Tag: documentary

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Arts

Following a reporter on the front lines

Freelancer on the Front Lines follows Jesse Rosenfeld throughout his journey as a freelance journalist.

New documentary to be presented at the RIDM festival explores the challenges of being a journalist in areas of conflict

We as an audience are accustomed to receiving our news from a variety of readily available sources. Yet, behind that link on Facebook, those newspapers articles, and perfectly groomed television anchors, are journalists on the front lines who are making monumental efforts to gather information for us.

Freelancer on the Front Lines, a thoroughly informative film by Santiago Bertolino, tells the story of one such journalist. It follows freelance reporter Jesse Rosenfeld over a period of three years, as he travels through the volatile region of the Middle East in search of stories he believes need to be told.

The film starts off with an emotional farewell dinner hosted by Rosenfeld’s family before his departure from Toronto. His parents are rightfully worried about his upcoming journey to Cairo, where Rosenfeld hopes to make sense of General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s rise to power following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Egypt.

In some ways, his initial trip to Cairo is fitting with the film’s overall message. The general’s rise to power—in what was widely regarded as a sham election-—coincided with the detention of several journalists who attempted to cover the election. The sight of caged journalists, including Canada’s own Mohamed Fahmy, in an Egyptian courtroom, highlighted the importance of Rosenfeld’s work. Democracy cannot survive or flourish without a free press.

From Cairo, Rosenfeld goes on to cover the unrest in the West Bank, the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2014, the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the ensuing refugee crisis. During his journey, he witnesses injustice and human atrocities ranging from the “apartheid road” in the West Bank to the mass executions in Gaza. He sees mass graves of ISIS victims in Iraq and the rotting corpses of ISIS fighters strapped to the cars of Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers. His work gave him a first-hand look at the heartbreaking experience of refugees. Covering such atrocities took a visible toll on the journalist, making his quest to tell these stories all the more admirable.

The film also sheds light on additional challenges faced by freelance journalists. Unlike those who travel on behalf of news organizations such as the BBC or CNN, freelance journalists face additional hurdles such as finding interpreters, guides and military escorts, as well as balancing their budget—which includes, but is in no way limited to, arguing with taxi drivers over cab fare. In addition to the emotional toll and physical danger faced by all journalists working in hostile environments, the film shows Rosenfeld’s constant struggle to convince editors to pick up and finance his stories. Yet, the tribulations seem worth it when the film shows a visibly proud Rosenfeld when he discovers that one of his articles is the top story of the day.

Overall, Bertolino does an excellent job at placing the audience in the trenches alongside Rosenfeld, aptly depicting the struggles of those who bring us news from the front lines.

The film concludes on somewhat of an optimistic note, as Rosenfeld explains his main motivation for doing what he does. The purpose of his work is to inspire his readers to take action against such atrocities, he said. Helping to prevent these stories from recurring or continuing is what he considers useful about his work.

Rosenfeld’s story certainly raises questions about the effect such journalistic work can have. If it weren’t for the work of journalists like Rosenfeld, would Western countries have taken in as many refugees as they did? Would the public have demanded an end to pointless wars, such as in Iraq, sooner, if more reporters like Rosenfeld had been on the front lines? Freelancer on the Front Lines certainly seems to suggest an answer.

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Arts

Spike Lee Presents King Of Pop Documentary at Concordia

Kay Art for Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall. Photo Courtesy of SHOWTIME

Spike Lee brings Motown back to life with his latest documentary

Spectators were full of excitement at the Concordia Hall Theatre on Saturday, as students, families and reporters were graced with the presence of the well-known and occasionally controversial writer and director, Spike Lee.

Presenting his latest documentary Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, Spike Lee was the guest speaker of honour for the second to last day of the 12th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival. Concordia had the honour of hosting both the screening and Spike Lee’s live Q&A with the audience after the show.

Upon his entrance in the theatre, Lee, dressed in his classic baseball hat and hoodie, acknowledged and thanked the audience for their applause. He then, to the spectators’ surprise, walked towards them and took a seat in his “reserved” row with his entourage, and watched his entire documentary film, laughing aloud alongside the audience.

The film itself is a fun, entertaining experience for all Michael Jackson fans. Opening directly with found footage, the audience is able to watch part of the King of Pop’s legacy and contribution to both music and the world. The film begins during Jackson’s childhood with the Jackson 5, and continues throughout the devastation of leaving Motown, to his days on Broadway, and recording Off the Wall. The film is one big party, making it difficult not to dance in your seat as songs like “Shake Your Body” or “Blame it on the Boogie” play.

This is a feel-good movie with many comedic moments. It engages the audience, and has the potential to inspire both long-time fans, and new admirers. Seeing Michael Jackson’s perfectionism and incredible work ethic is what makes this film worth watching.

