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COMMUNITIES
By P. Kerim Friedman &
Shashwati Talukdar
Acting Like a Thief is about a Chhara tribal theatre group in Ahmedabad,
India. Starting with the arrest of playwright DaKxin Bajrange (Chhara), the
documentary reveals how the Budhan Theatre has transformed the lives of
adults and children within the community.
Chhara tribals were notified as "natural criminals" by the British in
1871 and imprisoned in a labor camp in Ahmedabad. After Indian independence,
they were de-notified, but the stigma of being a "born criminal" follows
them to this day. The Budhan Theatre was inspired by the activism work of
Mahasweta Devi.
Festivals
Amnesty International Film Festival, USA, 2006
Tri Continental Film Festival, India, 2006
Ms. Film Festival, 2006
South Side Film Festival, USA, 2006
Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival, USA, 2006
Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca, NY, 2007
Association for Asian Studies Conference, Boston, MA, 2007
International Asian Women's Film Festival, New Delhi, India, 2007
International Ethnographic Film Festival of the Royal Anthropological
Institute, UK, 2007
International Festival of Films on Tribal Art & Culture, India,
2008
| Item no. |
: |
AA03650445 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color, Black and White) |
| Duration |
: |
15 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2005 |
| Price |
: |
USD 145.00 |
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By Rick Widmer
American Fair is an intimate study of the hard-working farmers of York
County, Maine, facing a vanishing way of life, their knowledge of land and
beast, commitment to tradition and community - interdependent and pulling
together.
At the 140th fair in Acton, farmers congregate in the spirit of both
co-operation and rivalry. Families show off their finest handicrafts, agricultural
produce and livestock. Teamsters compete to see whose animal is the strongest
and whose daughter the most beautiful. Through the voices of farmers and
townspeople, vendors and carnival workers, a portrait of a community joining
together in celebration of the honest, hard-working agricultural traditions
of the region is revealed. Fathers and sons, knowledge of land and beast,
carnival workers and strange stories, country girls, ox-pulling, dairy showing,
beauty pageants, a pig scramble and more! This feature-length ethnographic
documentary quietly reveals the agricultural heritage of the region and opens
our eyes to a wholesome side of American culture - as people of the earth.
Festivals
International Festival of Ethnological Film, Belgrade, Serbia,
2007
Quebec International Ethnographic Film Festival, Canada, 2008
| Item no. |
: |
WJ03790447 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
83 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 245.00 |
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By Andrea Heckman and Tad
Fettig
This film documents the lives of Quechua people who live around Ausangate,
a sacred peak in southeastern Peru. It is based on anthropological research
conducted over twenty years and reveals how the weavers make textiles encoded
with symbolic images that reinforce ancestral beliefs during rituals and
in everyday life. Four Quechua people's stories are told against a backdrop
of high Andean lakes and mountains showing a harsh existence possible only
through a strong symbiotic relationship to their alpacas and llamas. From
these animals they gain food, pelts, dried dung for fuel, transport for goods,
and yarn for clothing. They maintain a deep integrity through their interconnectedness
with the natural forces and their ritual relationships to Ausangate, and
they still organize their labor and social relationships through the Inca
social practices of ayni and ayllu.
The film includes women revitalizing weaving techniques within mother's
clubs, first haircutting rites of passage, and the annual pilgrimage of Qoyllur
Rit'I, which occurs annually near Ausangate- drawing participants from distinct
communities throughout Peru and Bolivia. Qoyllur Rit'I is the only Andean
pilgrimage/festival where drinking is not allowed and dancers known as ukus
stand all night on the 15,000-foot-high glacier so they may have the privilege
of taking a chunk of ice from the mountain that is later melted and drunk
by their community as sacred water. Visually cinematic, the film carries
a deep message of survival and cultural continuity in an environment with
elevations over 14,000 feet.
Faced with the pressures of modernization, Quechuas are confronted with
choices about whether to move to the cities in search of jobs and educations--
thus separating themselves from nature and from Ausangate- or to continue
in a lifestyle that has sustained them for centuries. Theirs is a story of
change incorporated onto a bedrock of tradition that is dynamic and capable
of adaptation. The intention is to show how they make decisions about staying
or leaving and what they choose from the outside world to incorporate into
their isolated world.
