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HotDocs

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

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I spend a lot of time on the Internet. And if we are being totally transparent, I probably spend TOO much time on the Internet. More often than not I am on it for two main reasons:

  1. To completely disassociate from all that I left undone during the day and somehow seek to take back control of my brain (and life)
  2. Reading random articles about things

The second one tends to focus on the topic of life as a mom: What is this rash my kid has? How long does it take for a teenager to act normal again? What is “too much” screen time and how will it affect my kids? This last one in particular is increasingly relevant, especially in the light of a COVID world where caregivers have been left with few resources for engagement and learning for their children at home. And while I am well aware of the recommendations regarding screen time and that the topic often gets tense, I’m going to shine the light on what I feel like are the most valuable characteristics of devices: accessibility and representation. And for me it all begins on a street – Sesame Street.

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street gives us the history of one of the longest-running children’s shows to-date. From the exploration of using TV as a form of education to the incorporation of what were considered “progressive” topics, Street Gang brings original backstage footage into the forefront with interviews and insight from those who were instrumental in revolutionizing access to education.

Because that was one of the original motivators for the creation of Sesame Street – accessibility. Growing awareness of the socio-economic disparity that minority children faced with regards to educational resources was the springboard for Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett exploring the possibility of television as an answer. With the launch of Sesame Street, children not only had the opportunity to learn the basics of math and reading, they especially had the opportunity to learn about emotional maturity, and in a way that not only sounded like them, but looked like them too. And while characters like Kermit and Grover and Bert and Ernie didn’t exactly look like real people, children could relate to their stories and questions. Take Oscar the Grouch for example. Writer/composer Christopher Cerf explained, “Oscar the Grouch was created very much to show that somebody with a completely different view than yours could be your friend.” Who knew that an angry puppet in a trashcan could be a tool for dialogue and connection? Sesame Street knew, that’s who. And they kept going.

With the Civil Rights movement sweeping across the nation, the core Sesame Street creators brought a New York city street into every home with a television. They didn’t shy away from hard topics like race and death. They didn’t minimize the experiences of children and created characters like Big Bird that spoke and responded like a young child – regularly asking questions, needing additional explanations, learning about a world where people look and think differently. The goal was to “give kids tools to create the world they wanted to live in,” Sonia Manzano (Maria) shared. Blending the real with the imaginary – people with puppets – Sesame Street became a gateway for children to see themselves in a world that often overlooked them. When they tuned into the show, they weren’t just learning their alphabet and colors, they were witnessing community in the truest sense.

And I’ll be honest. After watching Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, I think as adults, we need to find our way back there.

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is available on demand.

HotDocs21: It Is Not Over Yet

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Life-affirming and fascinating, It Is Not Over Yet transports the viewer to Dagmarsminde, a small long-term care facility in Denmark. Led by health practitioner May Bjerre Eiby, Dagmarsminde is committed to caring for their elderly residents and dementia patients by shifting their focus from medicine to the more controversial philosophy of ‘care treatment’. Inspired by Florence Nightingale’s methods from 150 years ago, Eiby and her team seek to honour their patients with high doses of hugs, conversation, affection and, of course, cake. In doing so, they not only enhance the quality of life of their residents but they also bring healing and hope to those who may feel abandoned.

Directed by Louise Detlefson, It Is Not Over Yet is a poignant journey into the world of health care and the power of compassion. Focusing her lens solely on the holistic community of Dagmarsminde, Detlefson has found something truly unique and powerful within this facility. As they (seemingly) give Detlefson full access to their conversations and treatments, the amazing results that Eiby and her team produce are nothing short of remarkable. At Dagmarsminde, every patient is treated with such respect and love that one cannot help but be in awe at what’s taking place.

Though Eiby’s methods often differ from ‘traditional practice’, one can’t argue with results. With an emphasis on human contact, touch and communal living, the ministry at Dagmarsminde recognizes the healing that the human body can experience when it feels safe and loved. Patients who have been left virtually catatonic due to over-medication begin to regain their faculties. Those who have been socially isolated start to come out of their shells and participate in community together. Within Dagmarsminde, dignity takes priority and lives are being changed as a result.

