New Docs: The 2007 Graduate Film Festival
This year's graduate film festival again showcases the world: seven of the stories were produced in Africa, the Philipines, Egypt and Japan. A Chinese student reported in New York. A Japanese, Greek and two American students reported in Ghana as part of our Summer in Ghana Journalism Program where students studied for 3 1/2 weeks and then stayed on to report for another 2-4 weeks.
This year’s festival also included a panel discussion titled “Translating the World: Engaging Americans in International Journalism,” moderated by Daljit Dhaliwal (International News Anchor for CNN, BBC, ITN & PBS). The panelists were:
- Cynthia McFadden (Nightline anchor)
- Jonathan Stack (Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker)
- Stephen Segaller (Director of News and Public Affairs programming, Thirteen/WNET)
- Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews (Foreign editor, CBS Evening News; NYU alum)
- Phil Littleton (CNN Senior Photojournalist)
(Here's the original flyer and schedule)
Below are the films from the 2007 NewDocs Festival. Some video streams are available, and we will add more over the course of the year. To get a glimpse of all the documentaries, watch the trailer below:
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Note: All video streams below use RealPlayer.
GOOD MORNING, DANGME
Produced by Takaya Kawasaki
Radio Ada, the first community radio station in Ghana, is a powerful engine of social change in this poor rural area. By broadcasting in the local language, Dangme, this radio station has helped a predominantly illiterate and patriarchal society cope with its education and gender problems. With the support of the UN and international organizations, Radio Ada now serves as a role model for many African countries.
MD-RN
Produced by Barnaby Lo
With 50,000 U.S. immigrant visas guaranteed for foreign nurses, nursing has become the profession of choice for Filipinos in the past six years. This includes doctors-5000 of whom have left the country. The exodus has caused more than 100 hospitals to close, and many to operate without a doctor.
TOYS ARE US
Produced by Brian Stillman
They're created by artists. They sell for hundreds of dollars. And they're made of plastic. Enter the colorful, sophisticated and often challenging world of designer vinyl toys, where art and commerce collide, and enterprising do-it-yourselfers prove that making toys isn't just kid's stuff.
THE COST OF SHARING
Produced by Sarah Nasr – (17 min) VIDEO
It is suspected that more than 200 million people are infected with Hepatitis C (HCV). Experts claim that Egypt has the highest rate of HCV in the world. This film focuses on a village in the Nile Delta where residents are hardest hit. It explores the ironic way that this virus was spread, its consequences and the inadequate prevention and treatment campaigns in Egypt and other developing countries.
GROWING CONCERNS
Produced by Crystal Fisher
With advances in modern medicine, parents face new dilemmas. Growth hormones are now offered as a possible solution to meeting society's harsh physical standards. But, what should parents consider when they have the option to genetically alter their child's body and future?
THE UNSCORED GOAL
Produced by Christos Gavalas
In the summer of 2006, Ghana shocked the world with its performance at the World Cup in Germany, fueling Ghanaian kids' passion for soccer. One of them, Okyere Missah, a 16 year-old boy from Accra, is spotted by an unlicensed agent who urges him to leave Ghana to pursue his soccer dream in Europe. How much of an illusion can such a dream be?
SCHOOL GIRLS, LANE GIRLS
Produced by Carielle Doe
After years of civil war, the small West African nation of Liberia was ripe for change. In 2006, they welcomed Africa's first female president as their new head of state. Her agenda included creating new opportunities for Liberian women. Many young girls in Liberia want to take advantage of those opportunities by going to school. Unfortunately, the girls' methods of funding an education may do them more harm than good.
NATIVE NEW YORKERS
Produced by Liu Changying
New York City is a beacon of cultural diversity and a symbol of modernity. But native American New Yorkers strive to maintain their ancient cultural heritage and a sense of who they are in the city that embraces people from all over the world.
THE MONEY STONE
Produced by Stuart Harmon
400 feet below the soil of Ghana, thousands of young men risk their lives digging deep below the surface to extract one of Earth's most precious resources: gold. Known locally as "galamsey," most suffer greatly due to the hard work and dangerous conditions, but some manage to struggle their way out. This is the story of three young men who bet everything in search of not only better lives, but also, the money stone.
A GLOBAL PRICE
Produced by Jacqueline Reeves
What is the cost of our increasingly interconnected world? This film explores the ripple effect of globalization on Ghanaian poultry farmers, highlighting their day-to-day struggle to compete with the rest of the world.
BORN IN JAHpan
Produced by Minako Kurasawa – (25 min)
Split legs, flashy clothes, colorful make up. Today, many young girls in Japan study and perform Jamaican style reggae dancing. In a society filled with social pressures and expectations of women, reggae dancing has become a tool for many young girls to break free and express themselves and their sexuality.
GOING HOME
Produced by Natalie Jimenez – (17 min) VIDEO
In a neglected building in Harlem, tenants face the devastating effects of water leaks, mold and a system that does not enforce fast repairs. One woman fights to correct these outstanding violations, but her fight comes at a cost.
LADIES OF THE LAND
Produced by Megan Thompson
As small family farms continue to disappear from the American landscape, a new group of farmers grows dramatically: women. The film follows new women farmers in Pennsylvania and Minnesota, exploring the the ways in which they are challenging the traditional agricultural model, the difficulties they face, and the reasons why they love the land.
