African Studies Media Catalog
Search results:72 records
| 72 records per page | Search by keywords (Criteria:"development")
Page(s): 1
21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
A-OK? (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8924
Abstract: Vitamin A is essential for the functioning of the human immune system. In industrialized countries, foods like flour or sugar have been fortified with it for decades. But in some developing countries, children with Vitamin A deficiency run the risk of dying from common childhood illnesses like measles. The cost of ensuring all children receive enough Vitamin A is small, but improves children's chances of survival by as much as 25 percent. This episode looks at the prospects for two very different Vitamin A distribution programs in Ghana and Guatemala.
Director: Di Tatham Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, Guatemala, nutrition, children, health, development
AIDS in Africa (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V.CASS. VHS 5118
Abstract: Describes the war on AIDS in Africa, where the disease cuts across the entire population, affecting men and women of reproductive age and their children, striking a continent already wracked by underdevelopment, civil strife and corruption.
Director: Roger Pyke Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Africa, HIV/AIDS, health, economic conditions, politics
African Recovery (An) (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1174
Abstract: Peoples of the Sahel region, recovering from the recent drought, with outside assistance, are striving to recover the once abundant forests, crops, and quality of life the region once supported. In addition, efforts are under way to reeducate the nomad tribes to useful lives in the cities and villages.
Director: Sandra Nichols Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Sahel, drought, development, pastoralism
Aftertaste (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8332
Abstract: This video focuses on two South African wine farms where 'empowerment' projects have recently been started in response to calls for change. The wine farm workers receive part of the profits from the sale of 'empowerment' brand wine Winds of Change. They have used this money to buy their own houses and shares in the wine farm business. On the surface, these 'empowerment' projects seem to be a radical departure from the abusive, paternalistic labor relationship between farm owners and workers that has existed for so long. But the legacy of centuries of abuse cannot be eradicated overnight.
Director: Ceridwen Dovey Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, viticulture, economic development
Aiming High (DVD : 26 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8462
Abstract: This film focuses on Uganda's successful economic recovery in the wake of Idi Amin's regime.
Director: Ashley Bruce Distributor:Bull Frog
Keywords: Uganda, Idi Amin, poverty, government policy, development, economy
Between War and Peace (DVD : 23 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8909
Abstract: Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, was relatively calm until 1980 when William Tolbert was overthrown by Sergeant Samuel Doe after food price riots. By the late 1980s, arbitrary rule and economic collapse culminated in civil war when dissidents of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front overran much of the countryside and executed Doe. Over half of the population fled their homes in terror during its long and bloody civil war. After 14 years of anarchy, the international community has arrived in force in an attempt to stabilize the country. Many see this as Liberia's last chance. With more than 59,000 fighters (some of them children) demobilized in the last three months and another 15,000 waiting to follow, this Life program reports on Liberia's attempts to find a way of engaging the former fighters in rebuilding their country - to sustain the peace.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:Bull Frog films
Keywords: Liberia, conflict management, civil war, government, history, politics, development. children
Burden on the Land (DVD : 52 min. ) [1991]
DVD 9044
Abstract: Filmed in the face of enormous political and geographical obstacles, Burden on the Land is a comprehensive look at Africa's future as it faces the 21st century. It addresses the root causes of famine and suggests reasons why development efforts in Africa have been so disappointing. Examining the sub-Saharan countries - Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda - the documentary clarifies the conflicts and interrelated issues of politics, health, environment, and culture. When the colonial powers left Africa, the political vacuum was filled by authoritarian regimes whose armies continue to keep them in power. Frequent tribal wars keep countless people refugees, fleeing from one nation to another. Despite the efforts of international relief agencies, the vast number of refugees have depleted the host countries of resources. The film shows that despite the overwhelming problems there are small successes that improve the quality of life - dams, food processing, reforestation, road building, irrigation, and animal husbandry. But basically, it proposes that Africa's future depends on developing an infrastructure while maintaining the integrity of village life.
Director: Roger Pyke Productions Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: famine, development, colonization, environment, health, politics, history
Coffee-Go-Round, The (DVD : 26 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7920
Abstract: Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world - a major cash crop for many poor, developing countries trying to trade their way out of poverty. Coffee promises to increase developing countries' share of income from agricultural products on world markets - in line with Millennium Development Goal No 8's commitment to a global partnership for development. But for the last 10 years the international coffee industry has been in crisis - and many coffee-producing countries are facing disaster. The world's 25 million coffee farmers receive less than one per cent of the price of a cup of coffee sold in a coffee bar. Life visits Ethiopia, the cradle of coffee cultivation, and speaks to players in the international coffee trade to find out how individual coffee growers can survive the boom and bust of the global coffee market.
