A first run at the year’s movies

Aristide and the Endless Revolution The second expulsion of Haiti’s controversial President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is examined. With Aristide and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega. Directed by Nicholas Rossier. First Run Features, TBA

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The Beauty Academy of Kabul Filmmaker Liz Mermin follows a group of Western women to Afghanistan, where they open a school for beauticians. Shadow Distribution, April

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Blossoms of Fire Maureen Gosling’s film illuminates the colorful culture of Mexico’s Isthmus Zapotecs, known for their work ethic and powerful matriarchy. New Yorker Films, January

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Boys of Baraka Four 12-year-olds from Baltimore are part of a pilot program that places them at a Kenyan boarding school, a far cry from the drugs, violence and single-parent homes of their own neighborhood. Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. ThinkFilm, Friday

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Cowboy del Amor A profile of self-proclaimed “cowboy cupid” Ivan Thompson, who finds Mexican brides for American clients. Directed by Michele Ohayon. Homeland Film Productions, Feb. 10

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Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul “Head On” director Fatih Akin accompanies German composer and musician Alexander Hacke as he travels to Istanbul to record the wide variety of music -- including hip-hop, electronic, rock and classical “Arabesque” -- found in the Turkish capital. Strand Releasing, June

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Darwin’s Nightmare The Nile perch has eliminated nearly all the native fish in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria and is so voracious it eats its own young, but it has benefited the local fishing trade as a valuable export. Directed by Hubert Sauper. International Film Circuit, Feb. 10

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Deep Sea 3-D “Into the Deep” filmmaker Howard Hall returns to the ocean depths to capture more exotic creatures in this Imax-sized adventure. Narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. Warner Bros., March 3

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Drowned Out The residents of Jalsindhi in central India must choose quickly between staying in their homes and drowning or resettling as the Narmada Dam fills a reservoir. With Arundhati Roy, Bulgi Sonkaria and Luharia Sonkaria. Directed by Franny Armstrong. Cinema Libre, February

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EV Confidential Filmmaker Chris Paine examines why we aren’t all driving electric cars by now. Sony Pictures Classics, TBA

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Favela Rising Anderson Sa, a former drug trafficker in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, changes course and through the AfroReggae music movement attempts to change his community. With Jose Junior. Directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary. ThinkFilm, TBA

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Forgiving Dr. Mengele The film follows Auschwitz survivor Eva Moses Kor as she evolves from bitterness to the controversial position of advocating reconciliation. Directed by Bob Hercules and Cheri Pugh. First Run Features, TBA

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Giuliani Time A look at the effect Rudy G. had as the mayor of New York City and how his handling of the aftermath of Sept. 11 raised his profile internationally. Featuring biographer Wayne Barrett, school Commissioner Rudy Crew, City Council member Steven DiBrienza, Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), Ralph Nader, Donald Trump and former mayors David N. Dinkins and Edward I. Koch. Directed by Kevin Keating. Cinema Libre, spring

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The Heart of the Game Darnellia Russell, a Washington state high school basketball player, battles on court and off to play the sport that could be her ticket to college. With Coach Bill Resler. Written and directed by Ward Serrill. Miramax Films, June 14

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Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye The French photographer’s work chronicles the 20th century. Interviewees include Cartier-Bresson, Isabelle Huppert, Arthur Miller and Robert Delpire. Directed by Heinz Butler. Palm Pictures, January

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Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man Interviews and performances pay tribute to the Canadian poet and influential singer-songwriter. Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Jarvis Cocker, the Handsome Family, Antony, Julie Christensen and Perla Battala. Directed by Lian Lunson. Lionsgate, May

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Neil Young: Heart of Gold Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captures Young onstage for two nights at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. Paramount Classics, Feb. 10

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Roving Mars Director George Butler (“The Endurance: Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure”) turns his attention to the red planet, bringing its unusual landscape to Imax screens. Walt Disney Pictures, Jan. 27

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Through the Fire (The Sebastian Telfair Story) During his senior year, the New York high school basketball star wrestles with whether to accept a college scholarship or turn pro immediately and get his family out of the increasingly dangerous Coney Island projects. Cinema Libre/ESPN, Feb. 10

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Trudell A decade in the making, the film presents the life of Native American poet and activist John Trudell through archival footage, concerts and interviews. Also featured are Robert Redford, Bonnie Raitt, Sam Shepard, Jackson Browne, Amy Ray and Kris Kristofferson. Directed by Heather Rae. Balcony Releasing, March 10

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Unknown White Male A profile of the struggles of an amnesia-stricken New York man who left his Lower Eastside apartment and then turned up 11 hours later on a subway bound for Coney Island not knowing who he was. Directed by Rupert Murray. Wellspring Media, Feb. 24

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What the Bleep: Down the Rabbit Hole Expanded version of the off-the-wall 2004 hit “What the Bleep Do We Know?” explores philosophical conundrums through interviews and dramatic constructs. With Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix and Robert Bailey Jr. Directed by William Arntz, Betsy Chasse and Mark Vicente. Samuel Goldwyn Films/Roadside Attractions, Feb. 3

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Why We Fight Inspired by President Eisenhower’s farewell address to the nation and taking his title from Frank Capra’s World War II series of films, director Eugene Jarecki (“The Trials of Henry Kissinger”) explores the American war machine. With John McCain, Gore Vidal, William Kristol, Chalmers Johnson, Richard Perle and others. Sony Pictures Classics, Friday

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William Eggleston in the Small World Director Michael Almereyda follows the maverick photographer on trips to Kentucky, New York and L.A., and especially around his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., revealing his work as a musician, draftsman and videographer in addition to his pictures. Palm Pictures, Jan. 27

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Yang Ban Xi: The Eight Model Works During China’s Cultural Revolution, these spectacles of propaganda replaced traditional opera. Directed by Yan Ting Yuen. Films Transit International, April