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From: Ajay Bhardwaj <ajayunmukt@...> Add Address
Date: 2005/12/26 Mon PM 06:36:01 GMT+05:30

TRI Continental Film Festival 2006

Dear Fred, Hi! I am forwarding you this message as docu2
doesn't accept attachments. These attachments have details of
tricontinental docu film festival in the five metro cities of
India. Wish you (belated) merry christmas and a happy new
year. Warmly Ajay
------------------------------------------
AJAY BHARDWAJ
B-3 / 3259, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi -110070
Phone 91- 011- 26898610.


PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

Contact:
Monica Mody/ Alika Khosla
91 11 2617 6181/ 85
tri-cff@...

BREAKTHROUGH PRESENTS

TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006 Human Rights in Frames

Moving images speak to us as nothing else does. Films can
enthrall and educate: the TRI Continental Film Festival
demonstrates this. Successfully bringing to India the finest
human rights cinema from the global south, for a second time,
the festival has been organized by Breakthrough, a human
rights organization that uses media, education and popular
culture to promote values of dignity, equality and justice.

Popular Sufi rock singer Rabbi Shergill opens the 3-day
festival in Delhi on January 21, after which the festival
travels to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata in the two
weeks following.

The 16 documentaries selected this year have won accolades
all over the world. A jury of five -- Amar Kanwar, Arjun
Chandramohan Bali, Ira Bhaskar, Rituparno Ghosh and Shohini
Ghosh -- will award one of these with the Jury Prize.
Additionally, the non-competitive section showcases 4
outstanding features.

Filmmakers will be present to discuss their films following
certain screenings.

Initiated in Latin America in 2002, South Africa in 2003 and
India in 2004, the TRI Continental Film Festival (3CFF) has
become an annual platform for narrative, documentary, feature
and short length films in the 3 continents. In the last year,
the first 3CFF in India has travelled to Bangalore,
Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, and
Pune, reaching students and practitioners of human rights and
film, IITs as well as cultural institutions, focused groups
as well as general audiences. These films spark discussions,
debates and conversations everywhere around human rights and
social justice issues.

In this yeae's festival, find out what it means to be young,
talented and a 'born criminal' ('Acting like a Thief'). Meet
musicians and activists from the 'other' Americas ('Rebel
Music Americas'). Watch the global media fight the war in
Iraq ('Weapons of Mass Deception'). Join the global
resistance to water privatization ('Thirst').

City/ Dates/ Venue
New Delhi/ Jan 21 to 23/ India Habitat Centre
New Delhi/ Jan 22 to 23/ Alliance Francaise
Mumbai/ Jan 25 to 27/ NCPA Little Theatre
Bangalore/ Jan 29 to 31/ Alliance Francaise
Chennai/ Feb 1 to 2/ Film Chamber Theatre
Kolkata/ Feb 3 to 5/ Nandan

For details, visit www.breakthough.tv.
###

In collaboration with:
Uhuru Productions, South Africa
Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI)
Habitat Film Club, New Delhi
Alliance Francaise Delhi
JACIC, Mumbai
Suchitra Film Society, Bangalore
Alliance Francaise Bangalore
Indo-Cine Appreciation Forum, Chennai
Cine Central, Kolkata
Swayam, Kolkata

breakthrough presents TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006
Human Rights in Frames

January 21 to 23, 2006
Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI, Habitat Film
Club & Alliance Francaise Delhi


January 21

6.30 pm INAUGURATION

7.15 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE
No More Tears Sister by Helene Klodawsky (80
min)
Beauty Will Save the World by Pietra
Brettkelly (62 min)


January 22

6.30 pm EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE
14 Episodes by Murad Mazaev (9 min)
Weapons of Mass Deception by Danny Schechter
(98 min)

8.20 pm CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Acting like a Thief by Kerim Friedman and Shashwati Talukdar
(15 min) Filmmakers present
Sisters in Law by Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi (106 min)


