Recommended Viewing
Tsotsi (2005), directed by Gavin Hood
Tsotsi is the story of a boy who grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and who as a young man finds himself making ends meet as a criminal. His nickname 'Tsotsi' translates as thug and with good cause - after stalking and threatening a homeless man in a wheelchair, he severely beats his friend at a slight provocation. But his exploits lead him to an experience that jarringly shakes his persona and the livelihood that he is living, uncovering a buried empathy and perhaps his biggest struggle yet.
A Closer Walk (2002), directed by Robert Bilheimer
A Closer Walk is the first film to depict humankind's confrontation with the global AIDS epidemic. The film's director and producer, Robert Bilheimer, is an Academy Award nominee for his film Cry of Reason. A Closer Walk was conceived with the late Jonathan Mann, architect of the World Health Organization's response to AIDS. A Worldwide Documentaries production, A Closer Walk has been produced in association with the Global Health Council. Glenn Close and Will Smith are the film's narrators.
A Valley Rises (1994), directed by Ali Kazimi
In the heart of India flows the Narmada River that is steeped in legend and history. It provides a fertile valley and home for its indigenous people, the Bhils and Bhilalas. The normal way of life in the valley was threatened when the neighbouring state of Gujarat set out to construct a massive dam, known as the Sarovar project, that aimed to provide electricity for urban centres. The potential result of the flooding of the valley would mean the destruction of hundreds of tribal and farming villages and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people whose permission was not sought. As well as organising against the dam's construction, Ali Kazimi, who was raised in India and Canada, made this film that charts the struggle of the locals who embarked upon an epic non-violent march and later a hunger strike to draw international attention to the construction.
Ancient Futures (1993), directed by John Page
Ancient Futures takes a look at the root causes of our environmental and social crises, and challenges viewers to re-examine what we mean by progress. Ladakh, or little Tibet, is a harsh, beautiful land high in the Western Himalayas of India. A model of sustainable living, the traditional Ladakhi culture has prospered, virtually free of crime or pollution. Now, centuries of ecological balance and social harmony are eroding as the result of Western influences.
Bhopal Express (1999), directed by Mahesh Mathai
Bhopal Express explores the true story of one of the world's largest industrial disasters. The 1984 gas explosion at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal which killed over 16,000 people and destroyed the lives of another 50,000. Championed by David Lynch and featuring Nasserudin Shah and Zeenat Aman, the tragedy is revealed through the experiences of newlyweds Verma, a foreman at the Carbide plant, his wife Tara and their friend Bashir. Resolutely political, the film explores the events leading up to the disaster, relives the crucial moment of the gas leak, the devastation left in its wake and the Union Carbide Corporation's refusal to accept responsibility for the tragedy.
Life and Debt (2001), directed by Stephanie Black
Life & Debt is a woven tapestry of sequences focusing on the stories of individual Jamaicans whose strategies for survival and parameters of daily existence are determined by the U.S. and other foreign economic agendas. By combining traditional documentary telling with a stylized narrative framework, the complexity of international lending, structural adjustment policies and free trade will be understood in the context of the day-to-day realities of the people whose lives they impact.
Do you have any movie recommendations? Email your suggestions to info@ewb.ca.