The film has a large variety of interviews and commentary from people who knew him or who have been influenced by him, such as Stevie Wonder, Valerie Simpson, and The Weeknd. The film is nothing more than an entertaining summary documenting the albums from Motown to Off the Wall, as the title suggests. It rarely delves away from the performances and on-stage content. This performance documentary is not for viewers who wish to learn something new about Michael Jackson, or even the Jackson 5. It’s simply a blast from the past, focusing on the musicianship rather than the personal details of Jackson’s life.

If you’re looking for an informative biographical documentary on the legendary King of Pop, this film is not for you. On the other hand, if you are interested in seeing the transition of Jackson’s performance and music through interview commentaries and found footage, you will definitely enjoy this film.

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Arts

Maya Angelou rises again in first documentary

The documentary examines the life of Dr. Maya Angelou, with interviews from friends and colleagues.

The award winning documentary comes to Montreal’s International Black Film Festival

Co-directed by Rita Coburn Whack and Bob Hercules, Maya Angelou And Still I Rise opened the 12th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival. A great success, the film has won nine awards from multiple countries including the Best International Feature Documentary award from the Galway Film Fleadh. It is the first biographical documentary about Angelou, which is surprising, considering her many accomplishments, including being the writer of 36 published books, a poet, dancer and activist. From the opening frame to the end credits, the film creates a strong sense of community that brings together its viewers to honour a woman who has touched so many hearts.

The film covers many lesser-known aspects of Angelou’s life, beginning with her childhood in Stamp, Arkansas. Her journey continues on—from place to place, job to job, man to man. The film takes a look at the countless struggles she faced throughout her life, including racism and rejection. The film exudes courage and class, and leaves viewers feeling empowered and inspired.

Maya Angelou And Still I Rise includes interviews with many actors and friends of Angelou, including Cicely Tyson, Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones and Angelou’s son, Guy Johnson. The film uses a significant amount of found footage. The found footage and brought the film to life, as it showed so many memorable moments in Angelou’s life. The footage is not necessarily shown in chronological order, although it ties in nicely with the large range of interviews.

From beginning to end, the score rises and falls with the emotions of the story, evoking sadness as it slows down, and inspiration when the music becomes upbeat. Nevertheless, the story itself brings out all kinds of emotions, from beginning to end.

Although this documentary had moments of sadness and some elements of shock and anger, it was predominantly filled with moments of laughter and joy that permeate through the audience. Watching Angelou rise from her past with the help of her family and friends reminds us of the importance of courage and community. The film allows us to look beneath the surface of Angelou’s fame, and discover the stories we may have never otherwise known about her. This film is a must-see for those who are less familiar with her story, and a special treat for those who praise and admire this monumental woman. Maya Angelou And Still I Rise promotes love, diversity and courage, and is representative of what inspirational cinema should be.

Concordia is a private partner of the Montreal International Black Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.

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News

Concordia alumnus documents lack of human rights in Bolivia

Barbosa describes his experience filming in Bolivia while being back in JMSB for the first time since graduation. Photo by Mishkat Hafiz.

Former JMSB student films child labour and lack of aid for those with disabilities

John Molson School of Business alumnus Fernando Barbosa spent two years in Bolivia filming a documentary about the lack of aid for both children and those with disabilities in the country. As Barbosa grew close to the communities he documented, he received threats from the Bolivian government and police, as his work shed a greater light on the country’s neglect of human rights, he said.

Barbosa—who is originally from the town of Cochabamba, Bolivia—first began filming in 2012 on the topic of working Bolivian children in Cochabamba. He said the children faced police brutality, discrimination, hunger and yet, “at the same time, they have a lot of strength and courage.”

Barbosa said he was eager to begin documenting the social and financial issues that he had been unaware of for so long. “Living and growing up in Bolivia, I was not aware of [the child labour] that happened,” he said.

According to 2008 statistics from The International Labour Organization and Bolivian government—850,000 children from ages 5 to 17 were working in Bolivia. It was found approximately nine in 10 were working tough labour jobs—recognized as underground mining and sugar cane harvesting.

Barbosa’s interest in the subject of child labour first sparked during a visit to his family in Bolivia in the summer of 2010. One night, he passed out in the street while intoxicated, but somehow woke up in his own home the next morning. His sister later told him that a young boy named Willie, who worked in the parking lot of a club downtown, helped put Barbosa in a cab that took him home.

“They make almost nothing,” he said. “[The] money he made that night, he put me in a taxi and brought me home,” he said.

Barbosa later returned to the club to find the child who had helped him home. “After I met him, I started to meet other working kids on the streets,” he said. Many of them were orphans and needed money to pay for school and food, he said.

