Salt Spring Island Film Festival 2008
 
 

2007 Festival Favourites

  1. To Play and to Fight
  2. Slow Food Revolution
  3. Power of Community
  4. Shipwrecked
  5. Sound of the Soul
  6. Everything Blue: The Colour of Music
  7. Winking Circle
  8. Shameless: The Art of Disability
  9. Howard Zinn: You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train
  10. Know I'm not Alone

Film list (2007 Films)

Full descriptions follow alphabetical list
9/11 Press for Truth
A Garota
Adbusters: Production of Meaning
Babel
The Bicycle
Bombay Calling
Breaking Ranks
Crossing Arizona
Dead in the Water
The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-Use & Abuse to Africa
Double Dare
Escape to Canada
Everything Blue: The Colour of Music
Favela Rising
The Four Seasons Mosaic
Frankensteer
Global Dimming
Have you heard from Johannesburg?
Howard Zinn: You Can't be Neutral on a Moving Train
I Know I'm not Alone
Independent Intervention: Breaking Silence
Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
The Judge and the Fanatic
Life Running out of Control
Make Way for the Living
The Man Who Couldn't Sleep
My Father, My Teacher
Out of Balance
The Pipe Dream
Popaganda
The Power of Community
Raised to Be Heroes
Ram Dass: Fierce Grace
Rocked: Sum 41 in Congo
Rong Radio
Saltspring Skate Park Promo
Shades of Sammy
Shadow Company
Shameless: The Art of Disability
Shipwrecked
Shut up and Sing (at The Fritz)
Slow Food Revolution
Sound of the Soul
State of Fear: The Truth About Terrorism
A State of Mind
Steal this Film
The Tobacco Conspiracy
To Play and to Fight (Tocar Y Luchar)
Uganda Rising
U.S. V John Lennon (at The Fritz)
The Venus Theory
Why Thee Wed?
The Winking Circle

9/11 Press for Truth 85 min.
Ray Nowosielski, John Duffy
2005
www.911pressfortruth.com

Following the attacks of September 11th, a small group of grieving families waged a tenacious battle against those who sought to bury the truth about the event—including, to their amazement, President Bush. In “9/11 Press for Truth”, six of them, including three of the famous “Jersey Widows”, tell for the first time the powerful story of how they took on the greatest powers in Washington—and won!—compelling an investigation, only to subsequently watch the 9/11 Commission fail in answering most of their questions.

“Press for Truth” is an astonishing portrayal of the lengths our public servants will go to protect themselves from any accountability.

A Garota (The Kid) 6 min.
Fernando Pinheiro
2006
www.agarota.com

A well crafted animation short from Brazil. “A Garota”(The Kid) has no dialogue, and therefore leaves interpretation to up to the viewer. The story animates a child (in black and white) along with the other players (in watercolour) to tell a story of “The Kid” the background consists of a painting on canvas. A visual treat - fun and imaginative.

Adbusters: The Production of Meaning  

Raising serious questions about consumer culture, this collection of Adbusters’ anti-preneurial counterculture video advertisements is culture jamming by the pros, and a primer on “mental environmentalism.” Here is the challenge of media democracy: to change the way information flows, the way we interact with the mass media, the way meaning is produced in our society.

Babel

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

“Babel”, through a series of misunderstandings, interweaves the unfortunate circumstances of a Moroccan, an American, a Mexican and a Japanese family. In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out - detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple’s frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo. This is a complex tale comprised of four interlocking stories.

Winner of a Golden Globe Award for best drama, and nominated for 7 Academies. Babel is a complex and intelligently crafted film – one that you won’t want to miss!

The Bicycle 14 min.
  2006 NFB
  Katerina Cizek
Every day in southern Malawi Pax Chingawale pedals his bicycle over 20 kilometres to visit his neighbours. Throughout his travels he fights AIDS at the grassroots level. Pax works primarily with traditional healers – those influential community members who often unwittingly contribute to the spread of the disease. He also goes in search of the abandoned, the ill and the people whose lives are being saved by anti retro-virals (ARVs). Pax is not a doctor or a nurse. He’s an HIV-positive retired government auditor who volunteers with Canada’s Dignitas International, helping to develop a model that would make ARV drugs accessible to the world’s most vulnerable populations. This film shows the incredible difference one inspired individual can make.
Bombay Calling 72 min.
2006 NFB
Ben Addelman & Samir Mallal

Bombay Calling dives into a bustling world of late nights, long hours and hard partying to chronicle the rise of a new force in Indian society - the telemarketers.

