Go here to view the entire 6-minute movie "Alive in Joburg." 
>http://www.wired.com/video/alive-in-joburg/33398511001#

==============================

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Alive in Joburg" is a 2005 science fiction short film directed by Neill Blomkamp, produced by Simon Hansen and Sharlto Copley inCanada, and released by Spy Films. It runs approximately six minutes long and was filmed in Johannesburg, South Africa with soundtrack featuring composer sound designer Drazen Bosnjak's "Harmonic Code". The film explores themes of apartheid and is noted for its visual effects as well as its documentary-style imagery. Blomkamp's 2009 feature film District 9, starring Copley, expands themes and elements from this short film.

Alive in Joburg
Directed by	Neill Blomkamp
Produced by	Sharlto Copley, Simon Hansen[1]
Written by	Neill Blomkamp
Starring	Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, Dawie Ackermann[1]
Music by	Clinton Shorter[1]
Cinematography	Trevor Cawood, Ozan Biron[1]
Studio	Spy Films[2]
Distributed by	Spy Films
Release date(s)	2005
Running time	6 minutes
Country	Canada [3]
Language	English

Contents [hide] 1 Plot and Themes 2 The Aliens 3 Adaptation 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Plot and Themes

In 1990, Johannesburg is home to a number of extraterrestrial refugees, whose large spaceships (estimated to be nearly one kilometer in length) can be seen hovering above the city. When the visitors arrived, the human population was enamored with, among other aspects, the aliens' advanced "bio-suits", and supposedly welcomed them with open arms. However, later, the aliens began moving into other areas of the city, committing crimes in order to survive, and frequently clashing with the police. Playing as a documentary, the film continues, complete with interviews and footage taken from handheld cameras, highlighting the growing tension between the civilian population and the visitors, especially once the ships began to steal electricity and other resources from the city.

According to individuals "interviewed" in the film, the aliens were captive labor (slaves or indentured servants), forced to live in "conditions that were not good" and had escaped to Earth. Because the film takes place in 1990, while apartheid was still in effect in South Africa, the aliens were forced to live amongst the already-oppressed black population, causing conflict with them as well as the non-white and white population.

All of the interview statements which do not explicitly mention extraterrestrials were taken from authentic interviews with South Africans who had been asked their opinions of Zimbabwean refugees.^[4]

[edit] The Aliens

The alien species in "Alive in Joburg" are never named, speak in an undefined language, and are frequently referred to simply as "them" or "the aliens". One citizen referred to them as "the poleepkwa". In their biosuits, they resembled bipedal, humanoid robots. Outside of their suits, their most obvious non-human features are a lack of hair and ears, and protruding tentacles where a human's mouth would be. In the film, the area where one would expect eyes to be is pixelated.

One scene early in the film, shown as television news footage, shows an alien wearing one of their mecha-suits fending off an attack by two police officers by throwing large vehicles towards them. Whether or not they themselves have a telekinetic ability or whether it is done through the use of the suit is never explained, although the alien is shown to touch a place on its suit's arm as it levitates and then throws the vehicles.

[edit] Adaptation

On August 14, 2009, Sony Pictures released a feature film adaptation entitled District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp with executive production by Peter Jackson, and featuring Sharlto Copley and Jason Cope, who also were involved in Alive in Joburg.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813999/fullcredits
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813999/companycredits
3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0813999
4. ^ Woerner, Meredith. "5 Things You Didn't Know About District 9", Io9, 19 August 2009.

[edit] External links

• Official Website at Spy Films Productions
• Alive in Joburg at the Internet Movie Database

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive_in_Joburg"

Categories: Apartheid films | 2005 films | 2000s science fiction films | Short films | Alien visitation films | Alternate history films | Canadian films | Mockumentaries | Films set in South Africa

 

By Mawuse Ziegbe on Zaire '74

Available now on DVD is Soul Power, a documentary about the legendary Zaire ‘74 festival which brought North American stars like Celia Cruz, James Brown, Bill Withers, Miriam Makeba and B.B. King to the stage during the famed “Rumble in the Jungle” match between Muhammad Ali and George Forman in 1974.   The film features insightful behind-the-scenes footage of luminaries like James Brown enjoying soul food and giving a toast and Muhammad Ali talking about the contemporary, sophistication of Zaire. The film does an excellent job of showcasing brilliant, high-energy performances from artists such as The Fania All Stars as well as traditional African dancers. The doc presents a different perspective of a seminal period in both music and sports history that focuses on the cross-cultural exchange of talent and shines a new light on some of music’s greatest stars.

>http://www.sonyclassics.com/soulpower/

“Haiti: Killing the Dream”: Excerpt of Documentary on Centuries of Western Subversion of Haitian Sovereignty

Go here to see video excerpt. 
>http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/10/killing_the_dream_excerpt_of_documentary#

To put the history of Haiti in context, we turn to the 1992 documentary Haiti: Killing the Dream produced by Hart and Dana Perry of Crowing Rooster Productions and narrated by Ossie Davis. In this excerpt, the film looks at the nearly twenty-year occupation of Haiti by US Marines beginning in 1915. [includes rush transcript]

"Killing the Dream", excerpt of documentary produced by Hart and Dana Perry of Crowing Rooster Productions and narrated by Ossie Davis.

