The National Christmas Tree, A Century of Celebration (2024)

The boy and the tree

One evening close to Christmas, the tree, having seen the splendidly trimmed Christmas trees standing in the windows of nearby houses, and longing to be as beautiful as they are, begs the boy to trim it too. But the boy has neither ornaments nor money to buy any, in fact he has nothing. How can he make this withered, shriveled tree look beautiful, there in the middle of a filthy, freezing pavement? And yet this night will prove to be a very different night from every other. It will be a night when dreams come true, a night of enchantment and magic.

Christmas with the Kranks

When their only daughter Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora Krank decide to book an island cruise to beat the yuletide blues and just skip the holidays. But their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar, and when Blair calls on Christmas Eve to announce a surprise visit with her new fiancée, the Kranks have just twelve hours to perform a miracle and pull themselves and their neighbors together to throw the best celebration ever!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

Green Flake

Green Flake, a southern slave, joins Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a child. Later on in his life he is sent to pave the way to what is now the Salt Lake Valley and his faith sustains him.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of a nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas. Disguised as Santa Claus, with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he decides to raid the village to steal all the Christmas things.

Shrek the Halls

The Christmas tree isn't the only thing green in this new holiday classic. Shrek is back and trying to get into the spirit of the season. After promising Fiona and the kids a Christmas they'll remember, he is forced to take a crash course in the holiday. But just when he thinks he has everything for their quiet family Christmas just right, there is a knock at the door.

Grass

Marijuana is the most controversial drug of the 20th Century. Smoked by generations to little discernible ill effect, it continues to be reviled by many governments on Earth. In this Genie Award-winning documentary veteran Canadian director Ron Mann and narrator Woody Harrelson mix humour and historical footage together to recount how the United States has demonized a relatively harmless drug.

Black Sam's Statue

Using newly uncovered historical documents, this documentary short pieces together the most complete and accurate account of the life of Viro Small ever told. Nicknamed "Black Sam of Vermont" for his ties to the Green Mountain State, Small was a pro wrestling pioneer who reached the height of his notoriety in 1880's New York City.

The National Tree

A teenager has his Sitka Spruce tree chosen to be planted outside the White House as the new national Christmas Tree.

The Times of Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world.

Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph

The first American space station Skylab is found in pieces scattered in Western Australia. Putting these pieces back together and re-tracing the Skylab program back to its very conception reveals the cornerstone of human space exploration.

Unaccompanied Minors

Five disparate kids snowed in at the airport on Christmas Eve learn some lessons about friendship when they launch a bid to get back to their families and outsmart a disgruntled airport official who wants to keep them grounded.

English Influences in the United States

Explains the ways the English culture influenced our own--Democratic thought, jurisprudence, civil liberties, language, literature, art and styles.

The Crossing

A made-for-TV dramatization of George Washington's perilous gamble of crossing the Delaware River and attacking the British forces at Trenton.

Kamala Harris, an American ambition

Known as the most liberal U.S. senator and "Border Czar," VP Kamala Harris has a long track record of policy positions; an in-depth look.

The Jamestown Colony (1607 Through 1620)

Chronicles early history of the Jamestown Colony. Describes voyage and hardships of the first settlers from England and the trials of later arrivals.

The Long Walk Home

Two women, black and white, in 1955 Montgomery Alabama, must decide what they are going to do in response to the famous bus boycott led by Martin Luther King.

An Evergreen Christmas

Leaving her seemingly glamorous Hollywood life on hold, Evie Lee is forced to return to her small hometown of Balsam Falls, Tennessee and her family's once-thriving Christmas tree farm to attend her father’s unexpected funeral. As the eldest sibling, she finds herself executor of an estate that owes a massive inheritance tax, much to her younger brother's dismay. Torn between pursuing her music career and saving her family's legacy, she must decide what it really means to find her place in the world. Charleene Closshey stars amidst a colorful cast including Robert Loggia, Tyler Ritter, Booboo Stewart and Naomi Judd in this heart-warming musical holiday tale about facing your past, rediscovering your voice, and fulfilling your dreams.

Our Living Declaration of Independence

Freedom, rights, obligations, the pursuit of happiness -- meanings of these terms are explored as this film develops its theme that the Declaration of Independence is not a dead historical document, but a vital force and guide to living today.

America

November 2016 : The United States of America are about to elect their new president. AMERICA is a deep dive into the heart of Arizona, meeting the inhabitants of a little town crossed by Road 66, the broken inheritors of the American Dream who deliver us their hopes and fears.

Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North

A descendant of the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history, filmmaker Katrina Browne explores the contemporary legacy of slavery by traveling with fellow descendents from Rhode Island to Ghana and Cuba, retracing the Triangle Trade route. Along the way, Browne and her companions meet with similarly interested travelers and discover the considerable importance slavery once had for Northern commerce.

The King: Stephen King's America

Ghost nation? Violent home? Traumatised country? What does the horror of one of the most famous writers of our time hide? What does his fictional America expose? To what extent does cinema feed itself off his unique vision and expression of fear? In other words: what kind of America is Stephen King telling us about?

Atomic Pilgrimage: Ghost Towns, Nuclear Relics, and Lost Civilizations on the Road to the Trinity Site

A 40-day, 40-night road trip to the Trinity Site—where the first atomic bomb was detonated in the summer of 1945—covering many other atomic destinations and driving deep into the natural and social history of the American southwest.

The Secret History of the Civil War

Looking at the birth of America's first intelligence units, set in motion in by President Lincoln himself in the early days of the war; exploring a spy who broke the boundaries of gender and race.

Henry Ford, l'inventeur du siècle américain

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In Search of Bass Reeves

By the end of his illustrious career, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves may well have been the preeminent lawman of the Old West. He brought upwards of 3,000 outlaws to justice and served in law enforcement for 32 years during Reconstruction after the Civil War. His story is one of an escape to freedom and the dangers of the West for a former slave who rose to become a legend of the law. Join us as we go in search of Bass Reeves.

William Penn and the Quakers (Pennsylvania Colony) (Revised)

Describes the Quakers' struggle for religious freedom and the founding of the Pennsylvania colony, under the leadership of William Penn. Describes the colony's belief in freedom of speech and religion, and in the equality of all. Explains why Pennsylvania prospered.

Spirit of the Pony Express

Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the short-lived but far-reaching American Institution The Pony Express by following a historical re-enactment along the original trail from Sacramento California to Saint Joseph Missouri.

A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado

Erin is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must win over firefighter Kevin in order to obtain the beautiful spruce tree from his property for the celebration.

Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too

Pooh is so busy gathering up his friends' wish lists for Santa that he forgets to include his own. After retrieving the list and adding his own desires, he realizes he's late getting it where it needs to go. Off he goes to the North Pole on Christmas Eve, with pals Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, and Christopher Robin missing him

The Christmas Visitor

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives

Christmas Eve. A poor orphan boy trudges through the snow, pathetically. He finally arrives at his miserable cabin. While he is crying, Santa arrives and, singing the title song, offers to take the boy to his workshop. They arrive, and the toys go wild. He plays with a few toys. A candle falls off the tree and starts a fire. The toys try in vain to fight the fire; the boy hooks up a hose to a set of bagpipes and takes care of it.

The Christmas Tree

A story about a forming friendship between an elderly nun, Sister Anthony, and New York's Rockefeller Center's head landscape architect Richard Reilly, who wants to fell a tree she's been growing for decades and move it to New York for Christmas display.

Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the Mayflower

So much more than simply the story of the Thanksgiving meal, the epic saga of the Pilgrims is one of the fundamental narratives of our nation. This ambitious documentary presents the definitive history of the Pilgrims and their journey to and colonization of the New World. A marriage of feature-film quality historical reenactments with the latest scholarship and analysis of original source material, this definitive look at the Pilgrims' progress will shed light on the reality of their experience.

Fort Niagara: The Struggle For a Continent

For over 150 years, Fort Niagara protected the strategic point at the mouth of the Niagara River. Four nations struggled to conquer it, and thus control that critical water artery.

Christmas Break-In

Izzy is an energetic 9-year-old. Overscheduled and running late, Izzy's parents can't pick her up on-time the last day of school before Christmas break. A blizzard complicates the matter, but not as much as a pair of bad guys who are freezing in an ice cream truck. The school's janitor is kidnapped by the intruders, and it's up to Izzy to save the day.

Biden's Decision

The inside story of Biden’s rise to the presidency, and the personal and political forces that shaped him and led to his dramatic decision to step aside.

Emmet's Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short

There’s nothing like the holidays in Apocalypseburg!

Old Glory

Porky Pig balks at learning the Pledge of Allegiance until Uncle Sam appears to him in a dream and gives him a lesson in American history.

Mog's Christmas

Mog feels a little ignored during the Thomas family's Christmas preparations. When she spots the huge Christmas tree, she freaks out and climbs to the roof, where she refuses to move no matter how hard the family tries.