Review
"Recommended" - Educational Media Reviews Online
Festivals
New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase, Guild Cinema, Albuquerque, NM, 2007
Green Wave 21st Century European Environment Festival, Bulgaria,
2007
DOCSDF D International Documentary Film Festival in Mexico City,
2007
Boston Latino International Film Festival, 2007
Roshd International Film Festival, Iran, 2007
DC Environmental Film Festival, 2007
The Archaeology Channel Film & Video Festival, Eugene, OR, 2008
| Item no. |
: |
MR03720452 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
61 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 225.00 |
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Add to cart
By Catherine Mullins
For thousands of years the Innu lived off the land. They were nomads,
sometimes also known as the Montagnais. In the 1960s, government policy
forced them to settle and form communities in Labrador and Quebec. Ancestral
ways collided with modern ones, and gave rise to ongoing struggles. Now
the grandchildren tell their own story.
Being Innu takes an unvarnished look at life in the village of Sheshatshiu,
Labrador. Six savvy, gutsy young people talk to Montreal filmmaker Catherine
Mullins about addiction, suicide, lack of jobs, hopelessness. They will grab
your heart with their stories: "I first thought about suicide when I was
7," says April, 16. They will make you laugh with their wry humour: "What
do you do when you live in a shoe?" Jimmy, 25.
Interviews with Elders, grandparents and teachers round out this portrait
of a community in crisis - sadly a situation not unlike that of many other
aboriginal nations.
What is remarkable about Innu youth is their love of the land and of
their native language. For them, being Innu means finding a balance between
the traditional ways of the past and today's reality.
Festivals
World premiere - Montreal International Film Festival, 2007
St. John's International Women's Film Festival, Newfoundland, 2007
American Indian Film Festival, San Francisco, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
NV03650454 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
76 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 225.00 |
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By Catherine Mullins
For thousands of years the Innu lived off the land. They were nomads,
sometimes also known as the Montagnais. In the 1960s, government policy
forced them to settle and form communities in Labrador and Quebec. Ancestral
ways collided with modern ones, and gave rise to ongoing struggles. Now
the grandchildren tell their own story.
Being Innu takes an unvarnished look at life in the village of Sheshatshiu,
Labrador. Six savvy, gutsy young people talk to Montreal filmmaker Catherine
Mullins about addiction, suicide, lack of jobs, hopelessness. They will grab
your heart with their stories: "I first thought about suicide when I was
7," says April, 16. They will make you laugh with their wry humour: "What
do you do when you live in a shoe?" Jimmy, 25.
Interviews with Elders, grandparents and teachers round out this portrait
of a community in crisis - sadly a situation not unlike that of many other
aboriginal nations.
What is remarkable about Innu youth is their love of the land and of
their native language. For them, being Innu means finding a balance between
the traditional ways of the past and today's reality.
Festivals
World premiere - Montreal International Film Festival, 2007
St. John's International Women's Film Festival, Newfoundland, 2007
American Indian Film Festival, San Francisco, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
GL03720455 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
53 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Ivana Todorovic
There are 600 squatter settlements in Serbia, the inhabitants of which
are mostly of Roma origin. Of these, 105 are in Belgrade with seventeen more
in New Belgrade. Here, Ivana Todorovic documents the life of the Stankovic
family who migrated from Southern Serbia in search of better opportunities.
Provided with few social services, their living conditions are rough and
the children work to help support their family. An intimate window into Serbian
Roma culture, the documentary sheds light on the intricacies of Roma customs
and their amalgamation of cultural influences - from Roma and Serbian culture
to Hispanic pop-culture. Remarkably resilient, funny and optimistic, the
children speak openly about their hopes and dreams, including educational
opportunities from which they are often excluded. Charming and informative,
the documentary brings an alternative and very human view of the often-beleaguered
and impoverished Roma.