Rush Transcript

This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.
Donate - $25, $50, $100, More...

 

AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go now to an excerpt of a documentary that, actually, my colleague here at Democracy Now!, co-host Juan Gonzalez, wrote the screenplay, if you will, or rather the script for, because it is not—it is a documentary. To put history of Haiti in context, we’re going to go to Haiti: Killing the Dream, that was produced by Hart and Dana Perry of Crowing Rooster Productions. This is just an excerpt. I think it demonstrates what you are laying out. Thank you so much, Danny Glover.

OSSIE DAVIS: Haiti is located on the western part of the island, Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The French turned it into their most profitable slave colony. But in 1791, the slaves revolted. By 1804, the slave armies defeated Napoleon’s legions, making Haiti the first independent black republic in the world. Fearing the example would spread, the United States refused to recognize Haiti, beginning an uneasy relationship between a country founded by slaves and one founded by slave owners. At the turn of the century, America’s view of Haiti was summed up by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, who said, “Dear me, think of it? Niggers speaking French.”

RAMSEY CLARK: You know, more than two years before we entered World War I, we decided we had to control Haiti.

NEWSREEL: Here’s Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1915, chief city of an island nation torn by internal troubles. Behind these scenes of peace and semi-tropic tranquility, there’s uneasiness and unrest.

OSSIE DAVIS: The US government wanted to control the strategic windward passage between Haiti and Cuba, the major shipping route to the Panama Canal and the Pacific. So, they created a pretext to justify a military intervention.

NEWSREEL: And then in 1915, United States Marines land in Haiti to battle Haitian bandits threatening destruction of American properties, and native bandits quickly head for the hills. This puts immediate end to troubles in populated areas, but Marines prepare to drive into interior and rout the insurgents out.

RAMSEY CLARK: The arrogance with which we went about it, when you think of a young Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, bragging—I can see him there bobbing on the deck now. And he’s writing the constitution for the free people of Haiti. There can’t be a more imperialist mentality than that. These people are too dumb to write their own constitution; I have to do it for them.

NEWSREEL: Haiti’s own Dartiguenave is elected provisional president, and the riot-ridden republic begins to function as a nation once again. Here are troops of the Palace Guard, but United States Marines are ever-present.

NOAM CHOMSKY: It was a murderous, bloody intervention which destroyed the constitutional systems, reinstated slavery. The Marines stayed there for twenty years. What they left behind them was a military force, a national guard, which essentially took over and has been running—and ran it under one or another dictatorship since.

OSSIE DAVIS: In 1957, the United States propped up the regime of Haiti’s most feared president, François Duvalier. Known as Papa Doc, he was a country doctor who became a despot. To ensure he would not be overthrown by the army like his predecessors, Papa Doc built up his own vigilante militia, the infamous Tontons Macoutes. Volunteers for the Macoutes were paid by having free license to steal and extort from the people they tortured, raped and murdered. Toward the end of his life, Duvalier cemented his ties to Washington and arranged for his son, Jean-Claude, to succeed him. After Papa Doc’s death in 1971, nineteen-year-old Baby Doc took over as president for life. Baby Doc plundered the national treasury and, with army support, turned Haiti into a major drug trans-shipment stop.

In 1986, a popular uprising ended the three decades of Duvalier dictatorship. Baby Doc was flown into exile aboard a US government jet, taking a vast fortune and leaving behind a devastated, but relieved, country. After years of living in fear, the Haitian people exploded, taking revenge on the most abusive Tontons Macoutes in the Dechoukaj, or uprooting of the Duvalier oppression. Some Macoutes who committed capital crimes suffered the popular justice called “Père Lebrun,” or necklacing: a tire filled with gasoline was placed around their bodies and burned.

HOWARD FRENCH: The transitional government that was named after Duvalier, Jean-Claude Duvalier, fell was an army-led government, the CNG. And the army hasn’t shown little willingness to stay out of political affairs since then. There have been seven or eight coups since 1986, and the army has been involved in every one of them.

OSSIE DAVIS: They sing, “Nothing has changed. Things are still the same. The soldiers have become Macoutes and are breaking heads.”

Despite signs of deepening army entrenchment, the country tried to hold elections in 1987. They were destroyed by the military and the Macoutes, who slaughtered voters as they tried to cast their first ballots. At the same time, a young Catholic priest, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, began drawing attention for his outspoken criticism of the army and foreign domination of the country. Inspired by the Latin American Church’s liberation theology, Aristide was dedicated to helping the poor. He worked for years with orphans in the vast shantytown La Saline, where he was affectionately called Titide.

AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt of the 1992 documentary Haiti: Killing the Dream, narrated by Ossie Davis. It was written by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez.

