Democracy for New Mexico

CCA Screenings All Week of 'Why We Fight' Plus Panel Discussion Today

From CCA Cinematheque Santa Fe:
Greetings! Why We Fight will be shown all week, ending Thursday, 3/16. Don't miss the special screening of "Why We Fight" with a panel discussion on Saturday 3/11. Why We Fight won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival 

Veterans for Peace, Santa Fe presents: Special screening and panel discussion with Why We Fight at 7 PM on March 11. After the 7 PM screening, a panel discussion will follow featuring former Time magazine correspondent and bureau chief William Morgan Stewart; Colonel Richard Rael, who was honored for his service in Iraq; journalist Zeile Pollon, who has interviewed more than 100 Iraqis during the Iraq War; and Vietnam veteran Ken Mayers and Gulf War vet Daniel Craig of Veterans for Peace. A reception in honor of the Veterans for Peace will follow.

SHOWTIMES
SATURDAY 3/11 at 2.30 PM & 7.00 PM
     (7.00 PM Panel & Reception)
SUNDAY at 3.30 PM & 7.30 PM
MONDAY - THURSDAY at 3.00 & 7.15 PM
CCA location: 1050 Old Pecos Trail Santa Fe, 505.982.1338

"Very much the movie FAHRENHEIT 9/11 should have been, and an experience audiences of every political conviction need to contend with." Ty Burr

Eugene Jarecki (THE TRIAL OF HENRY KISSINGER) explores the economic underpinnings of the American military. Are our soldiers being put in harm's way for the benefit of the manufacturers of guns, tanks, bullets and bombs? Tracing the history of what Dwight D. Eisenhower, back in 1961, dubbed "the military-industrial complex," Jarecki reveals a disturbingly intimate bond between Congress, the Pentagon and military companies. WHY WE FIGHT argues that weapon makers have become a fourth branch of government, and, as a result, American foreign policy has grown senselessly trigger-happy. Whether you believe America's occupation of Iraq is well justified, or you find Halliburton as guilty as Saddam, WHY WE FIGHT offers a troubling new perspective on the U.S. military machine.

. More information on the movie at the Film Website.

UNM to Host Special Presentation of 'Running Dry: The Documentary'

Special Presentation
Thursday, November 10, 2005
7 PM - Woodward Hall 101
University of New Mexico Campus

UNM Water Resources Program, UNM Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development and New Mexico Office of the State Engineer present

Running Dry - The Documentary
with Jim Thebaut
Writer, Producer, and Director

The Running Dry project (www.runningdry.org) has been designed as a massive comprehensive public information/education program on the global humanitarian water crisis. A documentary of the same name has been produced and is the centerpiece of the overall education project.

Presentations of the documentary are currently taking place at international venues in conjunction with in-depth discussions of the crisis for the purpose of educating policy makers, educators, students, and the general public.

Actress Jane Seymour, the documentary narrator, and many other notable and knowledgeable individuals have come together to participate in the public information/education process. In addition, educators are also designing ways for the documentary to be utilized within academic curricula.

UNM is proud to present this groundbreaking documentary, hosted by writer, producer, and director Jim Thebaut. The film (80 minutes) will be followed by a Q & A session with Jim and local water experts.

Woodward Hall is Building 82 on the UNM campus map . Pay parking is available at the Parking Structure (Building 198) near the corner of Redondo and Stanford.

HOMELAND Airs This Sunday at 5PM on KNME /DT 35

(Click image for larger version.)

One of the most critical but least known human rights stories in America is the savaging of Native American lands and its impact on Native peoples.  Nearly all Indian nations sit on land threatened by ruinous environmental hazards - toxic waste, strip mining, oil drilling, and nuclear contamination. The realities that the tribes live with are bleak -- children play near radioactive waste, rivers that tribes depend on for food are poisoned and reservations are completely surrounded by strip mines and smoke stacks spewing noxious fumes.

Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action, a ninety-minute documentary, is the first film to take a hard look at these realities.  It tells the stories of five remarkable Native American activists in four communities who are fighting these "new Indian Wars" - each in his own way passionately dedicated to protecting Indian lands against disastrous environmental hazards, preserving their sovereignty and ensuring the cultural survival of their peoples.  With the support of their communities, these leaders are actively rejecting the devastating affronts of multi-national energy companies and the current dismantling of 30 years of environmental laws.

