Christopher Beaver

Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon conveys to viewers the brilliant achievements of the Chaco civilization—many of which are in grave danger today. This new one-hour documentary reveals the astounding reach of the Chacoans across a region of the American southwest nearly twice the size of Ireland. Without modern tools, wheel or beast of burden, these ancient people built ceremonial Great Houses and connected them to places of spiritual power with massive "roads," remarkably straight and as wide as modern two lane streets. The Chacoans' feats have been long obscured in a fragile desert environment—only now to be recovered through beautiful aerial footage and with the new technology of LiDAR (aerial laser scanning) revealing the true expanse of the Chacoans' complex world.

How do we heal our deepest wounds? Two combat veterans, suffering from severe trauma, abandon pharmaceuticals in order to seek healing through psychedelic medicines. Recent scientific research has shown that these substances can help people to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Beyond the personal stories, From Shock to Awe raises fundamental questions about war, the pharmaceutical industry, and the US legal system.

An intimate portrait of Christopher Alexander, a critic of modern architecture on a lifelong quest to build harmonious, livable places in today’s world. The film tells the story of two projects – a spectacular high school in Japan and an innovative homeless shelter in California. For Alexander, feelings come first, users are deeply engaged and process is paramount. We discover what happens when an architect’s unconventional method collides with standard practices in his profession.

Between Dreams and History profiles American-born artist Shimon Attie as he attempts to create an ambitious work of public art in the United States after six years of artistic and public success in Europe.

Rashomon-like look at the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 10, 1945. Features color footage of the bomb's aftermath shown in public for the first time in over fifty years. The film features extremely rare footage of the atomic bombing, both black-and-white and color.

Tulare, The Phantom Lake explores the landscape of what was once the largest lake in America west of the Mississippi River, a lake that disappeared by the year 1900 due to water diversion and land reclamation for agriculture. The Tulare region in California's Central Valley is home to the most productive agricultural region the world has ever known. The same landscape also harbors less than five percent of the original natural landscape and the poorest Congressional region in the United States. In an age of climate change, we journey through this landscape guided by a series of individuals who never meet: an agricultural consultant; a Native American basket weaver; a journalist; a writer; a biologist; and an archaeologist.

TALES OF THE SAN JOAQUIN, A RIVER JOURNEY follows the San Joaquin River from its source in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to its eventual meeting with San Francisco Bay. Along the way we cross paths with a colorful group of people who know the river firsthand, a river called by many, "the hardest working river in America," and by others, "the most abused." Once the birthplace for hundreds of thousands of salmon, the San Joaquin now runs completely dry in two separate sections of the original river channel. This is the story of how this once mighty river was destroyed by water diversion and what the possibilities are for its eventual restoration.

Three years ago the mayor of San Francisco pledged to achieve zero waste by 2020. Racing to Zero tracks San Francisco’s waste stream diversion tactics and presents innovative new solutions to waste. This film documents a surprising, engaging and inspiring race to zero.