Barbosa returned to Bolivia in 2012, and he began documenting the issue of child labour in the country.

Before he could begin documenting their lives, Barbosa said he needed to gain the children’s trust in order for them to open up to him. Barbosa said this was due to the presence of exploitation of the children by non-government organizations (NGOs) and government-related organizations—who would first provide aid to these children. However, some would disappear once there was enough footage to share on their website and social media.

Barbosa said initially the children were skeptical of him. “Many kids working on the streets are aware that government officials receive a salary for the job they have to ‘help’ these kids,” he said.

The police and the Bolivian government took a special interest in Barbosa’s presence with the children—cautioning him to instead help the children through a government program, he said.

Barbosa noticed that some police posed a threat to the children. Some would follow their orders, but others took advantage of their power. He said while there are some good police, “the bad cops are the ones threatening, and also beating up street kids.”

After returning to Concordia in 2012 once summer ended, Barbosa returned to Bolivia after his graduation in December 2014. “I initially was going to stay for 3 months,” he said. “But while I was there, there were new things happening, so I ended up staying for two years.”

In February 2016, a protest for people with disabilities started in Bolivia. Barbosa said those with disabilities in the country were asking the government for a monthly benefit of $70 to aid with basic needs, such as healthcare.

Barbosa came to realize not only children faced a lack of essential human rights in Bolivia—which is why he began working on a second documentary project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsaLVKi27x8&feature=youtu.be

Documentary filmmaker Fernando Barbosa discuss the subject of his second documentary.Barbosa said he believes people with disabilities are the poorest group in Bolivia. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found in 2010 the employment rate of people with disabilities was reported as 44 per cent. “They don’t have access to jobs—they don’t have access to medical care,” he said.

At the time, Barbosa reconnected with a group of documentary makers from Australia. The group was inspired by those who struggled with disabilities in Bolivia and wanted to document their stories. This included filming a six-month period of protests between those with disabilities and the government, Babosa said.

“They decided to go all the way to [La Paz], walking on mountains,” he said. “It took 35 days to cross all the mountains.” Once they reached La Paz, Barbosa said the government was waiting for the protesters with police barriers and water tanks. “It was just 85 days just in La Paz of police repression, police brutality—to the point that six people died in this process,” he said. “And still they didn’t get the pension.”

However, there was a small victory for human rights in Bolivia, Barbosa said. One of the leaders for the disabled people in Bolivia was able to travel to Switzerland to attend an event held by the United Nations on people with disabilities.

“The [Bolivian] government was at the event saying how good Bolivia is doing for people with disabilities,” Barbosa said, but then the protestors’ representative presented the footage that Barbosa and his teammates had filmed. “The UN now gave Bolivia a 12-month period to give an explanation and look for those responsible for all of the police brutality and all that happened,” said Barbosa.

Barbosa said compared to his encounters with the authorities during his first documentary, during the filming for the second, the police followed him more intensely during the filming of the protests—even threatening to detain Barbosa and his teammates.

“I think [the government was] trying to scare us so we stopped filming and we stopped showing what was happening.”

Barbosa believed the authorities and the government were scared the footage would be viewed by people outside of the country—showcasing the alarming lack of human rights and the degree of poverty that some groups faced.

“Bolivia has signed international agreements to fight for human rights,” he said. “And [what I had documented] was violating these human rights.”

Barbosa said he wants to share both of his documentaries with high schools and universities. He wants to share his experience and shed light on the human rights issues in Bolivia, while also showing how strong and courageous these children are. Barbosa said it’s vital to share his documentary so people can be more aware and thankful of the privileges they have. “We sometimes are not aware of that,” he said.

To find out more about Barbosa’s documentaries visit the “Pinches Gringos” Facebook page at www.facebook.com/superpinchesgringos.

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Arts

A look into what it takes to make a delicious burger

Cowspiracy delivers the often silenced effects of animal agriculture

God knows documentaries can be patronizing. Sometimes it is the almighty narrator who knows all, other times it is the gruesome images that try to guilt you into becoming something you are not. Well, that is not the case of Cowspiracy, the first film by director duo Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn. In many ways, this documentary about the unsustainability of the current agricultural industry is very different from those said condescending documentaries seemingly made to make you feel stupid.

One of those key differences is the way the documentary feels personal and subjective in a positive way. The movie follows the thinking evolution of one of the directors, Kim Andersen. This shows his transformation into what we could call a “true” environmentalist. This is not as drastic as you may think. We are talking here of someone simply starting to change little habits, like taking shorter showers and using a bike instead of a car, to lower his carbon footprint. Then, he gets more and more interested in deeper environmental issues such as the effect of agriculture on the planet, and the odd fact that this problem is rarely addressed by any major environmentalist organization.