In short, Dagmarsminde may seem like a place where people go to die. In reality, it is a home that celebrates life.

Where Detlefson’s story becomes particularly emotional (and likely somewhat controversial) lies in the facility’s philosophy on how to care for residents who are near death. As a patient’s health begins to fade and death becomes an oncoming reality, Eiby allows them to be supported along the last phase of their journey. Rather than attempt to keep them alive through drugs or force-feeding, Eiby instead encourages the team to allow their residents to ‘transition’ peacefully as part of the natural process of life and death. For many, this practice may seem counter-intuitive (or even foreign) when held up against more traditional medical practices. (In fact, in one riveting scene, Eiby debates the practice amongst her own staff who may or may not agree with this exercise.) However, even in these moments, their gentle massage and peaceful words carry an inherent sense of beauty that Detlefson is allowed to catch on camera. 

Honestly, as shocking as it may seem, this may be the most tender death ever caught on camera.

With It Is Not Over Yet, Detlefson sends a powerful message. Though modern practice favours medication to treat dementia amongst patients, there truly is nothing greater than love to bring them hope. Led by Eiby, Darmarsminde continues to remind their residents that, though they may be nearing the end of their journey, they still matter. In this place, they know that they are safe and celebrated.

For these patients, life is truly not over yet.

To hear our conversation with director Louise Detlefson and health practitioner May Bjerre Eiby, click here.

It Is Not Over Yet is now playing at HotDocs ‘21.

HotDocs21: Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest

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How will you leave your mark on the world?

Set in Denmark, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest follows grandfather and veteran retro gamer Kim Cannon Arm. The ‘uncrowned king of 1980s arcade games’, Kim spends his downtime playing the classics with his friends in Copenhagen’s Bip Bip Bar. Having turned the game of Gyruss into an artform, Kim decides to attempt to shatter the world record for gaming by playing for 100 hours straight. Aided by his friends who have committed to see his dream become reality, Kim sets out on a quest to play his way into the history books with the ultimate high score.

Directed by Mads Hedegaard, Cannon Arm is an absolute joy from start to finish. Focusing its lens on Kim and his friends, Hedegaard highlights the charm and joy of these unlikely champions as they attempt to do the impossible. In this world, achieving a ‘kill screen’ in Donkey Kong feels like a major win. However, while most consider gaming to be an individual experience Cannon Arm reveals the opposite. Though few may know their names beyond their inner circle, Kim and his crew have a deep love and affection for one another and believe that they have the opportunity to leave a mark on the world. With Kim’s record in view, they also understand that they need to work together to accomplish it. In an amazing display of commitment, the crew remain (mostly) laser focused clocking his scores, lives and just keeping their friend fed and hydrated in order to help him achieve his dream. 

After all, for them, the arcade world is their path to immortality.

To be heroes.

Ultimately though, despite its setting, Hedegaard understands that this story is not really about world records or even video games. Having been accepted as one of their own, Hedegaard gives a loving but honest portrayal of this group of friends, highlighting their struggles as well as their successes. (This becomes particularly apparent through Dyst as he battles Donkey Kong but also his own mental health.)

Most importantly though, this is a film which asks the question of what it means to leave your mark on the world. No, Kim may not be a hero in the traditional sense. He has never saved anyone from a burning building nor has can he leap tall buildings. Instead, Kim is shown to be a very simple man of great humility. Held in contrast to Billy Mitchell—the ‘bad boy’ of the gaming community—Kim comes across as a man who genuinely recognizes what’s important in life. In fact, without giving any spoilers (which would truly ruin the ride that the film takes you one), Kim’s response to the result of his record attempt is nothing short of staggering. Win or lose, Kim seems to recognize that that’s not what defines him and he handles the result with grace. 

While the record remains important to him, it also doesn’t define him.