The Black Book at 35: Still Rich, Relevant and Revealing

Posted By The Editors | February 9th, 2010 | Category: Book Reviews 

By Eisa Nefertari Ulen

In the early 1970s, during the height of the Black Arts Movement, a group of scholars decided to document the African-American experience. They approached one of the few black women in book publishing back then, an editor at Random House named Toni Morrison. It was the right group, at the best time, teamed with a future Nobel Prize winner. Out of that moment and those folk—and their important mission—The Black Book was made.

In his introduction to The Black Book, Bill Cosby called it “a scrapbook…a folk journey of Black America…beautiful, haunting, curious, informative, and human,” and it is as intimate, revealing, heartbreaking, and uplifting as any treasured family album can be. This scrapbook, now reissued in a 35th anniversary edition, records the triumphs and tragedies of the African-American family.

The kin on these pages are our African cousins, our slave forebears. They are the uncle who, in 1898, became the fastest bicyclist in the world, and the uncle who, in 1911, was burned alive. The Black Book tells of the names Chango and Cuffe; it contains an ad for capture of runaways in Boston and models for black invention filed at the United States Patent Office in Washington D.C. It tells who we are because it remembers who we have been.

The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s – 1970s was, much like the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, a period of sustained artistic and intellectual production. Both movements coincided with a concurrent civil rights activism. The Harlem Renaissance was fueled by and helped power the Anti-Lynching Campaign led by Ida B Wells-Barnett and W.E.B. DuBois’ call for Uplift. A similarly symbiotic relationship existed between the Black Arts and Civil Rights / Black Power Movements. Likewise, during both time periods, a key aspect of the artistic imagination was occupied with documentation. Artists and scholars did the important work of recording the black experience in all its complexity and diversity – of telling our truths instead of letting others tell tales on us. This is the important work that gave us The Black Book.

For Morrison, who expressed her unmatched literary gift in the 1973 preface she wrote, The Black Book speaks: “Between my top and my bottom, my right and my left, I hold what I have seen, what I have done, and what I have thought. I am everything I have hated: labor without harvest; death without honor; life without land or law. I am a Black woman holding a white child in her arms singing to her own baby lying unattended in the grass…I am all the ways I have failed… I am all the ways I survived…I am all the things I have seen…And I am all the things I have ever loved…”

I remember buying The Black Book in yet another era, The Afrocentric 80s. That decade was also the beginning of The Crack Era, and by the early 1990s I was teaching elementary school in Baltimore, a city, like so many others, that was being torn apart by black-on-black violence. When I needed to show my young students who we really are, more than drug dealers and murder victims, more than the crack-addicted parents that some of my beautiful brown babies went home to each day, I turned to The Black Book. With it, and the stunning images collected there, I could let them see us—and their individual selves—as more.

Now, in 2010, we are in perhaps the twilight of what Kevin Powell called The Word Movement. This movement of Gen X artists and scholars was born during the Anti-Apartheid Movement and campaigns against police brutality. Just as the Renaissance had jazz and the Black Arts Period had Funk and Soul, we have Hip Hop. It is this continuum that has – and always will – see us through. It would be nice if a new Black Book would collect and record our experiences as a people from the mid-20th century to now, but the anniversary edition is not made weaker by the fact that it has not been added to.

This volume is more than a teaching tool. It is our shared family album, tracing us from the continent to the Carolinas, from cakewalks to hoe cakes, and it remembers everyone from Cinque to the KKK. Get it for yourself and get it for the people you love, the people who are also you.

Eisa Nefertari Ulen is author of the novel Crystelle Mourning and a founding member of RingShout: A Place for Black Literature.

>http://www.thedefendersonline.com/2010/02/09/the-black-book-at-35-still-rich-...

Westwood TV – Lil Wayne behind the scenes of video shoot and interview on jail sentence (Video)

 

UK DJ Tim Westwood up in MIA catching up with Weezy on the set of his new video shoot.
Westwood and Lil Wayne discuss Wayne’s jail sentence and filming a plethora of videos before his incarceration.

 

Am I the only one curious about how Lil Wayne is going to do while & after doing time? To go from "No Ceilings" (i.e. staying high 24/7) to being locked down 24/7 has got to be a horse of a different mule!

Some might be surprised that I even know who Lil Wayne is—two factoids for yall who may not know. 1. I teach high school and if I want to stay relevant I got to know what's relevant to the students with whom I work (our program, SAC—Students at the Center—believes in what we call "social learning." We learn as a community: you from me, I from you, all us from we. We truly believe in learning from each other because we understand everyone knows something everyone else doesn't know. So if Wayne is relevant to our students, he has some degree of relevance to us (the nominal teachers).

But, reason #2 is even deeper: Wayne is an amazing rapper. I'm not sure what he does to stay so deep while constantly being so high... I'm pretty sure he's not going the traditional route of wide-ranging reading but if you check his vocabulary and his concepts, a bunch of it is bullshit but also the bullshit masks a brilliant mind at work... plus he is ultra productive. He gives away more than most artist sell in a life-time. (Or to quote one of his mixtapes: I hope you didn't pay for this shit.)

