ES 375: Ecosocial Advocacy

Films Relevant to Ecosocial Activism

Battle of Algiers . (Foreign feature film.) 1966. Very long. 3 DVDs.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .B366 2004

+++ “Dramatizes the harrowing events of 1957, a key year in Algeria ’s struggle for independence from France . Recreates the tumultuous Algerian uprising against the occupying French in the 1950s. As violence escalates on both sides, the French torture prisoners for information and the Algerians resort to terrorism in their quest for independence. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range, women plant bombs in cafés. The French win the battle, but ultimately lose the war as the Algerian people demonstrate that they will no longer be suppressed.”

The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story. ( Feature film). 1995. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .B7896 1995

+++ “ Spurred to action after a key organizer of the rain forest’s working poor is slain, Chico Mendes stands firm against slash-and-burn deforestation. He becomes a nonviolent activist, union leader, political candidate and a recognized authority who helps alert the world to the plight of the Amazon.”

Citizen King. (Documentary.) 2004. Alexandria , VA : PBS Home Video.

>> Polk EMC : E185.97.K5 C58 2004

+++ “This story begins on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963 when a 34-year-old preacher galvanized millions with his dream for an America free of racism. It comes to a bloody end almost five years later on a motel balcony in Memphis , Tennessee . In the years since those events unfolded, the man at the center, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has become a mythic figure, a minister whose oratory is etched into the minds of millions of Americans, a civil rights activist whose words and image are more hotly contested, negotiated and sold than almost anyone else’s in American history.” (Polk catalog)

Dam/Age . (Documentary). 2002. 50 minutes. VHS.

>> ES Program.

+++Arundhati Roy’s campaign against India ’s huge and controversial Narmada dam project.

The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky and His Legacy . (Documentary). 1999. 57 minutes. DVD .

>> ES Program

+++An introduction to the values and methods of the most influential American community organizer.

Erin Brokavitch . 2000. (Feature film.) Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Julie Roberts. DVD.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .E78 2000 DVD.

+++ “ Erin Brockovich is a feisty young mother who convinces attorney Ed Masry to hire her and promptly stumbles upon a momumental law case against a giant corporation. Erin ’s determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no law firm has dared to do it before. The two begin an incredible and sometimes hilarious fight that will bring a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees.” (Polk catalog)

For Earth's Sake: The Life and Times of David Brower. ( Documentary). 1989. Bullfrog Films. 58 mintues.

>> ES Program

+++Biographical review of David Brower and the environmental causes he fought for. He had considerable impact on policy and legislation by working through conservation organizations (Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, Earth Island Institute), rather than direct action.

A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict . (Documentary). 2000. A six volume video series. 25 minutes each. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: HM278 .F65 2000 1-6

+++Studies of six instances of successful nonviolent resistance: Gandhi’s 1930 salt march, Denmark’s resistance to the Nazi’s, civil rights activism in Nashville, resistance to Chile’s dictator Pinochet, union activism against Polish communist dictators, 1984 South African resistance to apartheid.

Freedom Song . (Feature film.) 2000. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson. Starring Danny Glover. 150 minutes. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .F6935 2000

+++ Small-town Mississippians risk their lives to bring change at the grassroots level. "Based on first-hand accounts of veteran activists who stood on the frontlines [of the civil rights movement].”

Gandhi . (Feature film.) 1982. Directed by Richard Attenborough. Starring Ben Kingsley. VHS. 188 minutes.

>> Polk: PN1997 .G34 1983 VHS

+++ Biography of the Indian activist. Won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

Gandhi: Pilgrim of Peace . (Documentary.) 2000 ( DVD : 2004). A&E Biography. 50 minutes. DVD.

>> ES Program

+++”Mahatma Gandhi's life was a study in contrast and paradox. He saw himself as doing God's work, yet recognized only personal conscience as the highest authority. He was a charismatic leader of millions who confounded intellectuals. Biography profiles the small man who took a great nation on his shoulders and changed the world. Trace his rise to power and fearless campaign of truth, non-violence and non-cooperation with injustice that defeated the British Empire . Biographers offer insight into his surprising personal life, while historians explore his remarkable accomplishments. Hear from his grandson, Arun Gandhi, and, in a rare interview, the Dalai Lama reflects on Gandhi's incredible life and enduring legacy.” (Biography channel)

Global Village or Global Pillage?: How People Around the World are Challenging Corporate Globalization . (Documentary). 1999. 27 minutes. VHS.

>> ES Program

+++ Explores the impacts of globalization resistance efforts.