A grandfather with a deep love for his friends, Kim recognizes that the love of his friends and the acceptance of community is what ultimately matters most. This realization allows him to hold on to what matters, no matter what the outcome may be in the end. (Incidentally, it’s also worth noting that he even dedicates his record to his dear friend who passed away, as opposed to pointing to himself.) While his passion for Gyruss drives the film, it does not drive the man.

In the end, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest is truly one of the feel-good films of this year’s HotDocs. In Kim Cannon Arm, Hedegaard has truly struck gold. Affable and slightly aloof, Kim is a wonderful subject to lead us into the world of digital kill screens and underground arcades. However, it’s his humility and love of his friends that is most noteworthy in this modern hero.

Because he understands that it’s his love for others that will leave his greatest mark on the world.

To hear our conversation with director Mads Hedegaard, click here.

Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest is now playing at HotDocs ‘21.

John Dower Pursues the Mystery of D.B. Cooper

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This undated artist’ sketch shows the skyjacker known as D.B. Cooper from recollections of the passengers and crew of a Northwest Airlines jet he hijacked between Portland and Seattle on Thanksgiving eve in 1971.

When Kenny Daglish made the transition from Celtic in Scotland to Liverpool in the English Premier League, John Dower’s Scottish father found his European football allegiance transitioning, too. Over the years, the Dower family avidly followed their team, attending the miracle win in Istanbul in 2005 and now enjoying the latest spoils of success under manager Jurgen Klopp, who has led them to Champions League and Premier League titles. But don’t confuse John Dower’s fandom with partiality as the unblinking eyes of a documentarian.

“I’d just love to tell the story of the man who I’m deeply in love with, Jurgen Klopp, who has done extraordinary things in a short amount of time,” he shared via ZOOM from England. “But directors are coldhearted assassins, and I put aside my love when it comes to filming. It would be great to hang out with the guys, but I’m not signing on for a film where the director doesn’t have the final cut. Besides, the best sports dramas are the ones where you don’t really see the sports. The film can’t replicate the drama of the game.”

Dower has done sports stories before, like his documentary Thrilla in Manila, but his latest looks into the legend surrounding D.B. Cooper. While other films had been made trying to investigate what really happened on November 24, 1971, Dower’s look at the hijacker who jumped out of a Boeing 727 with two hundred thousand dollars in ransom money investigates those who believe they know what really happened – because they know the real Cooper.

“We’re not trying to solve it,” explains Dower. “The FBI have tried unsuccessfully for fifty years so how is a guy from South London? If you’re at a pub telling the story, ‘It’s stormy night, it’s Thanksgiving Eve, a guy in a suit and sunglasses gets on a plane.’ It’s not dramatic enough because it’s one of the most passive hijackings ever!”

“He’s so polite, he might as well have been English.”

Dower knows that it would have been easy to mock or satirize the different individuals he interviewed for the film, each who is sure they knew the real D.B. Cooper. Of course they can’t all be right, but their passion for what they believe is captured, fairly, on camera by a documentarian who is more than willing to tell their stories.

“I respect their belief in their stories,” says the director. “Now, I’m not equating myself to him, but when [Steven] Spielberg was making Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he said, ‘I don’t necessarily believe in UFOS but I believe in the people who believe in them. They’re not just the village crazies.’ They’re pouring their lives into why they believe this. As we got deeper, other suspects popped up, like a guy in Long Island who wanted several thousand dollars to tell us it was the guy from Catch Me If You Can. Once you ask for money, you’re instantly dismissed because you’re in it for something else.”

Nancy Abraham told Dower that as people walk up and down passing other people on the street, cheek to jowl, that each has story after story inside of them. It’s those stories that Dower has sought in pursuit of the Mystery of D.B. Cooper, but he’s clear that it’s still a mystery, and it’s not up to him to solve it.

“You’re kind of relieved they lost the cigarette butts,” Dower admits, referring to the lack of DNA evidence. “With the Internet, there’s not a lot of mystery left in the world. That’s the beauty, the purity of Cooper’s uncertain story. You can be part of completing the story.”