January 23

6.30 pm HOME AND BELONGING
The Concrete Revolution by Xiaolu Guo (61
min)
Traje: Women and Weaving in Guatemala by
Phoebe Hart (10 min)
The House on Gulmohar Avenue by Samina Mishra (30 min)
Filmmaker present

8.15 pm IN A VEIN IRREVERENT
West Bank Story by Ari Sandel (22 min)

8.40 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA
Zulu Love Letter by Ramadan Suleman (100 min)


* THE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PASSES AVAILABLE AT THE
VENUE.

breakthrough presents

TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006
Human Rights in Frames

January 22-23, 2006
Alliance Francaise, New Delhi

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI, Habitat Film
Club & Alliance Francaise Delhi

January 22

10.30 am EMERGING SONGS
Angola saudades from the one who loves you by Richard
Pakleppa (65 min)
Kitte Mil Ve Mahi by Ajay Bhardwaj (72 min) Filmmaker present

1.00 pm EMERGING SONGS
Rebel Music Americas by Malcolm Guy and Marie Boti (79 min)

2.30 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA
Homecoming by Norman Maake (90 min)

4.00 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES
The Take by Avi Lewis (87 min)


January 23

10.30 am CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Justiça by Maria Ramos (102 min)

12.15 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES
Thirst by Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow (62
min)

1.30 pm BODY/CONTROL
Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan by Petr Lom
(52 min)
Sancharram by Ligy Pullapally (107 min)

4:15 pm Rescreening: JURY PRIZE WINNER

* THE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PASSES AVAILABLE AT THE
VENUE.


BREAKTHROUGH PRESENTS
TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006
Human Rights in Frames

January 29 to 31, 2006
Alliance Francaise, Bangalore

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI, Suchitra Film
Society & Alliance Francaise Bangalore


January 29

10.30 am HOME AND BELONGING
The Concrete Revolution by Xiaolu Guo (61
min)
Traje: Women and Weaving in Guatemala by
Phoebe Hart (10 min)
The House on Gulmohar Avenue by Samina Mishra
(30 min)

1.00 pm BODY/CONTROL
Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan by Petr Lom
(52 min)
Sancharram by Ligy Pullapally (107 min)

4:30 pm EMERGING SONGS
Angola saudades from the one who loves you by Richard
Pakleppa (65 min)

6.:00 pm INAUGURAL CEREMONY

6:30 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE
No More Tears Sister by Helene Klodawsky (80
min)

January 30

10:30 am EMERGING SONGS
Kitte Mil Ve Mahi by Ajay Bhardwaj (72 min)
Rebel Music Americas by Malcolm Guy and Marie Boti
(79 min)

1:30 pm EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE
14 Episodes by Murad Mazaev (9 min)
Weapons of Mass Deception by Danny Schechter
(98 min)

3:30 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE
Beauty Will Save the World by Pietra
Brettkelly (62 min)

5:00 pm CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Justa by Maria Ramos (102 min)

7:00 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA
Homecoming by Norman Maake (90 min)

January 31

10:30 am CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Acting like a Thief by Kerim Friedman and
Shashwati Talukdar (15 min) Playwright Dakxin
Bajrange present for interaction Sisters in
Law by Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi (106
min)

1:15 pm IN A VEIN IRREVERENT
West Bank Story by Ari Sandel (22 min)

1:45 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES The Take by Avi Lewis (87
min) Thirst by Deborah Kaufman and Alan
Snitow (62 min) Filmmakers present

4:30 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Zulu Love Letter
by Ramadan Suleman (100 min)

6:30 pm Rescreening: JURY PRIZE WINNER


*THE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PASSES AVAILABLE AT THE
VENUE.

breakthrough presents
TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006
Human Rights in Frames

