*** Notice: For the protection of property rights, this catalog is available for online browsing only. Please drop us a line if you would like to receive a copiable version of this catalog. Thank You!
INDIA'S DAUGHTER is the powerful story of the 2012, brutal gang rape on a Delhi bus of a 23 year old medical student, who later died from her injuries. In 2012, it made international headlines and ignited protests by women in India and around the world. This month India's government banned the film while the BBC moved their planned broadcast up by days and ignited a new controversy. BAFTA winning filmmaker Leslee Udwin, herself a victim of rape, went to India inspired by the protests against sexual assault. With an all Indian crew, Udwin got exclusive, first time on camera interviews with the rapists and defense attorney, none of whom express remorse. The defense attorney goes even further, stating that "immodest" women deserve what happens to them. An impassioned plea for change, INDIA'S DAUGHTER pays tribute to a remarkable and inspiring young woman and explores the compelling human stories behind the incident and the political ramifications throughout India. But beyond India, the film lays bare the way in which societies and their patriarchal values have spawned such acts of violence globally.
Reviews
"This film does what the politicians should be doing... this documentary's determination to shed light on the country's rape crisis should inspire change." - The Guardian
"India's Daughter is a necessary watch - not just for women of India but for women across the world." - The Independent
"Ms. Udwin's film has increased worldwide awareness of attitudes that beget sexual violence against women." - The New York Times
In this highly anticipated update of the influential and widely acclaimed Tough Guise, pioneering anti-violence educator and cultural theorist Jackson Katz argues that the ongoing epidemic of men's violence in America is rooted in our inability as a society to move beyond outmoded ideals of manhood. In a sweeping analysis that cuts across racial, ethnic, and class lines, Katz examines mass shootings, day-to-day gun violence, violence against women, bullying, gay-bashing, and American militarism against the backdrop of a culture that has normalized violent and regressive forms of masculinity in the face of challenges to traditional male power and authority. Along the way, the film provides a stunning look at the violent, sexist, and homophobic messages boys and young men routinely receive from virtually every corner of the culture, from television, movies, video games, and advertising to pornography, the sports culture, and US political culture. Tough Guise 2 stands to empower a new generation of young men -- and women -- to challenge the myth that being a real man means putting up a false front and engaging in violent and self-destructive behavior.
Review
"The arrival of Tough Guise 2 is nothing short of an event. It promises to speak to a new generation of young people with even greater urgency than the remarkably influential original" - Diane Rosenfeld, Lecturer, Harvard Law School
DVD (With English and Spanish Subtitles) / 2013 / 60 minutes
In this provocative presentation, career prosecutor Anne Munch examines how societal attitudes influence legal cases involving sexual assault. Drawing on her experience prosecuting sex crimes, Munch demonstrates how rape cases frequently turn on the involvement of what she calls an "unnamed conspirator" -- the complex of myths and stories we tell ourselves as a culture about sex, gender, power, and responsibility. Using examples from real cases, and harrowing evidence from actual 911 calls, Munch shows how the assumptions that juries bring into the courtroom often stack the odds against victims, and challenges us to question how our own assumptions might reinforce victim-blaming. The result is at once a stunning look inside our criminal justice system and a cutting analysis of American culture's warped views of women's sexuality.
Reviews
"In compelling fashion, Munch is able to communicate these complex issues involving sexual assault in an accessible manner that is personal, eye-opening, and timely." - Jeff O'Brien, Director, Mentors in Violence Prevention National
"The powerful message Anne Munch delivers is unequaled in terms of education and awareness. She has the ability to connect with her audience and challenge basic social norms, as well as the audience members' own belief systems, about sexual assault." - Drs. Curt & Christie Brungardt, Fort Hays State University
Standing on the Edge of a Thorn is an intimate portrait of a family in rural Indonesia grappling with poverty, mental illness, and participation in the sex trade. Shot over the course of 12 years, the film centers on Iman Rohani, a former civil servant struggling with a mental disorder, who takes in Tri, an unwed pregnant teenager 30 years his junior. Iman refuses to marry Tri, which would have made her an accepted member of the village. Instead, the couple are scorned by the other villagers and become isolated. Over time, trapped by traditional values that stigmatize their relationship, Iman and Tri sink even deeper into destitution and make a series of choices that lead Tri into a life a prostitution and violence.