Dower believes that any belief system, any perceived story of an individual, has an element of craziness because it’s their story and not rooted in things that the rest of us would call realistic. But he says that the people he interviewed have “D.B. Cooper shaped holes” in their lives, and that as he listened to them, they convinced him. “Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good story,” he admits.

Jaws was the first story that caught his attention like that, at twelve or thirteen, in the theater with his father. It was the first time Dower realized that a movie was made with care and thought, and one scene captured his attention in a way that he can still recount it forty-five years later.

“It’s that moment when they open the town back up and they’re all on the beach. They’re apprehensive, and they do a crash zoom in on Roy Schneider’s face. But then everyone comes rushing out of the water, and one kid is bloody eaten! Then they go crashing into the mother’s face. She’s not the woman you’d expect, not a soccer mom, but someone you could clearly tell was a slightly older woman, a bit spinsterly. This boy was her world and there was no one else. That’s when I realized casting was important, and the storytelling was amazing.”

Dower was drawn into the world of documentaries by films like Errol Morris’ The Thin Blue Line, the story of the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the murder of police officer Robert Wood, and Nick Brunfield’s Tracking Down Maggie, an access-free documentary that tried and failed to gain access to then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The action turned from watching documentaries to making them at the turn of the century, just as he came across Chris Smith’s American Movie, a documentary about the struggle of Mark Borchadt to get his horror film made.”I still watch it once a year, it’s so wonderful. They make a film about a guy in Wisconsin who is trying to make a horror film with his mate. It’s horrible and he just won’t give up. Documentaries are allowed to have moments that are funny, moments of levity.”

That’s why the strangeness of the various stories about D.B. Cooper’s potential next chapter appeal to him. They are a little off the wall, not as serious in sensibility to viewers, but no less true to the people who believe them. Still, don’t assume that this is a farce, because Dower knows there’s more at stake here, even if it’s hidden behind a wink and a grin. The film is asking questions about ideals that everyone takes for granted.

“It’s about belief, about memory, the stories we tell ourselves,” admits the director. “We all do it. Why are these people any different? I’d so love if one of them was the accurate story behind D.B. Cooper.”
It’s all still a mystery though – and that’s what makes it a story worth Dower telling. Even today, discussing money that washed ashore, mentioned briefly in the movie but not fully unpacked, reveals another mystery. “The fact that the money washed ashore, that element gives it another gear because the FBI showed the money couldn’t have been there that long. They did tests on the elastic bands, and there’s no way it could be there in that status. The money had only been there a year, not nine. Where did that money come from?”

“It’s almost as bonkers as him jumping out of the plane.”

Maybe that will be Dower’s next investigation, presenting the stories as he finds them. But like a good story, the audience is left to fill in the blanks and consider their own interpretations, based on their own beliefs, their own memories, and what they tell themselves.

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper premieres on November 26 on HBO.

Love and Stuff: Motherhood and Mortality

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Directed by Judith Helfand, Love and Stuff is chock-full of substance, and despite the numerous topics that it covers, everything is perfectly intertwined. Love and Stuff comes down to one word – motherhood. Complex and emotional, Helfand’s film looks at what it means to have a mother, become a mother, and have those realities stripped of you against your will.

We begin our journey with Judith as she navigates turning her mother’s apartment into a hospice as she comes to the end of her battle with cancer. It was a shocking reality to witness the preparation for death. We learn some of her mother’s wishes, and listen in as Judith tearfully asks her mother how she is supposed to live without her.  

After her passing, Judith is forced to go through her mother’s belongings, including generations of mementos. Understandably, Judith struggles with letting go. It’s almost as if letting go of her belongings solidified the truth that her mother was gone. (I can appreciate not wanting to lose all of the things that were important to, not just her mother, but to generations of family members.) But, for Judith, it was simply too much ‘stuff’ for her New York apartment to house. How do you choose what to keep of her memory?  