From there, he starts to investigate this incongruity by going up to worldwide organizations such as Greenpeace and Oceana, just to name a few. With him, you rapidly realize that there is something fishy about the fact that experts and huge pro-environment groups are simply looking the other way when questioned about the effect that animal agriculture has on the planet. It seemed much easier for them to pin Mother Earth’s health problems on cars and plastic bags than talking about one of the most unsustainable industries in humankind history. Just to give you an idea, a UN report cited in the movie states that animal agriculture causes about 18 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, while all transportation only account for 13 per cent. From there, the narrator and main protagonist of the documentary go on to interview an array of interesting people connected to the issue.

Cowspiracy is not only talking about a major environmental problem, but also critiques the forefront organizations that are supposed to help spread awareness. It denounces the rarely mentioned reality of environmental organizations choosing which issues to address in relation with the risk it involves. In this case, the agriculture industry is described as a very aggressive group, to say the least. It gives to the documentary a more nuanced point of view of the situation. It is not only about the good guys fighting the bad guys. Everyone is in a greyish moral zone. The movie also uses comprehensive graphics and animations to demonstrate the numbers that the narrator is often sharing with the audience.

The movie also has its weaknesses. Obviously set up scenes with Kim Andersen bringing his Al Gore poster down to show that he has lost the respect that he had for what was his inspiration to become an environmentalist shows a certain immaturity on the part of the filmmakers. It also uses a few cheap cinematographic techniques to put a sense of tension not necessary to the movie. Still, the way Cowspiracy is looking at the importance of sustainability and one of its worst enemies makes this film different than most other documentaries of this kind.

More importantly, this is the only movie that sincerely makes me think about becoming vegan. I am a carnivore, but since Cowspiracy, I have become a very confused bacon lover. Watch this documentary, and you will understand. Cowspiracy will be shown during a Cinema Politica screening on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the D.B. Clarke Theatre. For more information about the movie and future screenings, you can visit the movie’s official website: cowspiracy.com

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Arts

The best movie never made

Starring Orson Welles, Mick Jagger, David Carradine and Salvador Dali, and featuring music by Pink Floyd, Jodorowsky’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel Dune was poised to change cinema forever. Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics.

Jodorowsky’s Dune is the story of the famed director’s adaptation of the sci-fi novel

Alejandro Jodorowsky is one of those names you have to know if you want to be taken seriously as a film buff. El Topo, The Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre are some of the movies he’s made.

Dune is a movie he never made, but it was nonetheless just as influential. Every other filmmaker has a story to share about a particular pet project that never came to fruition, but Jodorowsky is different. There is reason to believe that his version of Dune would have literally changed the world. In fact, it has been a source of inspiration to a whole generation of filmmakers, on the strength of its concept and storyboard alone.

Starring Orson Welles, Mick Jagger, David Carradine and Salvador Dali, and featuring music by Pink Floyd, Jodorowsky’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel Dune was poised to change cinema forever. Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics.

‘Best movie never made’ is a much-coveted title and Jodorowsky’s Dune, directed by Frank Pavich, is a documentary about the prime candidate. You walk into it doubtful and hesitant, prepared to see a film essentially about failure. But it takes you by surprise — what you get is a fun, exciting look at the creative process.

As the movie begins, you already know the outcome — Dune, which was worked on in the mid-70s, never went past pre-production. Yet, the interviews with people who worked on the project are so apt at reconstructing the timeline of events and the ecstasy of creation that you’ll find yourself hoping for a different outcome than is possible.

Understandably, most of the film is centered around Jodorowsky. At 84, he is as alive and open-minded as ever. The Chilean surrealist started the cult cinema movement with El Topo in 1970, and indeed he sounds like a cult leader. Irrepressibly passionate, inspiring and talkative, he speaks of his failed Dune in often religious terms — his aim was not to make a movie, he says, but to “create a prophet,” aided by his team of “spiritual warriors.”

When he confides that he was ready to die for his film, you believe him.

It is thrilling to hear of his adventures in assembling an international crew, and then to meet those people, some of whom could be Jodorowsky characters in their own right. Take, for example, the interview with H.R. Giger, a Swiss painter who was going to work as a production designer on Dune. His guttural voice resonates loud in the dark, eerie room in which he is filmed, and suddenly you realize — he would have made an excellent villain.

Dune didn’t work out for lack of budget, but during pre-production, Giger met Dan O’Bannon, a special effects artist with whom he would go on to create a little franchise called Alien.