Anyway, love him or loathe him, he is a one of a kind and it will be very, very interesting to see what he's like when he comes out.

UPDATE: 1. The Saints won. 2. Lil Wayne's incarceration date was delayed until after dental surgery. What they going to do, wire his mouth shut to keep his ass from getting in trouble in the joint??? (Bad joke but he's got to be the first cat that I know of who got a temporary stay of a prison appointment because of a dental appointment—now that's amazing!)

>http://www.soulculture.co.uk/blogs/westwood-tv-lil-wayne-behind-the-scenes-of...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Pan African Film Festival Announces 2010 Lineup

Largest Int’l Black Film Festival to Screen 135 Films From 36 Countries, Including 12 World Premieres

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2010) — The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film and arts festival has announced its 2010 lineup of films selected to be screened for its Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature film competitions.  In total, 135 films were selected representing 36 countries, including 40 in competition, 64 feature length films, and 12 films at the Festival will be world premieres.  The PAFF filmmaker awards will be announced on Feb. 17 at the Closing Night Presentation (7 p.m.).

Themed, “Get Involved, Take Action!,” this year’s PAFF is presenting the US Premiere of  STOLEN, which reveals practices of modern day slavery in the Western Sahara, Morocco, and by reference throughout North Africa.  The PAFF is initiating a Community Action Panel at the festival to explore the controversial claims the film illustrates in an effort to ignite their audience to get involved with the filmmakers’ mission to bring assistance to the Black Saharawis who are featured in the film and, as a result, are facing intimidation from powerful forces. With the use of STOLEN and other thought-provoking films screening throughout the festival, PAFF will challenge its audiences to get informed, get involved, and take action!  The STOLEN screening & Community Action Panel will take place Saturday, Feb. 13 at 4:45 p.m

In addition, the PAFF is realizing its theme by organizing screenings of the powerful film HAITI: THE SLEEPING GIANT to raise money for Haitian relief efforts.  100% of the proceeds raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Haitian Emergency Relief Fund.  The film will screen numerous times throughout the course of the festival and the PAFF is encouraging attendees to prioritize incorporating this film into their calendar. Aside from providing the highly needed assistance for Haiti, the film screenings will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the historical and political history that has led to Haiti’s current condition.

“This year, I am proud that we have expanded on the nearly 20 year tradition of presenting dynamic and engaging films by proposing a challenge to our attending audience to get involved,” shared PAFF Senior Programmer Sharifa Johka.  “Audiences will discover that many of this year’s films have a thematic thread of activism and I am impressed with how well filmmakers represent the reality of living in historic times and I look forward to witnessing how the attending audience will respond to our challenge.”

This year’s Festival will again take place at the Culver Plaza Theatres (9919 Washington Boulevard) in Los Angeles.  However, the Festival’s coveted Art Market will take place at the Westfield Culver Plaza in Culver City (6000 Sepulveda Boulevard), instead of the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

The Festival’s Opening Night Gala will feature the world premiere of “Blood Done Sign My Name,” which opens nationally on February 19^th from Paladin and stars Nate Parker as notable Civil Rights activist Dr. Ben Chavis, along with an ensemble cast that includes Lela Rochon, Omar Benson Miller, Afemo Omilami, Golden Globe- winner Ricky Schroder, Nick Searcy, Michael Rooker, Darrin Dewitt Henson, and Gattlin Griffith.  The film is an adaptation of the best-selling book by Timothy Tyson and is written and directed by Jeb Stuart.  Cast members and Dr. Chavis will be present at the screening. The event will be hosted by award winning actress CCH Pounder (Avatar, Brothers).  Taking place, Wednesday, February 10 (7 p.m.) at the Directors Guild of America, PAFF’s Opening Night Gala is one of the most glamorous red carpet Hollywood film events that attract Hollywood A-list celebrities and kicks off one of America’s largest Black History Month events.

This year’s Pan African Film & Arts Festival runs February 10-17 in Los Angeles, California. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

Find the full list of films in competition below!

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Aldewolem (He Didn’t Call) (Director: Maher Sabry; Screenwriter: Maher Sabry)- A romantic comedy. Tihut is set up to make a fool out of her best friend’s cousin, Melhik, who is desperately seeking a sweetheart. Thinking that she has no idea about his identity, Melhik tries to charm the young girl he only knows as Lily into falling for him. Tihut plays around at first, but as she gets to know Melhik, her world turns upside down as she starts to seriously wonder whether she has feelings for the supposed “victim” of her friend’s mischievous plots and whether she could ever reveal her true identity. Los Angeles Premiere.

All My Life (Toul Omry) (Director: Yetnayet Bahru; Screenwriter: Yetnayet Bahru)- For Rami, all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds, as long as he keeps to himself. But when his longtime lover leaves him to marry a woman and his best friends drift away, he comes face to face with the harsh realities of life as a gay man in Egypt. Against the backdrop of the choreographed crackdown on gay men and the notorious Queen Boat arrests of 2001, he plunges into a world of loveless friendships and spirals downwards to his ultimate downfall. Los Angeles Premiere.

