This meeting will adjourn on March 1st by which time please post your film recommendations for the Fall 2009 film series.
As a reminder, the Film Committee Protocol specifies the following regarding Meeting #1:
1.1- Meeting #1 will take place by email or in person no later than October 1st (Fall semester) and March 1 (Spring semester) to select 10-12 films to be previewed. All members of the Film and lecture Committee may suggest films for preview by the committee. Individuals who attend at least two Film and Lecture Committee meetings each year will be considered members. Films will be included on the preview list on a first-come first-served basis; extras will be bumped to the following semester.
When recommending a film to be previewed, committee member should do the following:·
- See the film·
- Make the film available to other committee members if the film is not available on netflix·
- Include basic information such as an overview of the film, the year of production, distributor/producer, length and the cost of screening rights (if known)
Note: All films recommended with supporting material will make the “A” list while films recommended without supporting material will be put on the “B” list.
7 comments:
*Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood* is a 2008 documentary (67 min) from Media Education Foundation (MEF)that I've seen and recommend. It's not great filming; it's comprised of lots of informative bits and clips, though. It costs $250. MEF has a great, user-friendly website. It appears all their films have trailers and complete preview copies (on a small screen with FOR PREVIEW ONLY across it). You can see all of Consuming Kids at this link: http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=134
I'm not sure of a possible speaker, though I can already imagine that my daughter's pre-school teacher, a teacher of child development here at MJC might be very interested.
Also from MEF is a film called *Diamond Empire.* It's interesting, at times fascinating, but a little one-dimensional. It looks at the diamond trade ("monopoly")from a historical point of view with focus on the DeBeers empire. The recent attention to blood or conflict diamonds isn't so much in the film. There is another film that Bullfrog just put out called *Diamond Road,* and from the brief clips I've seen Diamond Road looks a bit fuller in its scope. I need to order a preview copy from Bullfrog to find out more about it--I wish they had the kind of website MEF has.
Best regards,
Jason
A few more thoughts: I have not yet seen any of these, but, for what it's worth, here are a few films available on Netflix that sound interesting. I plan to see what I can of them. I won't recommend them if I don't see them, but if anyone wants to check any of these out, they look like they might be possiblities...
Lake of Fire
(2006) NR
Using footage of procedures, exploring the murders of doctors and interviewing individuals who represent the gamut of opinion, director Tony Kaye examines the loaded issue of abortion in America in this evenhanded black-and-white documentary. Cultural critic Noam Chomsky, Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry and others lend their voices to the ongoing discussion in this blend of personal stories, political realities and philosophical debate.
Available onDVD and instantly.
For the Bible Tells Me So
(2007) NR
In this Sundance documentary, director Daniel Karslake goes to the Bible to examine the ways in which conservative Christian groups have used -- and sometimes exploited -- holy Scripture to deny basic human rights to gays and lesbians around the world. Highlights include interviews with V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, and Chrissy Gephardt, the lesbian daughter of former U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt.
Available on DVD.
Manufactured Landscapes
(2007) NR
More than a simple portrait of an artist, this documentary about celebrated Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky is also an examination of industrialization and globalization. Known for finding strange beauty in large industrial vistas, Burtynsky searches for great shots on trips to China and Bangladesh. In contrast to his seemingly impersonal aesthetic, the film focuses on individuals, revealing the dreariness and dangers of industrial work. Available on DVD.
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
(2007) R
In 2005, Iraqi heavy metal outfit Acrassicauda put on a sold-out show in Baghdad. A year later, two journalists journeyed to Iraq to interview the band, only to find the rockers -- and the country -- torn apart by war. A fascinating glimpse into the daily life of young Iraqis dodging bullets in the streets, this documentary paints a portrait of a youth culture that somehow persists in the face of sectarian violence and war. Available onDVD and instantly.
Two quick comments on my previous potential suggestions:
I've seen about a third of *Lake of Fire* and it's powerful, even-handed, and poignantly filmed. But it's like 2 1/2 hours long! Would that be a possibility?
I saw just a little of *Heavy Metal in Baghdad,* and it's ok but I'm not recommending it.
Jason
Jim Toner from Columbia College's CEP had a very successful lecture (not film) event. Here's the info and we could get the speaker for the fall:
Lecture Topic: "The Nuclear Threat: Truths and Myths about Nuclear Proliferation"
Presenter: John Field, Ph.D from Stanford in Atomic Physics
Abstract of the Presentation:
The United States increasingly faces foreign policy challenges for which good decision-making is entirely dependent on scientific facts. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the area of proliferation of nuclear weapons.
This is a vast and multidisciplinary area of science and engineering understood by few in the general public due to its inherent complexity, government secrecy, and social taboo.
Government secrecy has utterly failed to keep this knowledge out of the hands of would-be nuclear states, but it has been most effective in preventing the public from engaging in meaningful debate.
Entirely from publicly available sources, we trace the technical challenges facing a would-be nuclear proliferator emphasizing the difficult tasks and explaining why they are fundamentally hard.
We stress the potential bottlenecks at which foreign policy interventions may or may not be successful and the likely reactions to counterproliferation actions on the part of the United States or the international community. Historical perspectives are used to try to assess the relative likelihood of success of future proliferators as well as the risks.
This nonpartisan discussion is aimed at the technically minded layperson and designed to provide a basic scientific context to think about risks to the human race from nuclear weapons and benefits of potential counterproliferation activities as we move into the 21st century.
"Liberal and Conservative" - Where Did They Come From? What do they mean? - see Fall 2008 discussion, I'd like to do this in early Fall 2009... not a film; a presentation by two historical scholars or political scientists...
I'm so sorry for posting so late! I have a couple of film ideas. The first, "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" (2008, 104 minutes) is a very entertaining (kind of Morgan Spurlock-like) look at the topical issue of steroid use, its health consequences and the fairness issue. As a one time competitive powerlifter myself ('roid free!) I found the treatment to be surprisingly objective. Filmmaker Chris Bell makes the film both very personal and at the same time balanced by using his own family as a point of reference. I don't know the cost of this film, but possible speakers are pretty obvious -- anyone in phys ed would find this an interesting issue.
Next, I second Jason on "For the Bible Tells Me So". And a couple of others that I've liked even better on this topic are "Out on the Job" (2008, only 43 minutes unfortunately), whose title I think speaks for itself, and the less recent but to me more intriguing "Family Fundamentals"
(2002, 75 minutes), a film that really tries to come to terms with the hostility so many people have towards homosexuality -- religion is a part of it (like "For the Bible...") but not the whole picture. I do know several people that think it's pretty biased, though; but it certainly would stir up controversy.
This last is not a film I've seen yet but it's next in my Netflix queue. I don't want to get the reputation of always promoting feel-good films, but I think there is something to be said for films that show a kind of solution as well as exposing the problem. The film I have in mind is called "Autism: the Musical". Not having seen it yet, here's the Netflix description: Filmed over a six-month period, Tricia Regan's inspiring, Emmy-nominated documentary captures the transformation of five autistic children as they develop and rehearse "The Miracle Project," an original musical about autism. Supported by their families and led by educator and coach Elaine Hall (whose son is in the production), the kids slowly develop social skills as they learn to work with one another. For some, the metamorphosis is nothing short of amazing.
As with B,S,F, I know nothing about the costs of any of these films yet.
Judy
At this point, the only film I can recommend is "Food, Inc". This is a very entertaining yet serious look at how the industrialization of food impacts health in the US. It was recently shown at the State, but I think having another screening would be worthwhile since the run was quite short. It received rave reviews from the SF Chron. Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma" and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) are interviewed in the film - giving it substantial credibility. "Food for thought"
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