You would expect Jodorowsky to feel anger at the fact that his dream project had been trumped upon, his movie cancelled, and his hopes reduced to nothing. For a few scenes, he does, but he is so obviously above it. He understands that from a rotting body flowers shall grow, and he recognizes his work in many modern science-fiction epics with gratitude and pride.

Jodorowsky’s Dune also addresses the fact that a movie based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name did, eventually, get made. The David Lynch version was a commercial and critical disaster, to the point where Lynch still refuses to discuss it to this day. Jodorowsky describes going into that movie, and his reaction to seeing it is beautifully human.

This documentary is the closest we’ll ever come to seeing Jodorowsky’s vision of Dune. His film never was, and never will be. His ideas, which predated today’s blockbusters by decades, have since become too commonplace to spark an artistic revolution like the one he had envisioned.

Many of his prospective actors have since died — he wanted no less than Salvador Dali and Orson Welles in supporting roles. But Jodorowsky’s main goal was to inspire, to encourage young artists to realize their dreams — and Pavich’s documentary does just that.

Jodorowsky’s Dune opens April 4 at Cinema du Parc.

 

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Arts

Rich in fan-worthy goodies, lacks so much in substance

Press photo

Bieber: known to be a famed Canadian export alongside Celine Dion, poutine and Rob Ford. He’s the youthful Internet-sensation turned colossal overnight pop-star.

Press photo

Bieber: a powerful force within the social media spectrum, and the pop-star who can’t seem to take a break from all of the online hate, or jealousy, or mob of fans out there viciously wanting to have a piece of him, literally and metaphorically.

Bieber: the once naive young singer from Stratford, infamous for his notorious but dangerously catchy lyrics of  “Oh Baby, baby, baby, ohhhhh…”

Singing along? Gotcha. But this isn’t a karaoke piece.

After all of the countless flops, from riding the Great Wall on a scooter to allegedly harassing his fans, to announcing that he would retire from public life, our little home-grown sweetheart brings us a documentary film which seems to show his good side — and that’s about it. The 90-minute film is called Believe.

The film kicks off with a candid moment of him playing a piano while he talks to people around him. The scene suddenly transitions to random footage of him performing on stage in front his many fans.

Moments later, you see him explaining on camera why he feels judged by many people, and why they should give him a chance. Then you add in a multitude of testimonials from famous contemporary pop artists in the American music business, and an unlimited number of streeter interviews from mostly teenage fans lining up to see one of his concerts. Stitch them all together like a worn-out patchwork quilt, and voila, there’s your documentary.

I wouldn’t really mind this kind of presentation, but chronologically speaking, it was all over the place. What makes this film really uncomfortable to watch is how it feels more like a public relations piece instead of a factual piece of intimate storytelling. When I think of music-related documentaries such as Michael Jackson’s This Is It, or Jukka Kärkkäinen’s The Punk Syndrome, I find an actual narrative of human beings — not musicians — talking about why they do music, how they’re passionate about music, and why music is important to them.

As a music fan, I acknowledge and respect people’s passion and enthusiasm for any artist they like. If you’re a Belieber, this is absolutely a resourceful audiovisual material to indulge in. But if you were hoping to see a candid conversation about an artist and the music that he makes, you will be left very disappointed.

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Arts

Protesting the worst industrial disaster in history

Press photo

Heartbreaking and moving, this 80-minute film explores the horrors human carelessness creates but also the resilience of those who are left behind to face the fallout. Bhopali is a powerful documentary about the injustices people in India faced after an American company caused a devastating gas leak that killed approximately 30,000 people in 1984.

Press photo

The Union Carbide Corporation gas leak in Bhopal, India, killed around 3,500 people in one night, with the body count skyrocketing during the following days. Countless others were left physically and psychologically shattered—orphaned children staggered through the streets and doctors were overwhelmed with patients poisoned with unknown toxins. Wood became scarce and families were forced to burn the bodies of their loved ones in mass funeral pyres.

Meanwhile, Warren Anderson, the then Union Carbide chairman, quietly melded into the safety of the United States and the factory in India was abandoned.

No cleanup crew was sent to remove the tanks of toxic chemicals. No personnel arrived to detoxify the small lake where the factory dumped its waste—not even when evidence that the leak was caused by numerous ignored safety measures, cut corners and untested equipment, was anyone held responsible.

“People in Bhopal are still suffering, they’re still dying,” said Bhopal disaster campaigner Satinath Sarangi. “And the next generation is getting affected. There are horrific deformations that they’re born with. So the fact is that the suffering hasn’t ended, and the suffering continues and the individuals and agencies responsible for this mass disaster remain unpunished.”

Enter the “water-victim children.” Children born after the disaster are 10 times more likely to be born blind, deaf, have mutated limbs, an unnaturally high chance of developing cerebral palsy and a highly fragile immune system.

