Stories about Film from June, 2012
St. Lucia: Our Own Stories
Nkrumah Lucien reviews Davina Lee's debut feature film The Coming of Org: “It is indeed important for us to tell more of our own stories, too reflect adequately on ourselves not to reproduce images of ourselves tailored by others and to steer away from cliché and the narrow uncritical Hollywood stereotypes.”
Kyrgyzstan: Cartoons Expose Ills of Patriarchal Society
The Kyrgyzstani art group ‘705’ [ru] has produced a number of hand-drawn animation films [ru] that criticize the conventions and norms of a patriarchal society. Domestic violence and the oppression of women in such a society are two big themes in these films.
Latvia: Jackie Chan Blogs About Filming in Jelgava
Facebook page “If you like Latvia, Latvia likes you” highlights movie star Jackie Chan's April 2012 blog post, in which he shared his “impressions about 15 day long filming of movie stunts in Jelgava, Latvia, plus lots of photos. He tells about flying experience in Aerodium vertical wind tunnel, which...
Nicaragua: The Continued Struggle to End Child Labor
It hasn't been easy to try and stop child labor in Nicaragua. While some families are seeing value in getting their children educated and are responding to awareness campaigns, for others child labor is the way they keep their families afloat.
Bangladesh: Is a Cartoon Teaching Kids to Speak Foreign Language and Lie?
A popular cartoon show aired on the Disney Channel India dubbed in Hindi has stirred a debate in Bangladesh. It is claimed that long exposure to the Japanese anime show Doraemon is prompting children to learn to speak Hindi and also tell lies.
Egypt: Documentary on Female Journalist of the Revolution going on US Tour
Words of Witness, a documentary on a young female journalist reporting the Egyptian revolution is going on tour in the USA. First in film festivals in California and in New York, then through a crowd-funding initiative they hope to raise funds to go to even more university campuses to share the story of youth, revolution, gender roles and new media.
Afghanistan's First Computer-Animated Movie
Leaving the three decades of war and destruction behind, Afghans make use of modern technology and media to rebuild the country and raise new generations with a brighter vision for the future. ‘Buz-e-Chini‘ (Goat) is the country's first ever 3D computer-animated short film.
Egypt: Right to Housing initiative
Egyptian blogger and urbanism researcher Yahia Shawkat, in association with Mosireen, a citizen-journalism collective, and the Arab Digital Expression Foundation, ADEF have recently launched the “Right to Housing, a Socially Just and Sustainable Built Environment” initiative. This video, subtitled in English, entitled “No sir these are self-built communities” is the first episode...
Tajikistan: Using Films to Promote Inter-Ethnic Tolerance
With the government of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan engaged in an ‘undeclared cold war‘ over regional water and energy resources, the conflict also stokes tensions between major ethnic groups in the two countries. A religious group in Tajikistan is using short silent films to teach people about the importance of inter-ethnic...
Video: WITNESS Series on How to Film Protests
WITNESS has published a series of videos on How to Film Protests, meant as guidelines to ensure that the video documentation serves as evidence of the events for advocacy purposes while also protecting the people who appear in the footage.
Tajikistan: After Being Banned, ‘The Dictator’ Movie Goes Viral
After the new spoof blockbuster, 'The Dictator', was banned in Tajikistan, it has become one of the most searched for movies in the country's pirate-DVD shops. Tajik netizens believe that there is a direct link between the ban and the movie's popularity in the country.
Mexico: Netizens Weigh in on Documentary “Gimme The Power”
Mexicans weigh in on a politically charged documentary about the rock band Molotov. The film was released on Friday, June 1, 2012, exactly one month before the presidential elections.
Azerbaijan: Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator Withdrawn
Uncut, an Index on Censorship blog, says that Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator has been withdrawn from a cinema in Baku, the capital of oil-rich Azerbaijan, for ‘technical reasons.’ The blog draws comparisons between the lifestyle and rule of the fictional Admiral General Aladeen and Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev.
India, Pakistan: A New Peace Film Project
Teeth Maestro reports that Ali Kapadia, a Pakistani filmmaker, has recently started a film project which talks about Peace between Pakistan and India.
Africa: African Perspectives Online
African Perspectives is an online platform for Africans on the continent or in the Diaspora – that is People of African Descent – to showcase their very own perspective on a given situation, a cultural event in their region, talk and discuss approaches of investments in their country or how...
Kazakhstan Joins the Central Asian Ban on ‘The Dictator’
Following in the footsteps of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan has stopped [ru] showing The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen‘s latest spoof blockbuster. Baron Cohen's 2006 comedy film, Borat, which ridicules Kazakhstan has also been banned in the country. Responding to the news, @registan_net tweets: ‘Come on, Kazakhstan, people are going to start thinking you...
Taiwan: Flying Fish Season on Orchid Island
Every spring, when the flying fish are carried to Taiwan by the Kuroshio Current, Tao fishermen from Orchid Island are waiting for them. In fact, Tao culture is very much connected with the flying fish season.