January 25 to 27, 2006
Little Theatre, NCPA

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI & JACIC

January 25

10.30 am HOME AND BELONGING
The Concrete Revolution by Xiaolu Guo (61
min)
Traje: Women and Weaving in Guatemala by
Phoebe Hart (10 min)
The House on Gulmohar Avenue by Samina Mishra
(30 min)

1.00 pm BODY/CONTROL
Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan by Petr Lom
(52 min)
Sancharram by Ligy Pullapally (107 min)

4:30 pm EMERGING SONGS Angola saudades from the one
who loves you by Richard Pakleppa (65 min)

5:40 pm INAUGURAL CEREMONY

6:30 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE
No More Tears Sister by Helene Klodawsky (80
min)


January 26

10:30 am EMERGING SONGS Kitte Mil Ve Mahi by Ajay
Bhardwaj (72 min) Rebel Music Americas by
Malcolm Guy and Marie Boti (79 min)

1:30 pm EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE
14 Episodes by Murad Mazaev (9 min)
Weapons of Mass Deception by Danny Schechter
(98 min)

3:30 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE
Beauty Will Save the World by Pietra
Brettkelly (62 min)

5:00 pm CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Justiça by Maria Ramos (102 min)

7:00 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA
Homecoming by Norman Maake (90 min)


January 27

10:30 am CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Acting like a Thief by Kerim Friedman and
Shashwati Talukdar (15 min) Author of
'Branded by Law', Dilip DSouza, present for
interaction Sisters in Law by Kim Longinotto
and Florence Ayisi (106 min)

1:15 pm IN A VEIN IRREVERENT
West Bank Story by Ari Sandel (22 min)

1:45 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES The Take by Avi Lewis (87
min) Thirst by Deborah Kaufman and Alan
Snitow (62 min) Filmmakers present

4:30 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Zulu Love Letter
by Ramadan Suleman (100 min)

6:30 pm Rescreening: JURY PRIZE WINNER


TRI CONTINENTAL FILM FESTIVAL 2006
February 3 to 5, 2006
Nandan, Kolkata

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI, Cine Central and
Swayam

February 3

4.00 pm HOME AND BELONGING The Concrete Revolution by
Xiaolu Guo (61 min) The House on Gulmohar
Avenue by Samina Mishra (30 min)

5.35 pm BODY/CONTROL Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan
by Petr Lom (52 min)

6.30 pm INAUGURAL CEREMONY

7.00 pm BODY/CONTROL Sancharram by Ligy Pullapally
(107 min)

8.50 pm EMERGING SONGS Rebel Music Americas by
Malcolm Guy and Marie Boti (79 min)

February 4

4.00 pm SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE No More Tears Sister by
Helene Klodawsky (80 min) Beauty Will Save
the World by Pietra Brettkelly (62 min)

6.25 pm EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE 14 Episodes by Murad
Mazaev (9 min) Weapons of Mass Deception by
Danny Schechter (98 min)

8.25 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Homecoming by
Norman Maake (90 min)

February 5

4.00 pm CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Acting like a Thief
by Kerim Friedman and Shashwati Talukdar (15
min) Sisters in Law by Kim Longinotto and
Florence Ayisi (106 min)

6.05 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES The Take by Avi Lewis (87 min)

7.35 pm EMERGING SONGS Angola saudades from the one
who loves you by Richard Pakleppa (65 min)

8.40 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Zulu Love Letter
by Ramadan Suleman (100 min)

* THE SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PASSES AVAILABLE AT THE VENUE.