The narrator of the film is Iman and Tri's daughter, Lisa, who has witnessed most of these events. Starting when Lisa was a young child, the film documents her unfolding sense of self and identity against the backdrop of a destitute and unstable family. As the film progresses, Lisa struggles to understand her parent's predicaments, while she herself is being drawn into the sex trade. At the end of the film, we experience Lisa as a 16-year old-teenager, attempting to free herself from her parent's conflicts and troubles, as she plans to leave the village to pursue a new life in urban Indonesia.
DVD (Color, English, Indonesian, Javanese with English subtitles) / 2012 / 33 minutes
SAVING FACE is a harshly realistic view of some incredibly strong and impressive women. Every year in Pakistan, many women are known to be victimized by brutal acid attacks, with numerous cases going unreported. With little or no access to reconstructive surgery, survivors are physically and emotionally scarred. Many reported assailants, typically a husband or someone else close to the victim, receive minimal punishment from the state.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad left his prominent London practice to return to his home country and help the victims of such attacks. Two of these women, Zakia and Rukhsana, are victims of brutal acid attacks by their husbands and in Rukhsana's case, her in-laws as well. Both attempt to bring their assailants to justice and move on with their lives with the help of NGOs, sympathetic policymakers, politicians, support groups with other acid attack victims and Dr. Jawad. SAVING FACE also depicts a Pakistan that is changing - one where ordinary people can stand up and make a difference and where marginalized communities can seek justice.
Reviews
"The 'victims' in Saving Face are some of the strongest, most impressive women you will ever come across. She showed us their scars, and we saw their true beauty. ... I dare anyone to watch this film and not be moved to tears and inspired into action." - Angelina Jolie, Time Magazine
"This film...has the impact of an epic. ...it takes a realistic, level-headed view of the people involved, and of the surgical process. It follows the efforts of a woman member of Parliament to introduce a bill establishing life sentences for those guilty of acid attacks, and it passes unanimously." - Roger Ebert, Film Critic
"Obaid Chinoy's film is one part of [the] education and awareness-raising effort that could help ease the suffering of women not just in Pakistan but in other countries where acid attacks happen." - CBC News
Award
Academy Award Winner for Documentary (Short Subject)
DVD (Color, Urdu, With English, Subtitles) / 2011 / 40 minutes
Schoolgirl Aqsa Parvez, sisters Amina and Sarah Said, and college student Fauzia Muhammad were all North American teenagers-and victims of premeditated, murderous attacks by male family members. Only Muhammad survived. Emmy winner Shelley Saywell examines each case in depth in this riveting investigation of "honor killings" of girls in Muslim immigrant families. Not sanctioned by Islam, the brutalization and violence against young women for defying male authority derives from ancient tribal notions of honor and family shame.
As friends and relatives trace escalating tensions leading to the crimes, IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY explores community reactions to the tragic events. The film also delves into the dual, precarious existence of other young Muslim women struggling to bridge two worlds, along with Muslim women's efforts to help girls at special risk. With consummate documentary skills and a passion for human rights, Saywell puts a much needed human face on a subject that is all too often silenced or sensationalized in post-9/11 North America.
