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"Highly Recommended. A humanistic portrayal of one of the
most influential figures from Chile and a key figure in the advancement of
Latino culture in the U.S." -National Media Review 'Alegría's 'Viva Chile Mierda,' the most recited poem of the Salvador Allende era, was written in the 1960s, when Alegría was a professor at UC Berkeley; it was also the time of the 'University Without Walls' movement that responded to the call of universal higher education." -Western Institute for Social Research "Fernando Alegría, mentor to hundreds of literary scholars and authors, was a pioneer in Latin American literature studies; he wrote more than two dozen books, including, 'Allende: A Novel,' a biography of his longtime friend, the former president of Chile Salvador Allende. He also wrote critical works on the influence of Thomas Mann and Walt Whitman on Latin American literature." -Stanford University News Service Fernando Alegría grew up in the Independencia barrio of Santiago, Chile. This barrio was filled with the dreams of immigrants from all over the world and gave birth to the lyrical voices of Pablo Neruda, Violeta Parra, Volodia Teitelboim, and gave Alegría not only his voice, but also his indomitable spirit of rebellion and sense of national identity. As an academic, visionary, writer and revolutionary, Alegría brought prestise and legitimacy to the Spanish language. Alegría's works, factual or fictional, capture the spirit of the people and places they depict. His gift of being able to articulate the feelings of a people, in a witty, reflective and lyrically beautiful manner, endeared Alegría to his countrymen and women and earned him recognition from many literary and cultural icons. Produced by Uwe Blesching and Marcia Campos. 2008 SCA 52 min. Also available in Spanish |
| This is the biography of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, who is perhaps best known for adapting Auld Lang Syne into the version that is sung on New Year's Eve around the world. Lionized as the "ploughman poet," which dates back to his humble beginnings as the son of a poor farmer, Burns, today, is revered as a cult hero for his unpretentious verse ("the best laid schemes o' mice and men"), his many romances, and his notorious belief in passion as a gift of life. Although he died a relatively young man, 37 in 1796, his extraordinary power of touching the hearts of common people though his verse continues to be celebrated on his birthday, January 25, at annual "Burns' Night" festivities. 08DR/CL JSCA 30 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. This is an interesting biographical
program that focuses on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the English
gentleman who brought the world Sherlock Holmes. An educated criminologist
himself, Doyle did much to reform the way the English justice system worked
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His experience in the
trenches during the Boer Wars in South Africa led him to develop the steel
helmet for the British Army; he also introduced cross-country skiing into
Switzerland. Also, later in life, Doyle became very interested in
spiritualism and wrote a number of pamphlets and treatises about its effect
on his life." -EMRO Review Iain Cuthbertson stars in this historical re-enactment on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the man who brought the world Sherlock Holmes. As we see in this excellent biography, the author, like his literary alter ego, found it hard to resist the challenge of righting a wrong or seeking justice for an underdog. Here we learn of two police cases he had re-opened, The Case of George Edalji and The Case of Oscar Slater; his work in these cases helped to establish a way to correct other miscarriages of justice. Holmes' lovers, as well as readers of Doyle's other fine works, will love to learn how the author's literary works constantly reflected events of his life. All will enjoy seeing a rare interview with the author, who also introduced steel helmets into the Army, life jackets into the Navy, and cross-country skiing to Switzerland. From viewing Jeremy Brett and Basil Rathbone as the Great Detective to hearing William Gillette utter the famous phrase, "It's elementary my dear Watson," the program is filled with nostalgic moments that help remind us of the dramatic impact of Doyle's creative genius that has lasted for generations. 08DR/CL IJSCA 30 min. Associated Programs: England 3: In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes and The Sherlock Holmes Collection Associated Book: The New Revelation |
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"Highly Recommended! This moving documentary is filled
with photos and video clips of Hesse's intense yet simple attempt to find
meaning in his life. He indicated in his writings that his life had two
pursuits: the need for solitude, and the need to communicate. To meet his
need for solitude, he spent much of his life in the remote village of
Montagnola, Switzerland. To meet his need to communicate, his house became a
major asylum for German-born artists during the Nazi regime in Germany, as
well as the many admirers of his works throughout his life. Hesse liked the
simple life of gardening and pulling weeds, and stated in his letters that
he found most of his inspiration during this type of work; he answered over
35,000 letters during his lifetime, part of his need to communicate with
others; he also dabbled with painting and artwork, which is featured
throughout the program." -EMRO Review The German-born writer Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 for what is considered his masterpiece, The Glass Bead Game (Das Glasperlenspiel), which, ironically, was his last major work. Previously, he had achieved great fame with three novels, Demian in 1919, Siddhartha in 1922, and Steppenwolf in 1927. This documentary, which was filmed on-location in Montagnola, Switzerland, where he lived much of his life, focuses on the soul of the writer and includes commentary taken from the writer's autobiography and covers many personal aspects of the writer's life. Also we meet the writer's two sons, his editor, and the doctor who treated Hesse during his final years in Ticino. Produced by TSI, Inc. 08DR/CL SCA 55 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. A memorable and immediate experience
of one of the world's finest poets." -Ed. Media Review William Butler Yeats is considered one of the 20th century's greatest poets. He lived during one of the most turbulent periods in Irish history, from the downfall of Parnell to the foundation of the Irish nation state. This reflective biography presents the historical context and Yeats' own motivation for writing, plus a complete literary critique of the acclaimed poet and his work. Produced by Ray Atkinson. 08DR PIJSCA 60 min. |