Grapes of Wrath . (Feature film.) 1940. Directed by John Ford. Starring Henry Fonda. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .G683 1988 & 1990 VHS

+++ A film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel of the Joad family driven from Oklahoma by the dust-bowl and debt during the Great Depression. They head to California believing jobs are plentiful, only to find oppressive conditions where poor workers compete against each other. In response, Tom Joad becomes an activist. One of the great American films of all time.

Harlan County , U.S.A. (Feature film.) 1976. Directed by Barbara Kopple. VHS.

>> Polk EMC : HD5325.M63 1973 .H378 1996 VHS

+++ “ Documents the 1973 Kentucky coal miners’ strike against the operators of the Brookside mine and the Duke Power Co., which resulted from the company’s refusal to honor the national contract of the United Mine Workers of America.” (Polk catalog)

+++ “ This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA.” (Amazon.com)

Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action . (Documentary). 2005. 88 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: E99.T34 H65 1999

I Have a Dream . Martin Luther King, Jr. ( Documentary). 1986. Oak Forest , Ill. : MPI Home Video. 60 minutes. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: E185.615 .K5 1986

+++ One of the greatest and most memorable moments in the civil rights movement occurred when 200,000 people marched on Washington , D.C. , on August 28, 1963 . Not only was the gathering of so many united people extraordinary, but that day Martin Luther King Jr. stood before the marchers and delivered his most eloquent and inspiring speech. This video offers the "I Have a Dream" speech in its entirety, as well as footage of the opposition the protesters faced, such as the fire hoses the police in Alabama used to disperse the crowds. The narrator explains that the hoses shot 700 pounds of pressure, enough to strip the bark off a tree. However, the grimness of this era is not the only focus in this video. Dr. King had so much hope and faith in the success of the civil rights movement, and the greatest demonstration of this is in the famous speech. He uses modern metaphors and poetry to get his message out clearly, as when he describes the capitol as having given blacks a check marked "insufficient funds," but he reminds us that they will refuse to believe the bank of justice is bankrupt, that they will cash their check for riches of freedom and security of justice. Throughout the speech he emphasizes his mission: nonviolence as a method of overcoming ("Soul force against militant force") and the importance of walking together as a unified group, and never walking alone. Although the video ends with his death, it still leaves the viewer feeling uplifted with Robert Kennedy's memorial address, pleading with Americans to hold on to Dr. King's views and adopt them as their own. A concise video with one of the greatest speeches of our time. --Samantha Allen Storey

Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story . 1992. Directed by Michael Apted. Lions Gate. 90 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: E93 .I53 1992

+++ “ On June 26, 1975, during a period of high tensions on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, two FBI agents were killed in a shootout with a group of Indians. Although several men were charged with killing the agents, only one, Leonard Peltier, was found guilty. This film describes the events surrounding the shootout and suggests that Peltier was unjustly convicted.” (Amazon.com)

The Killing Floor . (Feature film.) 1985. Directed by Bill Duke. Starring Dennis Farina and Clarence Felder. Orion Pictures. 118 minutes. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: F548.9.N4 K55 1997

+++ “ Frank Custer is a young black man from rural Mississippi who, in 1917, came north to make his fortune at the beginning of World War I. There, the only job he can get is at one of Chicago ’s meat-packing plants, working in the slaughtering area called the killing floor, where he is caught up in a war between the "packers" and those trying to form a labor union. Desiring to rise off "the floor" to a better position as a butcher, Frank joins the whites in their struggle, hoping to learn from them along the way. With the union becoming more organized and the government ordering raises for the workers, Frank sends for his wife and family to share his success. But the reluctance of many blacks to join the union causes unrest--resulting in the vicious race riots of 1919. Soon, the blood of the killing floor runs onto the streets of Chicago ’s South Side.” (Polk catalog)

Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee . (TV movie.) 1994. Directed by Frank Pierson. Starring Irene Bedard. Warner. 113 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: E99.D1 L3 1994

+++ “ Mary Crow Dog, daughter of a desperately poor Indian family in South Dakota, is swept up in the protests of the 1960s and becomes sensitized to the injustices that society inflicts on her people. She aids the Lakota in their struggle for their rights: a struggle that culminates in an armed standoff with US government forces at the site of an 1890 massacre.” < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110297/plotsummary>

+++ “ Anger that’s been swirling for 100 years finally explodes like a force of nature. This is the inspiring, true story of the 1973 uprising that united Native Americans in their fight for survival. One woman rises from ignorance and fear to meet the challenge of her proud heritage during a bloody siege in which 2,000 Native Americans stood their ground and vowed never to be silent again.” (Polk catalog)

Legacy of a Dream . (Documentary.) 1974. Oak Forest , IL : MPI Home Video.

>> Polk EMC : E185.97.K5 L42 1990

The Long Walk Home . (Feature film.) 1990. Directed by Richard Pearse. Starring Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek. 97 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: no. Available through Universal Borrowing.