The chemicals abandoned by the pesticide company leached into the ground and made the water for three kilometres around poisonous. The local population had no choice but to use the water pumped up from the infected ground to quench their thirst.

Bringing the story to a personal level, editor and creator Van Maximilian Carlson introduces two families directly affected by the disaster. All that is left of the first family, formerly a family of 10, is two siblings. Their parents and five brothers and sisters died during the disaster. Their brother, who had initially survived, committed suicide years later, haunted by the ghosts of that night.

The second family lives on daily wages while they fight to save their 18-month-old daughter as she slowly slips away, likely poisoned by the water her mother drank while pregnant.

“What we have asked for is the cleanup cost,” said Rajan Sharma, attorney representative for the Bhopal plaintiffs seeking compensation in an ongoing court case.

Sharma is also demanding the victims be financially compensated and that Union Carbide, now owned and operated by Dow Chemical Company, funds a medical monitoring system to support future water victims.

“If there is justice in Bhopal, this world will be safer for all of us to live in because it would set the precedent [for companies being responsible for their mess],” said Bhopal activist Rachna Dhingra.

While the film makes you squirm guiltily for sharing a species that also includes heartless corporate scum, Bhopali still gets two big thumbs up.

Endless interviews, personal stories, media footage and professional perspectives are flawlessly woven together into an in-your-face documentary about the worst ever industrial disaster and the horrifying fallout that followed.

Bhopali screens Saturday Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at J.A. de Sève Cinema located on 1400 de Maisonneuve W.,  in collaboration with the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal North America, Amnesty International and Council of Canadians Montreal. Bhopal survivor and activist Sanjay Varma will be in attendance. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.org/concordia

 

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Arts

Picturing the world’s silent brides: a photo exposé

Nujoud Ali is seen in Sana'a, Yemen, Feb. 2, 2010. She was married to her husband, more than 20 years her senior, when she was only eight years old. Photo from Stephanie Sinclair - tooyoungtowed.org.

A life-size photograph shows young girls between the ages of 11 and 13. Their hands are tinted red and brown with beautiful henna designs. They are dressed in elegant robes, their faces are coloured with immaculate make-up and they are carrying bouquets of vibrant flowers. You would think this was a photograph of flower girls at a wedding. Rather, it shows these children on their wedding day in Yemen.

Nujoud Ali is seen in Sana’a, Yemen, Feb. 2, 2010. She was married to her husband, more than 20 years her senior, when she was only eight years old. Photo from Stephanie Sinclair – tooyoungtowed.org.

This is the first photo in Stephanie Sinclair’s collection of 30 documentary photographs on the subject of child marriage. Too Young to Wed is being presented  as part of the French Canadian section of Amnesty International’s campaign, My Body, My Rights. The exhibition is on display at the Gesù in Montreal until Sept 29.

My Body, My Rights is an Amnesty International campaign focusing on the respect of sexual and reproductive rights. “We thought child marriage was a good example of violation so that’s [why] we chose to focus on this issue,” said Colette Lelièvre, campaign coordinator of the French Canadian section of Amnesty International.

The photographs detail the lives of child brides in Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nepal and India, countries deeply afflicted by the practice of child marriage. Images are accompanied by quotations from political leaders, the girls themselves, as well as information explaining more about the harmful traditional practice and its consequences.

“Pictures talk well,” said Lelièvre. “In some of the photos you see an eight-year-old girl with a 25-year-old man. I think that’s why it’s so accessible. It’s something you can just look at and understand the problem.”

Two photographs featuring 11-year-old Ghulam from Afghanistan are particularly striking. One shows Ghulam playing in fresh green fields in her village on the day of her engagement. Dressed in a bright pink dress, she smiles. She looks free and innocent. Directly beside this photograph she sits with Faiz, her 40-year-old husband to be. In contrast to her soft and playful gaze in the other photograph, her face turns hard and her sharp eyes glare darkly at Faiz. On the other hand, Faiz looks directly into the camera, seeming completely natural and content.

The exhibition is not completely dismal. Sinclair includes a few glimpses of hope and solutions that come from within the countries on display. For instance, a photograph of Ethiopian youth shows their preparation and anticipation for a traditional dance performance.

Amnesty International hopes to use public support to lobby world leaders to take a stronger stance on protecting sexual and reproductive rights. 2014 will see a review of the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, the first program to detail these rights.

The exhibition concludes with an opportunity to sign petitions lobbying governments to take action against child marriage. These petitions as well as videos, photographs and more information about child marriage are available at tooyoungtowed.com. Too Young to Wed runs until Sept. 29 at Gesù, 1200 Bleury. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Monday from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.“It’s a very important programme of action for young people,” said Lelièvre. “We thought it was a great timing for us to lobby government to respect sexual and reproductive rights of young people ahead of this review.”