Bike (Director: Vanz Chapman; Screenwriter: Errol Williams & Vanz Chapman) – An elegant coming-of-age story about crime and friendship set in Bermuda. The story follows Jason, 16, whose desire for freedom and independence center on getting a motorbike to traipse around the tiny island.  Los Angeles Premiere.

Bilal’s Stand (Director: Sultan Sharrief; Screenwriter: Sultan Sharrief) – Bilal, a Muslim high school senior, works at his family’s long-owned taxi stand. “The Stand,” as they call it, has been the source of all activity and money for the family for the last sixty years. It seems like Bílal is about to carry the torch. He secretly submits a college application and takes up the art of ice carving in order to win a scholarship. However, he is forced to decide whether he will continue working at the Stand – the only life he’s ever known – or take a chance at social mobility. The film is based on a true story and deals with issues of education, religion, community values, and social prosperity.  Los Angeles Premiere.

Darfur (Director: Uwe Boll; Screenwriters: Uwe Boll and Chris Roland) – American journalists in Sudan are confronted with the dilemma of whether to return home to report on the atrocities they have seen, or to stay behind and help some of the victims they have encountered. Starring Billy Zane, Edward Furlong and Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

From A Whisper (Director: Wanuri Kahiu; Screenwriter: Wanuri Kahiu) – One of the most important films made in the world in this historical period. This stunning narrative revolves on one hand around a Kenyan family that was caught up in the bombing of the American Embassy by Islamist terrorists a few years ago. On one hand it revolves around a daughter’s experience to the bombing, on the other it revolves around Abu, a Muslim intelligence officer who is investigating the bombing. Abu has a complex and deep friendship with one of the terrorists. This film gives riveting and enriching insight into the complex narrative that is our life. Winner of the best picture in Africa last year at the Africa Movie Awards (AMAA).  Los Angeles Premiere.

Gugu & Andile (Director: Minky Schlesinger; Screenwriters: Lodi Matsetela & Minky Schlesinger) – In 1993 democracy is at hand but South Africa’s townships are burning. Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Gugu, a Zulu, falls in love with Andile, a Xhosa, only to find that during these troubled times, the forbidden love is frowned upon by both communities.

Heart of the Lion (Coeur de Lion) (Director: Boubakar Diallo; Screenwriter: Boubakar Diallo) – A lion is destroying the cattle. Men are disappearing. The whole village is frightened and the chief is distraught. Samba is determined to track the animal. With the help of a young hunter, the lion is killed. But a crucial problem remains: why are men disappearing? Los Angeles Premiere.

Mah Saah-Sah (Director: Daniel Kamwa; Screenwriter: Daniel Kamwa) – Nchare and Mapon have loved each other since childhood. Now grown, Nchare must excel in village customs for Mapon’s hand in marriage. Although his pursuit is successful on the eve of their engagement an unexpected rivalry pops up when illness causes Mapon’s father to accept financial help from a generous businessman whose eyes are set on Mapon becoming his fourth wife. West Coast Premiere.

A Sting in A Tale (Director: Shirley Frimpong-Manso; Screenwriter: Shirley Frimpong-Manso) – Two young couples are striving to survive the harsh realities of life after university; unemployment, uncertainty, desperation and in the middle of it all, love. Kuuku is frustrated with unemployment and is faced with the possibility of losing his true love Frema because Frema’s mother sees no good future in their relationship. With these pressures, Kuuku moves heaven and earth trying to find a good job and a means to provide the future he so desperately seeks for himself, his future wife and kids. He takes the most drastic measure by resorting to rituals and soon after that, Frema passes away. After her death, Kuuku gets a well paying job and becomes a millionaire almost overnight. With the new fortunes comes a new set of problems as his best friend, Nii Aryee starts to envy Kuuku’s wealth and starts asking questions. The ghost of Frema will not rest until the mystery surrounding her death is cleared. What unfolds is a series of unpredictable and hilarious events that would take viewers on a roller-coaster of emotions from laughter to tears and even pity.  US Premiere.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Go-Bama Between Hope & Dreams (Director: A. Rahman Satti) – Afro-German filmmaker Rahman Satti follows a path of self-discovery as he follows Barack Obama’s presidential campaign from New Hampshire to Los Angeles to Berlin – the director’s home – and back to Chicago for election night. Inspired to make the film after reading our president’s memoir “Dreams From My Father,” Satti follows the historic campaign trail in a way nobody has ever seen.  World Premiere.

Motherland (Director: Owen ‘Alik Shahadah) – From the director of the internationally acclaimed “500 Years Later” comes this gem of a film. Tracing the past and with an eye to the future, the film examines the current African landscape. Featuring an all-star cast of African Presidents and thinkers including Dr. Maulana Karenga, the father of Kwanzaa, and Dr. Molefi Asante.  World Premiere.

