Topic: documentary

First Friday film screens “Century of Self”

By Tom Paine | April 1, 2008 |

The First Friday Film night will present a viewing of Century of Self this Friday at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clarksville’s meeting hall. Century of Self is a four part documentary by BBC producer Adam Curtis that investigates the role of public relations in influencing public opinion. It shows how the ideas of Sigmund Freud on the unconscious were used by his nephew, Edward Bernays, to develop the field of public relations and how public relations is used by corporations and by governments to manipulate and control the masses.

The first two parts of the documentary will be shown this Friday and will be about 2 hours long. The final two parts of Century of Self will be presented next month. The showing will start promptly at 7:00 PM Friday. The UUFC meeting hall is located on Madison Street, 1.9 miles past the bypass headed toward Nashville, on the left side of the street.  The address is 3053 Highway 41A South (Madison becomes 41A South)  Call 920-5390 with questions.  Bring snacks and drinks to share if you wish.  Free and open to the public.

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Events | No Comments

The power of nightmares: The rise of the politics of fear

By Bill Larson | March 11, 2008 |

“The power of nightmares: The rise of the politics of fear” is an award winning documentary created by Adam Curtis for the BBC and was first broadcast in late 2004. The film explores the origins in the 1950’s of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Middle East, and Neoconservatism in America, it highlights the striking parallels that exist between both movements, and the effects they have on our world today.

“Both the Islamists and Neoconservatives] were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created today’s nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. “

What’s especially interesting about this film is the theory they propose that the hype about the islamic threat in the from of al-Qaeda, is in fact a myth perpetrated by politicians, particularly American neo-conservatives in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

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“For the Bible Tells Me So” delivers

By Blayne Clements | February 27, 2008 |

My wife has a book that I have intended to read for years, but never found the time, “What the Bible REALLY says about Homosexuality.” Then I saw this movie available on Netflix, “For the Bible Tells me So” , and thought at this point in my life, I’m much more likely to get a quick movie in than to read a book.

The movie introduces you to several families that have two things in common 1) strong religious ties, and 2) a family member that is a homosexual. Director Daniel Karslake’s selection of families with different backgrounds is sure to connect with a variety of viewers. Theres a Midwest lawyer and stay at home mother that are Lutheran; a African American couple from North Carolina who are ministers in a AME church; there a Episcopalian elderly white couple from blue collar rural Kentucky (no spoiler here but their child was the first openly Gay bishop in the Anglican church, Gene Robinson); a single middle class mother, and a long time politician Dick Gephardt and his family.

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Sections: Arts and Leisure, Spirituality | 3 Comments

Darfur Diaries film - Feb 12 - tonight at Austin Peay State University!

By Beth Robinson | February 12, 2008 |

“I left the film feeling a great deal more hope for us all.” - Alice Walker

The Govs Programming Council will be showing “Darfur Diaries” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 12 in the Clement Auditorium.

In October, 2004 three activists snuck across the Sudanese border into rebel-held territory to document the atrocities in Darfur. They returned with some of the first footage exposing the massive war crimes being perpetrated by the Sudanese government.

The event is free and open to the public.

Sponsor:  Govs Programming Council
Contact:   Melissa Davis
E-mail: davisma@apsu.edu
On the Web:  http://www.darfurdiaries.org/

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The Corporation: Examining the new world order

By Bill Larson | January 7, 2008 |

One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, the corporation is today’s dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first to defy history.

In a complex, exhaustive and highly entertaining documentary, The Corporation, Mark Achbar, co-director of the influential and inventive Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, teams up with co-director Jennifer Abbott and writer Joel Bakan to examine the far-reaching repercussions of the corporation’s increasing preeminence.

Based on Bakan’s book, The Corporation: The pathological pursuit of profit and power, the film is a timely, critical inquiry that invites CEOs, whistle-blowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits on a graphic and engaging quest to reveal the corporation’s inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible futures. Featuring illuminating interviews with Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Howard Zinn and many others, The Corporation charts the spectacular rise of an institution aimed at achieving specific economic goals as it also recounts victories against this apparently invincible force.

Among the 40 interview subjects are CEOs and top-level executives from a range of industries: oil, pharmaceutical, computer, tire, manufacturing, public relations, branding, advertising and undercover marketing. In addition, a Nobel-prize winning economist, the first management guru, a corporate spy, and a range of academics, critics, historians and thinkers are also interviewed. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues | 1 Comment »

Orwell Rolls In His Grave The Power Of US Corporate Media

By Bill Larson | February 16, 2007 |

Orwell rolls in his grave is the consummate critical examination of the Fourth Estate, once the bastion of American democracy by Director Robert Kane Pappas. Asking whether America has entered an Orwellian world of doublespeak where outright lies can pass for the truth, Pappas explores what the media doesn’t like to talk about: itself.

Meticulously tracing the process by which media has distorted and often dismissed actual news events, Pappas presents a riveting and eloquent mix of media professionals and leading intellectual voices on the media.

Among the cast of characters in Orwell rolls in his grave are Charles Lewis, director of the Center for Public Integrity, Vincent Bugliosi, former L.A. prosecutor and legal scholar, film director and author Michael Moore, Rep. Bernie Sanders, Danny Schecter, author and former producer for ABC and CNN, and Tony Benn, former member of the British Parliament.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2664529389359423152

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Sections: Arts and Leisure, Issues | No Comments

Video: The god who wasn’t there

By Bill Larson | November 15, 2006 |

Bowling for Columbine did it to the gun culture.
Super Size Me did it to fast food.
Now The God Who Wasn’t There does it to religion.

Holding modern Christianity up to a bright spotlight, this bold and often hilarious new film asks the questions few dare to ask.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7498241687701731240

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Sections: Arts and Leisure | 1 Comment »

Inside Google: The search engine we know and love

By Bill Larson | September 9, 2006 |

Indexing the Internet is not easy. It’s something that Google however does exceedingly well. How do they do it? Find out in this interesting documentary about the worlds largest search engine. Consider this a chance to meet those faceless people who are behind the machine. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Business | No Comments