Film & Social Justice
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The Human Rights Film FestivalThis annual film festival focuses on human rights issues in the world and is accompanied by a human rights advocacy component by Mount students, who also gain experience organizing and putting on the festival. Films for November 5-8, 2007Thin80% of young women are not happy with their body. This is a film about women who are willing to risk death to achieve what they perceive as the ideal. A riveting story of several women in rehab. For more information go to www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thin/ WalkoutA docudrama on the historic student walkout of the 1960s as an effort to improive education in East L.A. For more information go to www.hbo.com/films/walkout/ An Inconvenient TruthAcademy Award winning global warming documentary, narrated by Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Al Gore. For more information go to www.myspace.com/hrff_2007 Maxed OutAmericans are buried in credit card debt. How did this happen? Find out. For more information go to www.maxedoutbuzz.com Some Previously Screened Films during HRFF: Girlhood. The stories of young women caught in the revolving door of the juvenile justice system and the uneven availability of mental health care that can turn lives around. Super Size Me. Examines the effects of living on a fast-food diet. Freemon on the Mind. Chronicles the complex and compelling story of the Mississippi Voter Registration Project in 1961 to 1964. Searching for Debra Winger. Actresses are interviewed about the pressures faced as women working in the entertainment industry. Interviews include Debra Winger, Sharon Stone, Whoppie Goldberg, Laura Dern, Jan Fonda, Melanie Griffith, Holly Hunter, and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others. The Maria Guardado Story. The tale of 66-year old Salvadoran activist Maria Guardado, who fled to Los Angeles after being kidnapped and tortured by death squads in 1980 as the war in el Salvado began. The New Los Angeles. An examination of the changing demographics of L.A. and what that means to the region and the city. Why We Fight. This film explores the political and economic reasons why America has engaged in war since WWII. It takes a uniquely non-partisan approach, though provides insight on the compelling forces that take us to war again and again. Farenheit 911. Michael Moore's popular film on fear and guns in America. Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of Kindertransport. This film documents the stories of children who were sent to Great Britain by their families to keep them safe from the Nazi regime. Witness to the Execution. A powerful documentary on the death penalty, asking the question as it documents the process: Is it justice or a violation of human rights? The Panama Decetion. Awarded 1992 Oscar for Best Documentary, Waging Peace. Examines the U.S. administration's commitment to decades of expanded wars and the deterioration of civil liberties. Born Into Brothels. A powerful exploration of sexaul trafficking of young womenin Calcutta. Unprecidented: The 2000 Presidential Election. A detailed examination of the 2000 election. Eye-opening and controverisal. Dying to Tell Their Story. A documentary focusing on journalists who risk their lives doing their jobs. Trumph of the Will. Alain Resnais' powerful short film about the Holocaust. Afganistan Year 1380. This film documents post-9/11 conditions in Afgahanistan—health and medical aid conditions, communal life disruption, and prisoner treatment. No Distance Too Far. This film gives the story of the annual San Francisco to Los Angeles cyclist ride, put on in behalf of HIV/AIDS victims. Among participants of the ride are those who have lost family or loved ones to AIDS, advocates for increased health care for sufferers, and those who are HIV positive. Senorita Extraviada. Missing Young Women. Human Rights Watch film of the unchecked murders occurring in Juarez, Mexico. Advocacy tables were organized by Mount students in an effort to encourage the Mexican government to more vigorously pursue the criminals murduring so many women of Juarez. Juvies. This documentary examined the living conditions and consequences of trying and sentencing juveniles as adults. This s creening was the L.A. debut of the film. Genocide by Sanctions. The Case of Iraq. The devastating effects of the 12-year-long U.S. blockade on Iraq is examined. Democracy in Cuba. This documentary examines the economic changes of the 1990s in Cuba and the efforts of Cuban workers to address this significant change when the country suffered a 34.5% decline in economic production, arising from the U.S. blockade and collapse of the Soviet Union. Womanhouse. This documentary focuses on the historical look of feminism, its reception in the 1970s, and the ever-important relationship between art and social change. Tess of Storm Country. This silent fiction film of the 1920s, directed by John S. Robertson and stars legendary path-breaker, Mary Pickford. Pickford’s work is an example of early social justice advocacy. Tess of Storm Country is a story about the plight of squatters harassed by an abusive land baron. DISTINGUISHED GUEST SPEAKERS:
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