As the West out-sources more and more tech-related jobs to India, this new generation of call-centre employees works late into the night - trying to perfect their English and American accents - in order to sell to clients half a world away. For their efforts, they are paid more money than their parents ever dreamed of earning. Fast-paced, gritty and fun, this film is a compelling inside look at youth culture in India and the emerging and conflicted middle-class. Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary at the Indian Film Festival of LA.

Breaking Ranks 55 min.
Michelle Mason
2006
www.breakingranksthefilm.com

Breaking Ranks” is a moving documentary that examines the current phenomenon of US soldiers seeking refuge in Canada as part of their resistance to the war effort in Iraq. With intimate access to four American military deserters, their lawyer and families, this film documents their experiences as they try to exercise their consciences amidst profound emotional, ethical and international consequences.

If deported, they face the venom of mainstream American opinion and one to five years in prison. If Canada instead follows the legacy established by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau during the Vietnam War, when Canada welcomed tens of thousands of war resisters, there may well be an unprecedented crisis in U.S.-Canadian relations. Filmed over the course of the refugee process, this provocative film explores the meaning of duty through the powerful testimonies of these young soldiers. . Heroes to some and traitors to others, as these young men navigate the international controversy caused by their decisions, their stories raise challenging questions about citizenship and the meaning of duty.

Crossing Arizona 75min.
  2006 Rainlake Films
  Joseph Mathew
An estimated 4,500 illegal border-crossers venture into the treacherous Arizona desert every day. Most are men in search of work, but women and children also attempt the crossing in hopes of reunion with their families. This influx of migrants and the attendant rising death toll have elicited complicated feelings about human rights, culture, class, labour and national security. Frustrated ranchers repair cut fences while humanitarian groups place water stations in the desert in an attempt to save lives. Political activists rally against anti-migrant ballot initiatives and try to counter rampant fear mongering. Farmers who depend on the illegal work force fear that they may lose their workers to a border patrol sweep. Also in the mix are the Minutemen, an armed citizen patrol group taking border security into their own hands. Crossing Arizona reveals the surprising political positions people take when immigration and border policy fails everyone. Screened at Sundance2005.
Dead in the Water 52 min.
  2006 NFB
  Neil Docherty
One quarter of the world’s population has no access to clean drinking water. Many governments lack either the resources or the will to provide this essential commodity to their citizens. In recent years, a number of powerful companies have viewed this crisis as a business opportunity. In thousands of cities and towns throughout the world, often with the involvement of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, these corporations have attempted to privatize the water supply. Dead in the Water investigates the results of these efforts at privatization in several key locations, and chronicles what many see as the first in a wave of battles in the years to come.
The Digital Dump: Exporting Re-Use and Abuse to Africa 23 min.
  2005 Basel Action Network
  Jim Puckett
This photo-documentary report exposes the ugly underbelly of an escalating global trade in toxic, discarded computers and other e-scrap collected in North America and Europe and sent to developing countries by waste brokers and so-called recyclers. In Lagos, where there is a thriving and legitimate market for refurbished electronic equipment, up to 75% of the estimated five hundred, 40-foot containers full of imported e-scrap every month is considered “junk.” Consequently, this hazardous e-waste is being discarded and routinely burned in what environmentalists call, “yet another cyber-age nightmare now landing on the shores of developing countries.”
Double Dare 81 min.
Amanda Micheli
2003
Jeannie Epper and Zoë Bell have been set on fire, thrown off buildings, dragged by wild horses and hit by cars. As Hollywood stuntwomen, they are the anonymous, blue-collar heroines of film and television, taking the hits that make actors into stars.

Double Dare explores the lives of Jeannie and Zoë, the stunt doubles for Wonder Woman and Xena: Warrior Princess respectively, as they face the challenges of a dangerous and male dominated profession. The real women behind these two world famous icons are at drastically different crossroads in their lives. One a grandmother struggles with the aging process and Hollywood’s death of older female roles; the other, a young woman, is brash and unaware of the history that has preceded her in this notoriously macho field. When Jeannie becomes a mentor for Zoë, these two women, from opposite sides of the world and opposite ends of their careers, find a way to survive in the industry together.