February 1 & 2, 2006
South Indian Film Chamber Theatre, Chennai

In association with Uhuru Productions, FFSI & Indo-Cine
Appreciation Forum

February 1

11.00 am HOME AND BELONGING The Concrete Revolution by
Xiaolu Guo (61 min) The House on Gulmohar
Avenue by Samina Mishra (30 min)

12.35 pm BODY/CONTROL Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan
by Petr Lom (52 min)

1.30 pm EMERGING SONGS Rebel Music Americas by
Malcolm Guy and Marie Boti (79 min)

2.50 pm CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Acting like a Thief by
Kerim Friedman and Shashwati Talukdar (15
min) Sisters in Law by Kim Longinotto and
Florence Ayisi (106 min)

4.55 pm CIVIL STRUGGLES The Take by Avi Lewis (87
min) Thirst by Deborah Kaufman and Alan
Snitow (62 min) Filmmakers present

7.25 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Zulu Love Letter
by Ramadan Suleman (100 min)


February 2

10.00 am SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE No More Tears Sister
by Helene Klodawsky (80 min)

11.25 am EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE 14 Episodes by Murad
Mazaev (9 min) Weapons of Mass Deception by
Danny Schechter (98 min)

1.15 pm BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA Homecoming by
Norman Maake (90 min)


Title Director Contact Time Year Country Synopsis Awards

BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA

Homecoming FEATURE Norman Maake David Max Brown (producer):
dmaxbrown@... 90 2005 South Africa "Homecoming" is a
story of loves lost, futures promised and the price of
freedom, but above all it is about friendship. Set in 1996,
it is a heart-wrenching thriller about three boyhood friends,
ANC exiles, who come back home to post-apartheid South
Africa. Charlie, Peter and Thabo are forced to deal with the
realities of the apartheid era and their friendship begins to
take on a new meaning. This feature's cast includes South
Africa's most acclaimed actors.

Zulu Love Letter FEATURE Ramadan Suleman Bheki Peterson,
producer: bheki@... 100 2004 South
Africa/France A keen and insightful psychological drama, Zulu
Love Letter presents the emotional journey of two mothers
searching for their daughters. Tormented by the haunting
images and unrelenting grief of the past, single mother and
journalist Thandi has difficulty communicating with her
estranged daughter, Mangi. Thirteen-year old Mangi is deaf
and dumb due to the beating that the pregnant Thandi received
at the same time that her friends, Mike and Dineo, were
murdered by an Apartheid hit squad. Mike and Dineo’s fate
pursues her, especially when Dineo's mother appears
requesting that Thandi testify before the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. Grand Prix Du Mellieur Scenariste-
Special Jury Award, organised by Sopadin, France, 2001

BODY/CONTROL

Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan Petr Lom petr@... 52
2004 Kyrgyzstan/Canada/Czech Rep Bride kidnapping is a common
way of marrying in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet repubilc in
Central Asia. This ancient custom has become more widespread
since Kyrgyzstan’s independence: because of increasing
poverty, many choose to kidnap because they cannot afford the
typically steep bride price asked by a Kyrgyz girl’s family.
Typically, the groom takes several friends, hires a car,
stakes out his bride-to-be's movements, and snatches her off
the street. The woman is taken to the groom's family home. A
delegation is then sent to her family to inform them of the
kidnapping. The abducted woman is kept until someone from her
family arrives to determine whether she will marry her
abductor. The level of consent and the familiarity of the
bride with the groom vary. Sometimes the kidnappings are
consensual - the bride is engaged to the groom and agrees to
her “abduction”, a playful ritual, prior to marriage. But in
many other cases, the bride has never met the groom before
her abduction, and does not want to marry. Recent studies
estimate that about half of all rural marriages in Kyrgyzstan
today are conducted through kidnapping, and that in half of
these marriages the bride is forced to marry against her
will. This documentary - the first to ever document the
custom - follows the dramatic stories of four of
non-consensual kidnappings.