There are internal struggles to be overcome as well. For many who live in extreme poverty on reservations lacking any sort of infrastructure, there is little hope for jobs, few prospects for a better life.  The lure of fast cash from big companies outweighs the long-range promise of environmental and cultural preservation.

From Alaska to Maine, Montana to New Mexico and against some of America's most spectacular backdrops, these first-person journeys unfold as our characters demand change, not sympathy, and rally grassroots support against the corporate and government behemoths who are exploiting and befouling tribal lands.  The vision that sustains them from one battle to the next is of a future where U.S. energy consumption and waste production will not be at the expense of indigenous people.

Homeland was shot on film by esteemed cinematographer, Dyanna Taylor; directed by veteran documentary filmmaker, Roberta Grossman and produced by Katahdin Foundation.

More Info: https://www.katahdin.org/homelandabout.htm

Winter Soldier at Guild, Nov. 4-10

From Viet Nam Veterans Against the War:
Sunday, NOVEMBER 4 - Thursday, November 10
Special showing, Wed. Nov. 9, 8 PM with panel of Viet Nam Veterans Against the War activists
Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave., Albuquerque, NM
255-1848, www.guildcinema.com

WINTER SOLDIER (4:00, 6:00, 8:00* *NOTE: No 8:00 PM show Tuesday, November 8): A documentary chronicle of the extraordinary Winter Soldier Investigation conducted by Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in Detroit during the winter of 1971. Produced and Directed by Winterfilm Collective in association with Vietnam Veterans Against the War - 1972 - 95 minutes

Veterans from all branches of the US military came from across the country to speak out about the atrocities they had committed and witnessed while stationed in Vietnam.

Recognizing the urgency and historical importance of the investigation, a remarkable group of independent filmmakers came together to document the veterans¹ testimonies. Calling themselves Winterfilm, their collective, including David Grubin, Barbara Kopple, Roger Phenix, Benay Rubenstein and many others, some of whom would go on to be the seminal documentary filmmakers of our time, recorded the proceedings.

Over the course of four days and nights, using donated equipment and film stock, they shot footage of more than 125 veterans (including a very young John Kerry). 

These men, who represented every major combat unit that saw action in Vietnam, gave eyewitness testimony to war crimes and atrocities they either participated in or witnessed.  Eight months was spent distilling the footage and adding archival materials, resulting in WINTER SOLDIER.

Because the proceedings went virtually unreported by the media, WINTER SOLDIER remains the only audiovisual record of this historic turning point in American history.  Yet after unanimous acclaim at international festival screenings, the film was seldom seen in the USA with virtually no screenings outside of New York City.  As critic Amos Vogel wrote, "this is a film that must be shown in prime time evening on national television, and never will be." He was correct - even Public Television declined to show it nationally.

Now, nearly thirty-five years after the hearings in Detroit, the veterans' courage in testifying and their desire to prevent further atrocities and regain their own humanity remain deeply moving, and provide a dramatic intensity that makes WINTER SOLDIER an unforgettable experience.

It reminds us that recent reports of wartime atrocities are not isolated incidents, as the U.S. media often reports. Milestone Films has resurrected this all-but-lost work, and our screenings are the first ever in the Southwest.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9 ONLY: Please join us for a panel discussion of the film, the issues surrounding it, and current events after the 8:00 PM screening. Included with regular admission.

Guild & CCA to Host NM Middle East Film Festival

From the NM Middle East Community Cultural Alliance:

New Mexico Middle East Film Festival
October 7-13 at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque
and October 8-9 at the CCA in Santa Fe.

Presented by the NM Middle East Community Cultural Alliance including New Mexico Humanities Council, Religious Studies Program and Media Arts Departments at UNM, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Gray Panthers, Arab-Jewish Peace Alliance, New Mexico Conference of Churches, People Before Profit Film Series, student groups and other community partners.

Films covering the entire region including: Palestine/Israel, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Morocco, and Jordan.

