OPB has always sought to bring distinct human stories to the international market: stories that have resonated with audiences around the world such as CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL and THE MILLER TWINS. We are very pleased to recommend some new and unique documentaries at this time.

One percent of the world's population suffers from schizophrenia. That's nearly 60 million people globally. The condition afflicts people from all walks of life, regardless of age, nationality, race or class. One in two patients affected attempt suicide. One in ten succeeds. Filmed over five years, OUT OF THE SHADOW, by award-winning filmmaker Susan Smiley chronicles the story of her mother Millie who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. With grace and compassion, this intimate film illustrates the painful complexities of severe mental illness and a woefully inadequate public health system set up to deal with it. This hard-hitting documentary is a story of madness and dignity, shame and love. By illuminating one family's struggle it powerfully helps to dispel the stigmas and misconceptions surrounding this harrowing illness.

The topic of raising young boys has been very much in the news lately. Why can boys be so violent? Why are they so hard to talk to? Why don't they do as well as girls at school? RAISING CAIN, hosted by Dr Michael Thompson, child psychologist and one of the world's leading experts on raising boys, received a huge amount of press and praise when it aired on PBS earlier this year as well as being one of the largest selling DVDs on pbs.org this year. This unique two-hour documentary provides surprising new research about boys' inner workings, dispelling a number of commonly held misconceptions, and offering insights into how society can help boys of all ages develop.

As many countries debate the complex issues around the "right to die" just how much do we as individuals know about what this really means, what the real issues are and what the procedures might be for the doctors and families involved? We present ROBERT'S STORY: DYING WITH DIGNITY the true story of a terminally ill patient who eventually takes his life under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. This Act allows physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to the terminally ill in order that patients may end their own lives. Oregon is the only state in the US which permits this. Our cameras follow Robert Schwartz from the day he gets his pills to the day when he chooses to end his life at home with his family and friends. This is no ordinary story. It is an unprecedented look at a controversial topic through one man's battle to preserve a quality of life that he can enjoy for as long as possible.

While talking about human stories, don't forget our acclaimed series THE NEW HEROES. The 4 x 60 series tells the dramatic stories of fourteen daring social entrepreneurs who are undaunted by the chronic challenges of poverty, illness, unemployment, violence and ignorance they see in the world around them. Each program travels around the world to profile "social entrepreneurs" who are helping the desperate, the destitute and the determined to make a new beginning. This series has generated a lot of interest around the world and is still available in selected territories.

For a screener or if you have any questions, please send an email to distribution@opb.org.