Festivals
Gottingen International Film Festival, Gottingen, Germany, 2006
OFFAF, 19th International Film Festival, Skopje, Macedonia, 2006
Viscult Film Festival, International Festival of Visual Culture,
Joensuu, Finland, 2006
International Film Festival of Ethnological Film, Belgrade, Serbia,
2006
Tartu Festival of Visual Culture, Tartu, Estonia, 2006
A Conversation in Film - International Documentary Film Festival,
London, England, 2006
"Eyes and Lenses IV" International Ethnographic Film Festival, Warsaw,
Poland, 2006
54th Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival, Serbia, 2006
International Documentary Film Festival, Volda, Norway, 2006
Balkan International Film Festival, Warsaw, Poland, 2006
CRONOGRAF, International Documentary Film Festival, Moldova, 2007
Terra Di Tutti, International Documentary Film Festival, Bologna,
Italy, 2007
DOCUPOLIS, International Documentary Film Festival, Barcelona, Spain,
2007
Montreal Human Rights Film Festival, Canada, 2007
Royal Anthropological Institute International Festival of Ethnographic
Film, UK, 2007
London International Documentary Film Festival, 2007
New York Gypsy Film Festival, 2007
Quebec International Ethnographic Film Festival, Canada, 2008
Awards
Golden Wheel, Fourth Roma Film Festival, Skopje, Macedonia, 2006
Special Jury Award, International Film Festival of Ethnological Film,
Belgrade, 2006
Third Prize, OFFAF, 19th International Film Festival, Skopje, Macedonia,
2006
Best Short Film, Human Rights Film Festival, Montreal, Canada, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
DL03720473 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
21 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Sarah Sifers
Fate of the Lhapa is a feature-length documentary about the last three
Tibetan shamans (lhapas) living in a Tibetan refugee camp in Nepal. With
no other descendants to carry on their healing practices and a younger generation
attending schools, acculturating, and modernizing, these "sucking doctors"
are practicing an endangered tradition.
Each lhapa requested that their story be filmed so that an historical
record would be created. Their fear was that the next heir might not appear
until after the old men's deaths. Subsequently, with no lhapa alive to mentor
the children, the documentary would be used to transmit the knowledge to
the next generation. These tales of nomadic childhoods, shamanic callings
and apprenticeships, cosmologies of disease and treatments, and of their
flight from Tibet during the Chinese occupation in the late 1950s will be
juxtaposed with images of present-day life in the camp, current healing practices
and shared concerns of the future and the fate of their tradition. This is
a touching portrayal of life in exile in a refugee camp in Nepal.
Festivals
Maui Film Festival, Hawaii, 2007
Woods Hole Film Festival, 2007
Park City Film Music Festival, Utah, 2008
Awards
Gold Medal, best music in a documentary, Park City Film Music Festival,
Park City, UT, 2008
MOONDANCE SEAHORSE Award, Moondance International Film Festival,
2007
| Item no. |
: |
CH03650475 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
63 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Joe Sousa
The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament is a four-day extravaganza that attracts
crowds of up to 200,000 to the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts. This documentary
film takes viewers on a journey from the excitement of the modern feast
to the very roots of the Catholic celebration on the beautiful Portuguese
island of Madeira. Along the way, Festa examines the surprising differences
between the "old world" and "new world" feasts as well as the challenges
that organizers on both sides of the Atlantic face in the midst of a rapidly
modernizing world and changing cultural values.
In the end, this is a simple story about the power of tradition, the
bonds of family, and the contributions of immigrant communities to both their
new home and to the land that they left behind.
| Item no. |
: |
FA03720476 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
45 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Alyssa Grossman
This film examines the everyday secular lives of nuns residing in the
Romanian Orthodox monastery of Varatec. The majority of the 450 members
of this monastery live as small groups in private houses, much like regular
villagers, rather than inside the walls of the communal abbey. Throughout
the year, they integrate their duties at home with their religious responsibilities
to their community and to the church.
By visually exploring the social aesthetics of the monastery, the film
depicts certain aspects of the nuns' everyday, lived experiences. Instead
of exclusively focusing on the spiritual qualities of monastery existence,
it documents the secular aspects of the nuns' relationships, activities,
and routines, and offers a glimpse into the concrete ways in which they negotiate
their identities within the separate yet connected spaces of home and church.
The film also incorporates brief sequences of stop-motion animation,
demonstrating some of the trials and tribulations that anthropologists sometimes
encounter during filming and fieldwork. Intended as a reflexive meta-commentary,
these passages point to some of the unpredictable and often uncontrollable
processes of ethnographic investigation.
