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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Jewish Activists try to sail to Gaza
The New York Times reported that Jewish peace activists tried to sail to Gaza but were stopped by the Israeli army, among them a well-known Israeli passenger, Rami Elhanan, whose daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. Coincidentally the family's story is told in the Icarus documentary- THE BOMBING.
The Associated Press reports that Iranian authorities shut down the office of a human rights group led by Nobel Peace Prize winnerShirin Ebadi on Sunday as the group was preparing to honor a political activist who spent 17 years in prison in the Islamic republic.
Learn more about Ebadi and her endeavors in the documentary SHIRIN EBADI, A SIMPLE LAWYER as it features an in-depth interview conducted in her Tehran office, speeches at numerous international conferences, and a visit to the children's center she founded.
A recent article in The New York Times, "Love on Girls' Side of the Saudi Divide", examines the lives of young Saudi women under the strict Islamic laws of their country. With attitudes ranging from rebellious pranks such as dressing as men to venture outside, to an outspoken admiration for their devout brothers and the religious police, these young women offer an interesting portrait of women's place in Saudi society and the effects of the segregation between male and female populations.
In SAUDI SOLUTIONS, filmmaker Bregtje van der Haak, the first Western filmmaker ever granted permission to film the lives of Saudi women, takes us inside this closed society where fewer than five percent of women work. She profiles several women with professional careers and asks them to explain what it means to be a modern woman in a fundamentalist Islamic society.
As worldwide demand for oil increses and prices continue to increase accordingly, energy resources are increasingly being used for political leveraging. As reported in the Washington Post on Wednesday, November 14, as governments gain increasing revenues from oil drilling, they also gain increasing bargaining power with the private companies who drill for the oil. This often forces production at below capacity as the private companies simply cannot afford to pay the prices asked by the governments with control of oil producing countries. Because of the decreased production, it appears that within a few years, as energy demand from developing countries increases, the supply will no longer be able to meet demand or the high prices will have to dampen the demand.
ENERGY WAR is a global investigation into the geopolitical dynamics of the world's oil supply. It explores how the governments which control most of the oil are wielding their power on the world stage.
Nearly 11,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons. Israel considers them security threats while Palestinians view the imprisonments as political. This week, BBC News reports Israel will release 250 prisoners as a goodwill gesture toward negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, an emergency government set up in response to the popular election of Hamas, which is widely regarded as a terrorist organization.
HOTHOUSE by Shimon Dotan goes inside some of these highest security prisons in Israel to reveal first-hand the stories of men and women being held.
As reported in the New York Times, the legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz was performing in Beirut again at last. As she stepped onto the stage, some in the audience cried and others cheered. In recent days fears that civil war might return have swirled. All the while, Beirutis of every sectarian stripe seemed to agree on this: Fairuz must sing as planned.
In the Arab world, the emotional resonance this diva commands is difficult to overstate. From Damascus to Ramalla to Amman, Fairuz’ unmistakable deep, quavering tones echo remind people of the long-lost rhythms of village life and the longer-lost, golden years of peace.
Our intimate film WE LOVED EACH OTHER SO MUCH portrays the love Beirut inhabitants have for this diva. Their reminiscences, combined with Fairuz' songs and her story, provide a moving commentary on Lebanon's tumultuous history.
Iran Bans Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi's Rights Group
As reported on Yahoo News and around the world, Iran has declared as "illegal" a human rights group headed by Nobel Peace laureate Shirin Ebadi and vowed to prosecute its continued activities. But Ebadi, quoting Iran's constitution, responded that her center did not require a permit.
The acclaimed documentary SHIRIN EBADI: A SIMPLE LAWYER is an in-depth profile of the groundbreaking attorney, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her tireless fight for democracy and human rights, in particular the struggle for the rights of women and children.
Shia Muslim pilgrims on the road to the holy city of Kerbala faced a highway of bullets and bombs for intended for them on Friday, as reported on Yahoo News and elsewhere. Why do the pilgrims risk their lives to make this journey? What are the roots of these religious sojourns? And what is it like to make this pilgrimmage?
In 2004, following a 30-year moratorium during Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, Iraq's Shiite Muslim population were free to commemorate Ashura, the most important holy day on the Shiite calendar. Shia adherents from throughout the Mideast made the pilgrimage to Kerbala, Iraq's Holy City, to visit the tomb of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas. In THE ROAD TO KERBALA, filmmaker Katia Jarjoura joins the procession with Hamid el Mokhtar, a Shi'ite poet and novelist imprisoned during Saddam's regime.
SHI'ISM: WAITING FOR THE HIDDEN IMAM illuminates the historical roots of this branch of Islam with a blend of contemporary and historical footage, interviews with Muslim scholars, philosophers, writers, politicians and religious leaders in Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and visits Shia holy sites, including the Tomb of Imam Hussein in Kerbala.
U.S. Troop Increase in Iraq During Shi'ite Holiday Pilgrimage Surge
As reported in today's New York Times and elsewhere, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld gave a strong hint that American troop levels in Iraq might be increased in coming days to help protect a surge of Shi'ite pilgrims expected to visit Muslim shrines in coming weeks. The holiday pilgrimages are to holy sites in Najaf and Kerbala, predominantly Shiite areas where the potential for sectarian violence would be of great concern.
Two recent releases provide crucial background information about Shi'ite muslims: their beliefs (including holidays) and motivations. SHI'ISM travels across Iran, Lebanon and Iraq a cross-section of major contemporary Shiite figures discuss and debate the history, theology and values of this minority branch of Islam. In THE ROAD TO KERBALA filmmaker Katia Jarjoura joins pilgrims on the 100-kilometer walk from Baghdad to Kerbala.
Hundreds of legal noncitizens were swept up in the weeks after 9/11, held for months in a much-criticized federal detention center in Brooklyn as "persons of interest" to terror investigators, and then deported. This week, as reported in the New York Times, one of them is back in New York and another is due today - the first to return to the United States.
Set in a bare room that functions variously as interrogation room, prison cell and home, our acclaimed film PERSONS OF INTEREST consists of a series of intimate encounters with twelve detainees and family members, who share their stories. Video Librarian gave the film, " * * * * (4 out of 4 stars!) Editor's Choice! Highly Recommended! Sure to generate intense feelings of shame, revulsion, and sadness... while also sparking fruitful discussion."
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