A curve ball in this piece is the impact that the pharmaceutical industry can have on an individual (and even entire families) for years down the line. It’s terrifying to think of how a medication meant for good can completely alter the trajectory of someone’s life. We witness how Judith’s health was seriously affected by a medication that her mother took before she was born. It was heartbreaking to look back on old footage of Judith going through a significant medical procedure that would change her life forever. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it was, not only for Judith, but also for her mother to see her own daughter live through that tragedy. Perhaps the bright side was that it seemed to bring them closer together.

I can’t help but continue to soak in the idea of legacy and the impact that we have on our children. Love and Stuff is a sobering narrative on the importance of keeping our health in order to be around longer for our children. Though the film is also a call to live in the moment. Recalling the past, having memories, and learning from the past are all important but if we spend too long reliving the past, it can be detrimental to our future. 

Throughout Love and Stuff, I consistently thought what an incredible narrator Judith Helfand turns out to be. Because this is her personal story, the entire piece is from her voice. I was also impressed with the cinematography, including the shots that paused on certain collections of belongings or different corners of the apartments. I couldn’t help but feel like I was sitting on the couch next to Judith listening to her discuss her experiences.

I felt personally impacted by Love and Stuff. With tears, I battled with the reality of mortality, grief, and legacy right along with Judith. So many of the battles reflected in this piece are incredibly difficult to comprehend. As Judith concludes, “Transitions and goodbyes are notoriously difficult for everybody. I guess it’s a good thing we get so much practice.”

Despite the emotional nature of the film, I felt a glimmer of hope for Judith and her newfound family. Though difficult, we witness Judith coming to terms with her new normal as she slowly learns to live without her Mother.

Love & Stuff premiered at the Hot Docs Film Festival online this weekend.

Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl – Fearless Authenticity

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While the title may suggest otherwise, never underestimate the girl.

At 18, Kate Nash burst onto the alt-pop music scene from relative obscurity. Quickly earning a platinum album and dominating the music charts, Nash became the voice of a generation. However, years later, after a traumatic encounter with her manager, Nash finds herself struggling to make ends meet. Taking odd jobs and selling off her clothes, Nash is forced to re-examine who she is and what it means to make her music in an ever-changing music landscape.

Directed by Amy Goldstein (East of A), Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl is an intriguing behind-the scenes look at the struggles of life in the music industry, especially for young women. Walking with her along her transition to America, the film portrays Nash as a humble yet courageous artist who remains passionate about her music and style. Through her use of live performance footage and onscreen lyrics, Goldstein manages to keep Nash’s music front and centre throughout her journey. In doing so, she effectively and consistently builds direct connections between the heart of her songs and Nash’s life situation at the time. For Nash, her music is her voice and Goldstein recognizes the power within that.

In fact, the power of voice—or, more accurately, what happens when people try to take that away—remains a key theme throughout Underestimate the Girl. Whereas Nash’s career may have shot to stardom early on, things take a turn for the worse after she is taken advantage of by her manager. By shattering her trust, the damage done by her manager crushes her emotionally and financially. Struggling to pay her bills, Nash wrestles with options ranging from writing pop music that doesn’t suit her brand to selling sci-fi merchandise on a YouTube shopping channel. However, with each venture, Nash appears increasingly saddened, not only because of her financial situation but because each venture seems to steal another piece of her soul. (This frustration becomes particularly apparent during the scenes where she attempts to work on a new ‘pop’ sound as she is repeatedly forced to hold her voice back in an effort to create something that will ‘sell’.) 

However, despite her circumstances, Nash remains determined to speak her voice as an artist. Although she is told that her music doesn’t fit neatly into the music scene, Nash courageously fights for opportunities to express herself in her own way. Inherent to her creativity is a fearless authenticity that enlivens her soul. Because she understands who she has been created to be, Nash recognizes that her value as an artist lies in her ability to speak in her own voice. In other words, her individuality is tied to her energy and effectiveness as an artist. 