Reviews
"A haunting documentary ... a tender but fierce expose." - POV Magazine
"Riveting ...director, Shelley Saywell, is a gifted filmmaker whose work has been acclaimed around the world. Her specialty is venturing into places where others fear to tread-and she found this particular place right here in Canada ." - The Globe and Mail
Award
Hot Docs International Film Festival, Best Canadian Feature
A young woman is raped when a one-night stand far from home goes terribly wrong. In the aftermath, as she struggles to make sense of what happened, she decides to make a film about the relationship between her own experience and the tangle of political, legal, and cultural questions that surround issues of sex and consent. Using a hidden camera, filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman goes head-to-head with the man who assaulted her, recording their conversation in an attempt to move through the trauma of her experience and achieve a better understanding of the sometimes ambiguous line between consent and coercion. The result is a powerful documentary about the terrible personal reality of rape and sexual violence -- and the more complicated and ambivalent ways sexual assault is often framed and understood in the wider culture. Schwartzman, as the prismatic main character, is likeable, while embodying the needs, desires, and inner conflicts common among young sexually active American women. Completed after being presented in classrooms on dozens of college campuses, The Line is structured to invite and reward students' trust, making them comfortable enough to discuss sex, consent, legal rights, and the politics surrounding gender violence while examining issues too often deemed embarrassing, shameful, or taboo.
Reviews
"The Line raises crucial questions about sexual safety and pleasure as we navigate our hook-ups, fuck buddy choices, and longer-term relationships. Filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman blazes a brave trail, encouraging us to talk more openly and to think more clearly about how, where, and why we draw our personal lines of sexual consent." - Dr. Shira Tarrant, Editor, Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power
"I've always been as respectful to women as I can, but the film actually made me think about where the line really is." - Male Student, Rutgers University
"Nancy Schwartzman has made a brave, honest and gripping film. A must see for boys and men, empowering for girls and women -- this film will make a huge impact on the lives of many. The Line is a critically important visual essay." - Byron Hurt, Filmmaker, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes
From behind prison walls, a group of extraordinary women are shattering misconceptions of domestic violence. An important new release that profiles Convicted Women Against Abuse (CWAA), the first group initiated and led by inmates in the US prison system, SIN BY SILENCE is an essential tool, featuring more than two hours of DVD extras, including bonus discussion videos, additional behind-the-scenes stories from the women in the film, interviews with experts on domestic violence, and more.
Created by Brenda Clubine in 1989, CWAA has changed laws for battered women, raised awareness for those on the outside, and educated a system that does not fully comprehend the complexities of domestic abuse. Like many CWAA members, Brenda's years of inflicted abuse were never fully revealed. But because of CWAA's work and advocacy, new laws were enacted that now allow incarcerated survivors to challenge their original conviction.
With unprecedented access inside the California Institution for Women, SIN BY SILENCE is an emotionally packed documentary that tells the personal and shocking stories of these courageous women who have learned from their past, are changing their future, and teaching us how domestic violence affects each and every person.
Reviews
"Shows that intimate violence can happen to anyone-these women are every woman." - Dr. Elizabeth Dermody Leonard, Professor of Sociology, Vanguard University; author, Convicted Survivors
"Brenda Clubine['s]... personal story of loss, suffering, betrayal and courage could inspire a season of movies on Lifetime." - Cleveland Free Times
"The women of SIN BY SILENCE eloquently speak about why they couldn't get away from their violent partner and the devastating psychological effects of battering." - Nancy Kaser-Boyd, PhD, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
"Not only raises awareness about violence and abuse in intimate relationships, but offers hope to every survivor who views it. We were in tears." - Linda Dooley Johanek, Executive Director, Domestic Violence Center
"A film that touches the soul of any human concerned with justice and fair treatment.... [A] cry for social action." - Alyce LaViolette, Author, It Could Happen to Anyone; Founder, Alternatives to Violence
"Sparks important conversations and squashes that voice in your head that tells you nothing like this could ever happen to you." - FilmArcade.net
Awards
Sacramento Film and Music Festival, Audience Award for Best Documentary
Cleveland Int'l Film Festival, Audience Award 2nd Runner Up
In 2002, Mukhtaran Mai, a rural Pakistani woman from a remote part of the Punjab, was gang-raped by order of her tribal council as punishment for her younger brother's alleged relationship with a woman from another clan. Instead of committing suicide or living in shame, Mukhtaran spoke out, fighting for justice in the Pakistani courts-making world headlines. Further defying custom, she started two schools for girls in her village and a crisis center for abused women. Mukhtaran, who had never learned to read but knew the Koran by heart, realized that only a change in mentality could break brutal, archaic traditions and social codes. Her story, included in the bestseller "Half the Sky" by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and the subject of Mukhtaran's own memoir, "In the Name of Honor", has inspired women across the globe.
