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"Recommended. While the program is heavily scientific,
interviews with residents of Chernoybl help create balance. The viewer feels
the intense debate and the frustration of the health professionals who are
trying to get medical help for the victims of the disaster. The video
quality is clear and professional; the audio quality is clear and concise;
the music is appropriate and not overbearing, and each person is clearly
identified by name and organization." -EMRO Review Associated Article: Inside Chernobyl -National Geographic This documentary reveals the existence of a conflict of interest between two United Nations' agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA), each directly responsible for the alleviation of the health consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan declared that the Chernobyl tragedy was really only beginning and that deaths related to the incident could reach the millions. Such staggering figures underscore the need to know the truth about the serious health consequences of atomic radiation. Produced by TSI, Inc. 08DR JSCA 42 min. |
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"Highly Recommended! This is one of those interesting documentaries that informs you about a topic you should know more about, but don't…chocolate. The filmmakers had to travel half way around the world in order to tell the whole story, and a fascinating one it is. The cinematography is excellent and the information is clear and objective; you get to see both sides of the supply and demand issue and like a great tasting chocolate bar you end up satisfied." -National Media Review Billions of people all over the world love chocolate. Roald Dahl's classic children's tale, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," has been made into a feature film twice; still not many know much more about chocolate, other than they like it. The source of cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter is the cacao seed (or bean), which, after oil and coffee, is the third most traded raw material in the world. The seeds grow inside of large pods that sprout from the trunk or branches of an evergreen tree, called the Theobroma Cacao, native to the rainforests of Central and South America, then transplanted to western Africa. This program takes us to Ecuador, where some of the world's most refined cocoa is produced. We follow the tracks of the cacao bean on its journey from harvest to consumer by way of the Cailler-Nestlé Chocolate Factory in Broc, Switzerland. We learn there are over 14 million people involved in the plant's cultivation; also we meet growers, harvesters, brokers and exporters, such as Maquita and Nestlé, the world's leader in chocolate production, who share the complexities of producing and marketing chocolate, and why only 5% of the profits ever reach the producers. Produced by RTSI - Swiss Television. 08DR JSCA 37 min. |
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Platinum Award -Worldfest
Houston The Gabriel Award -NCAC Best Documentary -Athens Film Festival Best of Fest -Sarasota Film Festival Outstanding Story about South Asia -SAJA "Recommended. This program takes viewers to the streets of New Delhi, India, where Indian researcher Sugata Mitra places a high-speed computer in a wall near an Indian slum that ends with intriguing results: within hours, and without instruction, children begin browsing the Internet, read the news, download games, and listen to music. As a result, Dr. Mitra, the scientist who pioneered the use of IT to educate slum children, has been conferred the 2005 Dewang Mehta Award for Innovation in Information Technology." -EMRO Review A revolution in information technology is redefining poverty, as how much you know is becoming just as important as how much you own. This multi-award winning documentary examines one possible solution to the growing technological gap between rich and poor - the so-called "digital divide" - that threatens to consign millions to an "information underclass." When Indian researcher Sugata Mitra embedded a high-speed computer in a wall separating his firm's New Delhi headquarters from an adjacent slum, he discovered that slum children quickly taught themselves how to surf the net, read the news, and download games and music. Mitra then replicated the experiment in other locations. Each time the results were similar: within hours, and without instruction, the children began browsing the Internet. Here we see how children, given only access and opportunity, teach themselves the rudiments of computer literacy with no instruction; also we discover that the spread of information technology is changing societies around the world, and the implications of Mitra's experiment are profound, especially for poor people. Produced by Globalvision, Inc. 08DR JSCA 52 min. Associated Series: Daily Life and People in India Series |
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In Southern India there is a town where 2000 people hailing
from 30 different countries are living up to their dream of a united human
race. They believe that mankind has reached the threshold of a new
consciousness, and are therefore turning their immediate environment into a
laboratory where this dream can be fulfilled. After working the land for
thirty years, the people here see the hard work has paid off: a barren land
has been gradually replaced by lush forests, and the poor Tamil villages now
contrast with fields with organic growth, schools, factories and futuristic
residential areas. Every aspect of life has become a reason to experiment,
giving rise to an abundance of ideas as well as solutions to problems.
Success alternates with disappointments, yet the people of Auroville
persevere: "We keep trying," they say, and their "lab-city," somewhere
between utopia and reality, continues to grow. Co-produced by
RTSI/Televisione Svizzera and AGUR. 2007 JSCA 52 min. Associated Series: Daily Life and People in India Series |
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"Highly Recommended. This is the real story behind the
cosmetic banana; the perfect flawless fruit that appears on tables
everywhere. Although the sub-title highlights dangers of pesticide abuse,
the program covers broader issues regarding banana plantations in Central
America. It uncovers areas such as extreme exploitation of man and earth, of
trade wars and corruption, and destruction of society and the environment in
poor countries by large international corporations. However, the story ends
on a positive note, suggesting the possibility of a better future with
global restructuring of agro-food system based on fair trade and
environmentally friendly practices. The video quality is good, the narration
is clear and English sub-titles are provided wherever necessary; it is
highly recommended for those who are interested in world issues and
environmental studies." -EMRO Review Associated Article: Building a Better Banana -Smithsonian Magazine, October Few people realize that intensive cultivation is required to secure the world's demand for bananas or that multinational corporations are using massive amounts of pesticides to protect their valuable crops. First we see how overuse of chemicals is not only bad for the environment, but also to the welfare of the crop workers. For example, in Costa Rica we learn the water these people drink is polluted by numerous fungicides and fertilizers, causing some to become sterile, and others to suffer from skin ulcers. Then we see how cooperative plantations can provide a safer way to raise crops and a more humane way for workers to earn a living. Produced by TSI, Inc. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |
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"Highly Recommended! Anyone amazed and astounded by the
recent actions of the United Nations and its Security Council would do well
to view this program. The U.N. as a whole is charged with being the most
entrenched and pampered work force in the world. That alone would be
indictment enough. The HRC is accused of using language that has no meaning
and of incurring process over action. Ireland's Mary Robinson was a victims'
advocate as UN Human Rights Commissioner, but she announced her retirement
after years of charging the windmill." -EMRO Review While the Human Rights Commission's role is to promote human rights, this documentary shows that the UN's HRC has become so politicized that its effectiveness has been lost. The governing body of the HRC includes well-known human rights' violators, such as China, Libya, Syria and Sudan, and with countries like China routinely using its political and economic clout to manipulate voting and deflect criticism, the HRC's doing the opposite for which it was established. Here we hear from the former HR Commissioner, Mary Robinson, who speaks candidly of her deep frustration with the world body; also from London-based lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, who feels the UN should shut the HRC down. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR JSCA 30 min. |