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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2011)
THE 4TH REVOLUTION – ENERGY AUTONOMY EVEN THE RAIN USA/Germany, 2010, 87 min. In French, German, English w/ English subtitles. Directed by Carl A. Fechner Spain/France/Mexico, 2010, 103 min. Spanish w/English subtitles. Directed by Icíar Bollaín This encouraging fi lm travels across 10 countries and four continents, following the lives and work of 10 environ- mental activists, Nobel laureates, innovative businessmen and politicians who share the goal of energy autonomy, the complete shift of energy production away from fossil and nuclear fuels to 100% renewable energy. Visionary and entrepreneurial minds are working across the globe on technologies from offi ce buildings that produce more energy than they use to stylish electric cars, that can replace our reliance on fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy for all within the next 30 years. An idealistic young director (Gael Garcia Bernal) sets out to expose Columbus as a conquering imperialist, who exploited and destroyed indigenous cultures as he pursued his fortune. His producer (Luis Tosar), seemingly oblivious to the irony, moves production of the period piece to Bolivia to take advantage of the lower cost of labor there. When they arrive, they encounter a population caught up in the throes of civic upheaval as the government tries to privatize the water supply. Based on the Cochabamba Water Crisis of 2000, veteran director Icíar Bollaín’s powerful and layered fi lm lays bare the hypocrisies of a post- colonial world where injustices to the dispossessed continue unchecked. Beautifully executed period details contrasted with the raw energy of the current crisis blur the lines between fi ction, reality, past and present. – Palm Springs Int’l FF “Possibly the most inspirational, solutions-based environmental fi lm out there… could not only slow climate change, but also promote sustainable economic development and social justice around the globe”– Vancouver Int’l FF Co-presenters > Water.org Co-presenters > Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) Saturday, October 8 • 7:45 p.m | Sunday, October 9 • 7:00 p.m. Discussion with Director Carl-A. Fechner via Skype Saturday, October 8 • 8:15 p.m. | Sunday, October 9 • 1:30 p.m. GRANITO – HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR USA, 2011, 103 min. In English and Spanish w/English Subtitles. A fi lm by Pamela Yates, Paco de Onis, and Peter KInoy Sometimes a fi lm makes history; it doesn’t just document it. So it is with Granito, the astonishing new fi lm by Pamela Yates and colleagues. Part political thriller, part memoir, it transports us back in time through a riveting, haunting tale of genocide and returns to the present with a cast of characters joined by destiny and the quest to bring a malevolent dictator to justice. As if a watchful Maya god were weaving back together threads of a story unraveled by the passage of time, forgotten by most, our characters become integral to the overarch- ing narrative of wrongs done and justice sought that they have pieced together, each adding their granito, their tiny grain of sand, to the epic tale. BAG IT USA, 2010, 78 min. Directed by Suzan Beraza Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every fi ve minutes, disposable bags that they throw away without much thought. But where is “away”? Where do the bags and other plas- tics end up, and at what cost to the environment, marine life, and human health? Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic world. Jeb’s journey in this documentary fi lm starts with simple questions: Are plastic bags really necessary? What are plastic bags made from? What happens to plastic bags after they are dis- carded? What starts as a fi lm about plastic bags evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its effect on our waterways, oceans, and our own bodies. Our crazy- for-plastic world has fi nally caught up to us. And we can do something about it. Today. Right now. Co-presenters > Surfrider Foundation & BRING Recycling Director Suzan Beraza in person Friday, October 7 • 6:30 p.m. | Sunday, October 9 • 4:00 p.m. BETWEEN TWO WORLDS USA, 2011, 70 min. Directed and produced by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman Between Two Worlds is a groundbreaking personal exploration of the community and family divisions that are redefi ning American Jewish identity and politics. The fi lmmakers’ own families are battle- grounds over loyalty to Israel, interpretations of the Holocaust, intermarriage, and a secret communist past. Filmed in the United States and Israel, this fi rst-person documentary begins with a near riot at a Jewish Film Festival in San Francisco, reveals the agonizing battle over divestment from Israel on a university campus, and shows the crackdown on dissent in Israel itself. “The fi lm’s graceful, seamless, thoroughly engaging blend of family and communal his- tory is sure to stimulate thousands of provocative conversations about the challenges of Jewish identity in the post-Holocaust era.” – Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Author and founding Editor, Ms. Magazine “As you watch [the fi lm], you’ll feel compelled to ask whether you have ever pushed facts or questions aside to keep your ideals uncomplicated.” – Gershom Gorenberg in The American Prospect “The fi lm is gripping. But not only that, it is in itself evidence of the importance of fi lm- making. If you think fi lms can’t change the world, see this fi lm and think again.” – Jennifer Merin, About.com Co-presenters > Northwest Film Center’s Voices in Action: Human Rights on Film, October 6-November 3, Portland. www.nwfi lm.org Director Pamela Yates in person at NWFC, via skype at Bijou Thursday, October 6 • 7:00 p.m. @ Northwest Film Center Friday, October 7 • 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, October 8 • 5:30 p.m. THE TOPP TWINS: UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS New Zealand, 2009, 84 min. Directed by Leanne Pooley. People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2009 Untouchable Girls tells the story of the world’s only comedic, singing, dancing, yodeling lesbian twin sisters, Lynda and Jools Topp, whose political activism and unique brand of entertain- ment has helped change New Zealand’s social landscape. It includes an engaging mixture of live perfor- mance, rare archival footage and home movies of the twins as young performers and campaigners, and interviews with some of their comedic alter egos. The Topps have always been committed activists at the forefront of movements for gay rights, anti-nu- clear treaties, Maori rights, ending apartheid and, now, the struggle over public health. Filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman in person The Topps, whose career spans well over two decades, eight albums and the prime time TV series, Do Not Adjust Your Twinset, have become well-loved national treasures just by being their radical, fun-loving selves. You’ll love them too. Sunday, October 9 • 5:00 p.m. | Sunday, October 9 • 7:45 p.m. Friday, October 7 • 9:00 p.m. | Sunday, October 9 • 1:00 p.m. All Screenings at Bijou Art Cinemas Unless Noted Otherwise. Festival Updates > GoodWorksFilmFestival.org