Revealing the progress and fruits of Mukhtaran's labor, this powerful documentary tracks the school's profound impact on the girls and families of Meerwala and shows how the crisis center empowers women seeking its help. An important look inside Pakistan, where the impact of Islamic fundamentalism is revealed and how women are fighting its oppressive and violent impact.
Reviews
"This film is beautiful,...the heart of the film - the school and its students - takes an inspiring look forward, rather than backwards, that is the spirit of Mukhtaran Mai herself." - Asifa Quraishi, Asst. Professor, University of Wisconsin Law School
"From the tragedy Mukhtaran Mai had to endure, we see the seeds she has sown in providing education and legal help to those who otherwise would be disenfranchised." - Anita M. Weiss, Professor of Int'l Studies, University of Oregon
"Mukhtaran Mai is an inspiration to all who hope for a better life and expanded educational opportunities for women of the developing world." - Gail Minault, Professor of History, University of Texas, Austin
Winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in documentary, this extraordinary film, shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shatters the silence that surrounds the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Many tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. A survivor of gang rape herself, Emmy AwardR-winning filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson travels through the DRC to understand what is happening and why.
This film features interviews with activists, peacekeepers, physicians, and even - chillingly - the indifferent rapists who are soldiers of the Congolese Army. Harrowing moments of the film come as dozens of survivors recount their stories with an honesty and immediacy that is pulverizing in its intimacy and detail, but this powerful film also provides inspiring examples of resiliency, resistance, courage and grace.
Reviews
"[A] documentary of the highest calling."- The Hollywood Reporter
"Captures the stark reality of women's and girls' suffering and untold courage... You will never think about conflict in gender-neutral terms again.", Karin Wachter, Int'l Rescue Committee, Gender-based Violence Technical Advisor
"Impressive...shows not only in candid and unapologetic detail the psychological trauma and horror endured by individual rape survivors, but also its broader cultural implications."- Jeffrey W. Mantz, Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, George Mason University
"Exceptional lensing throughout this distressing and disturbing documentary."- Joe Leydon, Variety
"An important tool for waking up the sleeping consciousness of humanity that continues to allow such injustices on women and children to go unchecked and unreported."- Chrys Ballerano, NY State Coalition Against Sexual Assault
"Panoramic shots of the beautiful countryside and wealthy enclaves sharply contrast with close-up views that document suffering in survivors' blank stares and orphans' wailing cries."- Booklist
"Harrowing and heart-rending and maddening and confounding."- Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
"4 Stars. A moving, powerful, and deeply disturbing documentary. ...fills a crucial information void...Highly Recommended, Editor's Choice"- Video Librarian
Notes
One World Int'l Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague
San Francisco Human Rights Watch Int'l Film Festival
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Addis Int'l Film Festival on Rights and Justice, Addis Ababa
Seattle Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Emmy Award Nominee in Outstanding Informational Programming: Long Form and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Writing
Awards
Sundance FF, Special Jury Prize: Documentary
London Human Rights Watch FF, Best of Fest
Roma Independent FF, Best Documentary
Gracie Award, Outstanding Documentary - Long Format
Int'l Black DocuFest, Best Human Rights Watch Documentary
Reel Awareness Amnesty Int'l Human Rights FF, Best Documentary
Domestic violence in all forms-from physical abuse to forced marriages to honour killings-continues to be frighteningly common worldwide and accepted as "normal" within too many societies. Getting to the heart of current multicultural debates, LOVE, HONOUR, & DISOBEY reveals the issues around domestic violence in Britain's black and ethnic minority communities through the eyes of the Southall Black Sisters, a small group of women who have been working to combat abuse for more than 25 years.