Films on culture, politics, gender issues, media, Arab-American experience, spirituality, history and art/music including:

• Al Jazeera
• Occupations of Iraq and Palestine in Baghdad, Fallujah, Jenin, Gaza, Dheisheh, Jerusalem
• Umm Kulthum and Fairuz
• Nasser, Andulasia/Arab Influence, History of Middle East
• Edward Said and Hanan Ashrawi
• Israeli peace activists
• Spirituality
• Feature Films and Classics
• Student life and student films

National Speakers and Film Directors:

• Jess Ghannam, Filmmaker and Psychoanalyst, Producer Until When..., San Francisco, CA
• Mona Mikhail, Professor of Middle East Studies, Film Producer, Live on Stage: A Century and a Half of Theatre in Egypt, NYU, New York City, NY
• Garrett Scott, Film Producer & Director, Occupation: Dreamland, San Francisco, CA
• Jennifer Moore, UNM Professor of Law and Peace Studies Program, Albuq., NM
• Riad Hamad, Palestine Children's Welfare Fund, Austin, TX

Tickets available now at The Guild, CCA and Page One. Visit our website online at: https://www.nmmecca.com for more information, film schedules, ticket prices, etc. or call 255-2067.

Some Lighter Fare

Got the workin' too hard for the cause and watchin' too much hurricane coverage blues? Check out something a little lighter, and it benefits Santa Fe's nationally recognized Teen Center, Warehouse 21, which is in the midst of fundraising so they can build a brand new facility at the Railyard that will include a concert space:

(Click image for larger version.)

Groovy. Click for more info.

Film Viewing with Lambda Legal and EQNM

On September 28, 2005, Lambda Legal will launch its Proyecto Igualdad Campaign in New Mexico by bringing the film, Mexican Refugee (see synopsis below) to Albuquerque for a Bilingual event that will explore the intersections of Immigration and Sexual Orientation. 

Come join us for the screening and community discussion of this powerful documentary, which will take place on Wednesday, September 28 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM at St. Michael’s & All Angels Episcopal Church, 601 Montano Rd. NW, Albuquerque.

RSVP to: Rachel Lazar at rlazar@enlacenm.org or call 505-246-8972 ext. 113 or Sheba Gipson at sgipson@lambdalegal.org  or call 214-219-8585 ext. 238.

Proyecto Igualdad aims to educate and assist the Spanish speaking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community and those with HIV by means of giving legal information and resources.

Lambda is partnering with Equality New Mexico, The Albuquerque Center for Peace & Justice, The Center for Economic Justice, Young Women United, The Queer Women's Project, International AIDS Empowerment, Albuquerque's Rape Crisis Center, & Enlace Comunitario.

Synopsis:

The film "Mexican Refugee" (35 min. video, 2005) Humanizes emigration, immigration and the political asylum experience. It is essential viewing for anyone interested in social justice and gay rights struggles in North America, particularly in Mexico. Five interwoven stories reveal the ironies between government policies, inadequate enforcement and international impunity for "unrecognized" human rights violations. Yet, with great determination and value for life itself, the individuals in this documentary inspire hope, perseverance and cultural survival across borders.

Progressive Film Series in Los Alamos Starts 9/14

Passed along by Steve Fettig:
A series of critical, progressive films on vital public issues will be presented at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos beginning September 14 and continuing on the second, fourth (and fifth) Wednesdays of the month. Pizza and soft drinks will be available at each screening, which will be followed by letter writing to office holders regarding issues raised by the film.

Films to be screened during September through mid-December will include "Rich Media, Poor Democracy" by Robert McChesney, "UNCONSTITUTIONAL: The War On Our Civil Liberties" by Robert  Greenwald, "UNCOVERED:  The Whole Truth About the Iraq War" by Robert Greenwald, "The World According to Bush" by William Karel, "No Logo" & CAFTA by Naomi Klein, "Hijacking Catastrophe" by the Media Education Foundation  and "TRINITY AND BEYOND: The Atomic Bomb Movie" by Peter Kuran. The series will continue in January, after the holiday season.

Click for a flyer with more information.