In this way, Underestimate becomes an encouraging picture about the life-giving power of a commitment to honouring who we are. By following Nash as her subject, Goldstein strikes gold by bringing us a rock star that we can relate to. While her story of superstardom may differ from our own, her humility and genuineness on camera makes us believe that she is also one of us. Her pluck and tenacity serves as a reminder to all of the value of knowing who you are and ferociously fighting to be heard.

While Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl may be an inside look at the reality of trying to make it in the music business, its true value is deeper than that. Fun but fearless, Nash’s honesty and humility are what truly sets the film apart as she continues to prove her value to others by simply being herself.

Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl hits ALAMO ON DEMAND on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

The Painter and the Thief: Painting a New Picture

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A still from The Painter and the Thief by Benjamin Ree, an official selection of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Barbora Kysilkova. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’ Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.

In the new documentary, The Painter and the Thief, director Benjamin Lee introduces the world Barbora Kysilkova, a Czech painter who is devasated when two of her masterpieces are stolen from the Galleri Nobel, an art exhibit in Norway. Eventually, she is able to contact one of the thieves responsible in Karl-Bertil Nordland, a man with a criminal record and a troubled past. Barbora takes an interest in Karl’s personal situation and “uniqueness”, which leads to an unlikely relationship forming between victim and the criminal who stole her paintings. As the two become closer, Karl ultimately becomes her muse as well as an intimate friend.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Barbora and Karl, an incredibly unlikely duo that somehow became friends and even benefitted from knowing each other. Given his past, one may stereotype Karl as a dangerous criminal seems as though he will take advantage of Barbora’s kindness at the first opportunity to do so. (Incidentally, Barbora prepares herself mentally for this ‘inevitability’ and even prepares to take advantage of the situation first, by using him as an opportunity for inspiration in future paintings.) However, the film takes a wildly different (and heart-warming) turn. After getting to know Karl for who he is underneath his tattoos, Barbora realizes that he is just a repentant man who is doing his very best to survive. 

As their relationship grows, Barbora becomes increasingly sympathetic, even understanding why he stole the paintings in the first place. To her, Karl is just like most people in that he wants to be ‘seen’, valued and understood by others, and his way of doing so is to steal her art. As someone who has had a difficult career as an artist trying to make it, Barbora relates with her art career, Barbora is able to relate to Karl’s experience and she sets aside any prejudices and anger that she initially had in order to befriend him. Through her support and his own determination, Barbora is able to help Karl overcome his drug and alcohol addictions and turn his life around. 

In fact, their relationship inspires her to portray her friend through her art, expressing his childhood joy, vulnerability and beauty as a person as well. Despite the circumstances surrounding their relationship, Karl has become the masterpiece in Barbora’s life. An incredible example of this comes in a poignant scene in hospital after Karl is in a serious car accident. Noticing the scars on his hands, Barbora decides to paint them. To her, the scars become symbolic of the same ones that Christ had on his hands when crucified on the cross. By drawing parallel between Karl’s journey and Christ’s, Barbora showcases her friend as one who is trying to reach out to be understood but failing yet condemned by the prejudices of society.

Overall, I feel that The Painter and the Thief is a great documentary that tells a very human story of an unlikely duo and their relationship. Powerful and challenging, the film shows the redemptive power of grace in relationship and how that can truly change a life.

The Painter and the Thief is available on VOD on Friday, May 22, 2020 and will stream at HotDocs Toronto’s online festival beginning May 28th.

Islam and the Future of Tolerance

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Image result for islam and the future of tolerance the movie

An atheist and a former Islamist extremist walk in to a bar…

Joking aside.

Image result for sam harris

Sam Harris is a known atheist and the author of The End of Faith, among many others. The End of Faith was Sam’s immediate reaction to the events of 9/11, and includes numerous references to Islam. To roughly quote Sam, he believes that the conventional dogmatism and divisiveness of religion is more tragic than the view of most of the average atheists, who think its a combination of fraud and delusion and it doesn’t need to be paid attention to.

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Maajid Nawaz is a former Islamist extremist turned liberal activist and author. Maajid was raised in England and was recruited into one of the first groups to popularize the idea that Muslims needed to form a global caliphate.