This powerful documentary combines chilling testimony from those abused with a forceful analysis of the issues that make domestic violence an even more difficult experience for minority women, who generally wait longer to report abuse and seek help. Also astutely examined are the roles of culturally sensitive policing, religious fundamentalism and the attitudes of minority communities themselves in continuing to endanger the lives of many women. This important film is essential viewing for those who wish to further their understanding of domestic violence within ethnic minority communities, including teachers, social workers, police, lawyers, health workers and other professionals working in this realm.
Reviews
"Insightful and thorough in delineating the social and cultural pathology of domestic violence. Love, Honor, and Disobey stresses that while culture issues contribute to violent crime, these cannot ever be used as excuses to acquit the perpetrators of these actions. Recommended." - Educational Media Reviews Online
"A gripping film celebrating the courage of women who have fought against all odds to assert their human right to a life free from violence and the threat of violence." - Lis Martin,Senior Programmes and Policy Manager, Womankind
"Illustrate[s] how cultural traditions can promote patriarchal power patterns that play a role in abuse... Recommended for women's rights collections." - Video Librarian
SENORITA EXTRAVIADA, MISSING YOUNG WOMAN' tells the haunting story of the more than 350 kidnapped, raped and murdered young women of Juarez, Mexico. Visually poetic, yet unflinching in its gaze, this compelling investigation unravels the layers of complicity that have allowed for the brutal murders of women living along the Mexico-U.S. border. In the midst of Juarez's international mystique and high profile job market, there exists a murky history of grossly underreported human rights abuses and violence against women. Relying on what Portillo comes to see as the most reliable of sources - the testimonies of the families of the victims -SENORITA EXTRAVIADA documents a two-year search for the truth in the underbelly of the new global economy.
Reviews
"...[Portillo has created] a meditative investigation...with real poetic power." - Stuart Klawans, The Nation
"... filmmaker Lourdes Portillo steps into this chilling murder mystery with a haunting documentary..." - Anne-Marie O'Connor, Los Angeles Times
"...moving account of an outrage that has continued for nearly a decade, with no end in sight. It's more gripping than 'Law & Order' and more tragic than anything a dramatist could invent." - Joanne Weintraub, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"She (Lourdes Portillo) won a 1986 Oscar nomination for 'Las Madres: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,' a film about political dissidents in Argentina, studied AIDS and Latinas in 'Vida' and explored the legacy of Tejano singer Selena in 'Corpus.' But nothing she's done has been as wrenching as 'Senorita Extraviada..." - Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
"Senorita Extraviada' is further proof that she (Lourdes Portillo) is one of the most important filmmakers chronicling the Latino Experience today." - Mike McDaniel, Houston Chronicle
"...Powerful..." - Davis Stratton, Variety
"Telling the tale mainly through the words of the victims' relatives and news footage, Portillo recounts what is a haunting story of corruption and injustice but also one of courage in the face of nearly insurmountable odds." - Minerva Canto, The Orange County Register
"...a stunning portrait of the callousness, willful ignorance and sheer incompetence of police investigating a horrifying, nearly decade-long string of killings in Mexico." - Basem Boshra, Montreal Gazette
"...a powerful film that bears witness to the humanity of the victims...and a powerful testament to the bravery of the women who have refused to be intimidated and have dared to speak out, organize and protest. 'Senorita Extraviada' is a cry of outrage and a call to activism." - Marcia Gillespie, Ms. Magazine
"Highly recommended for college, university and general adult collections..." - Karen Plummer, Educational Media Reviews Online
"...unforgettable...strike[s] a note of resistance and...show[s] how sexual violence is a problem for different nationalities of women." - Elizabeth Martinez, Director, Institute for MultiRacial Justice
"...serves as an example for girls and women struggling against justice. When the women of Juarez stand up and speak for themselves...we know that we can do the same in our communities." - Lu Henry, Mujeres Latinas En Accion
"A powerful documentary that would be a wonderful addition to classes on Mexico, contemporary Latin America, gender, women, violence, work, the law, human rights, globalization and a host of other topics." - Ann Twinam, Professor of History, University of Cincinnati
"Heartbreaking" - Sarah Goodyear, Time Out New York
"Portillo's film succeeds...Original, eloquent..." - Rita Gonzalez, Release Print
" Nothing she's (Lourdes Portillo) done has been as wrenching as 'Senorita Extraviada'...'" - Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
"Elegiac, with low-key persistence, [director Lourdes Portillo] uncovers the outlines of what seem to be a vast conspiracy." - Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Notes
Toronto International Film Festival
Torino Film Festival
Goteborg Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
Cleveland International Film Festival
Pacific Film Archives Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
San Diego Latino Film Festival
San Antonio Cinefestival
Boston Women's Film Festival
Halfway to Hollywood Film Festival
Awards
Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize
Academy of C.A.S.-Mx.- Ariel, Best Mexican Doc.