Festivals
Mostra Etnografica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2006
European Association for Social Anthropology Conference, Bristol,
UK, 2006
International Festival of Ethnological Film, Serbia, 2006
Eyes & Lenses IV - Competition of Ethnographic and Anthropologic
Films, Poland, 2007
International Ethnographic Film Festival of the Royal Anthropological
Institute, UK, 2007
EURORAMA, Ethnographic Film Festival, Trento, Italy, 2007
Torun Film Festival, Torun, Poland, 2007
Art and Culture Exhibition Centre, Ethnographic Film Festival, Chiang
Mai, Thailand, 2007
Honorable Mention, Black Maria Film & Video Festival, US, 2007
New Directions Film Festival, Manchester, UK, 2007
Honorable Mention D Student Section, Iowa City Int'l Documentary
Festival, Iowa City, IA, 2006
Anthropological Association Film and Video Festival, San Jose, CA,
2006
Awards
Best Student Film, Astra Filmfest, Sibiu, Romania, 2006
Student Award for Excellence, Society for Visual Anthropology/American
| Item no. |
: |
FB03720485 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
28 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 175.00 |
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By Rina Sherman
A unique voyage through the music, dance and spirit possession practices
of the Ovahimba people of north-western Namibia and south-western Angola,
Keep the Dance Alive features remarkable footage of how dance and spirit
possession is integrated into everyday life from infancy to death. The documentary
presents a singular vision of the Ovahimba people, that of director Rina Sherman
who filmed the lives of an Omuhimba family for seven years. She focuses on
how singing, rhythm and voice work together with dance and spirit possession
to compose a complete imaginary universe and a dense and complex social structure.
Keep the Dance Alive is part of The Ovahimba Years, a long-term multi-disciplinary
ethnographic study of the Ovahimba and other Otjiherero-language-speaking
peoples of northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola.
Review
"The film itself is quite marvelous, and will be particularly
fascinating for those with an interest in anthropology, music, and particularly
you ethnomusicologists out there." - Theresa Anasti, Feminist Review
Festivals
International Festival of Films on Tribal Art & Culture, India,
2008
RAI International Festival of Ethnographic Film, Manchester, England,
2007
| Item no. |
: |
WH03790486 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
75 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 225.00 |
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By DaKxin Bajrange (Chhara)
The government of Gujarat has consistently ignored the LRK area. The
salt workers of LRK, known as Agariyas, are predominantly from the Koli and
Chuvaliya Koli tribes. As bonded laborers, they are not only victims of
wage discrimination, they are endure serious physical and mental health hazards
due to the dangerous nature of their work. Kharaghoda village itself is
home to 437 widows. Working in extreme temperatures without any protective
gear, many Agariyas suffer major health complications, including blindness
and skin damage due to unprotected exposure to salt. Living in abject poverty,
Agariyas now face water scarcity as well as malnutrition since green vegetables
are not available in this area.
The LRK area has recently been designated as a wildlife sanctuary for
the threatened Indian Wild Donkey, making salt workers and salt production
in LRK now illegal. Agariyas have been forced by government authorities
to look outside the LRK for work, now struggling for both their ancestors'
land and their livelihood.
Festivals
JEEVIKA - 2006-7, South Asia Documentary Film Festival, New Delhi,
India, 2007
Voices from the Water, 1st International Film Festival on Water,
India, 2007
SIGNS Film Festival, India, 2007
Award
Best of Indian Works Section, 9th Madurai Film Festival, India, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
NZ03790489 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
21 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 145.00 |
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By Tanaz Eshaghian
Sexual purity, money and a mother's worries come together in this humorous
guided tour of America's status-obsessed Iranian Jewish community. The film
follows Tanaz, the narrator, a hip New Yorker whose Iranian family attempts
to marry her off now that she's reached the age of 25. Tanaz vacillates between
soppy American ideas of romance, and a more business-like Iranian approach,
and in the end may be unable to execute either.
Her mother was proud of her for going to college and being independent,
but now that Tanaz remains single she fears that her daughter is too liberal,
Americanized and confused. Trying to bring her back into the fold, her mom
arranges dates with conservative Iranian suitors who expect Tanaz to be demure
and virginal. Though she feels some shame about her transgressions, she
is still repelled that a man would care about purity, especially after she
encounters a doctor in Beverly Hills specializing in hymen reconstruction.
When Tanaz breaks from her family's expectations and dates American
men, she can't help bringing with her the immense pressure to get married,
and the American boys tell her that this obsession kills love. Tanaz fantasizes
about simply finding another Iranian "weirdo" like herself - who is caught
between two cultures and two very different marital traditions.
Review
"Love Iranian-American Style provides a powerful insight to how
family and culture influence how we live our lives and interact in our relationships...