Sancharram (The Journey) FEATURE Ligy Pullapally Jeffrey
Winter, Wolfe Video: jeffreyw@... 107 2004 India Set
in the lush, rural Kerala, The Journey begins with the
childhood friendship between beautiful, outgoing Delilah, a
Christian girl, and the sober, idealistic, and inwardly
focused Kiran, whose Nair family settles next door. They
quickly become inseparable, and in time Kiran feels attracted
to Delilah, but suppresses it. She finds a Bergerac-like
outlet by writing love letters to Delilah for Rajan, a local
boy pursuing her. When Delilah learns the truth about the
letters, she responds – to Kiran. As neighbors begin to talk,
Delilah’s family flies into panic mode with arranged marriage
plans; meanwhile Kiran fights back, leaving Delilah in the
middle of a tug of war. The director achieves in this film a
piquancy that deepens a sensitively drawn story. 40th Chicago
International Film Festival - The Chicago Award for Best
Film; Special Jury Prize- John Abraham Award, Kerela; Jury
Prize- Kerala State Film Awards, 2005; Frameline Film
Completion Award, San Francisco, 2004

CIVIL STRUGGLES

The Take Avi Lewis Jackie Joiner (from Avi Lewis' office):
klp123@... 87 2004 Canada In the wake of Argentina’s
spectacular economic collapse in 2001, Latin America’s most
prosperous middle class finds itself in a ghost town of
abandoned factories and mass unemployment. In suburban Buenos
Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their
idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All
they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple
act - the take - has the power to turn the globalization
debate on its head. Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein take viewers
inside the lives of ordinary visionaries, as they reclaim
their work, their dignity and their democracy.

Thirst Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow secrets@... 62
2004 USA Columbus International Film Festival - The Chris
Statuette, Columbus, Ohio, 2004; Earth Vision Film Festival -
1st Prize, Environment and Social Justice, Santa Cruz,
California, 2004

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Justica Maria Ramos Daniëlle Geuke (distributor)
mail@... 102 2004 Netherlands In Justiça, Maria
Ramos puts a camera where many Brazilians have never been - a
criminal courtroom in Rio de Janeiro, following the daily
routine of several characters. There are those that work
there every day (public attorneys, judges, and prosecutors)
and those that are merely passing through (the accused). The
camera is used as an instrument that sees the social theater,
the structures of power - that is to say, what is, in
general, invisible to us. With her options clear, and
unobscured by her choice for sobriety and simplicity, Maria
Ramos makes it evident that, like documentary making, justice
is a long way from being impartial. How and for whom the
judicial system works for in Brazil is the fundamental
question dealt with in this film, without providing any
definite answers or making preconceived judgements.

Acting Like a Thief Kerim Friedman & Shashwati Talukdar
mail@... 15 2005 India/USA "Acting Like a Thief" is
a short film about the Budhan Theatre of Chharanagar.
Starting with playwright Dakxin Bajrange discussing his
arrest the film brings us inside the lives of a dedicated
group of young actors and their families as they discuss what
it means to be a "born criminal" and how theater changed
their lives. The members of Budhan Theatre are Chhara
tribals. They were notified as "born criminals" by the
British, and imprisoned in a labor camp in Ahmedabad. After
Indian independence they were de-notified, but the stigma of
being a "born criminal" follows them to this day.

Sisters in Law Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi Kim
Longinotto: tg@... 106 2005 UK Selected for
Cannes this year, "Sisters in Law" is a totally fascinating -
often hilarious - look at the work of one small courthouse in
South West Cameroon. The two women at the heart of the doco
wouldn't be out of place in an Alexander McCall Smith
bestseller. As the State Counsel and Court President, they
dispense wisdom, wisecracks and justice in fair measure. The
victims of crime - an abused child, a woman daring to accuse
a man of rape, and another trying to end a brutal marriage in
a society where divorce is taboo - are handled with fierce
compassion. You will feel like cheering when justice is
served. Prix Art Et Essai, Cannes, France, 2005

EMERGING SONGS

Angola saudades from the one who loves you Richard Pakleppa
Neil Brandt (prod): sandman@... 65 2005 Angola The
civil war in Angola tore the country in two for twenty-seven
years. Three years ago peace was negotiated. For the first
time since the country's independence it is united, but it
has also been totally destroyed. Nevertheless, Pakleppa opens
his film with an optimistic promise: "Angola longs for a new
future," sings a woman in Portuguese. A politician, an
ambitious rapper, and a street urchin amidst the worst
possible misery all tell how beautiful and rich Angola
actually is.