IDA-nomination Distinguish Doc.Achievement Award
HumanRightsWatch Intel.FF, Nestor Almendros Prize
Thessaloniki FF, FIPRESCI Award, Best Foreign Film
In 1998, Managua, Nicaragua became host to one of the most publicized and controversial cases of sexual abuse to hit modern day Latin America. At the epicenter of the scandal stood none other than Nicaraguan Sandinista leader and ex-President Daniel Ortega. Revered as a revolutionary hero and symbol of military strength, Ortega was accused on multiple charges of rape and battery by his stepdaughter, Soilamerica Narvaez. Despite Ortega's eventual acquittall--he was granted immunity from prosecution as a member of the legislature--a group of pioneering men rallied around the episode to organize a radical campaign against domestic violence and sexual abuse. Their efforts eventually led to the formation of the internationally acclaimed organization, Men Against Violence.
MACHO, a film by Lucinda Broadbent, provides an in-depth profile of Men Against Violence and its ground-breaking work towards eliminating attitudes of male chauvinism (known as machismo in Spanish) that have perpetuated violent acts against women in Nicaragua and Latin America. The film strongly demonstrates that despite living in one of the most destitute countries in Latin America, this group has succeeded in providing a model that is used by men worldwide to discuss issues of violence and advocate for the rights of women.
MACHO offers a rare glimpse at the methods used by Men Against Violence to discuss the abuse of power and the damage it causes families and communities. It also is a powerful film that challenges assumptions about "machismo" and its continued application to Latino culture. In the end, "Macho" demonstrates that violence against women and sexual abuse is a worldwide epidemic that needs to be addressed by all men in every country.
Reviews
"Disturbing...illuminating" - The Daily Mail
"Inspirational portrayal of a small group of men in the war-thorn country of Nicaragua who went against their own machismo culture to stop the violence against women. 'Macho' depicts the courage, vulnerability and the unifying effort needed to address domestic violence on a national level." - Dr. Sue Wong Gengler, Alternatives to Domestic Violence
"Featuring moving testimonies from men who are perpetrators of violence but trying to change their behavior, this video demonstrates a fresh approach to the universal problem of men behaving badly." - Central America Report
"Revelatory..and heartbreaking. Offers a fresh look on the universal problem of men behaving badly --from the last place on earth you'd expect." - Elaine Smith, Sunday Herald
A close-up look at the varieties and complexities of domestic violence, "The Day You Love Me" takes us into the daily life of policewomen and social workers in one of the Police Commissaries for Women and Children in Nicaragua's capital city of Managua. Women of different ages, as well as children and young adults, come there seeking help against abusive husbands, lovers and parents. They also talk freely about their experiences and their sometimes conflicting desires for change. The men in their lives come to the station to respond to the charges against them by defending themselves, justifying their actions, arguing their own grievances, or even admitting their wrongs. Actively engaged in the life of the community around the Commissary, the policewomen and social workers demonstrate their responsiveness and skill in dealing with a range of situations and abuses. In the course of documenting their day, this important film records the essential and empowering process that breaks the traditional law of silence aiding and abetting domestic violence in its many forms.