Escape to Canada 81 min.
Albert Nerenberg
2005

Around the world, Canada is known for its beavers, Mounties and winter climate, but a new image of the country is emerging. The story begins in 2003 when by apparent coincidence, gay marriage is legalized and the prohibition of marijuana is removed on the same day. Soon Canadians are not the only ones enjoying their newly forged liberties. Citizens from “The Land of the Free” flock across our border to marry their same-sex partners. Others come to smoke marijuana. AWOL American soldiers arrive seeking refugee status. To many, Canada has become a red-and-white beacon of freedom around the world.

But within months, Canada re-criminalizes marijuana and suddenly there is a new campaign to turn back gay marriage. In his signature no-holds-barred style, Nerenberg weaves these compelling stories into a tongue-in-cheek argument for Canada’s place in the world. In other words, cold Canada could suddenly be cool.

Everything Blue: The Colour of Music (Tudo Azul) 77 min.
Jesse Acevedo
2006

A lovely yet slight overview of the explosive musical traditions in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, “Everything Blue” places Brazilian samba in the context of racial politics. While that vibrant music is considered an expression of the soul of Brazil and a realization of the peoples' joy, it also tells of the long struggle of the blacks to resist discrimination since first being brought to the Americas as slaves. We follow the lives of four black women artists and one famous transvestite as they navigate the favelas. Beautiful to watch and wonderful to listen to.

Favela Rising 80 min.
  2005 Las Americas Film Network
  Jeff Zimbalist & Matt Mochary

Favela Rising documents a man and a movement, a city divided and a favela (Brazilian squatter settlement) united. Haunted by the murders of his family and many of his friends, Anderson Sá is a former drug-trafficker who turns social revolutionary in Rio de Janeiro’s most feared slum. Through hip-hop music, the rhythms of the street and Afro-Brazilian dance he rallies his community to counteract the violent oppression enforced by teenage drug armies and sustained by corrupt police.

“Favela Rising celebrates the strength of the human spirit to assert itself in the face of human rights violations, social injustice, and unexpected adversity. Chronicling the rise to greatness of the AfroReggae movement, the film shows how the music and culture of Brazil's underclass transform into a catalyst for grassroots social-change. But most of all, Favela Rising is the story of a community that works. The success of the film should be judged on how well it serves to activate its viewers; how well it inspires action,” says filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist. This film has received numerous awards including: Film of the Year, International Documentary Association; Best Emerging Documentary Filmmaker, Tribeca Film Festival.

The Four Seasons Mosaic 54 min.
  2005 McNabb/Connolly
  Shari Cohen, Robin Neinstein & Robert Cohen
The Four Seasons Mosaic unveils a remarkable and bold musical endeavour with the reinvention of Antonio Vivaldi's beloved masterpiece, The Four Seasons. Filmed in Nunavut, India, China, and Toronto, the documentary explores how different world cultures have responded to the seasons through music, and asks the question, “What if they all came together?” The Globe and Mail calls this film,“An absolute joy to watch and hear”. Gemini nominations for Best Performing Arts Program, Best Photography and Best Editing.
 
Frankensteer 48 min.
  2005 McNabb/Connolly
  Merrin Cannel & Ted Remerowski
Frankensteer is a disturbing documentary that reveals how the ordinary cow has been turned into an antibiotic-dependent, hormone-laced, potential carrier of toxic bacteria, all in the name of cheaper food. This benign, grazing herbivore has undergone a transformation in how it's raised, fed and slaughtered. Topics covered include the recent changes made to inspection rules that shift the responsibility for food safety away from government inspectors to the workers who do the slaughtering and packing.Consumers, by and large, are totally unaware of the dangers lurking in their beef. According to Mike McBane of the Canadian Health Coalition, "When you bring a package of hamburger home from a supermarket, you have to treat it as toxic material.”
Global Dimming 60 min.
  2005 McNabb/Connolly
  Duncan Copp
This “must-see” film reveals that we may have grossly underestimated the speed at which our climate is changing. In the three days following 9/11 when the entire US airline fleet had been grounded, a climate scientist, Dr. David Travis, noticed how blue the sky was. The absence of vapour trails and the cloud cover they produce was immediate and dramatic. Travis found that the temperature worldwide had increased by an astonishing one degree Celsius during that short period.
It appears that warming from greenhouse gases has been offset by the strong cooling effect of what scientists are calling, “global dimming.” Thus, our climate may be more sensitive to the greenhouse effect than previously believed. This film helps uncover the existing impacts on climactic stability as well as proposes what may lie ahead unless the global population takes meaningful action.
Have you heard from Johannesburg? 90min.
Connie Field
2006