When these two extremely well-spoken and educated men, who have exceptionally different pasts and views on religion, sit down to a conversation, what would one expect? Quite a heated debate, to say the least. But what comes from it is an extremely important lesson on a group of individuals that are deeply discriminated against based on one small sect of their religion.

Some of the questions that are debated include if, textually, Islam is a religion of peace. Are Muslims violent people or do these violent actions stem from a particular interpretation of scripture in the Quran?

The film makes an interesting point that agreeing to disagree on such important and catastrophic issues isn’t just a cop-out, but it’s actually incredible dangerous. The topics of human freedom and life and death are not something we can agree to disagree on.

A fair portion of this documentary is dedicated to Maajid’s background story including what brought him to join a Islamist extremist group. As a boy, Maajid was physically attack for his colour. During his teen years he was exposed to racism running rampant around the world. At 16, he was recruited into a group of Islamists, Hizb ut-Tahrir. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Maajid discuss his time in Hizb ut-Tahrir.

One of the most interesting portions of this documentary, and the part that I think everyone needs to hear, is the difference between conservative Muslims, Islamists and Jihadists. Every Islamist is a Muslim but not ever Muslim is an Islamist. In fact, the majority are not. Similar to other religions, not all of the people that follow a certain religion are radical. Maajid makes a comparison with the “Bible Belt” in America. Not all Christians are fanatical (like the KKK for example), just as not all Muslims are fanatical like Islamists and Jihadists are.

During the film there are clips interspersed between the conversation of someone walking a tightrope. I thought this was a spot-on metaphor for the way people can feel and act when discussing religion. It’s become so passe, and perhaps even formidable. When if fact, if we were to treat the discussion of religion like a lesson as opposed to being resistant to it, we might find we understand people a lot more. As it says in this documentary, this conversation is not about proving you’re right. It says that conversation is the key! Without the conversation, we become more and more entrenched in our views.

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Interestingly, during the first half of the film, Sam is being interviewed in a bright white room, wearing light colored clothing. Maajid, on the other hand, is placed in a dark dungeon-like space. As we progress, they are interviewed in front of the same background. And at the very end, during the credits, we see them finally face to face, sitting at a table having conversation. I don’t know how much intention went into this, but it really speaks to the vast differences between these two men and perhaps the initial stereotypes one may have. It was refreshing to see the progression. The swallowing of pride, so to speak, when these men could finally understand and respect each other.

David Peck: Bronwen Hughes (THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION)

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Bronwen Hughes and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film The Journey is The Destination, Dan Eldon, the “global tribe”, living a life of “crowded hours”, and having no sense of the other.

IMDB

More about Dan Eldon here.

More about Creative Visions here.

Synopsis

The Journey is the Destination is based on the remarkable true story of the life of Dan Eldon, a photographer, artist, and adventurer.  By the age of 22, he had travelled to more than 40 countries, created fine art journals, worked with refugees, been hired as the youngest photojournalist at Reuters, fallen in love  — and accumulated more life experience than most in a lifetime.

Inspiring and irreverent, the film tell the story of a young man coming of age to realize his purpose, and his belief that we can all create positive change.

This film is 23 years in the making and we could not be more proud to have Kathy’s original dream become a reality.  This would not be possible without the phenomenal group of producers, the incredible director Bronwen Hughes, the cast, crew and everyone who has been part of this journey.  The journey continues…

Biography

Bronwen Hughes is a New York and Hollywood-based feature film director of Canadian and British origin.

She is currently at work on the feature film The Journey is the Destination, based on the life of artist and photographer, Dan Eldon. This epic adventure tells the story of Dan who spent his life traveling and photographing in 42 countries, inspiring young people to follow him. Like Dan, Hughes started photographing and traveling the globe from a very young age.