Director: Joost de Haas Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, coffee, industry, agriculture, development, economy, trade
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Controlling Interest: the World of the Multinational Corporation (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1978]
MP-16MM 219
Abstract: Examines the scale and underlying dynamics of multinational corporate expansion, and shows the deleterious social and economic effects of the multinationals' power in both the U.S. and the Third World. Includes interviews with several corporate executives and with workers in a small New England city faced with the threat of a runaway shop. Investigates the role of the multi-nationals in influencing U.S. government policy in underdeveloped nations.
Director: Larry Adelman Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: economics, politics, business, development
Cultivating Opportunity: Self-Help Solutions to Poverty in the U.S. and Africa (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9327
Abstract: Willie Head, Jr. is struggling to hold on to his farm-70 acres in southeast Georgia. Willie is one of the remaining 18,000 African Americans who are losing their land at the rate of a thousand acres a day. Teresa Massango, a farmer in Mozambique in southeast Africa, is among the 80 percent of Mozambicans who depend on their land to feed themselves. They've faced war and famine, and are now threatened by investors wanting to profit from Mozambique's cheap land and labor. Cultivating Opportunity tells the inspiring story of how poor communities in Mozambique and the United States are creating opportunities to better their lives. Their work is a road map to ending hunger and poverty, a journey that begins within the communities themselves. In Cultivating Opportunity communities in vastly different parts of the world demonstrate surprising similarities in the self-help solutions they champion to fight poverty. The video shows how these communities are creating the opportunities they need. Willie says, 'I don't care what profession you're in; to just work hard doesn't do it. To just be committed doesn't do it. The opportunity must be there...'
Director: Michael Sheridan Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, Georgia, development, farming, poverty
Cutting Edge (The) (Videocassette : 10 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3804
Abstract: Documentary film, shot in the Kapchorway region of Uganda, looks at the success story of the REACH project in northern Uganda which replaces the dangerous practice of female genital mutilation with ceremonies for the exchange of cattle and gifts to welcome young girls into the adult community. Producer/director: Charlotte Metcalf. [See also Welcome to Womanhood, a follow up to this film].
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, women, social conditions, initiation rites, development projects, female circumcision
Dead Mums Don't Cry (DVD : 49 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7635
Abstract: Becoming a mother in Africa can be among the most frightening and dangerous jobs in the world. This program investigates why more than half a million women die every year in pregnancy and childbirth. Dead Mums Don't Cry documents one woman's remarkable struggle to stop mothers in her country from dying. She's Grace Kodindo - an obstetrician in the poverty-stricken central African country of Chad. Women in Chad have a 1 in 11 chance of dying during pregnancy or in childbirth. The risk for women in the UK is 1 in 5100. Cutting maternal mortality by 75% by 2015 was one of the eight Millennium Development Goals set by 189 countries in 2000. Five years on, progress is far behind schedule - and this film reveals it's slowest on the goals that affect women and children. But Dead Mums Don't Cry shows there is reason for hope. A few poor countries have succeeded in saving mothers' lives. BBC reporter Steve Bradshaw and Grace Kodindo travel to Honduras, which has cut maternal mortality far faster than some wealthier neighbors. A key reason is that influential men and women cared enough to make the issue a priority.
Director: Grace Kodindo, Tristan Quinn Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Chad, pregnancy, motherhood, health, development
Debt of Dictators (The) (DVD : 46 min. ) [2005]
DVD 9422
Abstract: The Debt of Dictators is the first film to expose the nefarious lending of billions of dollars by multinational banks and international financial institutions to brutal dictators throughout the world. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, asserts that transnational banks 'know the price of everything, but have no values.' The Debt of Dictators reveals the impoverishment resulting from the odious debts incurred to multinational lending institutions by these dictators. The film transports viewers to Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines, where they come face to face with those suffering from the sacrifice of essential social services in order to repay these illegitimate debts.
Director: Erling Borgen Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, debt, economics, dictatorship, politics, poverty, development
Egypt: the Struggle for Stability (Motion Picture : 28 min. ) [1976]
MP-16MM 197
Abstract: Documents modern-day Egypt, pointing out its contrasts and conflicts. Shows both wheels and massive hydroelectric power facilities; describes the great potential natural resources and a level of poverty among the worst in the world.