If you have ever had problems finding a lasting relationship, you can relate
to her in her journey." - Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch, Feminist Review
Festival
New York Jewish Film Festival, January 2006
| Item no. |
: |
NF03650490 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
63 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Mainak Bhaumik
Mainak Bhaumik's film provides insight into India's often-overlooked
Chinese population, examining the thriving Chinatown in Kolkata, Bengal.
There, skilled Chinese immigrants have historically established themselves
in business Despecially tanneries and shoemaking - and created a unique Indo-Chinese
cuisine. Exploring the factors that make up Chinese-Indian identity, the
film looks at the Indian cultural stereotypes of Chinese immigrants and
the effects of government resettling of Chinese-Indians during the 1962 border
conflict between the two countries. A portrait emerges of a hardworking and
traditionally enclosed immigrant community, but one that is becoming increasingly
assimilated with mainstream Indian culture. Melting Wok pays attention to
the unique contributions and experiences of Chinese-Indians, while also helping
the audience to understand the larger phenomena of immigration and cultural
identity.
| Item no. |
: |
MF03720494 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
29 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Gustavo Vizoso
Gustavo Vizoso's documentary speaks out about a drama and an injustice;
AIDS and its consequences. It is the story of four siblings orphaned by the
disease and left to fend for themselves. The film records the everyday lives
of Alberina, Maria, Amos and Orsolina Mseyas, who live in Ilula, Tanzania.
We see them working, going to school, and with friends. Filmed over four
weeks in September, 2006, the project took over a year in total to complete.
Vizoso was motivated to film the life of an orphaned family by the need
to do something. With AIDS devastating Africa, 2 million people die on the
continent every year, and 11 million children have already been left orphaned.
AIDS is the major catastrophe of the 21st century, and it must not go unnoticed.
Some children orphaned by AIDS have the opportunity to live with relatives,
but many others, like the Mseyas, are obliged to live alone. They constantly
struggle to keep going forward, and as Alberina says: "People were commenting
very much, but nobody helped us."
The director makes use of interviews, cinematic structure, and thoughtful
images that will move the audience and spark strong reactions. Conveying
the atmosphere of Tanzania in its color and light, The Mseyas is a movie filmed
from the heart.
Festival
Extremadura Documentary Film Festival, Portugal, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
HP03790495 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
52 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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Add to cart
By Gustavo Vizoso
Gustavo Vizoso's documentary speaks out about a drama and an injustice;
AIDS and its consequences. It is the story of four siblings orphaned by the
disease and left to fend for themselves. The film records the everyday lives
of Alberina, Maria, Amos and Orsolina Mseyas, who live in Ilula, Tanzania.
We see them working, going to school, and with friends. Filmed over four
weeks in September, 2006, the project took over a year in total to complete.
Vizoso was motivated to film the life of an orphaned family by the need
to do something. With AIDS devastating Africa, 2 million people die on the
continent every year, and 11 million children have already been left orphaned.
AIDS is the major catastrophe of the 21st century, and it must not go unnoticed.
Some children orphaned by AIDS have the opportunity to live with relatives,
but many others, like the Mseyas, are obliged to live alone. They constantly
struggle to keep going forward, and as Alberina says: "People were commenting
very much, but nobody helped us."
The director makes use of interviews, cinematic structure, and thoughtful
images that will move the audience and spark strong reactions. Conveying
the atmosphere of Tanzania in its color and light, The Mseyas is a movie filmed
from the heart.
Festival
Extremadura Documentary Film Festival, Portugal, 2007
| Item no. |
: |
PT03650496 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
27 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 145.00 |
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By Catarina Mour?o
The film focuses on daily life in a poor housing estate in Porto and,
in particular, on a group of children aged between 8 and 14. It follows
their life outdoors always inventing new games. Parents are seldom home
and children have space and freedom to create their own rules, games of
power many times copying the models they know from home. Sometimes things
get really tough, other times there is a feeling of harmony and melancholy
in the neighbourhood.
This is a special summer: people are expecting the European Football
Cup and the possible victory of the Portuguese team will raise the morale
of a country in full recession. Kids and adults are hypersensitive, feelings
go over the top. TVs are put outdoors and the games of the European cup are
followed by children and adults as an almost religious ritual
Rui, one of the characters is a 13 year old boy who unlike all the other
kids of his age doesn't like football and fighting. He prefers to take refuge
in a dream like world surrounded by dinosaurs and other animals from the
forest.
