Author: Tarek Akhtar

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Arts

The battle for information

Press photo for Jean-Phillippe Tremblay’s documentary Shadows of Liberty

Every day, we are flooded with messages from a variety of media sources. How we process these messages counts in how we make decisions, form opinions and essentially live our lives. When we seek messages in the form of news, we turn to our preferred newscasters/news sources not only for their credibility, but because we trust that the sources we choose will inform us on what we need to know.

However, Jean-Phillippe Tremblay’s documentary Shadows of Liberty, demonstrates that American news outlets have been abusing this trust by intentionally customizing or omitting information to suit network self-interests.

Shadows of Liberty presents a series of examples of major news networks that have used news coverage as a way to serve corporate interests, be politically influential and obtain higher ratings.

The first question this documentary answers is how far a conglomerate news network will go to protect corporate interests. The first case analysis deals with CBS news reporter, Roberta Baskin, whose exposé on Nike’s factories in the ‘90s unveiled the inhumane working conditions of overseas factories. Her report made national headlines and gained traction among America’s youth, who protested and boycotted Nike products. When Baskin tried to follow up on the story after the surge in public interest, CBS’s executive producer shut the story down.

When Shadows of Liberty interviews Baskin for her side of the story, she reveals some unsettling facts: CBS and Nike had a contract for the Olympic winter games that same year which required all field news reporters to sport a Nike parka while on the air. Baskin’s news story evidently became a problem of commercial interest which, in this case, seems to have taken precedence over a news story that mattered to the public.

In another case analysis, NBC’s To Catch a Predator is scrutinized on how they create news stories for the sake of ratings. For those unfamiliar with the show, it executes sting operations on grown men soliciting underage boys and girls in chat rooms and forums. Posing as young boys and girls, To Catch a Predator baits the men to a meeting spot where camera crews and police await. The problem with this show is that it turns a noble intent into a glamorized hour of controversial reality T.V. posing as news.

In the example given in the documentary, To Catch a Predator goes to the home of a District Attorney after attempts at luring him to a sting site have failed. With camera crews in tow and the police surrounding his home, the District Attorney sees no escape and ends his life. This type of operation is seen as having been a blatant plea for ratings. A case where cameras should have been turned off to protect the integrity of the police case and the District Attorney’s family.

Shadows of Liberty is a well-structured and timely documentary. It brings into question the things we see and hear in mass media and makes us wonder about the things we do not. For those who love documentaries that reveal truths that otherwise never see the light of day, Shadows of Liberty is worth checking out.

Shadows of Liberty will be shown at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Room H-110. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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Arts

Commercialized education the Croatia edition

A scene from Igor Bezinovic's documentary Blokada. Photo courtesy of Cinema Politica.
A scene from Igor Bezinovic’s documentary Blokada. Photo courtesy of Cinema Politica.

Montreal knows a thing or two about student movements. Red squares, large demonstrations, the echoes of pot and pans; it is a scene that we in Montreal have become accustomed to in the past year or so.

On Monday Oct. 22, Cinema Politica is premiering Blokada, a film that will resonate with those who opposed, witnessed or took part in the student movement in Quebec.

Directed by Igor Bezinovic, this documentary is about the 2009 student movement in Croatia, where students banded together to demand free education.

The film is structured in a way that shows the viewer the chronological set of events from the movement’s creation to its eventual disintegration. From the very start, the student’s message is very clear: they want free education, and they want the suspected mismanaged government funds to pay for it.

With claims that their government excessively spends 41 million euros to fund military projects, the students believe those funds should be reallocated to the education sector which requires approximately 40 million euros a year.

At first, university administrators supported the student movement by suspending classes in order to maintain a united front. But as time passed, the dean and council members decided to resume classes in order for the school semester to be saved.

The outraged students did not back down in defeat over the loss of support. Instead, they fought harder and chanted louder in their requests. Their tactics included mass demonstrations with plenty of signage, interrupting classes, long marches, debates and spontaneous festivals. Though much of it sounds radical, the tactics shown in the documentary were actually quite inspiring. Why? Because the group was organized as a collective and decisions were made as a collective.

In their united front, the students of Croatia stated that they are not after a contract of intangible conditions, but a law which gives every student the right to education as long as an entrance exam is passed. They want to abolish fees so that people can study according to their ability and not their social standing. And without giving away the details surrounding the movement’s end, I leave you with a quote from one protester getting ready to rally students in a march: “our protest is over, but our struggle isn’t.”

Blokada is a documentary worth watching because it deals with a lot of the same issues which our own student movement has dealt with and is dealing with right now. Seeing it being done halfway across the globe is significant for all who are for or against the debate of free education.

Blokada premieres on Oct. 29 at 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Room H-110. 7 p.m. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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Arts

So you want to work in Canada?

The End of Immigration, directed by Marie Bolti and Malcolm Guy.
The End of Immigration, directed by Marie Bolti and Malcolm Guy.