+++ “ Odessa Cotter is a quietly dignified woman, who works as a housekeeper for Miriam Thompson. When Odessa honors the 1955 Montgomery , Alabama , bus boycott by walking an exhausting nine miles to and from work, Miriam offers her a ride. Defying both Miriam’s racist husband (Dwight Schultz) and the powerful White Citizen’s Council, Miriam and Odessa put their lives in danger for civil rights. Their shared experiences draw them closer as a deep respect and lasting friendship forms. Together, in a difficult world of black versus white, they manage to discover a common ground.” (Polk catalog)

+++ “ Dramatizes the events in 1955-1956 in Montgomery , Alabama , when blacks boycotted public transport because they were forced to sit at the back. Odessa works as a maid for the Thompsons, and as well as she is treated, she feels it is her duty to walk to work, even if it means she is exhausted, and gets to work late.: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100046/plotsummary>

Mahatma Gandhi, Soul Force . ( Documentary). 1978. New York , N.Y. : Learning Corp. of America .

>> Polk EMC : DS481.G3 M248

+++Study of Gandhi. Not among the best of films about him.

Malcolm X . (Feature film.) 1992. Directed by Spike Lee. Starring Denzel Washington. Warner. 202 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .M265 2000 DVD .

+++ “ Biography of Malcolm X, the famous African American leader. Born Malcolm Little, his father (a minister) was killed by the Ku Klux Klan. He became a gangster, and while in jail discovered the Nation of Islam writings of Elijah Muhammad. He preaches the teachings when let out of jail, but later on goes on a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca , there he converts to the original Islamic religion and becomes a Sunni Muslim. He changes his name to El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz and stops his anti-white teachings, as he realises the error of his mistakes. He is later on assassinated and dies a Muslim Martyr.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104797/plotsummary

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Documentary.) 2004. Princeton : Films for the Humanities. DVD .

>> Polk EMC : E185.97.K5 M3 2004

Matewan . (Feature film.) 1987. Directed by John Sayles. Written by John Sayles. Starring James Earl Jones and Chris Cooper. Lions Gate. 132 minutes. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .M375 1996

+++ “ Mingo County , West Virginia , 1920. Coal miners, struggling to form a union, are up against company operators and gun thugs; Black and Italian miners, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught between the two forces. Union activist and ex-Wobbly Joe Kenehan, sent to help organize the union, determines to bring the local, Black, and Italian groups together. Drawn from an actual incident; the characters of Sid Hatfield, Cabell Testerman, C. E. Lively, and Few Clothes Johnson were based on real people.” < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093509/plotsummary>

Milagro Beanfield War . (Feature film.) 1988. Directed by Robert Redford. Starring Ruben Blades. 117 minutes. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997 .M54 1993

+++” In Milagro, a small town in the American Southwest, Ladd Devine plans to build a major new resort development. While activist Ruby Archuleta and lawyer/newspaper editor Charlie Bloom realize that this will result in the eventual displacement of the local Hispanic farmers, they cannot arouse much opposition because of the short term opportunities offered by construction jobs. But when Joe Mondragon illegally diverts water to irrigate his bean field, the local people support him because of their resentment of water use laws that favor the rich like Devine. When the Governor sends in ruthless troubleshooter Kyril Montana to settle things quickly before the lucrative development is cancelled, a small war threatens to erupt.” < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095638/plotsummary>

Monumental: David Brower's Fight for Wild America . ( Documentary). 2004. 77 minutes. DVD.

>> Polk EMC: QH31.B859 M65 2004

+++Review of Brower’s work for the environment.

Norma Rae . (Feature film.) 1979. Directed by Martin Ritt. Starring Sally Field. 110 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: PN1997.N66 1985

+++ “ Norma Rae is a lively, but dependable, wife and mother in an Alabama mill town. Like her father, her mother and most of her friends, she works at the Henley mill, spinning and weaving cloth as the days go by without much apparent purpose. Her "nothing special" life changes when she and her coworkers meet Reuben, a dedicated, smart-mouthed labor organizer down from New York to teach the Henley crew about solidarity in a place where workers and owners alike think "union" and "trouble" are synonymous.” < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079638/plotsummary>

+++Sally Field swept virtually all Best Actress awards for 1979.

Northern Lights . (Feature film.) 1978. Directed by John Hanson and Rob Nilsson. Black & white. 95 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: no. Available through Universal Borrowing.

+++ “ Against a backdrop of the bitter Midwestern winters and the equally brutal economic forces of 1915 America , a story unfolds which pits the small farmer against the powers that control both commerce and government. Based on the diaries of Ray Sorenson, this film chronicles the struggles of these farmers. Their fight to save their farms, their family units, and their way of life.” (Polk catalog)

+++Only three actors were professional. Others were locals from North Dakota .