A just cause can gain momentum, and we need to understand how. This compelling new film from Connie Field demonstrates that civil disobedience can work. To breakdown apartheid was one of the greatest human achievements of the 20th century. It was as recently as the 1980’s that the longest running acts of civil disobedience in US history took shape and effect. Over a period of two years, 40,000 people were arrested, including students, celebrities (Stevie Wonder, Tony Randall, Harry Belafonte) and congressmen.

This story offers a word of hope. It demonstrates that acts of protest and conscience, so often dismissed as pointless, can gradually accumulate into an irresistible force for change.

Howard Zinn, You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train 78 min.
  2004 First Run Features
  Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller
Narrated by Matt Damon, and featuring music by Pearl Jam, Woody Guthrie, and Billy Bragg, this film looks at how Howard Zinn is inspiring a new generation of hope during these turbulent times. This acclaimed documentary explores the amazing life of the renowned historian, activist and author. Following his early days as a shipyard labour organizer and bombardier in World War II, Zinn became an academic rebel and leader of civil disobedience in a time of institutionalized racism and war. His influential writings both illuminate and bring voice to factory workers, immigrant laborers, African-Americans, Native-Americans and the working poor.
Featuring rare archival materials, You Can’t Be Neutral captures the essence of this extraordinary man who has been a catalyst for progressive change for more than 60 years
I Know I’m Not Alone 86 min.
  2006 Stay Human Films
  Michael Franti and Catherine Enny
Michael Franti, world-renowned musician and human rights worker, travels to Iraq, Palestine and Israel to explore the human cost of war with a group of friends, some video cameras and his guitar. A compelling soundtrack, striking visual and musical montages and Franti's intimate commentary make this film appealing to a multi-generational audience.
This is an opportunity to hear the voices of everyday people who are living, creating and surviving under the harsh conditions of war and occupation. With its guerrilla style footage captured in active war zones, I Know I’m Not Alone is unlike the many academic and politically driven pieces provided by the mainstream media – this film is an antidote to despair.
Independent Intervention: Breaking Silence 75 min
2006
Tonje Hessen Schei & David Bee
 
