18 and 27m; U.S.
Synopsis: A Tale of “O” video explores the consequences of being different. It focuses on a group of people in which some are “the many”, who are referred to as the X’s, and some are ”the few,” the O’s. Look at the factors that create O’s and X’s in groups and the impact. The animated A Tale of “O” video clarifies and explores the personal and societal dynamics of being different.
Contact: http://trainerstoolchest.com/show_product.php?idnum=356
103m; Spain/Mexico/France
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Luis Tosar and Karra Elejalde
Synopsis: A Spanish film crew comes to Cochabamba, Bolivia in 1999 to make a film about Christopher Columbus. The intent is to do a revisionist account portraying Columbus not as a hero, but as a conqueror. The film crew is not well financed and looking to cut costs, which includes to indigenous Bolivians being hired to star in the movie. At the same time, a mounting wave of protests is occurring, with one of the film extras serving as a major leader, over the privatization of Cochabamba’s water supply. The film crew becomes entangled in the protests in an ever more complex and deep ways. A superb film about the intersections and limits of art and politics.
120m; Canada
Director: Jacob Tierney
Cast: Liane Balaban, Jay Baruchel and Taylor Baruchel
Synopsis: Leon Bronstein is a high school student in Montreal West who is absolutely convinced he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. After leading a hunger strike with some of his fellow private school peers against his father, the owner of a textile factory who will not allow the workers to unionize, Leon is sent to public school. There he finds apathy, but also potential and begins to organize a student union, while also pursuing an older woman he is convinced he must marry. A very funny and smart film that includes a lot of genuine moments about the power of organizing, and a lot of jokes about labor and left-wing history.
Trailer
30m; Argentina
Director: Ojo Obrero
Synopsis: Buenos Aires Subway workers win fight for 6 hour day
50m; Holland/Palestine
Director: André Kloer
Synopsis: Seeds of Peace: workers’ rights in a legal no-mans’ land tells the story of Palestinians who work in the Israeli settlements on the West Bank. One of these settlements is Nizzane Ha Shalom (Seeds of Peace). Because of the questionable juridical status of the Israeli settlements on the West Bank, it is unclear which laws apply to Palestinians who work there. There is also a weak enforcements of the few laws that do exist. The consequence of this juridical no-man’s land is that Palestinians work in the settlements without minimum wage and legal protection. Despite of this, more and more Palestinians are turning for work to these settlements, because the Palestinian economy is unable to create enough jobs. Jawdat Talousy was one of these workers and defended his rights for all he was worth. He tried to unite the workers in order to demand better labour conditions and was fired by the boss.
60m
Director: Katerina Cizek, Peter Wintonick
Synopsis: The impact of consumer video equipment on international political activism efforts.
28m; U.S.
Synopsis: The stepped up repression of anti-war demonstrators and trade unionists took a new turn in the U.S. on April 7, 2003, when Oakland, California police attacked a peaceful picket on the docks. The Labor Video Project was there when Oakland police fired over a hundred shots of rubber bullets and wooden projectiles as well as concussion grenades to attack the anti-war protest. This video interviews the workers on the picket line as well as ILWU longshoremen who were standing by and were also targeted by the police and the company. It goes behind the pictures to expose the reasons that trade unionists joined the line and the reaction of ILWU Local 10 members to the attacks and arrests of their business agent. There is also an international campaign to defend ILWU BA Jack Heyman and the Oakland 25 who face criminal charges for the April 7 incident. – http://www.reelwork.org/archive/2004/films2004.htm
Contact: “Shots on the Docks” is also being streamed at: http://www.brightpathvideo.com/Labor_Video.htm purchase info: lvpsf@igc.org Photo credit: Labor Video Project Photo caption: worker holds wood bullet fired by police http://www.laborbeat.org phone: 312-226-3330 mail@laborbeat.org
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