Review
"The European Football championship in 2004 is the framework for
this extraordinary film which is really about the universe of a group of
8-14 year-olds living in a poor neighbourhood of Porto. With a sure touch,
the camera sensitively captures a string of episodic pearls in the children's
daily lives, which convey much about what is essential to them: friendships,
the opposite sex, families and uncertain future. The way the scenes unfold
in an artful framing of shots and the close relation to the kids makes it
a pleasure to watch." --Ulla Jacobsen, DOX magazine (DOX #62 January 2006)
Festivals
NAFA film Festival Copenhagen, May 2005 (work-in-progress)
Tartu World Film Festival, March 2006
Indie Lisboa International Film Festival, 2006
Gottingen International Film Festival, 2006
1er rencontres internationales cin?ma et sport de Montr¨¦al,
2006
Doc's Kingdom, International Documentary Seminar, Portugal, 2006
Sixth Festival of Visual Culture, Viscult. Joensuu, Finland 2006
3rd Moscow International Visual Anthropology Festival and Conference,
Russia, 2006
International Festival of Ethnological Film, Belgrade, Serbia, 2007
Award
Best Film in the International Competition, forumdoc.bh.2006. Belo
Horizonte, Brazi
| Item no. |
: |
HJ03720500 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
64 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 225.00 |
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By Oliver N. Greene, Jr.
The Garifuna are a Central American people of West African and Native
American descent. One of their most popular rituals is wanaragua, a three-fold
system of masked Christmas processionals commonly called Jankunú.
This ritual is a unique blend of African, European, and Native American (Arawak
and Carib) art traditions in which social and cultural identities are expressed
through music, dance, and costume. As dancers adorn themselves in colorful
regalia to mimic past foreign oppressors they symbolically affirm their
identity. They perform stylized movements to the accompaniment of drums
and social commentary songs composed by men. Descriptions of the three processions
and dance styles are interspersed with interviews by Garifuna singers, drummers,
dancers, cultural advocates, and scholars on the significance of rituals.
Rare footage of wárini, the now extinct ritual that is the Africanized
predecessor to wanaragua, is accompanied by commentary on the significance
of the ritual. Examples of wanaragua drumming and dance styles demonstrate
how drummers rhythmically interpret the unique movements of each dancer.
Translations of song texts show the Garifuna language on screen and reveal
themes commonly found in songs. Gender play and role reversal become part
of the revelry as Garifuna men mimic European women. Occasionally, Garifuna
women, disguised as male wanaragua dancers, join in the festivities. The antics
and songs of Charikanari, a ritual featuring stock characters such as the
Two-Foot Cow and Devil, are also presented. Images of similar processionals
in other locations include photos of Masquerade in St. Kitts-Nevis, Gombey
in Bermuda, Jonkonnu in Jamaica, John Kuner (now extinct) in North Carolina,
Junkanoo in the Bahamas, and Fancy Dress in Cape Coast, Ghana. Also included
are photographs and footage of wanaragua as performed by Garifuna from Guatemala
and Honduras with oral accounts explaining why costumes in these countries
differ from those traditionally worn in Belize. Play Jankunú Play places
the viewer within the context of the Garifuna world at Christmas where music,
dance, and art reflect the past to empower the future.