Independent Intervention is an award-winning documentary about the importance of independent media in times of war and corporate control of the media.  It contrasts the mass media’s coverage of the invasion of Iraq with non-embedded independent investigative reporting and shows the brutal realities of war. As the major US networks remove human suffering from their presentation of war, Operation Iraqi Freedom is portrayed as a success for the spread of democracy and freedom. This film shows the absolutely critical role of the independent media, which, in a culture dominated by corporate wealth, gives us hope for democracy.
Iraq For Sale; The War Profiteers 75 min.
  2006 Brave New Films
  Robert Greenwald
The business of war is big business providing billions of dollars to American Corporations. Greenwald uncovers the connections between private contractors making a killing in the war torn country and the decision makers who promote it. Witness this film to understand the unbelievable degree of greed and collusion between corporations and the US military. American soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children have severely suffered the drastic consequences of this immense profiteering taking place to reconstruct Iraq.
The Judge and the Fanatic www.zinnober.de
The interpretation of Islamic texts are the focus of Yemeni Judge Hamoud al Hitar and his Religious Dialogue Committee, which seeks to rehabilitate the most hardened Islamic radicals through a close reading of the Qur'an and the sunna (traditions from the life and teaching of the Prophet Muhammad). Tom Meffert's richly insightful documentary explains how agents of terrorism have systematically sought to change the meaning of Islam to suit their own ends. Far from being a fiery text full of blood and revenge, many of the Qur'an's 124 verses advocate tolerance, peace and hospitality, and advise that non-Muslims should be treated with charity and respect. It is this that the judge tries to make clear to the disaffected young men of his country turning to extremism. Yemen's war of words with the dark heart of terrorism has enormous implications, not just for that country, but the larger world as well.
Life Running Out of Control 60 min.
  2004 McNabb/Connolly
  Bertram Verhaag
Life Running Out of Control offers a uniquely wide-ranging international perspective on the science and ethics of genetic engineering. This film takes us on an enlightening journey to India, Norway, and the forests of Colombia. It offers inspiring images of resistance and hope amidst pressing concerns about the science and ethics of GMOs, corporate control of our food, and the patenting of human, animal, and plant life. A must-see for those who are looking beyond the most immediate health and safety concerns, and seek to understand the wider implications of today's biotechnologies. Golden Lynx for Best Journalistic Achievement, Ökomedia Environmental Film Festival.
Make Way for the Living 5 min.
  Gary McNutt, SOLID & Harry Manx
  2006
This music video shows an 8000 flag installation on Salt Spring Island. The flags represent the humans that die each day due to HIV/AIDS, and due to a lack of a serious response by the wealthy countries of the world. The African reality is from Lesotho and its people. The song is written and performed by local blues artist Harry Manx.
The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep 60 min.
Judy Jackson
2006
website
Filmmaker in attendance
In Judy Jackson’s third film in a trilogy, we set out again with an indefatigable Stephen Lewis on one of his last missions to assess the global response and continue his own emotional-roller coaster journey. With him we visit South Africa and Lesotho. We see his delight and pain at witnessing the strength and carnage at the grassroots level. In Lesotho, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic, there is new optimism. Lazarus-like, the sick are rising from their deathbeds, thanks to a rollout of antiretroviral drugs.

It was his despair at watching people die wretchedly, often without even a bar of soap, which led him to create “The Stephen Lewis Foundation”. There has been an overwhelming response to the Foundation from Canadians. From coast to coast we have raised money in countless ways. It comes mostly in small amounts and from people who don't have much—$250 from a bake sale here, $300 from a dinner or a dance there. And it keeps coming—a balm for a sleepless man.

My Father, My Teacher 52 min.
Dennis Allen, Ken Malenstyn
2005
website

It's a crisp summer day, and a pod of belugas has been spotted in the distance. Dennis Allen and his 77-year-old father, Victor, climb into a boat and head onto the water. They're in good spirits as they prepare to carry on the deeply rooted Inuvialuit tradition of the whale hunt. But, it hasn't always been this simple. Dennis candidly reveals the reasons he severed ties with his family as a youth, falling instead into addiction. Today, he is fighting to restore broken links to his culture and community, beginning with his father.

This documentary captures a delicate and evolving relationship as they come together in the spectacular settings of Baby Island and the Mackenzie Delta in Canada's Western Arctic. My Father My Teacher” is an extraordinary look athe the handing down of a precious family legacy from a father to his son.

Out of Balance: ExxonMobil’s Impact on Climate Change 65 min.
Tom Jackson
2006

ExxonMobil, the world’s largest corporation, has tremendous power. While the Earth’s climate is pushed further out of balance by increasing use of fossil fuels, ExxonMobil continues to assert undue influence around the world— making record profits while ignoring climate science for which there has been overwhelming consenus for over ten years.

In a quest for even greater power and wealth, they impact policy, people and even the eco system itself. “Out of Balance” does not just critique ExxonMobil, it also offers challenging, large-scale ideas for the global social changes that must take place if there’s any chance of having a livable planet for future generations.

The Pipe Dream 60 Min.
Liam Walsh
2006

Saltspring Island filmmaker Liam Walsh follows Whistler-based local heroes, Dan Raymond and Crispin Lipscomb as they reach for their dream of Olympic gold. Walsh captures an insider look at how youth snowboard culture goes mainstream.

The film follows these once unknown snowboarders along their personal journeys from hard working snowboard instructors to joining the national team, achieving gold medals and high rankings at international competitions and sponsorship endorsements, and eventually to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turino.

