Stories about Film from April, 2013
The Russian Opposition “Snake Pit”
The Russian opposition is at war with itself, and it’s thanks to more than the usual ideological tectonics. The various fault lines that infamously allow the Kremlin to “divide and conquer” Russia’s would-be saviors are indeed political, but the divisions are every bit as much about idiosyncrasies and shady dealings. Just look at May 6.
China Censors Film Director's Censorship Slam
Feng Xiaogang, one of the most famous movie directors in China, when giving a speech when he accepted the honor of Director of Year from the China Film Directors Guild on 12 April, criticized the censorship system in Chinese movie industry. However, in the video showing his speech, the word...
Banned Occupy Nigeria Documentary Goes Viral
A Nigerian documentary about the government's removal of a fuel subsidy last year, which sparked the country's Occupy Nigeria protest, has gone viral on the Nigerian blogosphere after authorities banned the film.
China's Anti-Japanese TV War Dramas Knocked for Vulgarity
The Chinese entertainment industry's incessant production of anti-Japanese TV dramas, under the scrutiny of netizens for a while now, has hit a nerve with China's state-controlled media after two photographs from a war drama showing a nude girl saluting a group of Chinese soldiers leaked online.
China Yanks ‘Django Unchained’ from Theaters
Chinese censors abruptly pulled the Oscar-winning movie “Django Unchained” from the country’s cinemas on the day of its premiere in an unexpected about-face after the movie's week-long promotion in China.
China Pulls ‘Django Unchained’
Chinese cinemas cancelled all screenings of Quentin Tarantino's “Django Unchained” last minute on April 11 due to “technical reasons”. Netizens think the theme on freedom is the main reason for the cancellation. Journalist Wu Yonggang wrote[zh] on Sina Weibo, which translated as: The technical issue is a small problem, the bigger...
Chinese Authorities Cancel Indie Film Festival
The Yunnan Multi-Cultural Festival, one of the most important platforms for independent documentary film in China, has been cancelled by authorities without offering an explanation. Cui Weiping, social critic and professor at the Beijing Film Academy, expressed her disappointment on Sina Weibo. She thinks cancellation of this sort of film forum...
VIDEO: Guinea-Bissau Community Radio Serves People, Not Politics
Guinea-Bissau's community radio does much more than fill local airwaves with music, according to the documentary "Voice of the Population". Stations have saved lives during a cholera outbreak, fought against illegal logging, and pushed back against gender discrimination, all the while uniting local communities around the rich musicality of Guinea-Bissau.
Jamaica: Tribute to Ebert
A poetic tribute to Roger Ebert from Jamaican disapora blogger Geoffrey Philp.
Jamaica: Rehabilitation History
Active Voice says that a new film about an innovative rehabilitation programme that uses music as a tool, fails to acknowledge Jamaica's “rich history” in “cutting edge” prison rehabilitation methods, thereby missing an opportunity to “to provide some of the fascinating background to a restorative justice initiative that needs to...