Hughes’ feature Stander is based on the true story of a notorious and brilliant bank robber in 1970’s Johannesburg. This charismatic criminal became a popular hero, often robbing 4 or 5 banks in a single day. Ultimately, he was apprehended and revealed to be the captain of the South African Police. Stander stars Thomas Jane (The Punisher, Boogie Nights) and Dexter Fletcher (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). The shoot took place in Johannesburg and the Townships of Soweto and Tembisa, where Hughes directed thousands of extras in a re-creation of the riots of the apartheid struggle.

Her previous feature, Forces of Nature, starring Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck, was made for Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks. It is a stylish and unique romantic comedy about two strangers thrown together on a wild ride battling the elements, both trying to make it to Savannah on a deadline. Noted for its special effects sequences of slow-motion hail storms and surreal hurricanes, Forces of Nature was the Number One film in the weeks of its National and International releases.

Hughes came to the attention of Spielberg who asked her to direct Forces of Nature after seeing her first feature film, Harriet the Spy, starring Rosie O’Donnell. Made for Paramount Pictures, Harriet was released to critical and box office success, and won international prizes.

She currently has several films in development: Romeo Spy, the true story of John Symonds, one-time London policemen who became an international seducer-of-women for the KGB in the 1970’s; Firecracker Boys for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, a truth-stranger-than-fiction story of Alaskan Eskimos exposing the nuclear conspiracy of the Atomic Energy Commission; The Dictator’s Lover, the true story of three generations of female spies; and Tropicana, a large-scale musical based on the legendary Havana nightclub.

Her production experience has taken her all over the world, from Iceland and Norway, to East and Southern Africa, to Central American Mayan ruins, and the remote peaks of the Andes. Her award-winning documentary for The Discovery Channel, Cinenova’s Machu Picchu: The Search for Lost Worlds was filmed in the jungles of inland Peru.

For television, Hughes’ prestigious pilots White Collar and Fairly Legal, both for USA Networks and Fox TV Studios, are now hit series for the network.

Hughes completed an action-packed episode of Breaking Bad, which has received Emmy’s for AMC, and several episodes of the HBO series Hung, starring Thomas Jane, who also starred in her feature film, Stander.

 

You can download David Peck on iTunes or stream his interview here:

Bronwen Hughes – Episode 292

 

David Peck: Vaishali Sinha (ASK THE SEXPERT)

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Vaishali Sinha and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Ask The Sexpert, cultural context, “women as allies”, a Doctor as a 90-year-old pioneer and the latent effects of colonialism.

IMDB

Synopsis

ASK THE SEXPERT is a feature length documentary about a highly popular 93-year-old sex advice columnist for a daily newspaper in Mumbai. Despite sex being a taboo topic in that country, the column’s brand of non-moralistic advice and humor has emboldened many to write in with their questions, the vast majority of whom seek basic information.

The columnist gains popularity even while a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately one third of India’s states.

Biography

Vaishali Sinha Co-Directed/Produced the feature documentary MADE IN INDIA about the personal stories behind the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India. The film premiered at Hot Docs Film Festival and aired on PBS in 2012.

The film received several Jury awards at festivals and is currently a case study at Harvard Business School for their class on ethics. ASK THE SEXPERT is Vaishali’s second feature length documentary; a presentation by her company Coast to Coast Films.

Vaishali has also produced numerous shorts. She has received support for her films from ITVS, the MacArthur Foundation, Tribeca Film Institute, Catapult Fund, Firelight Media, Playboy Foundation, Chicken & Egg Pictures, The Fledgling Fund, Center for Asian American Media, Mozilla, Ford Foundation, Nextpix and more.

Vaishali also freelances at Videoline Productions founded by Peabody award-winning filmmaker Richard Wormser (Rise and Fall of Jim Crow). Vaishali speaks regularly at events and has acted as jury member at film festivals. In the past she has worked with women’s right group Point of View, in Mumbai. She is originally from Mumbai, and now resides in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Fred Lassen, a Music Director and their two-year-old son Luca.

You can download David Peck on iTunes or stream the podcast here:

Vaishali Sinha – Episode 291