Movies by Jon Alpert

Life of Crime 2

Life of Crime 2

This follow-up to the 1989 documentary ONE YEAR IN A LIFE OF CRIME revisits three of the original subjects in New Jersey during a five-year period in the 1990s. We share in their triumphs and setbacks as they navigate lives of poverty, drug abuse, AIDS, and petty crime.

Papa

Papa

This is Jon Alpert's portrait of his father's struggles with growing old and nearing the end of life.

Cuba and the Cameraman

Cuba and the Cameraman

This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.

One Year in a Life of Crime

One Year in a Life of Crime

Their job is stealing, their lives a cruel dead end. Director Jon Alpert takes his cameras undercover for this hard-hitting look at men who live by theft and suffer addiction. Focusing on a year in the lives of three professional criminals, this gritty profile—which includes hidden-camera footage of actual thefts—exposes the "petty" crimes that are paralyzing America.

Life of Crime: 1984-2020

Life of Crime: 1984-2020

An intimate documentary that looks at the vicious cycles of drug addiction and street crime in one of the roughest parts of New Jersey.

Lock-Up: The Prisoners of Rikers Island

Lock-Up: The Prisoners of Rikers Island

If you're arrested in New York City and can't make bail, you'll be sent to Rikers Island -- a mammoth holding facility for 17,000 men and women awaiting trial. TV journalist Jon Alpert spent ten months filming there, coming away with a graphic and unblinking portrait of life inside America's largest jail complex, including a moving look at the human faces behind the statistics.

Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story

Latin Kings: A Street Gang Story

Documentary on Antonio "King Tone" Fernandez and his gang, the Latin Kings, whose main target was to protect Latin people.

Third Avenue: Only the Strong Survive

Third Avenue: Only the Strong Survive

The stories of six "ordinary" people who live or work along New York City's Third Avenue, which runs for sixteen miles through Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, cutting through the complex social strata of the city to reveal wildly different economic and ethnic subcultures.

Mariela Castro's March: Cuba's LGBT Revolution

Mariela Castro's March: Cuba's LGBT Revolution

A rare look inside Cuba’s LGBT community, this compelling film follows the efforts of Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raúl Castro, as she champions LGBT social reforms and acceptance of diversity.

All For One: Media Enabled Musketeers

All For One: Media Enabled Musketeers

People with disabilities are the largest minority in the United States (57 million people) and in Russia (13 million people). This film follows the adventures of Russians and Americans with disabilities, who like the characters in the Dumas novel, work together for the common good… but they wield cameras not sabers. They make films to empower themselves, educate the public, create more opportunities, and build friendship between the people of Russia and the United States.

The Story of Junkie Junior

The Story of Junkie Junior

Junior Rios started using heroin when he was 15. At age 29, Junior is a father of three. To support his $200-a-day heroin habit, he scours the rooftops of the South Bronx for materials he can sell. When he's finally caught, he enters an aggressive rehab program. Meanwhile, his ex has moved on, and is trying to make a better life for herself and their children.