Nuclear Winter Film Series Starts This Week at ABQ Guild Theater

From Nancy Galloway:

There is a wonderful Nuclear Winter film series at the Guild for the next 3 or 4 weeks. (Located in Albuquerque at 3405 Central, on Central between Girard and Carlisle):

Mon, Dec. 13; Tues, Dec. 14; Wed, Dec. 15:
3:45 - Atomic Café - 88 minutes
5:30 - Half-Life - 87 minutes
7:15 - Atomic Café - 88 minutes
9pm - Half-Life - 87 minutes 

Monday, Dec. 20; Tues., Dec. 21; Wed, Dec. 22:
5:30 – Atomic Filmmakers – 52 minutes and Crossroads - 36 minutes (double feature)
8pm – Atomic Filmmakers – 52 minutes and Crossroads – 36 minutes (double feature)

Monday, Dec. 27; Tues, Dec. 28; Wed., Dec. 29:
2pm – I Live in Fear (113 minutes)
4:30 – I Live in Fear (113 minutes)
7pm – I Live in Fear (113 minutes)
9:15 – I Live in Fear (113 minutes)

Monday, Jan. 3; Tues, Jan. 4; Wed., Jan. 5:
The Day After Trinity (times to be announced)

More information on Nuclear Winter from Roy Durfee for the KUNM Evening Report:

A pair of films from the 1980s evokes the 1950s rather well in a Monday through Wednesday double bill at The Guild. The ‘50s in question here are the ‘50s of the Cold War, above ground nuclear testing, underground backyard bomb shelters, and the use of “atomic” as an all-purpose advertising adjective meant to imply modern and exciting. The Atomic Café skillfully combines archival footage of training films, bomb tests, newsreels, and smirking politicians justifying the use and urgency of atomic weapons in a world threatened by communism. Beginning with New Mexico’s own Trinity test from July of 1945, the film carries on through the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fatuous comments of those who would see god’s work in nuclear destruction, and the testing programs in the South Pacific and Nevada, building up to the nuclear dread that preceded the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early ‘60s. That dread, somewhat diluted by lack of imagination, perhaps, was the basis of “air raid” drills in schools, with students ducking under desks and covering heads with arms and hands. 

Half-Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age looks at the same time period from the perspective of Marshall Islanders who became literal guinea pigs in the mad scientific rush to “knowledge” about radioactivity. U.S. weather men involved in the above ground testing in the Pacific make it clear that the prevailing winds which carried radioactive fallout to the isolated islanders was well known to the testers and that the exposure was an intentional nuclear experiment. The smug complacency of those who praise here the “happy amenable savages” of the South Pacific is strenuously contrasted with the indignation of the islanders themselves, who speak of being treated “like worthless animals” and accuse the Americans of being “smart at doing stupid things.” The stupidity of nuclear weaponry is one of the clear messages of The Guild’s ongoing “Nuclear Winter” program, and that stupidity is personalized by many of the films found here. 

To understand the threat of weapons of mass destruction, real or imagined, it is helpful to understand the world and mindset into which they were originally introduced. At one point, “The Bomb,” like Elvis or The Beatles, was a part of pop culture, musical aspects of which were researched for The Atomic Café by UNM’s own David Dunaway. This double bill offers insight into the world as we know it, as well as a world that once was. This is Roy Durfee for the KUNM Evening Report.
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Detailed program notes will be available at www.guildcinema.com

Ticket prices:
$5 for all shows beginning before 6:00 PM,
$7 General Admission thereafter.
$5 Seniors/Students/Kids under 12
Please phone (505)255-1848 for any additional information.

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Volunteer opportunity, petition drive:
Nuclear Winter film series:
Looking for volunteers to collect Nukes Out of Duke City petitions:

This is a great opportunity to collect signatures on our petition to have the 2510 wmds at Kirtland dismantled.

You are invited to attend and to stand outside the Guild before or after a movie and collect signatures.  The owners of the Guild have given us permission to do this. Volunteers will stand outside and collect signatures, then see the movie, then collect signatures after the movie as well. Please call Jeanne at 401-4808 if you can help.

In the Free World

Michael Moore's website has a new entry on the To Do list about halfway down the main page. Its instructions? Check out Neil Young's new 'Rockin the the Free World' video, directed by Michael Moore. You may recall Moore featured this song in Fahrenheit 9-11, along with some other powerful music. A useful remedy for political fatigue.