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Berlin

On Her Shoulders – Nadia Murad Takes on the World

October 18, 2018 by Darrel Manson 1 Comment

“The world has only one border—the border of humanity.”

At 23 years old, Nadia Murad is doing amazing things—testifying before the Canadian House of Commons and the UN Security Council, addressing the UN General Assembly, meeting refugees, leading a memorial event in Berlin for a genocide. Although this all seems exciting, it is actually a burden she feels compelled to carry. On Her Shoulders is a look into a few months of Murad’s activities and the reason they are so important.

In 2014, ISIS declared that the Yazidis (a religious minority in northern Iraq) should be eliminated. They set out on a genocidal spree in which over 5000 people were killed in a few weeks and over 7000 women and children were captured and forced into sexual slavery and child soldiering. Murad was one of those captured. In all, eighteen members of her family were killed or enslaved. In time, she escaped and began to tell her story. She tells it not because she wants to relive it, but because she sees herself as the voice of all those still enslaved.

Filmmaker Alexandria Bombach followed Murad during the summer of 2016. We see her doing TV and radio interviews, meeting with members of Parliament and with UN officials, visiting refugee camps where many Yazidis live while awaiting countries that will take them in. We see her in the almost normal life that takes place between the public events she is part of. She is indeed a remarkable young woman who has taken on a difficult and demanding role. Part of the difficulty is that the media (and official bodies like the committee in the House of Commons) focus on the sexual slavery that was forced on her. She is willing to talk about it, but she complains at one point in the film that they are always asking the wrong question. Few ever ask “What can be done for the Yazidis?”

Maybe it’s because I see so many films about refugees and genocide, but as I watched this there was a sense of saturation on these topics. Yes, we know there are genocides happening. Yes, we know people have been driven from their homes with little hope of finding a place in the world to accept them. Do we need to see it yet again?

The answer to that is “Yes.” Yes, we do need to hear Nadia Murad’s story, because it is not just her story, but the story of thousands of others. Yes, we do need to hear the ugly truths of genocide. Yes, we do need to see the hardship of life in a refugee camp. Because we see and hear of so much suffering like this, we may feel overwhelmed. Our hearts can become hard, our souls calloused. That is why we need to see stories like Nadia Murad’s. We need to open our hearts. We need to care.

[Late news: Nadia Murad shares this years Nobel Peace Prize.]

Photos courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Alexandria Bombach, Berlin, Canada, genocide, Iraq, ISIS, Refugees, United Nations, Yazidis

Genius Ep. 6 – Hitting Rock Bottom

June 1, 2017 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

(National Geographic/Dusan Martincek)

One of the key points of conflict thus far on Genius, National Geographic Channel’s 10-part series on Albert Einstein (Tuesdays, 9 PM/ 8 CT), involves his marriage.  It’s obvious that Albert married Mileva mainly for her scientific mind and little more. As a result, the relationship has been spiraling downhill for a few episodes; in the meantime, Albert’s scientific career has been on an upward trajectory. When his cousin Elsa enters the picture as more than just a family relation, it’s only a matter of time before the powder keg of emotions explode.

Director James Hooks (the fourth different director of the series thus far) brings a heavily dialogue-driven perspective to the proceedings.  He begins the sixth episode by setting up Einstein’s plan to confirm that light waves bend as a result of gravity.  Albert (Johnny Flynn) has teamed up with an astronomer who will photograph the upcoming eclipse and gather data to further strengthen his theory of relativity. Problem one: the nearest location to see the full eclipse is Crimea, Russia. Now that he’s moved to Berlin and is a part of the Prussian Academy, Albert has to convince a bunch of skeptical scientists to provide funding for the trip—scientists who are ruffled by his brazen attempts to challenge their previous work. Albert gets some of the money, but Elsa (Gwendolyn Ellis) uses her clout to get the rest.

Problem two: After the trip has departed, German declares war on—you guessed it—Russia. With a load of photographic equipment in tow behind enemy lines, things aren’t going to go well for the members of the team on the train (see below).

(National Geographic/Dusan Martincek)

But there’s another issue—a Serbian scientist has been able to come up with proof that Einstein’s theory doesn’t work as it currently exists. If Einstein publishes the paper with the eclipse data, he’ll likely be discredited.

This is where Einstein’s marriage enters the discussion.  He moved the family to Berlin because he wants to be with Elsa instead—he even tells her, “With you, it’s sunshine.  At home, [it’s always] a cloud of anger.”  But she realizes how scandalous the situation can become unless Mileva (Samantha Colley) is out of the picture.  Mileva finds out, and Albert has to make a decision—one that will have consequences for the rest of his life.

He chooses Elsa, telling Mileva he wants a divorce.  But Mileva refuses to grant it to him.

At this point, Albert becomes even more of a jerk than one can possibly imagine, giving Mileva a written list of demands in order to keep the marriage intact.  They amount to a completely platonic, non-physical relationship—cook, clean, take care of the two kids, and leave him completely alone with his studies.  Surprisingly, she agrees to this.  When she learns of the Serbian’s negation of Einstein’s proof, she tries to tell him, but he cites the written list he wrote her and dismisses her out of hand.