Review
"Neither numbers nor statistics demonstrate what this documentary shows about domestic violence. 'The Day You Love Me' gets the audience to look through a window where reality is hidden behind the domestic walls." - Noticias de GEMAS
Notes
Cannes Film Festival
Cinema du Reel, Paris
Montreal World Film Festival
American Cinema Festival of Trieste, Italy
Festival d'Amiens, France
Cartagena Film Festival, Colombia
Latin American Film Festival, Providence, Rhode Island
Festival de Malaga, Spain
San Juan Cinemafest, Puerto Rico
Habana Film Festival, Cuba
Int'l Festival for Human Rights, DerHuMALC, Argentina
Amnesty International Flim Festival, Amsterdam
North South Media Festival, Geneva, Switzerland
Award
Biarritz Latin American Film Festival (La Cita), France - Union Latine prize for Best Documentary
For years, Juana, who is 18 years old, was a drug addict who lived in a street gang in Mexico City. Her little 3-year old daughter suffers most under Juana's depressions, which repeatedly caused Juana to stay away from home for weeks at a time. In these periods she was occasionally found totally stoned by her father, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Not only was she beaten by him in her youth, but now he also thrashes her daughter. Juana loves her child with heart and soul, but for a long time she was unable to take care of her. Juana has found some hope at the NACE organization (NiNos Ansnimos Con Esperanza) Through Juana's testimony, the documentary weaves the director's concern: the relationship between mother and daughter in a hostile environment, with frustration and poverty, where there are no apparent solutions.
Of the approximately 13,000 children currently living on the streets of Mexico City, at least 20% are girls. Averaging 9 years old when they leave home, the majority of these young girls claim poverty, domestic violence, and sexual abuse as the main reasons for leaving. Not surprisingly, most seek refuge in street gangs. Their sexual life starts early. Unfortunately, owing to their complete lack of any type of orientation on the subject, their first pregnancy usually occurs between the ages of 12 and 14. Being children themselves, these juvenile mothers simply don't have a clear set of alternatives for raising and educating a child of their own. Juana's story is one shared by many of these girls-the dilemma of being a mother living on today's mean streets.
Festivals
3rd Annual Short Film Festival, Mexico City
VIII International Documentary Encounter, Portugal
19th International New Latin American Film Festival, Cuba
4th International Independent Film Festival, Barcelona
XIII Mexican Film Festival, Guadalajara
13th International Documentary Film Festival, Munich
VII 'Message to Man' International Film Festival, St. Petersburg
IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Latin American Studies Association, selection September 2001
Combining powerful interviews with documentary footage, this timely and compelling videotape takes a comprehensive look at the issues still confronting battered women twenty years after the beginning of the domestic violence movement. Featuring the stories of three women - one a police officer - who went through the Philadelphia family courts to ensure their safety, Breaking the Rule of Thumb examines contemporary domestic violence in terms of changing historical definitions of abuse. Incorporating individual stories into a strong argument for legal reform, filmmaker Andrea Elovson exposes how domestic violence's seemingly personal gender issues are inextricably tied to flawed ideas of civil justice.
Review
"A welcome addition for Women's Studies courses... At a time when there is a resurgence of hierarchical family values this video urges that battered women must be given resources and support..." - Grace Poore, Nat Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Directed by Marcia Rock
Narrated by Anjelica Huston
This documentary offers first-person accounts of the lives of two working-class Belfast women told against the violent history of the last twenty-five years in Northern Ireland. The stories of Geraldine O'Regan (a Catholic) and May Blood (a Protestant) are riveting tales of a society torn by sectarian violence, and reveal how they have been forced by political and social upheaval to transcend the traditional roles of women in a conservative and segregated society. Having struggled to rebuild their communities, only to confront new problems of teenage pregnancy, unemployment and drug addiction, these women have overcome daunting challenges in learning how to translate their direct experience of grassroots problems onto the agenda of the national political parties. The wit and humor with which they tell their stories conveys a powerful sense of hope and convinces us that whatever the future might hold for this troubled nation, it will be one which its women will help to shape.
