[Imc-outreach] Fwd: Brazilian Independent Documentary Screening

[Arun Bhalla]

Sounds good.  Anyone interested?

Arun

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>From jjlukey at yahoo.com  Thu Aug 26 13: 13:53 2004
Date:  Thu, 26 Aug 2004 11:08:29 -0700 (PDT)
From:  Joe Lukey <jjlukey at yahoo.com>
Subject:  Brazilian Independent Documentary Screening
To:  bhalla at uiuc.edu

Dear Arun Bhalla and Independent Media Center,

We are trying to organize a screening of a documentary
at U of I.  I thought that The Independent Media
Center at U of I might be interested.  The documentary
focuses on movements in Brazil that are playing major
roles in shaping their relatively new democracy.  
More info is pasted below.  Please let me know if you
are interested or if you know anyone who might be
interested in helping us organize a screening there at
U of I.

Thanks and any info would be appreciated,

Joe Lukey
and Tom Janas

We are inquiring about organizing a screening of a
documentary filmed in Brazil about the Landless
Peasant Movement (MST), Workers Party (PT) and the
World Social Forum.  For some the Landless Peasant
Movement is considered the most successful grass roots
organization in Latin America fighting for, and
certainly winning victories in the struggle for
agrarian reform. The Workers Party (PT) and president
Lula of Brazil plays a vital role in fighting for
direct elections during the dictatorship. They also
seem to be a hope for progressive political parties
and have piloted many different experiments and
programs in participatory democracy.  The politicized
civil society in Brazil also gives rise to the World
Social Forum, an open meeting place designed to
promote debate and find alternative solutions to the
current form of globalization.  

We are looking for individuals and groups that would
help organize a screening.  Our goal is to find a
venue to show this piece to interested viewers on your
campus.  Please let us know if this is of interest to
you.

We would like to try to organize something for the
fall.

Here is some more info on the film and subject

The working title "Don't Steal our Sun; You already
Own the Cage," is a journalistic documentary about
ordinary people struggling for hope, economic and
political empowerment despite very difficult if not
seemingly impossible obstacles before them.  The
documentary takes place in Brazil in 2003 and uncovers
testimony and narratives of the country's struggle
from dictatorship to democracy, an experience that is
not just unique to Brazil; many other countries
experience this transition in the past couple of
decades.  The piece focuses on the Landless Peasant
Movement, The Worker's Party and The World Social
Forum.  

The Landless Peasant Movement is a grass roots
organization comprised of marginalized rural workers
that struggle for Agrarian Reform in a country where
land distribution is incredibly unequal; mass
migration from rural areas to the cities have left
many rural workers with little opportunity and
miserable living conditions in overcrowded cities. 
For many, the Landless Peasant Movement or MST is one
of the only hopes of a viable vehicle to achieve a
dignified life, raise a family and earn a decent
living. 

The Workers Party comes to life towards the end of the
military dictatorship.  This party has evolved since
its inception over 20 years ago to put politicians
into local, state and now even holds the highest
ranking office in Brazil since President Lula's
victory in the last election in 2002.  Lula and the PT
are a hope for many Brazilians whose voice have been
historically unheard or not viably represented.  Lula
has proclaimed that his war is against hunger and has
started the program Zero Hunger as well as having
proposed to tax the arms trade to feed the hungry
abroad.  PT and Lula have launched many national
campaigns to fight national problems such as child
prostitution, hunger and violence.

The World Social Forum is a meeting place where people
from all over the world are invited to participate in
debates, forums, panels, screenings and first person
narratives to establish alternatives to the current
form of globalization that many argue leave behind,
hurt and/or exploit people who for the most part are
already marginalized and disenfranchised.    
	



		
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