The Other Side of the Water: The Journey of a Haitian Rara Band in Brooklyn (Director: Jeremy Robins) – The Other Side of the Water follows an epic journey of the Haitian-American Community, told through the lens of a vodou-based musical ritual that’s taken place for the last 20 years in a corner of a Brooklyn Park.  The story of this unlikely procession and the musicians behind it offers a unique insight into the urban immigrant experience, and a rare glimpse into the music, spirituality, and cultural activism in Haitian-America.

Rwanda Beyond the Deadly Pit (Director: Gilbert Ndahayo) – Winter 2007. A Rwandan aspiring filmmaker emotionally resurfaces to confront face to face with his parents’ murderers. He frames the perpetrators within 5 ft of distance. 18 months earlier, the filmmaker had visited the grave of an Italian nun next to his grandfather’s in a church’s crypt of 10,000 bodies. Filmed over the course of three years, Rwanda: Beyond The Deadly is the first film ever made by a genocide survivor. World Premiere.

Soundtrack for A Revolution (Directors: Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman) – The story of the civil rights movement told through its powerful music–the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells. Featuring new performances by artists John Legend, Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, and The Roots; riveting archival footage; and interviews with Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, and Ambassador Andrew Young.

Stolen (Directors: Violeta Ayala & Daniel Fallshaw) – Set against the backdrop of the Sahara, in the Polisario-governed refugee camps, two unsuspecting filmmakers find themselves in the middle of a high-stakes political thriller when the Black Saharawis start talking about a forbidden subject: their freedom. Against the threat of severe consequences, the Black Saharawis reveal to the documentary filmmakers that they are enslaved. This story is all the more frightening because it is true and the issue of modern day slavery is proven to be a widespread reality.  US Premiere.

Sweet Crude (Director: Sandy Cioffi) – A scathing look at the politics, the people and the spin surrounding the policies in the Nigerian Delta. Although it is one of the most oil rich regions on Earth and the source of much of oil the products used in the U.S., the people living in the area do not share in the enormous wealth generated by the precious natural resource.

Toumast: Guitars and Kalashnikovs (Director: Dominique Margot) – A musical journey centered around  the former rebel turned musician, Moussa ag Keyna, retracing the recent history of the Tuaregs which is fragmented not only with wandering, revolt and injustice–but also movement and hope.

Vietnam: American Holocaust (Director: Clay Claiborne) – The Vietnam War has never left our national consciousness. On the contrary, it has more relevance now than ever. Carefully planned and executed by presidents of both parties, with over 5 million people killed, Vietnam was one of the worst cases of sustained mass slaughter in history. Provocative and alarming, this exposé points to the fabrications of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and raises the question of whether JFK was assassinated to promote the War. Narrated by Martin Sheen.

You Didn’t See Anything in Kinshasa (Tu n’as rien vu à Kinshasa) (Director: Mweze Ngangura) – Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s third largest country and the second megalopolis of sub-Saharan Africa. This film describes different groups of vulnerable people, whose lives fly below the radar of most observers of daily life in the Congolese capital. Living at the lowest level of a social system in which 95% of the population works in the informal sector, these groups have their own social organization and hierarchy. Resourcefulness is the key to survival. Those underground communities could be seen as small governments. For them, it may be a call for a more concrete involvement of the Government in their daily life. All the witnesses we met confirmed this same desire. The film states clearly that aspiring to a better social equality, democracy and good governance is not an abstract concept but the very foundation of true development.

NARRATIVE SHORT COMPETITION

Charity (Director: Lansana Mansaray) – Charity is the final short film that we worked on as an entire group. It was created from video diaries about the present day.  The film explores delicate family dynamics in desperate times.  A gift can be both a blessing and a curse, causing jealousy between brothers.  This story mirrors the mixed blessing of the massive amount of international support and assistance Sierra Leone received during the UN peacekeeping mission.  How do you maintain what is your own identity and learn how to grow independently when you receive support from others.  Sermon was written and performed by Arthur Pratt who in addition to his work with WeOwnTV is a pastor in the Freetown area.  US Premiere.

Cred (Director: Sherman Payne; Screenwriter: Sherman Payne) – What do you do when your upstairs neighbor refuses to stop the 24-hour party? You get your homies and prove that you have some cred. Stars Al Thompson.

Fitlha (Hidden Places) (Director: Matthew Jankes & Jamie Beron; Screenwriter: Matthew Jankes) – Fithla tells the tale of three childhood friends still haunted by the accidental killing of a shop owner’s son. Twelve years later, when the body they thought was buried forever is discovered, their worlds are turned upside down as they come to terms with their dark secret.  US Premiere.

A History of Independence (Director: Daouda Coulibaly) – It is the early 1960s; Nama and Siré have just married. Nama decides to make his home in a cave where he will lead a hermit’s life and devote himself to God.  One day, God sends an angel to Nama to thank him for being so devoted and asks Nama to make three wishes. Monologues in the voice-over clash with the images, while establishing an compelling parallel between marriage and freedom; and women’s independence and mistaken values. The different voices express different interpretations of freedom and independence. Los Angeles Premiere.