We live in Canada; a country that knows few bounds when it comes to multiculturalism, diversity, free speech, democracy, opportunity and riches.

We are by no means a perfect country, especially when we look back at the roots of our colonization, but we are a persistent bunch, a proud bunch, and through immersion and assimilation we have tended a culture that is uniquely Canadian.

The End of Immigration is a film that demonstrates one of the few things not to be proud of as a Canadian.

Directed by Marie Bolti and Malcolm Guy, this film is about the unspoken truths of migrant workers who come to Canada on temporary contracts. It’s a documentary which uncovers the privatization of migration, whereby foreign workers are treated as commodities and sent to Canada to work for specific companies.

A Canadian law passed in 2011 stipulates that all foreign temporary workers must leave Canada after four years, effectively shutting out any opportunity for a temporary foreign worker who wishes to stay, and essentially institutionalizes an unsystematic approach to filling a drained labor force. And that’s essentially the problem. Instead of dealing with the labour shortage, the government has pushed the problem onto the private sector by allowing private companies to bring foreign workers to Canada.

As stated by an interviewee in the film, the foreign workers are not the stereotypical agricultural laborers or domestic workers that come to mind when thinking of foreign workers, but workers we interact with on a daily basis at fast food restaurants, gas stations, and even line workers on the CBC towers of Montreal. According to Dominic Parent of Quebec’s Paranet Cleaners, having foreign workers coming in to do jobs that Canadians do not want is a “solution.”

A production manager of Olymel in Alberta agrees; he needs foreign workers to work in the slaughterhouses with wages and working conditions which Canadians tend to pass up for better paying jobs in the oil fields.

The harsh reality of this film is that we bring foreign workers to Canada under private company contracts which they are bound to. They cannot find better jobs upon arrival, they cannot demand higher wages or a change in working conditions. They are bound to a corporate piece of paper which takes away the freedoms which we as Canadians are accustomed to. Breaching the contract gets them a plane ticket home.

The core of this issue is that Canada is not holding itself accountable for its shortage in labour and instead passes the issue onto the private sector, which does not have the required resources or management skills needed to ensure that foreign workers are being treated fairly and ethically. So where is the line drawn? While Canada is providing the opportunity for foreigners wishing to work, it is also taking advantage of these workers who are desperate to provide for their families and improve the quality of their lives.

The End of Immigration will be featured on Oct. 15, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Room H-110 at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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Arts

Through the eyes of the people

Photo courtesy of Cinema Politica.
Photo courtesy of Cinema Politica.

Cinema Politica’s Oct. 4 screening, The Suffering Grasses, is an educative and insightful film that reveals the social and political circumstances that Syrian civilians face on a day-to-day basis. This is not the best film to watch to become informed on the source of Syrian conflicts (which can date back decades), but it is an important film to watch in order understand the effects of this ongoing strife.

This documentary takes us to the beginning of the civil unrest which began in 2011, when Syrians took to the streets to protest President al-Assad’s policies and undemocratic governance. In reaction to these protests, President al-Assad sent the Syrian Army to control and disperse the protesters. The problem however, was that the Syrian Army used intimidation and gunfire to disperse crowds, which led to many civilian deaths.

A lawyer interviewed in the film explained that for every innocent killed, a new martyr was born in reaction, ready to die for redemption and freedom. As a result, rebellion groups such as the Farooq Battalion and the Free Syrian Army formed with the purpose of serving and protecting the protesters.

Over the course of 2012, with each day bringing new conflict and further political unrest, many Syrians have had no choice but to flee the country altogether, seeking refuge in Turkey or other neighboring countries. In situations where leaving was not a option, Syrians have sold their homes and valuables in exchange for weapons. One woman stated that owning a weapon was even more important than gold, even though ownership of a weapon was enough justification for the Syrian Army to put the owner to death.

The common thread that seems to link all those interviewed for this documentary, is their disdain for their government and their desire for freedom. And while a documentary will help spread their message to the rest of the world, people are still wary of the media.

The Suffering Grasses is brought to us by Cinema Politica in collaboration with the Syrian Student Society. Panel discussions are slated to follow the film. Premieres Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Room H-110. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.com/concordia.

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Arts

Movement, memory and mobilization

The Light Bulb Conspiracy – dir. Cosima Dannoritzer, 2010, 75m

The campus-and-community-run organization Cinema Politica has officially released its fall lineup for the 2012 fall semester. Touching upon themes of movement, memory and mobilization, The Concordian has your guide to this year’s most controversial documentaries. The best part? Admission is by donation, so pay what you can and not a cent more.

FALL LINEUP 2012

Monday, Oct. 1
The Furious Forces of Rhyme – dir. Joshua Atesh Litle, 2010 , 84m
A fascinating story about Hip Hop as a language that unites those from one side of the world to the other.

Thursday, Oct. 4
The Suffering Grasses – dir. Iara Lee, 2012, 52m
An inside look into the political and civil conflicts in Syria as told by those who are living it.