Director: NA Distributor:Learning Corporation of America
Keywords: Egypt, power facilities, development
Equatorial Guinea: Drowning in Oil? (DVD : 35 min. ) [2003]
DVD 8456
Abstract: In 1995, U.S. oil companies arrived in Equitorial Guinea in West Africa and found petroleum. Guinea has now become the third biggest oil-producing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, with production at 300,000 barrels a day. Because of its location, away from the Arabian peninsula, Guinea is important to the U.S. since it helps the U.S. in its goal to diversify its sources of oil. Throughout its Spanish colonial past and until the discovery of oil, the raising of cocoa crops was the only economic activity. Sarah Wykes, Global Witness NGO says that '...although the country will have about $700 million in oil revenues per year there has been no improvement in the development of the country. It isn't benefiting the people of Guinea.' Where is the money going? John Bennett, the ex-US Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea says that President Obiang, considered a dictator by many, is stealing much of the oil money (estimated at $1.5 to 2 billion over the past nine years) and depositing it offshore. Besides financial corruption, the government suppresses and even imprisons the leaders of the political opposition. The human rights violations and the lack of democracy are tolerated by the governments of the West in order to support U.S. oil interests.
Director: Lluis Jene and Enric Miro Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Equatorial Guinea, oil, industry, NGO, development, corruption, government, human rights
Farmers of Gaho, The (Videocassette : 21 min. ) [1998]
VHS 9331
Abstract: Over the generations, the farmers of the village of Gaho in southern Ethiopia have developed unique farming techniques that enable them successfully to grow crops in their arid environment. The preservation and enhancement of their soil is the villagers' most important priority. They accomplish this through constant weeding and composting. To trap water and prevent erosion, they build stone terraces on hilly terrain and earth embankments on level ground. Amongst the crops they grow successfully in this land of undependable rainfall are sorghum, sunflower, rapeseed, coffee, cassava, and yam. Farm Africa, an NGO promoting sustainable agriculture, has enabled the farmers of Gaho to experiment with new sorghum varieties resistant to pests, and requiring less moisture. It has also enabled Gaho's women to purchase livestock to be used for meat and sold in the region for supplemental income. Although each farmer has his own plot of land, cultivation and maintenance are communal endeavors. A common area is tilled and planted, and the yield of this area is stored for distribution during times of scarcity.
Director: Bill Locke Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, arid regions, agriculture, sustainability, NGO, development
From Congo to Zaire (DVD : 52 min. ) [2001]
DVD 7895
Abstract: The Congo, the largest country in Central Africa, was granted its independence from Belgium in 1960. This riveting historical documentary, using a wealth of archival material, illustrates how the legacy of colonialism effected modern Congo, led first by Patrice Lumumba, then by General Mobutu for thirty years. From 1908, when King Leopold II ceded his land grants to the Belgian people, economic development was seen as the first stage of the process of colonization. A new industrial port, along with road and rail networks, opened up the Congo to overseas trade. The Belgians brought with them an efficient system of administration, education and healthcare. By the end of World War II, the relationship between the colonizers and colonized changed. The pace accelerated towards decolonization. However, independence brought its own problems. Two leaders emerged, Patrice Lumumba and General Mobutu, and conflict between them ended with the murder of Lumumba and Mobutu's seizure of power. From Congo to Zaire takes a fresh look at the Congo's turbulent history and provides new insights into the problems it faces today.
Director: Olivier Moser and Frederic Tadino Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, colonialism, history, Mobutu, Lumumba
Geldoff in Africa (DVD : 240 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5559
Abstract: If Bob Geldof had never seen news footage of the horrific famine in Ethiopia back in the mid-'80s, he might have carried on in relative obscurity, making so-so records with his band the Boomtown Rats. But see it he did, which led to Band Aid (and 'Do They Know It's Christmas' ), Live Aid, Live 8, knighthood, and now Geldof in Africa, a profound, provocative, beautifully made six-part series that aired in 2005 on Britain's BBC. Sir Bob, who narrates both on- and off-screen, visited many parts of what he calls the Luminous Continent (as opposed to the Dark Continent moniker that was ironically bestowed on Africa by Europeans whose own countries were often gray and grim), including Somaliland, a sort of non-country whose very existence isn't acknowledged by any other nation; Ghana, from which slaves were once shipped to America and elsewhere; the Congo, the true heart of darkness, which still bears the ugly scars of Belgian colonization; the Sahara desert, where 'you discover the absolute insignificance of you'; Uganda, where a brutal 'rebel leader' abducts children and turns them into sex slaves and soldiers; and Ethiopia, where it all started for Geldof (and where conditions are actually improving). But Geldof and producer-director John Maguire's film is not a travelogue. Nor is it a scientific documentary, although we learn something about geography, anthropology, meteorology, geology, agriculture, history, religion, and, inevitably, politics. What distinguishes Geldof in Africa is the presence of Geldof himself. An excellent writer and articulate speaker, he brings a decidedly subjective point of view to the work. 'I can't do slick television,' he admits; neither cynical nor naïve, he says exactly what he thinks, and expresses his wonder, fascination, rage, grief, sympathy, blame, and hope with a quiet passion that compels the viewer to feel those things as well. The camera work is flawless throughout, with shot after shot of breathtaking beauty, and Pete Briquette's music provides graceful accompaniment. Extras include audio commentary by Geldof and Maguire, deleted scenes, photos, and a Geldof interview. --Sam Graham