Killer Necklace (Director: Judy Kibinge) – Adapted from a short graphic novel, this stylish drama tells of the chasm between rich and poor in contemporary Kenya. A young man from a sprawling Nairobi ghetto, trying to stay away from the enticements of crime, longs to buy his girlfriend the gold necklace that she covets. Nothing is as it seems as the story unfolds and its layers unravel, sinking him deeper into trouble and debt than he ever imagined possible.

Undisclosed (Director: Daniel Mosley; Screenwriter: Daniel Mosley) – Fareed, a married mathematics professor, dreams of living and teaching in America. Everything is fine until a stranger turns his world upside down. He is arrested and interrogated. Maintaining his innocence, a determined Fareed pleads for justice. He is left with no answers as he is released and tries to rebuild his life. Fareed wants to right wrongs committed against him. But how far will he go in his quest? World Premiere.

Weakness (Director: Wanjiru Kairu; Screenwriter: Abdu Simba) – Nicky, an alcoholic on the road to recovery has a problem. Severely in debt to his belligerent older brother Robbie, Nicky needs yet another loan to tide him over, on this occasion to pay the fees for his teenage daughter Lola to attend college. But when the sibling rivalry boils over, the brothers get more than they bargained for.  US Premiere.

Yolanda (Director: Jo Horn; Screenwriter: Mpotseng Mdakane) – A boy boastfully tells his friends about his first sexual experience to gain their respect and validation. This is his first giant step into their world and he can sense acceptance is on the horizon. Lira, the only girl in the group, exposes a truth Kelvin is not willing to accept. She accuses him of being a gay because his girlfriend “Yolanda” is rumored to be a boy. Refusing to believe the rumor and distraught about the possibility of the truth, the boy attempts to prove his girlfriend’s sexuality to restore his reputation.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT COMPETITION

A Day Without Mines (Director: Adisa) – A story of hope, courage and triumph. Set against the backdrop of the West African country of Sierra Leone, the filmmakers embark on a journey to excavate the children from the diamond mines by hosting an all day soccer tournament. The film gives you a glimpse of the human spirit and the possibility of a new day emerging.  Los Angeles Premiere.

Ebony Goddess: Queen Il Ay (Director: Carolina Moraes-Liu) – Three women compete in the annual event in which Ilê Aiyê chooses its Carnival queen, using an Afro-Centric notion of beauty. The contest has a close association with the African-originated religion Candomblé and has a role in reshaping the idea of what is beautiful in a society where African descendents constitute the majority of the population, but Eurocentric concepts of female beauty are pervasive. The figure of the Ebony Goddess, a key visual element of a spectacle that creates an alternative view of Black woman as beautiful, desirable, and talented, promotes social change at its most basic level: the individual sense of self.

The Little Princess and the Sand School (Director: Stéphanie Gillard) – For nomadic children in North Africa most of the time school is but a distant dream. In Mali, Tuaregs try to keep their traditional way of life as nomadic shepherds and at the same time to participate actively in contemporary social changes, so school has become a matter of survival. For a very lucky group of nomadic children this dream is about to become a reality. The first-hand accounts of the children become the centerpiece for this love letter to the power of education.

For the Best and For the Onion! (Pour Le Meilleur et Pour l’Oignon!) (Director: Elhadj Magori Sani) – The Galmi purple, an onion from Niger, pervades West African markets with 400,000 tons a year. In Galmi, Salamatou has been waiting for her wedding for two years.  Her father Yaro, on advice from both her future in-laws and the village gossip, makes a decision: The wedding will take place during the harvest! Yaro is aware that to follow through on his commitment this time, he has to produce more and sell at a higher price…Los Angeles Premiere.

Forgotten Bird of Paradise (Director: Dominic Brown) – Filmed undercover and without the knowledge or authority of the Indonesian authorities, Forgotten Bird of Paradise provides a rare and moving insight into the forgotten struggle for independence that has gripped West Papua for over 45 years. It includes never before seen footage of Papuan rebel fighters at their stronghold deep in the jungle as well as interviews with human rights victims of the Indonesian regime.

Share and Share Alike (Director: Melissa A. Gomez) – There are few bonds stronger than the collective love and values of a West Indian family. Three Antiguan brothers fight for their brother who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia 25 years ago. Their story is an example of what “family” should be about.  US Premiere.

BEST FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION

Bike (Director: Vanz Chapman; Screenwriter: Errol Williams & Vanz Chapman) – An elegant coming-of-age story about crime and friendship set in Bermuda. The story follows Jason, 16, whose desire for freedom and independence center on getting a motorbike to traipse around the tiny island.  Los Angeles Premiere.

Bilal’s Stand (Director: Sultan Sharrief; Screenwriter: Sultan Sharrief) – Bilal, a Muslim high school senior, works at his family’s long-owned taxi stand. “The Stand,” as they call it, has been the source of all activity and money for the family for the last sixty years. It seems like Bílal is about to carry the torch. He secretly submits a college application and takes up the art of ice carving in order to win a scholarship. However, he is forced to decide whether he will continue working at the Stand – the only life he’s ever known – or take a chance at social mobility. The film is based on a true story and deals with issues of education, religion, community values, and social prosperity.  Los Angeles Premiere.