Reviews
"Play Jankunú Play is a highly significant accomplishment
for the Garifuna people, in their effort to preserve their culture and share
their rich heritage with the world. It is an invaluable communication tool
that can lead to greater understanding among peoples and a deeper appreciation
for cultural diversity." - Andy Palacio, Deputy Administrator/Cultural Ambassador,
National Institute of Culture and History, Belize
"The documentary film Play Jankunú Play introduces us to a
fascinating Garifuna ritual tradition which continues to flourish in Belize,
one of the lesser known countries of Central America. Oliver Greene, the
film's author, draws upon his extensive fieldwork to bring to life this little
known segment of African Diaspora culture. With visual allusions to parallel
traditions in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Ghana, and elsewhere, the film offers
the viewer a rich tapestry of Garifuna dance, drumming, and song, explicated
by revealing commentary. We are provided with insight into the Garifuna
people and reflections on the meaning of the arts in human life. Scholarly
in depth, the film will appeal to a large audience including those with
interest in world dance, world music, and in the African Diaspora." - Richard
A. Long, Atticus Haygood Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Emeritus,
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
"Greene shows us with well-chosen images and narration how Garifuna
Jankunú connects with both African masquerades and the broader African-Caribbean
Yuletide performance tradition known as Jonkonnu (or John Canoe) - which,
according to one scholar, "could lay good claim to being the most ancient
and most enduring non-European cultural form in the Caribbean..." This visually
striking and culturally sensitive documentary will be welcomed not just by
students of the Garinagu and the Central American countries they inhabit,
but by all those who are interested in the performance arts of the Black
Atlantic. - Kenneth Bilby, Director of Research, Center for Black Music Research,
Columbia College Chicago
Festivals
Annual Carribean Studies Association Conference, Salvador da Bahia,
Brazil, 2007
Garifuna Community Forum, Bronx, NY, 2007
Annual Conference of the National Garifuna Council, Dangriga, Belize,
2007
Annual Meeting for the Society for Ethnomusicology, Honoulu, HI,
2006
African Studies Association Conference, Rutgers University, NJ, 2007
XVI International Festival of Ethnological Film, Belgrade, Serbia,
2007
| Item no. |
: |
GA03720506 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
45 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Melissa Peabody
As San Francisco grapples with what it means to have coyotes as new
residents, along comes San Francisco-Still Wild At Heart, a compelling one-hour
natural history film that chronicles the return of coyotes to this city's
landscape. Lyrical in style, the film is a virtual case study of the coyote's
arrival in urban America, as it explores the complexity, conflicts, and
richness of this fertile interface between urban life and wild nature.
As the film tracks the arrival of coyotes to San Francisco over the
past several years-and we learn through DNA evidence where at least one
of them has come from-it becomes abundantly clear that the re-colonization
of the city by coyotes has begun. To learn what impacts to expect on the
city's ecosystem, we visit a scientist studying coyotes in Chicago, where
more than 2,000 of these wild creatures live today. And scientists advise
on how we can coexist safely with this resilient top predator.
The expansion of coyote populations across the national landscape also
poses challenges and opportunities for rural and agricultural communities.
But in rural west Marin County, ranchers participating in an innovative predator-control
program are finding success in a mix of humane, non-lethal predator-control
tools that protect livestock and reduce conflicts with coyotes. And their
success suggests new paradigms for managing urban coyotes as well.
The return of coyotes to San Francisco, in fact, heralds a new "greening"
of the city, where the resurgence of many species of wildlife is taking place-both
natives and non-natives alike. Through beautiful and original footage, the
film features entertaining segments on coyotes and other wild creatures-quail,
foxes, raccoons, herons, possums, owls, and parrots-that survive and thrive
in the challenging habitat of our modern American city.
San Francisco-Still Wild At Heart is a tribute to these wild lives,
and a celebration of their unique value and importance to our urban communities.
And it is an invitation to reconsider our own relationship to wild nature,
and our place in the natural world.
| Item no. |
: |
FT03720518 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
57 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 195.00 |
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By Courtney Hermann and
Suree Towfighnia
What does a family have to endure to create a future for itself?
When the Oglala Sioux Tribe passed an ordinance separating industrial
hemp from its illegal cousin, marijuana, Alex White Plume and his family
glimpsed a brighter future.
Having researched hemp as a sustainable crop that would grow in the
inhospitable soil of the South Dakota Badlands, the White Plumes envisioned
a new economy that would impact the 85% unemployment rate on the Pine Ridge
Reservation.
They never dreamed they would find themselves swept up in a struggle
over tribal sovereignty, economic rights, and common sense.
From the hemp fields of Pine Ridge to the US Federal Court of Appeals,
the one-hour documentary Standing Silent Nation tracks one family's effort
to create economic independence for themselves, their reservation, and their
future generations.
The hemp plant is like a new buffalo for the Lakota: a resource whose
many uses from food to fuel to fiber, could enrich their sovereign nation.
For three years, Alex White Plume and his family planted industrial hemp.
But each year, their harvest was disrupted by the Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), which claims that hemp is marijuana despite the absence of marijuana?s
psychoactive properties.
Standing Silent Nation challenges contemporary notions of Native America,
while providing a compelling and engaging story rarely covered in mainstream
media.