+++Won the Camera D'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Panther . (Feature film.) 1971. Directed by Mario Van Peebles.

>> Polk EMC: E185.615 .P34 1971

+++ “ Views the history of the Black Panther Party. Shows the responses which they receive from various sectors of American society and illustrates some of their less publicized community activities.” (Polk catalog)

A Place Called Chiapas . (Documentary). 1998. New York : Zeitgeist Films. 89 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: F1256 .P53 1998

+++Informative documentary on the Zapatista movement and the villages they come from.

Redwood Summer. ( Documentary). 1993. Bullfrog Films. 30 minutes. VHS.

>> ES Program

+++ Brief but informative documentary of the Redwood Summer protests that pitted thousands of activists against the timber companies and loggers. Enriched by hearing the viewpoints (often very angry) of the loggers.

Rosa Parks Story . (TV movie.) 2002. Directed by Julie Dash. Starring Angela Bassett. 97 minutes. DVD .

>> ES Program (on order).

+++Rosa Parks was at the center of a 1955 incident in Montgomery Alabama that helped catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s-1960s. As part of NAACP strategy, she challenged segregation by refusing to give her seat on a bus. The subsequent bus boycott was the first major victory of the Civil Rights Movement and the first major action lead by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rosa Parks: The Path to Freedom. ( Documentary). 1996. New York : Filmakers Library. 20 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: F334.M7 R67 1996

+++“On December 2, 19 55 , Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. This quiet act of defiance in Montgomery , Alabama , led to the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s. Covers briefly her childhood and marriage, focusing on the events in Alabama , their effects on segregation, and Mrs. Parks' influence and impact as "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Interviews with Mrs. Parks and other eyewitnesses strengthen the presentation.” Informative documentary.

Salt of the Earth . (Independent–and blacklisted--feature film.) 1954. Directed by Herbert Biberman. 94 minutes. DVD .

>> ES program.

+++ “ Originally released as a motion picture in 1954 by Independent Productions Corporation and the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers. Salt of the earth is a semi-documentary of the year-long struggle by Mexican American zinc miners in New Mexico . When an injunction is issued against the workers, the wives take up battle with a fury, leaving the husbands to care for home and children. Produced independently by blacklisted filmmakers. Hollywood ten is a documentary about ten filmmakers who defied the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1947 and were imprisoned for contempt of Congress. DVD includes the entire short film, The Hollywood ten; autobiographies, articles and reviews, plus the original screenplay by Michael Wilson in English, Spanish, French and German; hundreds of photographs from the original strike and from the production of the film; critical, historical and biographical essays.”

10,000 black men named George . (Feature film.) 2003. Directed by Robert Townsend. Starring Andre Braugher, Mario Van Peebles, Brock Peters, and Charles S. Dutton. Paramount . 89 minutes.

>> Polk EMC: HD8039.R37 U46 2003

+++ When the Great Depression struck America in the 1920s finding work was hard, but if you were poor and black it was virtually impossible. Working as a porter for the Pullman Rail Company was an option, but it meant taking home a third as much as while employees and working some days for free. You could forget about being called by your real name--all black porters were simply called "George" after George Pullman, the first person to employ emancipated slaves. Asa Philip Randolph, a black journalist and educated socialist trying to establish a voice for these forgotten workers agrees to fight for the Pullman porters' cause and form the first black union in America. Livelihoods and lives would be put at risk in the attempt to gain 10,000 signatures of men known only as "George." This is the true story of how a courageous leader came to be known as "the most dangerous man in America ."

Viva Zapata! (Feature film.) 1952. Directed by Elia Kazan. Written by John Steinbeck. Starring Marlon Brando. 20 th Century Fox. 113 minutes.

>> Polk: no. Available through Universal Borrowing (UW Madison & Eau Claire ).

+++ “ The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of president Porfirio Diaz in the early 20th century.” < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045296/>

+++Brando was nominated for a best actor Academy Award.

We Shall Overcome . ( Documentary). 1990. Beverly Hills : PBS Home Video. VHS.

>> Polk EMC: M1670 .W4 1990

+++ “Traces the transformation of the title song from an old slave spiritual to the anthem of the civil rights movement, while chronicling its effect on human rights movements in the United States and in other parts of the world, using historical footage and personal recollections.”

A Woman Called Moses . (TV movie). 1978. Directed by Paul Wendkos. Starring Cicely Tyson. 240 minutes.

>> Polk: no. Available through Universal Borrowing (UW Colleges).

+++ “This is the story of Harriet Ross Tubman, founder of the Underground Railroad, who led hundreds of slaves to freedom in the North before the Civil War.” (Polk catalog)

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