The Harimaya Bridge (Director: Aaron Woolfolk) – Daniel Holder’s father was killed fighting the Japanese during the Second World War…something he thought he had made peace with long ago, until a recent discovery revealed to him the cruel and brutal way in which his father died. So when Daniel’s beloved artist son Mickey takes a job in Japan teaching English, it creates a rift between them. Mickey dies in a traffic accident, and Daniel’s profound regret at their estrangement is matched only by his increased resentment towards Japan…a country he thinks took not only his father, but now his only child as well. Despite these feelings, Daniel goes to Japan to retrieve Mickey’s final paintings. But despite the kindness he is shown and the evidence of the happy life his son led, he cannot let go of his hatred. But some unexpected discoveries about Mickey’s life and legacy change everything for Daniel, forcing him to reassess his feelings and the life he will henceforth lead. Starring Ben Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, Danny Glover, Victor Grant.

Pro-Black Sheep (Director: Clayton Broomes, Jr.) – A character-driven drama about a young, extraordinary intellectual who is discovered as the political critic sending out anonymous letters and emails that criticize today’s black leadership for undermining the progress of black America.  Instead of holding it against him, the black leader who finds him out hires him as a second adviser, which becomes a journey of a young man finding his own voice and daring to shout it out if he intends on making a difference in society.  West Coast Premier.

Soul Diaspora (Director: Odera Ozoka) – Saidu, a Nigerian immigrant living in Los Angeles, must overcome sleepless nights due to his family’s tormented lineage in Africa. He is alone in the world, often hearing voices in his head. The film interweaves through color and black & white to illustrate Saidu’s erratic behavior and mental state. The souls of the characters are stripped to the core by one searing event which gives them all a fresh perspective, exploring the varying shades of grey in life.  Los Angeles Premiere.

Everyday Black Man (Director: Carmen Madden) – Since closing the door on a violent past, quiet and thoughtful Moses Stanton’s everyday existence is running a small neighborhood fruit and vegetable store. When a young man, Malik, comes in with a business proposition, Moses takes him on as a partner but soon realizes that Malik is selling more than just baked goods. Produced by Dwayne Wiggins, formally of Tony, Toni, Tone.  Los Angeles Premiere.

###

Looks like the David Letterman is a "live" performance and the 106&Park is "lip sync." Good morning/good day/good night to all the soldiers out there.

Go to the soulculture site to see both Sade videoes and also a live Corinne Bailey Rae.

>http://www.soulculture.co.uk/blogs/watch-sade-perform-soldier-of-love-live-on...

Published on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 by CommonDreams.org

Haiti Numbers – 27 Days After Quake

by Bill Quigley

890 million. Amount of international debt that Haiti owes creditors. Finance ministers from developing countries announced they will forgive $290 million. Source: Wall Street Journal

644 million. Donations for Haiti to private organizations have exceed $644 million. Over $200 million has gone to the Red Cross, who had 15 people working on health projects in Haiti before the earthquake. About $40 million has gone to Partners in Health, which had 5,000 people working on health in Haiti before the quake. Source: New York Times.

1 million. People still homeless or needing shelter in Haiti. Source: MSNBC.

1 million. People who have been given food by the UN World Food Program in Port au Prince – another million in Port au Prince still need help. Source: UN World Food Program.

300,000. People injured in the earthquake, reported by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. Source: CNN.

212,000. People reported killed by earthquake by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive. Source: CNN..

63,000. There are 63,000 pregnant women among the people displaced by the earthquake. 7,000 women will deliver their children each month. Source: UN Populations Fund.

17,000. Number of United States troops stationed on or off coast in Haiti, down from a high of 22,000. Source: AFP.

9,000. United Nations troops in Haiti. Source: Miami Herald.

7,000. Number of tents distributed by United Nations. Miami Herald. President Preval of Haiti has asked for 200,000 tents. Source: Reuters.

4,000. Number of amputations performed in Haiti since the earthquake. Source: AFP.

900. Number of latrines that have been dug for the people displaced from their homes. Another 950,000 people still need sanitation. Source: New York Times.

75. An hourly wage of 75 cents per hour is paid by the United Nations Development Program to people in Haiti who have been hired to help in the clean up. The UNDP is paying 30,000 people to help clean up Haiti, 180 Haitian Gourdes ($4.47) for six hours of work. The program hopes to hire 100,000 people. Source: United Nations News Briefing.

1.25. The U.S. is pledged to spend as much as $379 million in Haitian relief. This is about $1.25 for each person in the United States. Source: Canadian Press.

1. For every one dollar of U.S. aid to Haiti, 42 cents is for disaster assistance, 33 cents is for the U.S. military, 9 cents is for food, 9 cents is to transport the food, 5 cents to pay Haitians to help with recovery effort, 1 cent is for the Haitian government and ½ a cent is for the government of the Dominican Republic. Source: Associated Press.

Bill has visited Haiti numerous times working for human rights. He is legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. His email is quigley77@gmail.com

>http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/02/09