Independent documentaries from around the world showing hardship and hope, inequality and egalitarianism. The Global Justice Film Festival provides a snapshot of what is going on in Australia and internationally from some of our foremost and evolving documentary makers. Presented on Friday and Sunday evenings by documentary film maker Dujon Pereira.
Film Screenings Friday & Sunday Evenings:
Climate of Hope
Climate change, nuclear power and the energy revolution. Climate of Hope is a 30 minute documentary created to demystify climate change and nuclear energy. While the threat of climate change is now widely accepted in the community, the potential for nuclear power stations in Australia has raised questions about the best strategy for our country to move to a low-carbon economy. Produced and designed by Scott Ludlam and the Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA (ANAWA) with the support of John Butler's JB Seed foundation.
www.anawa.org.au/
Uranium Dreaming
Uranium mining threatens Aboriginal culture and land rights at many sites across Australia. In this film, Traditional Owners speak out against the mining companies which bring sickness to the land. Uranium Dreaming tells the story of the industry almost nobody wants.
La Segunda Conquista (The Second Conquest)
Over recent years 'The Second Conquest' of Patagonia has occurred. Multi-national corporations and their owners, such as Benetton, Joe 'Hard Rock Cafe' Lewis, Ted Turner of CNN, Meridian Gold mining corporation, corrupt Government officials, lawyers and business people alike, are appropriating large tracts of land with complete disregard for the rights of indigenous Mapuche's and non-indigenous people's. Filmed about an issue in Patagonia, Argentina, this story actually resonates worldwide. It has become increasingly inaccessible and expensive to have somewhere to live and work the land, constantly increasing dependence upon an unsustainable global economic system. Even in the face of adversity the film depicts the pure resilience and connection these people have to land, inspiring all to stand up for what is right. Followed by discussion with co-director Dujon Pereira.www.lasegundaconquista.com
Appiko
In the tradition of Gandhi and the Chipko movement, they used direct action to save the forests of the Western Ghats. An inspirational story of a non-violent grass-roots movement that arose in the vilages of Southern India. A half-hour documentary about environmental activism and tree-hugging featuring Sunderlal Bahuguna, Pandurang Hegde and Vandana Shiva.l by Neil Pike and Ruth Rosenhek, 2006, about the forest movement in Southern India inspired by Northern India's Chipko Movement.
www.rainforestinfo.org.au
Kanyini
Kanyini is a story told by an Aboriginal man, Bob Randall, who lives beside the greatest monolith in the world, Uluru in Central Australia. Based on Bob's own personal journey and the wisdom he learnt from the old people living in the bush, Bob tells the tale of why Indigenous people are now struggling in a modern world and what needs to be done for Indigenous people to move forward.
A tale of Indigenous wisdom clashing against materialist notions of progress, this is not only a story of one man and his people but the story of the human race. Followed by discussion with Director Melanie Griffiths.
www.kanyini.com
The Power of Community
Cuba, an isolated island nation, rebuilt its quality of life following the collapse of cheap oil, supplied by the former Soviet Union. This fascinating and empowering film shows how communities pulled together, created solutions, and ultimately thrived in spite of their decreased dependence on imported energy.
www.powerofcommunity.org
Shamans of The Amazon
Shamans of the Amazon is a personal account of filmmaker, Dean Jefferys, returning to the Amazon with his partner and one year old daughter. They journey deep into the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest to meet two Amazon shamans to learn about and experience the ancient hallucinogenic ayahuasca ritual. The film brings to the viewer an intimate and fascinating look at the shamans of the Amazon, their culture and their rituals that are fast disappearing. The ayahuasca ritual is thousands of years old and SHAMANS OF THE AMAZON examines the effects the outside world is having on the Amazonian shamans and explores how they and the ayahuasca rituals are adapting to these changes.
www.shamansoftheamazon.com
A Hard Rain
This is a documentary that had to be made! Twice Academy award nominee and five times AFI winner David Bradbury's latest contribution, A Hard Rain, explores the 'other side' of the nuclear debate. Governments and most mainstream media are promoting that nuclear is now an attractive alternative to fossil fuels – the magic fix that will save us all from global warming. Nuclear power has taken on a clean and green spin from the lowpoint20 years ago which saw the Chernobyl meltdown.
Traversing five countries– China, France, UK, Japan and Australia, and using what Bradbury learnt from his previous three nuclear documentaries (Public Enemy Number One, Jabiluka and Blowin' in the Wind), A Hard Rain takes a closer look at the global nuclear industry in its entirety – from the mining of uranium through to the nuclear power plant to the radioactive waste and weapons manufacturing. It exposes the hidden agendas behind this latest push for Australia to go nuclear.If you want vital and factual information to debate the issue intelligently and over throw the myths that the nuclear and pro uranium mining lobby has so successfully implanted in the media, in the government and the Labor Party, then this documentary is a must see.
www.frontlinefilms.com.au