POPaganda: The Art and Crimes of Ron English 85 min.
Pedro Carvajal
2005

“POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron English” is a film about the culture-jamming and billboard-liberation antics of Ron English. The modern day Robin Hood of Madison Avenue, Ron paints, perverts, infiltrates, reinvents and satirizes modern culture on canvas, in songs, and directly on hundreds of pirated billboards. Shot entirely guerilla-style, the film chronicles the evolution of an artist who offers an alternative universe where nothing is sacred, everything is subverted and there's always room for a little good-natured fun.

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil 53 min.
Faith Morgan
2006

In this documentary, ordinary Cubans talk about the immediate hardships they faced following the Soviet collapse in 1990, when their massive subsidies of imported oil and food to Cuba were halted. Their GDP dropped by more than one third, transportation nearly stopped and food became scarce - the average Cuban lost 20 pounds during the first years of this economic crisis.

With the loss of Soviet oil, Cuba was forced to undergo an artificial "Peak Oil." This documentary explores how this island nation, through its focus on community, managed not only to survive but to transform their entire society to a sustainable, local organic agriculture, and renewable energy system.

Raised to be Heroes 40 min.
Jack Silberman
2006

They will fight for their country, they will die for their country, but not in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And although they act on conscience, they pay a steep personal price. After years of executing missions against the Palestinians, often involving violence and oppression, some soldiers now believe their country’s actions are inhumane. These Refuseniks are confronted with an excruciating dilemma: do they obey orders and continue a cycle of aggression and revenge? Or do they refuse to serve, risking vehement backlash and condemnation form family, friends and society.

Ram Dass: Fierce Grace 90 min.
Mickey Lemle
2002

“Fierce Grace” is a portrait of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), author, 60s guru, spiritual teacher, cohort of Timothy Leary, and author of “Be Here Now”, one of the most influential books of the 1970s. The film begins in the present, as Ram Dass deals with the effects of a massive stroke he suffered in February 1997 that left him physically incapacitated, and with impaired memory and speech. “This stroke was a great trauma for me personally. It was unexpected, uninvited, and it changed every aspect of my life. For the past few years, I have tried to use the stroke as a way to get closer to God. It has been Fierce Grace!”

Interweaving interviews with people in his life and archival footage, filmmaker Mickey Lemle looks back at his childhood, recalls the controversy surrounding his research with Timothy Leary in psychedelics at Harvard, and remembers his studies in India with Neem Karoli Baba, who renamed him Baba Ram Dass (Servant of God). He dedicated his service work to the Seva Foundation to help relieve suffering in the world. As an author and guru Ram Dass has impacted millions of followers.

Rocked: Sum 41 in 50 min.
Congo 2005 War Child Canada
  Adrian Callender
Rocked is a grippingly honest and unscripted account of an African country in turmoil as seen through the eyes of acclaimed rock band, Sum 41. The war in Congo has been characterized as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and the most deadly war ever documented in Africa.
The film crew follows the musical group, Sum 41, as they meet Congolese children and youth caught in the crossfire, including child soldiers and victims of assault. Sum 41's harrowing experience is caught on film as they witness firsthand what it is like to struggle for survival in a country where, since 1998, more than three million people have been killed and war has been more prevalent than peace.
Rong Radio 8 min.
  2004 Guerilla News Network
  Kary Stewart
The British Honours system originated in the 14th century and is a series of different awards given for exceptional achievement or service. The Order of the British Empire or OBE is one of these awards. Benjamin Zephaniah is a Jamaican-born British poet, writer and musician. He is best known for his works for children and also his vociferous left of centre approach to political and social issues. When the Queen and British Prime Minister Tony Blair added him to the honours list for an OBE in service to the arts, Zephaniah’s response was “Me? OBE me? Up yours.”
Salt Spring Skate Park 8 min.
Ryan Fogarty
2005

Ryan Fogarty has captured the essence of the spirit of community building on Salt Spring Island. This project has been enchantingly documented, from start to finish and is a clear testament to the importance of meeting the recreational passions of our youth on Salt Spring Island. It is thoroughly entertaining, informative and just amazing to watch.

Shades of Sammy 6 min.
Natalya Alonso
2006

The winner of last year's scholarship to the Gulf Islands Film and Television School (GIFTS) made a film, in one week! She and her collaborators participated in the Media Intensive Program Week, and this is the result. Natalya will be there to introduce her film, and tell you about the process.