Eventually, the strain is too much, and after she has a one-night stand with the Serbian scientist, Mileva agrees to separate (not divorce—this may play a role in future episodes).  Albert is elated—now he can return to Elsa.  But when he returns home, he finds it empty.  Mileva takes the children to Zurich, leaving Albert—for the first time in the series—completely broken.

Nobody wants to ever hit rock bottom in life.  But there comes a period for most people where just that occurs. What once was is not any more.  Friends have abandoned in a time when they’re needed the most. There’s really nothing left to do but surrender to God and strive to make life changes that last.  It doesn’t mean there won’t be scars, but the end will be better than the alternative.  Jesus talked about this situation in a story about a young guy who took his inheritance, blew it all on the frivolities of life, then found himself in a place where he had to resort to eating pig slop to survive.  Only then did he come to his senses and point his life in the right direction (see Luke 15:11-31).

We’ll have to see if anything arises from the final scene of the episode—Albert Einstein crying, alone, at a train station. Is this really rock bottom, or will things get even worse?

Filed Under: Current Events, Reviews, Television Tagged With: Albert Einstein, Berlin, Crimea, Eclipse, Elsa, Genius, Gwendolyn Ellis, Jesus, Johnny Flynn, Kevin Hooks, marriage, Mileva, National Geographic, prodigal son, Relativity, Rock bottom, Samantha Colley, Serbia, Zurich

Captain America: Civil War — Conflict Breeds Catastrophe

May 5, 2016 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

#TeamCap FightsLet’s get the basic questions out of the way before we begin the review.

Is Captain America: Civil War any good?  You bet it is!
Is it a perfect film? 
Nope.
Is there lots of fighting? Oh yes. And then some.
How’s Spider Man?
Well . . . He needs some practice.
Does the film leave the door open for future movies?
I think you know the answer to that one.
So who wins the Civil War?
Uh . . . I’m not going to tell you that. Why are you asking me?

Feel better?  No? Okay, then let’s review the film (with minor spoilers, if that).

If you’ve been under a rock for the last few years, Marvel Studios has been building a comic book-based empire on the strength of The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America. Captain America: Civil War adds to and builds on the previous movies, offering moviegoers a rollicking, fast-paced thrill ride that may take more than one viewing to adequately enjoy.

The story begins with the Avengers attempting to ward off a potential crisis in Nigeria.  However, something goes awry and innocent lives are lost.  This seems to be a theme of past films (New York and Sokovia, for example), so the governments of the world have decided it’s time for those with superpowers to have limits. Thus, the Sokovia Accords are drafted, giving the Avengers a choice: submit to governmental control or retire.

Avengers at Headquarters

If you’re a fan of the comics, you know there will be disagreements as to what should be done. Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) feels that limits will only breed more limits and make their jobs more difficult. Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) says that without limitations, they’re “no better than the bad guys.” Both are stubborn and won’t budge on their positions, gathering various Avengers to their separate points of view. Your favorite characters are all here: Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johnasson), Vision (Paul Bettany), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Ant-Man (Paul Ruud), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and War Machine (Don Cheadle).  The addition of Black Panther/T’Challa (Chad Boseman) makes the situation more difficult (but man, is he an incredible character to watch on screen).

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is dealing with a lot of things that spin the other part of the plot in motion. Captain America has a tie to him and this comes into play as the film advances to an inevitable clash held at the airport in Berlin. There’s lots of fighting, lots of gadgetry, and a few surprises along the way. But as Vision notes, “Conflict breeds catastrophe.” The question is whether the Avengers, Captain America, and Iron Man will figure this out before it’s too late.

Captain America Meets Spider-ManOh yeah, and there’s Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland).  He has a role in the fight in Berlin, but seems more in awe of the others than anything.  He’s also learning about his superpowers—with mixed results. One part of the film that irked me involved Aunt May (Marisa Tomei)—don’t go in expecting her to be old like in the comics. In fact, guys might even be smitten by her.

In the end, the themes of vengeance, love, family, and loyalty come into play, though I’ll leave it to you to figure out how and in what manner it happens. Suffice it to say that the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 mean something in Civil War.

The film is nearly 2 ½ hours long, but it doesn’t feel that way due to the hyperkinetic pacing by directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Fight sequences are everywhere, surprises abound, and details are peppered throughout that help drive the plot forward. I do wish the villain (played by Martin Freeman) had been fleshed out a little bit more, but that’s nitpicking when events are unfolding so rapidly. The music isn’t overpowering but adds little to the whole scheme of affairs.  You’re there for the action, so that’s what you’re going to get.

And you’re going to like it.

(PS – Stay for the credits, as there are not one but two additional scenes that will leave you talking on the way out of the theater.)

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Ant-Man, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Russo, Aunt May, Avengers, Berlin, Black Widow, Bucky Barnes, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Falcon, Family, Government, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Jeremy Renner, Joe Russo, Love, Loyalty, Marisa Tomei, Martin Freeman, New York, Nigeria, Paul Betteny, Paul Ruud, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Witch, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Sokovia, spider-man, tom holland, vengeance, Vision, War Machine, Winter Soldier

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