Kitte Mil Ve Mahi (Where the Twain Shall Meet) Ajay Bhardwaj
26898610, ajayunmukt@... 72 2005 India Travel to the
heart of Punjab. Enter a world of Sufi shrines worshipped and
looked after by Dalits. Listen to B.S. Balli Qawwal
Paslewale, the first generation Dalit Qawwals born out of
this tradition. Join a fascinating dialogue with Lal Singh
Dil - a radical poet, a Dalit, converted to Islam. Meet the
last living legend of the Gadar movement, Baba Bhagat Singh
Bilga, who contests the subversion of a common past, while
affirming a new consciousness among Dalits, within and beyond
Punjab. "Kitte Mil Ve Mahi" is people's narrative of the
little-known cultural/spiritual universe of Punjab.

Rebel Music Americas Malcolm Guy, Marie Boti mguy@...,
mboti@... 79 2004 Canada From Tierra del Fuego to the
Rio Grande, the "other" Americas are in turmoil, and in the
midst of the social and political movements rocking the
region are four groups of passionate musicians. Theirs is the
music of the America of the South - popular, dynamic,
rebellious and more often than not "anti-American". It's the
rhythms and voices of Afro-Colombian musicians from
communities forcibly displaced by the military; of Lila Downs
and the struggle of women and indigenous peoples in Mexico;
of Santa Reveulta and unemployed workers blocking access to a
refinery in Buenos Aires, and Chico Cesar joining a land
occupation of the Landless Worker's Movement (MST) in Brazil.
Best Documentary - Roma Independent Film Festival

EVERY WAR HAS ITS IMAGE

14 Episodes Murad Mazaev Islam Bashirov (Kaukasus TV
Foundation): info@... 9 2004
Ukraine/Netherlands/Chechen Republic of Ichkerya This
documentary short consists direct and fragmentary narratives
of dead, wounded and fleeing civilians and soldiers from the
first and second Russian-Chechen wars. Torn metal, the bare
face of death, helplessness - nothing is side-stepped,
bearing testimony to the scale and severity of this
extraordinarily savage war. The material was given by the
Ukranian TV reporter Taras Protsuk, killed in Iraq on 8 April
2003, and also Adam Tepsurkaev (killed in Chechnya) and Islam
Saydaev. Melbourne Film International Festival- Award for
Short Film Promoting Human Rights (special citation),
Melbourne, Australia, 2005 International Documentary Film
Festival- Amnesty International Prize, Amsterdam, 2004

Weapons of Mass Deception Danny Schechter
danny@..., Esti Marpet: esti@... 98 2004
USA There were two wars going on in Iraq. One was fought with
armies of soldiers, bombs and a fearsome military force. The
other was fought alongside it with cameras, satellites,
armies of journalists and propanganda techniques. The TV
networks in America considered their non-stop coverage their
finest hour, but different countries saw different wars. Why?
WMD explores this story with the findings of a gutsy, media
insider-turned-outsider, former network journalist, Danny
Schechter, who is also one of America's most prolific media
critics. Denver International Film Festival- Best
Documentary, Denver, USA, 2004

HOME AND BELONGING

The Concrete Revolution Xiaolu Guo xiaolu@... 61
2004 China/UK A meditation on the price which is being paid
for the building of the new China, the film starts with the
unemployed peasants rushing into Beijing to work on the
demolition and the construction of the city. New China uses
these people's desperation to realize its huge ambitions. But
the construction workers don't belong in Beijing, and Beijing
has no place for them either. They long to return to their
hometowns. The director is implicated too - does she also
need to return home? As China sends rockets into space and
prepares to host the 2008 Olympics, this film essay shows a
crucial turning point in China's history and captures a
rapidly disappearing past and erosion of every individual's
roots. International Human Rights Film Festival- Grand Prix,
Paris, 2005