Festivals
International Festival of Films on Tribal Art & Culture, India,
2008 Quebec International Ethnographic Film Festival, Canada, 2008
Takoma Park Film Festival, MD, 2007
Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center, Hillsboro, OR, 2007
Missoula Hempfest, Missoula, MT, 2007
POV National Broadcast on PBS, 2007
Solstice Shakedown: Black Hills Sustainable Living Festival, Sturgis,
SD, 2007
Reeltime Independent Film & Video Forum, Evanston Public Library,
Evanston, IL, 2007
Film for Thought Series, Transitions Bookplace, Chicago, IL, 2007
Hemp Hoe Down, Elkview Campground Near Sturgis, SD, 2007
Maryland Film Festival The Charles Theater, Baltimore, MD, 2007
Jerusalem Project Screening, Wheaton College, IL, 2007
Pre-Release Screening and Fundraiser, Columbia College, Chicago,
IL, 2007
Pre-Release Screening, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT, 2007
Palm Springs Native American Film Festival, 2007
Pre-Release Screening and Fundraiser, Hollywood Theater, Portland,
OR, 2007
Special Sneak Preview Screening, Native Voice Film Festival, Rapid
City, SD 2006
Pre-Release Screening, Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, Portland, OR,
2006
| Item no. |
: |
YZ03720542 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
53 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2007 |
| Price |
: |
USD 225.00 |
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By Aaron Cadieux
A Time To Reflect, The History Of Whalom Park is an in-depth look into
a disappearing piece of Americana, the classic amusement park. The film chronicles
the rise and fall of Whalom and covers over 100 years of the park's history.
Like so many other small amusement parks at the turn of the century,
Whalom began as a weekend destination for streetcar riders. Quickly, the
park developed into a recreational gathering place with an abundance of rides,
food vendors and first-rate entertainment. Sadly, with the combination of
poor management and the emergence of big theme parks, Whalom Park would begin
to decline in the late 20th century. The park eventually closed its gates
for the last time in the fall of 2000.
Hear from a number of local residents as they remember this beloved
landmark. Go back in time to the park's humble beginnings in the rustic
woodlands of Lunenburg Massachusetts. See how Whalom's landscape changed
throughout the years after a number of destructive storms and fires. Venture
though the park during its golden years and take a ride on the Flyer Comet
roller coaster, the antique Carousel, the Tumble Bug, and other classic
rides.
Recall the many famous people that visited Whalom Park throughout the
years, from the legendary big bands in the ballroom, to world-renowned performers
in the Whalom Playhouse. Learn about how the park was culturally significant
as both a social gathering place and as an employer to hundreds of local
residents. Travel though Whalom Park's period of upgrades and expansions to
its eventual demise in the late 20th century. Take a walk though the remains
of the park today and see how Whalom's current condition compares to that
of other classic amusement parks that have suffered the same fate.
The story of Whalom Park is eerily similar to what has happened to so
many of these vanishing national treasures. A Time To Reflect, The History
Of Whalom Park is, without a doubt, a film that can be enjoyed by anyone
who has an appreciation for the social significance of the classic amusement
park.
Festival
Visions film/video festival, Fitchburg State College, 2005
Award
Co-winner of the LaCoy Documentary Award, Fitchburg State College,
2005
| Item no. |
: |
LE03650391 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
34 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2005 |
| Price |
: |
USD 145.00 |
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By Jay Ruby
Val is an Oak Park Story about Val's Halla, an independent record store
that is a cultural institution in Oak Park. For thirty plus years Val has
offered her customers an incredible array of recorded music from classical
to rap, both new and used. In addition, the collective knowledge of Val and
her staff makes it possible to carry on an informed conversation about music
and recordings. Concert information is always readily available. As these
cultural founts of musical knowledge are being rapidly replaced with Wal-Marts
where employees know nothing about music, Val's Halla has become part of
the disappearing commercial landscape of small businesses run by knowledgeable
people interested in what they sell. In this film, Val talks about the changing
role of the record store and muses about what Oak Park looks like from the
vantage point of its counterculture.
This ethnographic film will be of use to anyone interested in American
culture studies, that is, anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists in
universities, social studies teachers in elementary and high schools and
specialists. It can be used as required reading/viewing or on reserve in libraries
as supplemental reading/viewing.
| Item no. |
: |
ZW03720548 |
| Format |
: |
DVD (Color) |
| Duration |
: |
30 minutes |
| Copyright |
: |
2006 |
| Price |
: |
USD 29.95 |
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