family genealogy or heritage:

• Putting the Pieces Together  (6:14) by Debra Hartley -- A video to encourage undergrads to pursue genealogy research.
• Coiffi Family History (4:47) by Avery Schwartz Cioffi family member -- video takes on travel show genre to narrate history of the family
• The Language Apprentice (5:23) - describes the life of a young woman, Arlene Blackdeer, who focuses on language and cultural revitalization in her teaching (based in Ho-Chunk Nation, Tomah, WI).  Part of  The Ways video series by Wisconsin Media Lab.  See also Prayer in a Song (3:57)
  

family member portraits or biographies:

• "The Letter" (3:13) by Manil Suri -- a portrait of a mother who briefly worked for Indira Ghandi 
• Redefining Documentary (1:10) - A mini project based composed of old negatives of a woman and her family (who are seen in the photographs), and a recording a letter she mailed to her brother while he is away in the air force.

focus on an artifact or object:

• "The Letter" (3:13) by Manil Suri -- a portrait of a mother who briefly worked for Indira Ghandi