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The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Investigative journalist Naomi Klein speaking on “The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” is a PM Press DVD produced by Bonobo Films. It consists of a brilliant 65-minute talk Naomi gave on May 19, 2008 at the Friends Meeting House in London introducing the paperback edition of her book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (New York, 2007), plus a remarkably insightful 10-minute interview with Naomi done in London the next day. Some sections of the talk are on youtube (1), but the whole is not, and is worth having in its entirety.
Continue reading...The Cove
17. June 2010
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Underwater cameras capture the peaceful sway of sea plants beneath the surface in Taiji, Japan. As the scene progresses, the plants become obscured by creeping wafts of dolphin blood. Rapidly, the entire screen turns crimson, the ocean water thick with the grisly evidence of slaughtered dolphins. The Cove, a 2009 Oceanic Preservation Society film, follows a team of activists
Continue reading...Disgrace
8. June 2010
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The plot of Disgrace is driven by the personal metamorphosis of David Lurie, an arrogant, libidinous professor, brilliantly played by John Malkovich. A poetry lecturer at Cape Town University, David's descent into disgrace is provoked by an affair he is having with a mixed-race student thirty years his junior.
Continue reading...Go Further
18. May 2010
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In 2001, Hollywood actor and hemp activist Woody Harrelson and a group of friends set out on a tour of the West Coast to raise awareness about sustainable living. Traveling in a bio-fueled bus and on bicycles, Harrelson and his entourage headed down the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping at university campuses to promote natural, organic living.
Continue reading...Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear
28. April 2010
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The film begins with a dark and serious tone of each episode that sets the stage for a thrilling account of political power. The narrator begins each episode reciting “Instead of giving us dreams, politicians promise to keep us safe from nightmares”.
Continue reading...Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: U.S. Media & Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
28. April 2010
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Several media outlets offer an array of facts and stories about the on-going current events between the Israelis & Palestinians but what is usually ignored is the true nature of this conflict.
Continue reading...Examined Life
2. April 2010
The documentary Examined Life grounds philosophy in real world issues. Through a series of brief interviews with some of today’s most provocative thinkers, the film addresses issues of ethics, morals, citizenship, democracy, disability, sexuality, consumerism, social contract theory, revolution, and human vulnerability and interdependency.
Continue reading...Winged Migration
31. October 2009
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Winged Migration (2001) is a visually stunning “documentary-adventure” that follows several communities of birds on their seasonal migratory journeys. Although the migrations are set to music and the flapping of the birds’ wings can be heard in many scenes, the film is primarily a visual experience. There is very little narration in Winged Migration, which for the most part is shot from the perspective of the migrating birds.
Continue reading...Capitalism: A Love Story
13. October 2009
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Michael Moore’s latest documentary is a critique of capitalism- in mainstream theaters- pretty big deal. “Capitalism: A Love Story” starts off comparing the US to the Roman Empire- a fairly easy task. In addition to other commentary, the documentary seems to be focused on the anti-capitalist stance of various Catholic priests, the consequences of the housing crisis, corporate bailouts and, finally, some alternatives in the form of worker-run workplaces.
Continue reading...Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas
20. September 2009
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Beyond Elections takes on a huge topic – the future of democracy in the Americas. The documentary by Sílvia Leindecker and Michael Fox ably traverses the complexities of this broad question, relying predominantly on the voices of the people to explore how we define democracy, its nature and limitations in the Americas and efforts to expand it.
Continue reading...Sacco and Vanzetti
12. August 2009
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As I watched Sacco and Vanzetti, an 80-minute-long documentary by Peter Miller, it drew me to the point of grabbing my pen, and paper and rewinding the film over and over again so not to miss an important fact, interview, or scene about one of the most famous political trials in U.S. history.
Continue reading...Become A Friend
17. August 2010
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