Monday, Oct. 15
The End of Immigration – dir. Marie Boti and Malcolm Guy, 2012, 52m
A look into Canada’s regressive immigration policies and how it exploits certain minorities across Canada. And the focus is not in 1880. The focus is now.

Monday, Oct. 22
The Heretics – dir. Joan Braderman, 2012, 95m
The feminist art collective that produced the journal “Heresies,” reunites after two decades to reflect on how and why they came together to support the voice of women.

Monday, Oct. 29
Blokada – dir. Igor Bezinovic, 2012, 93m
Croatia’s longest and most controversial student movement takes the spotlight in this behind-the-scenes documentary.

Monday, Nov. 5
Shadows of Liberty – dir. Jean-Phillipe Tremblay, 2012, 93m
A look at American mainstream media and how it exercises a social, economic and political power.

Thursday, Nov. 8
The Carbon Rush – dir. Amy Miller, 2012, 84m
A revealing look at how the multi-billion dollar carbon industry can offset their emissions to other locations at the expense of others.

Monday, Nov. 12
5 Broken Cameras – dir. Guy Davidi and Emad Burnat, 2011, 90m
Five years and five broken cameras later, Davidi puts together an inspiring film that showcases the lives of one Palestinian family.

Friday, Nov. 16
Herman’s House – dir. Angad Bhalla, 2012, 81m
A female art student takes on a project that explores how one prison inmate’s vision of a dream home changes after 25 years in solitary confinement.

Thursday, Nov. 22
United in Anger: A History of ACT UP – dir. Jim Hubbard, 2012, 90m
A grassroots history of ACT UP (Aids Coalition to Unleash Power) and how it brought together a community that saved each other’s lives.

Saturday, Nov. 24
Jai Bhim Comrade – dir. Anand Patwardhan, 2012, 182m
A startling look at the oppressions imposed on people of Mumbai and how their voices, music and art challenged their oppressors.

Monday, Nov. 26 — Double Feature
E-Wasteland – dir. David Fedele, 2012, 20m & The Light Bulb Conspiracy – dir. Cosima Dannoritzer, 2010, 75m
In these two documentaries, expect to confront questions such as, “where do electronics go to die?,” and “how do you deal with a product that refuses to wear out?”

Monday, Dec. 3
We Are Wisconsin! – dir. Amie Williams, 2012, 105m
Following the Wisconsin Governor’s budget-repair bill, people from all walks of life gathered together for a historic 18 day protest against political upheaval.

All shows are at 7 p.m. at 1455 de Maisonneuve West in Room H-110. For more information about Cinema Politica and to find out how you can get involved, visit cinemapolitica.org

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Arts

Freedom to squat

Cinema Politica is a non-profit community and campus organization that screens independent films dealing with environmental and cultural issues, politics, and social justice at campuses across Canada and abroad. Each Monday, beginning Sept. 17, Cinema Politica will be featuring an independent film that is open to Concordia students and the public.

Cinema Politica’s first feature film of the semester, Squat: The City Belongs to Us, is about a Barcelona-based activist group, Miles de Viviendas (Thousands of Homes), who occupy evicted and boarded up buildings and then turn them into inspired homes.

A “squat” is a group of occupiers that defy their town councils wishes and occupy these boarded up buildings based on their belief that they’re essentially being played. The occupiers don’t just occupy buildings because they need a place to live (though many of them do); they occupy these buildings to show their intolerance to being tossed around by “the same dog with different collars,” as one interviewee said. Once the squatters are in, they clean, make repairs, and gather together in a collective effort to ensure that electricity is restored, and that food and shelter are provided to its occupants.

The film presents us with a situation where the low-income dwellers of Barcelona are being pushed further away from the city by their own town councils. Many of the complexes’ landlords will sell their complexes to the private sector, who then renovate the building only to resell it at a higher rate (which is unattainable for past tenants).

The problem is that the town council needs to approve of the landlords provisions to evict, and does so on what seems like a self-interest basis. Another issue is that many of the evicted homes that are boarded up stay boarded up for long periods of time, thus perfectly good homes sit unused. One of the complexes shown in the film is even owned directly by a member of town council, who, once investigated, was found to be evicting his tenants as a landlord but also approving the provisions of eviction as a member of town council, thus displaying the extent of corruption.

The film implies that the government’s actions in regards to a resolution of this problem, have been less than inspiring for the squatters. In the 1980s some squatting communes were legalized, although their street protests are not, leaving many squatters feeling like they’ve been tolerated and gagged.

This film demonstrated how the bringing together of friends, family, neighbors, and strangers, can be loud enough to be heard. My only criticism with this film is that it didn’t show enough of the movement’s effort to hear their town councils’ invitation to dialogue.

Squat: The City Belongs to Us will be shown on Monday, September 17, at 7 p.m. in room H-110, 1455 de Maisionneuve West. Admission is always free although donations are appreciated.

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