Traje: Women and Weaving in Guatemala Phoebe Hart
hartflicker@... 10 2004 Guatemala The Maya people of
Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, in particular the women, wear
their traditional indigenous dress with pride. Handmade with
a simple backstrap loom and embroidered with designs, symbols
and stories that date back to antiquity, traje poses a
colourful challenge to the pressures of changing values,
global economies, and discrimination threatening the Mayan
weaving practice. The film tells the story of three women who
are resisting the homogenising effects of "western" culture.

The House on Gulmohar Avenue Samina Mishra samina@... 30
2005 India Sometimes the story of a life is the story of a
search to be at home. "The House on Gulmohar Avenue" traces
the personal journey of the filmmaker through the ideas of
identity and belonging. The film is set in a part of New
Delhi called Okhla, where four generations of the filmmaker's
family have lived. An area that is predominantly inhabited by
Muslims. An area that is sometimes also called Mini Pakistan.
The filmmaker's personal history is a hybrid one but she grew
up as a Muslim. Set against a quiet presence of the political
context in India, the film seeks an honest and deeply
personal understanding of what this means - when she is aware
of being Muslim, when does it matter to her and when is it
easier to forget it. In the journey to answer these difficult
questions, the film seeks out encounters with other residents
of Okhla to arrive at a complex understanding of what it can
mean to be a Muslim in India today.

IN A VEIN IRREVERENT

West Bank Story FEATURE Ari Sandel ariari@... 21 2005
USA A musical comedy set in the fast-paced, fast-food world
of competing falalfel stands in the West Bank. David, an
Israeli soldier, falls in love with the beautiful Palestinian
cashier, Fatima, despite the animosity between their
families' dueling restaurants. Can the couple's love
withstand a 2000 year old conflict and their families' desire
to control the future of the chickpea in the Middle East?

SNAPSHOTS OF COURAGE

Beauty Will Save the World Pietra Brettkelly
pietra@... 62 2004 NZ/UK Before Saddam and Osama,
Colonel Muammar Gadaffi was one of the most reviled leaders
in the West. Then in 2002 he hosted the first Miss Net World
beauty pageant, a first for Libya. "Beauty Will Save the
World" follows the exploits of 19 year-old Teca Zendik, the
American contender for the crown. She sets out with her
political loyalties in check, even refusing to wear the
competition uniform - a tshirt emblazoned with Gadaffi's
likeness. How then does she assume the position of honorary
consul to the US for Libya in a mere matter of months? Marvel
at how diplomatic ties are re-established between two nations
while enjoying the behind-the-scenes antics of a beauty
pageant.

No More Tears Sister: An Anatomy of Hope and Betrayal Helene
Klodawsky Moira Keigher (prodn company): m.keigher@...,
heleneklo@... 80 2004 Canada A story of love, revolution
and betrayal, "No More Tears Sister" explores the price of
truth in times of war. Set during the violent ethnic conflict
that has enveloped Sri Lanka over decades, the documentary
recreates the courageous and vibrant life of renowed human
rights activist Dr. Rajani Thiranagama. Mother, anatomy
professor, author and symbol of hope, Rajani was assassinated
at the age of thirty-five. 15 years after Rajani's death, her
charismatic older sister Nirmala, a former Tamil militant and
political prisoner, journeys back to Sri Lanka. She has
decided to break her long silence about Rajani's passionate
life and her brutal slaying. Joining her are Rajani's
husband, sisters and grown daughters, as well as fellow
activists forced underground. Stunningly photographed, using
rare archival footage, intimate correspondence and poetic
recreations, the film recounts Rajani's dramatic story and
delves into rarely explored themes - revolutionary women and
their dangerous pursuit of justice. Columbus International
Film and Video Festival, Worthington, USA, 2005