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Arts

The winter of Russian discontent

Still from Anton Seregin's doc film Winter, Go Away! (2012)
Still from the documentary film Winter, Go Away! (2012)

This week’s installment of Cinema Politica has an appropriate title considering the time of year but, ironically, it has nothing to do with the cold or the icy sidewalks of Montreal’s most bone-chilling season.

Winter, Go Away! (2012), a documentary directed by Anton Seregin, Marina Razbezhkina and Askold Kurov, bears a title that subtly refers to the “winter of our discontent,” felt by many Russian citizens, reluctant to see a third presidential term in 12 years go to Vladimir Putin.

This is an observational documentary, meaning that there’s neither commentary nor music. The filmmakers take a fly-on-the-wall approach. As such, Winter, Go Away! also serves as an exposé of Russia’s shady political dealings.

The directors follow several anti-Putin protesters and other outspoken critics, leading up to the “Rally for Fair Elections” held in Moscow in February 2012, and then culminating with the elections held a month later. On more than one occasion, viewers are brought to understand the burning questions that spur the protestors onward. For instance, during a university lecture he is giving, Ivan Mironov – a writer and activist – asks why anyone would consider voting for Putin, considering his numerous alleged abuses of power. One student simply states: “It doesn’t matter who we vote for, it won’t change a thing.” Taken aback, Mironov replies: “What if it did?” Mironov’s comment makes it clear that questions of this sort are what fuels their hopeful, yet inevitably futile, democratic ambitions.

One of the more amusing scenes in the film occurs when we see a group of dissenters wearing Guy Fawkes masks, quietly travelling by bus and casually reading the morning paper. The filmmakers also encounter the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, an all-female group with political goals whose members hide their faces behind colourful balaclavas. The cameras capture their infamous protest, that of an impromptu performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a stunt which lead to their arrests but which also garnered them international headlines.

Nonetheless, the film falters in its inability to provide the viewer with enough background information regarding the various players in Russian politics, often leaving the audience confused. Although the subject matter is highly relevant, in light of Russia’s recent state of internal affairs, the documentary’s execution lacks lustre. Without the proper context, the film doesn’t fully resonate emotionally and the viewer is left watching fiery Russians bicker about matters that they don’t fully understand. The filmmakers perhaps make the most grievous assumption in expecting us, as outsiders, to care from the very beginning.

What you’ll find in Winter, Go Away! is fragmented vignettes of brewing political unrest. Be it through electrifying scenes shot from the heart of chanting mass protests or through stolen instances of police brutality, what’s portrayed is the plight of the average Russian activist, restlessly fighting for his political and civil rights, one day at a time.

Winter, Go Away! screens March 18 at 7 pm in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Askold Kurov will be in attendance. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia

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Arts

The disease that demolishes porn stars

Press photo for Inside Lara Roxx
Press photo for Inside Lara Roxx

Porn undeniably holds a sense of fantasy. For many, it’s an escape and a welcomed distraction. Yet, like most industries, there’s also a destructive side to it.

Produced and directed by Mia Donovan, Inside Lara Roxx recounts the story of a young woman from Quebec who sought money, sex, and fame in L.A., only to be left with infamy and an incurable, deadly disease.

In April 2004, a male porn star by the name of Darren James tested positive for HIV. Production in L.A. was temporarily shut down. Three women who had performed scenes with him also tested positive for HIV. Lara Roxx was one of them. She was 21-years-old.

Donovan follows Lara during a five year span, 2005-10, recording her various highs and lows as she deals with her disease. The film begins in a psychological ward where Lara is being treated and follows her back to L.A. where she recounts the details of her foray into porn and ultimately into contracting HIV. Lara alternates between stints in the hospital and living in squalor in a run-down Montreal crack house. Early on in the film, her mother shows the viewer childhood photos and old home videos, contrasting sharply with the stark reality Lara is currently living.

The director travels with Lara to various locations, such as a porn convention in Las Vegas, which she attends in order to raise awareness of the dangers of HIV within the adult entertainment industry. There, she’s joined by famous porn actor Ron Jeremy, who shares some insightful knowledge on sexual education. She also meets Rebekka Armstrong, a former Playmate and an HIV/AIDS advocate, who painfully admits that she was once “completely debilitated by the disease.”

Lara doesn’t initially trust the filmmaker, questioning her motives and friendship. In fact, it’s easy to see why she would be wary and skeptical towards new-found friends.

By capturing her story on camera, the director may be implicitly turning Lara into a poster child for adult entertainment industry-related HIV, a symbol of awareness for the deadly disease. However, the film takes an unexpected turn of events during the final two acts, when Lara is forced to confront her own personal demons.