Awards
Silver Apple, National Educational Media Network Competition
Voices Heard Sisters Unseen is a powerful and inspirational videotape showing how survivors of domestic violence are working to change the way the system treats battered women in search of justice and safety. Interviews, poetry, dance and music combine to present a feminist analysis about how courts, police and social services 're-victimize' battered women who are deaf, disabled, lesbians, prostitutes, HIV-positive and without official immigrant status. Voices Heard, Sisters Unseen is an important call for multi-issue activism and an integrated response to services for battered women.
Reviews
"A masterful achievement. Captures the essence and complexity of society's most 'marginalized' women." - Nancy A. Turner, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
"Voices Heard Sisters Unseen belongs in our classrooms, in our communities, and in our homes." - M. Jacqueline Alexander, Hamilton College
A sensitive video which explores domestic violence through the perspective of women who have left abusive relationships. Five women from different backgrounds discuss their ordeals and the concrete steps they have taken to eradicate fear and violence from their daily lives. Supplemented by testimonies from a woman judge, a police officer and a former abuser, this empowering tape offers clear, concise instructions on obtaining an order of protection and other support services.
Reviews
"*** This thorough and well constructed work succeeds in informing the public about both prevention and intervention in regard to domestic violence. This project addresses its important and disturbing topic so well that it should be shown on every television station and in every schoolroom across the country." - Jury Comments, American Film and Video Association
"A provocative, creative video that clearly evokes a profound emotional response to the desperate situation of women affected by the cycle of violence." - Richard Teitelman, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
"Excellent...Sensitively and sympathetically illustrates the typical range of experiences that battered women encounter." - Joan Zorza, National Center on Women & Family Law
Note
Emmy Award Nomination
Award
Hometown USA Video Festival, Best Social Service Video
Sharing their stories about recovery and healing, six Native women of different ages and backgrounds talk about the choices they have made to overcome the hardships of family violence and end the cycle of abuse and silence. Through the far-reaching changes in their lives, they reveal the rewards of empowering themselves and their families, as well as the strengths of counseling based in Native healing strategies and traditions. Directed by Judi Jeffrey (Metis) and produced by the Native Counselling Services of Alberta, this thought-provoking documentary is a valuable tool for education, prevention and intervention.
Reviews
"Enjoyed it very much. I like how the focus was on the women and their stories." - Colleen English, Mother Earth Healing Society
"Informative and Educational." - Phila Fyten, Community Social Service Worker, Northwest Territories, Kitikmeot Region
Award
Dreamspeakers: The First Peoples World Celebration
Dating violence is a hidden crime that affects an estimated 30% of U.S. teenagers each year. Through interviews with lawyers, social workers, young victims and batterers, youth filmmakers reveal common misconceptions about dating violence and highlight strategies for ending abusive relationships. This documentary was produced in partnership with the Brooklyn Youth Offenders Domestic Violence Court, an experimental court that addresses the problem of underreported battering.
This Documentary Workshop new release takes a fresh look at the prevalence of sexual assault in our contemporary society. Shocked by the statistic that more than half of all rapes happen to people under 18, student producers search for the roots of the violence. They examine why many survivors of sexual crimes are afraid to report them. On their journey to understand this complex issue, they talk to people from all walks of life, from sex crimes prosecutors and anti-rape activists, to people in the sex industry. Producers challenge their own assumptions, while calling for society to take prevention seriously at an earlier age.
The youth producers examine the causes of violence and discrimination against women. Skillfully weaving interviews with peers, feminist scholars and social workers, they offer an insightful critique of the media's role in reinforcing negative gender stereotypes. A powerful media literacy discussion tool, this video has been used for training by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault and screened by educators at the University of Istanbul in Turkey.