ranging from sea level to 16,500 feet--the film features breathtaking views of Chile's remote Atacama Desert, and demonstrates the lengths to which humans will go to understand the universe they call home.



Spawning Grounds is an educational documentary film that chronicles a critical season in the life of the Lake Sammamish kokanee, a unique but little-known species of landlocked salmon with immense cultural and ecological importance. The film follows key characters - a young educator with the Snoqualmie Tribe, a newcomer fish biologist, and a private landowner/activist - as they work together to save this fascinating species and its habitat amid unprecedented development pressure.