At times, this film feels uneven. Months go by without a single word between the documentarian and her subject. Yet the filmmaker persists, becoming an active participant in her first feature-length documentary, urging Lara to seek medical help. Moreover, the film also illustrates Lara’s identity crisis, “I don’t know who I am,” she states midway through to the film.

Donovan has a sharp eye for creating wonderful shots, from the dim-lit, run-down streets of Montreal to a picturesque, sunlit beach in California. However, the scenes in L.A. in which Lara visits fellow female porn actresses seem slightly scripted and choreographed. It should also be noted that the film contains graphic nudity. Clips from Lara’s infamous porn film with Darren James are included, creating a highly unsettling effect. In one of the film’s more poignant scenes, Lara confesses, “I love life and it breaks my heart if I don’t respect it. It’s like an indirect suicide. But I never did respect myself.”

Inside Lara Roxx screens Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Mia Donovan and Lara Roxx will be in attendance. This screening is co-presented with the HIV/AIDS Lecture Series. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

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Arts

Desensitization to suffering

Haiti: Where Did The Money Go? (2011) / Press photo
Haiti: Where Did The Money Go? (2011) / Press photo

They say “if it bleeds, it leads,” but is anyone still watching during the grueling months and years of recovery? As you may remember, an earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. Roughly 220,000 people are estimated to have died, and a further 1.5 million were left without a home. Before the quake, the country’s population was approximately 9 million. Now, speaking in the past tense seems to be an unfortunate habit in post-earthquake Haiti, which looks but a faint shadow of its former self.

Haiti: Where Did The Money Go? (2011) is written, produced and directed by Michele Mitchell, a former political anchor with CNN Headline News. She and her team travel to Haiti ten months after the earthquake, hoping to find out “what happened to all those good intentions and all that money?”

The film’s opening sequence shows the aftermath of a country in physical ruins, as looming dust quickly engulfs the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In a grand “expression of solidarity,” $2.2 billion was raised globally through private donations which went to non-governmental aid organizations in charge of disaster relief. The cries of help were heard, but were they really answered?

In all, 1300 makeshift camps have been built all across Haiti. The filmmakers showcase Camp Canaan II (5,000 people), Camp Carradeux, (32,000 people) and the most prominent, Champ-de-Mars (16,000 people), located right across from the now-abandoned Presidential Palace.

Yet, as of September 2011, nearly all of those displaced by the earthquake continued to live in shoddy, overcrowded camps hastily built by NGOs in dry and humid areas. Their tarp roofs are held by tree branches, their latrines ill-maintained, and their clean drinking water almost non-existent. And yet, Haiti holds more NGOs per capita than any other country in the world.

This film highlights the systematic mismanagement of funds and the abuse of trust committed by those sworn to help. The lack of communication and lack of coordination results in uneven and arbitrary decisions in relief fund distribution. This leads to unfortunate situations in which a camp is given soap, but no clean water. Yvette Clarke, a congresswoman from New York, boldly states that “Every NGO is its own kingdom,” and that they have in fact “supplanted the government.”

Mark Snyder, who has extensively travelled across Haiti as a volunteer, says that the relief efforts are at the absolute “minimal standards.” Since there are no legal requirements, binding rules, nor any recognized standards in the aid humanitarian world, who can be held accountable?

Mitchell uses concrete facts and figures, anecdotal evidence straight from the ground in Haiti, and interviews with leading journalists, doctors and professors to help illustrate her case. In one particularly infuriating scene, she and her film crew use a hidden-camera to follow several NGO workers to a downtown restaurant where they’re seen happily wining and dining on Bordeaux, steak, lobster and escargot. This restaurant is located right across from a camp. In contrast, 25 year-old Wilna Vital who, despite the billions of dollars raised as a result of the disaster, still lives in a poorly-built camp and she and her children remain malnourished.

Thus there are several uncomfortable questions to ponder, a central one being: to what extent are major disaster relief organizations (such as the American Red Cross) profiteering from the very same disasters they have been built to protect people against?

In Port-au-Prince, amidst the people aimlessly walking on dirt roads, the sound of nearby honking vehicles and others looking straight into the camera, dejected to their fates, the backdrop is reminiscent of a war-torn city. Debris and broken stones litter the streets and the buildings barely stand, nearly crumbled. For many Haitians, the sights and sounds of urban life linger despite the inescapable ruins. One unidentified man wonders why he “always sees the same things, but nothing ever changes.”

Haiti: Where Did The Money Go? screens Monday January 21, at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. This Montreal premiere screening is co-presented by Canada Haiti Action Network & Rézistans Haïtienne. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

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