Shadow Company Nick Bicanic
2006
website
The rules of war have changed. With over $100 billion in annual revenues, and 70,000 employees in Iraq alone, the private military industry is booming, yet few civilians know anything about it. Shadow Company takes you deep inside this secret world that is changing the face of modern warfare. What are we really risking by allowing profit-motivated corporations into the business of war?
Shameless: the Art of Disability 72 min.
  2006 NFB
  Bonnie Sherr Klein
Art, activism and disability are the starting points for this story that unfolds into a funny and intimate portrait of five surprising individuals. Director Bonnie Sherr Klein is renown as a pioneer of women’s cinema and this film marks Klein’s return to a career interrupted by a catastrophic stroke in 1987. She now turns the lens on the world of disability culture and the transformative power of art. Joining Klein are artists with diverse (dis)abilities; humourist David Roche, poet and scholar Catherine Frazee, dancer and impresario Geoff McMurchy, sculptor and writer Persimmon Blackbridge. As we get to know each of these remarkable people driven by a passion for art and transformation, the everyday complexities and unexpected richness of life with a disability are exposed.
Shipwrecked 10 min.
Devon Bolton
2006

Filmed at Beddis Beach on Salt Spring Island a lonely boy follows tiny footprints, uncovering artifacts left behind. Clue by clue he pieces together the most amazing of stories. With the sudden intrusion of his mother – his journey is abruptly halted when he finds all is not as it seems. Or is it?

Shipwrecked is a tale of imagination, intrigue and the capacity for embracing the remarkable. A film of pure delight – not to be missed.

Shut up and Sing!  

“Shut up and Sing” travels with the Dixie Chicks, from the peak of their popularity as the national anthem singing darlings of country music and top-selling female recording artists of all time, through the now infamous anti-Bush comment made by lead singer Natalie Maines in 2003. The film follows the band over three years during which they were under political attack and received death threats. At a time when the US is supposedly fighting for democracy and freedom around the globe, the film raises questions about US freedom of speech and the negative consequences of the “War on Terror.”

Slow Food Revolution 52 min.
  2005 McNabb/Connolly
  Carlo Buralli
Traditional foods are at risk of disappearing forever, as a speed-obsessed world culture increasingly turns to fast food. In order to counter this trend, there is an international gastro-economic movement known as ‘Slow Food’. Its aim is to protect traditional culture, the environment and biodiversity by encouraging regional food production and enjoyment. The movement is now active in 45 countries around the world. Towns like Orvieto, Italy, have declared themselves to be "slow cities", free of fast food outlets, neon and noise. Beautifully photographed around the globe, Slow Food Revolution is a celebration of sustainability, seasonality and the quality of the earth's bounty.
Sound of the Soul: The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music 68 min.
Stephen Olsson
2005

The ancient city of Fez in Morocco hosts “The World Sacred Music Festival”. A gathering of musicians from diverse religious and secular traditions and artists, scientists, spiritual leaders, philosophers and international development representatives is held to promote peace. “The Fez” was founded over a decade ago in response to the Persian Gulf War and the world’s growing religious intolerance. The astonishing variety of performances makes clear the power of music as direct communication while underlining our fundamental interconnectedness.

State of Fear: the Truth About Terrorism 94 min.
Paco de Onis, Pamela Yates & Peter Kinov
2005

How can an open society balance demands for security with democracy? Based on the findings of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the filmmakers blend personal testimony, history and archival footage to tell the story of escalating twenty year violence in this Andean nation. "Military justice" replaced civil authority, while widespread abuses by the Peruvian Army went unpunished. Nearly 70,000 people died and now the efforts for reconciliation are welcomed by all Peruvians.

A State of Mind 92 min.
Daniel Gordon
2004

“An extraordinary documentary … a rare picture of a secret and little understood country.” The Guardian

Daniel Gordon, follows the stories of two young schoolgirls preparing to be gymnasts in North Korea’s Mass Games, A State of Mind and offers us an unparalleled glimpse into one of the world’s least known societies. The British filmmaker received permission from the North Korean government to follow the two young girls and their families for eight months leading up to the Mass Games, and was given unprecedented access to the lives and stories of this otherwise sealed-off state. This film is a rare glimpse into a little-known world.

Steal This Film!  

