Varied Directions International

Fifty years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the earth, bringing America to its knees in awe - then fear. Initially thrilling as a marvel of science, Sputnik was soon viewed by America a weapon of mass destruction.

B.B. King, Joan Baez and other great artists gather for a show at Sing Sing Prison.

Wings Over Water tells the fascinating story of naval aviation's critical role in making the U.S. a world power. Film highlights include archival footage of some of the most terrifying and intense airspace battles fought and the intriguing interviews of the veterans who took part in them. This is the story of naval aviation from its conception to the important role it played in battles fought, won, and lost, all the while examining American foreign policy, foreign relations, and long-simmering international conflict. An evocative, powerful, and informative documentary, Wings Over Water is the story behind the story: how and why America developed maritime aviation technology, what it meant to our past, and what it means to our future.

Everyday, American submariners go below the waves for months at a time on submarine patrols. Steel Boats, Iron Men is the only film where the US Navy allowed filmmakers to go down with them. The film presents a never before seen look inside a state of the art nuclear powered submarine on patrol. It shows, in extraordinary detail, the daily ordinary and extraordinary lives of submariners. You will see things in this film that you have never seen before. The filmmakers also spent time trying to understand the character and personality that allows someone to become a submariner. They looked at training, family life, background, etc. The viewer visits a " wet trainer" at Sub School to see what these submariners must endure before they ever climb inside one of these remarkable ships. Who are these men, who live confined in a steel tube deep in the ocean for months at a time, surrounded by a hostile environment, in constant danger? What do they do and why do they do it?

Through interviews with former World War II fighter aces, "How Hitler Lost the War" examines the theory that the German Armed Forces substantially won and then lost the war in Europe before 1942. That had it not been for the political and military mistakes of Adolf Hitler, the United States would have had to stand alone against a Nazi Europe allied with an even more powerful Japan, and face a future that is barely imaginable.

Frederic Storaska gives a lecture regarding rape prevention at SUNY Geneseo.