We take a look at a hot topic for youth in the 21st century. The title, a take off on Abbie Hoffman’s Yippie classic “Steal This Book”, is a controversial Swedish youth film about file-sharing movies on the internet. The Motion Picture Association of America considers file-sharing stealing intellectual property. The Swedish government does not. In Sweden, the Pirate Bay website is more than just an electronic speak-easy; it's the home of a national file-sharing movement that is generating an intense international debate, and has even spawned a pro-file-sharing political party, “The Pirate Party”.

The Tobacco Conspiracy 52 min.
  2005 NFB
  Nadia Collot
This France-Canada co-production goes behind the scenes of the huge tobacco industry, whose economic power has been expanding for five decades at the expense of public health. A gripping investigation covering three continents, Nadia Collot's film exposes the vast conspiracy of a criminally negligent industry that conquers new markets through corruption and manipulation. With its diverse viewpoints, shocking interviews and riveting images, The Tobacco Conspiracy deftly defines the issues in a complex situation where private interests and the public good collide. Enlightening and engrossing, this documentary is a hard-hitting critique of an industry gone mad.

Tocar Y Luchar
(To Play and To Fight)

70 min, 2006
Explorart Films
Director: Alberto Arvelo
There is a wonderful renaissance of orchestral music alive in Venezuela, where nearly a quarter million children and youth are participating in an orchestral project. Children as young as two are learning to play the violin and rural youth are being taught musical harmony. Teaching music is also a means of educating people in human harmony and musical lessons build community and spirit. Weaving together interviews with famous musicians and conductors and the children’s playing creates a powerful testimony to a social program for enriching and saving lives.
Uganda Rising

82min.
Jesse Miller, Pete McCormack
2006

Since 1986 when Yoweri Museveni took power in Uganda, the nation and its leader have been praised by the West as new models for Africa. Yet the same year marked the outbreak of a war in Northern Uganda between government forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group lead by self-proclaimed prophet intent on founding a regime based on the Ten Commandments. Waging a campaign of brutal terror, the LRA has abducted more than 25000 children, often forcing them to commit atrocities. One and a half million civilians have been displaced, and more that half a million have been put in camps where they have little means of survival or protection from LRA raids.

It is the Acholi people and especially their children who have been devastated by the gruesome conflict, the root causes of which can be traced back to colonialism. Weaving together interviews with former abductees, Ugandan mediators and international critics, including Noam Chomsky, offer this compelling documentary to provide insight and pay tribute to the children who retain hope despite never knowing peace

US vs John Lennon  

Exploring the Vietnam era struggles that remain relevant today, The US v John Lennon tells the true story of the US Government’s attempts to silence John Lennon, the beloved musician and iconic advocate for peace. Featuring extensive interviews with those who knew him best, this powerful new look at the life and times of John Lennon captures the mystique of the man, the ideals he fought for, and the price he paid for simply trying to make the world a better place.

The Venus Theory 52 min.
  2004 McNabb/Connolly
  Pasii Toivianinen

Featuring world renowned scientist Dr. Charles Keeling, The Venus Theory is an invaluable tool for clearly explaining the science behind global warming. This film explores the possibility of the Earth's temperature one day equaling the temperature on the planet Venus. Leading scientists from around the world explain the science behind climate change, and what consequences are in store for our planet, various species, and humankind. Special Jury Award, Best Documentary: 21st International TV Science Programme Festival.

Why Thee Wed? 50 min.
Cal Garingan
2005
Moments after a monumental court victory, two men make history outside of a Vancouver courthouse. They're the first same-sex couple to marry in British Columbia. Since then, many others have said "I do" with pride. Gay and lesbian marriages are out of the closet!

Filmmaker Cal Garingan looks beyond the headlines and introduces the eight couples who challenged the law in court. Playful weddings and colourful footage with commentary from the couples, their families and lawyers explores the heated legal and religious debates and protests that swirl with controversy all over the world.

The Winking Circle  

With a simple philosophy - create everywhere, redeem everything, and eccentrify the world-- the youth of an Ontario town ignited a spark of artful expression. This group of outrageous and courageous young people refused to listen to the jeers of their conformist peers and gladly accepted the label of “fools.” This is a funny story about youth creating a community where all individuals and individuality is valued.

 

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