Director: John Maguire Distributor:BBC/Warner Vision International
Keywords: Africa, Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, charity, development, NGO, travel
God Sleeps in Rwanda (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5902
Abstract: Uncovering amazing stories of hope in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, Academy Award-Nominee God Sleeps in Rwanda captures the spirit of five courageous women as they rebuild their lives, redefine women's roles in Rwandan society and bring hope to a wounded nation. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide left the country nearly 70 percent female, handing Rwanda's women an extraordinary burden and an unprecedented opportunity. Girls are attending school in record numbers, and women now make up a large part of the country's leadership. Working with two cameras and no crew except for their translator --a genocide survivor herself-- the filmmakers uncover incredible stories: an HIV-positive policewoman raising four children alone and attending night school to become a lawyer, a teenager who has become head of household for her four siblings, and a young woman orphaned in her teens who is now the top development official in her area. Heart-wrenching and inspiring, this powerful film is a brutal reminder of the consequences of the Rwandan tragedy, and a tribute to the strength and spirit of those who are moving forth. In Kinyarwanda and English, Subtitled
Director: Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Rwanda, gender, genocide, race relations, women
Gorée: Door of No Return (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 4423
Abstract: This documentary covers the arrival of the first Europeans in Africa, the origins of slavery in the Americas, the development of Gorée Island as the center of the expanding slave trade, and the wealthy merchant women who controlled the slave trade on the island. The program also visits the colonial buildings, the homes of the slave traders, the trading warehouse called the House of Slaves, and the infamous Door of No Return, the door through which most of America's enslaved people passed on their way to the New World.
Director: Ann E. Johnson and Robin Klein Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Senegal, slavery, diaspora, history
Hospice (The) (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8989
Abstract: The Mother of Mercy Hospice on the edge of the capital, Lusaka, was the first of its kind in Zambia. 'Our idea was just to build a simple shelter so people can die with dignity,' says Sister Leonia. Two hundred people a day in Zambia die from HIV/AIDS. Because controlling HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest challenges world health experts face, all the member countries of the United Nations have pledged to 'reverse' the spread of the disease as one of the UN's Millennium Development Goals - a global ambition the international community hopes to achieve by 2015. This film follows the work of the staff and volunteers at the Mother of Mercy Hospice and in the surrounding villages. The courage of patients, the resilience and despair of the staff and the dignity of how they all deal with the almost daily ritual of death combine to give a poignant account of the human face of AIDS in modern Africa.
Director: Kaper Bisgaard Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, HIV/AIDS, death and dying, health
Hyenas (Videocassette : 146 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2574
Abstract: This Senegalese film is based on the play The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. The Wolof-language film satirizes the influence of Western materialism on traditional Africa as Linguerre, a Senegalese woman, returns to her village after a life in exile. Thirty years earlier, she became pregnant by a local merchant. The man denied her claims that he was the child's father and went further to accuse her of adultery with other men from the village. The woman's life in exile has actually been quite prosperous, while her village is in a state of poverty. Linguerre is wealthy and is willing to bail the village out of its financial misfortune -- in exchange for the life of the man who betrayed her decades earlier. The film holds a sharply critical view of capitalism and its effect on traditional values.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, development, capitalism, feature film
Hyenas (DVD ) [1992]
DVD 7510
Abstract: This Senegalese film is based on the play The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. The Wolof-language film satirizes the influence of Western materialism on traditional Africa as Linguerre, a Senegalese woman, returns to her village after a life in exile. Thirty years earlier, she became pregnant by a local merchant. The man denied her claims that he was the child's father and went further to accuse her of adultery with other men from the village. The woman's life in exile has actually been quite prosperous, while her village is in a state of poverty. Linguerre is wealthy and is willing to bail the village out of its financial misfortune -- in exchange for the life of the man who betrayed her decades earlier. The film holds a sharply critical view of capitalism and its effect on traditional values.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, development, capitalism, feature film
I Have a Problem, Madam (Videocassette : 59 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3254
Abstract: Run by female lawyers, FIDA-Uganda has set up several legal aid centers for women in domestic trouble. With the help of a weekly radio show, the centers fill daily with women waiting to tell their stories. FIDA lawyers attempt to reconcile the women and their men in face to face meetings, even if it means traveling to isolated villages. The attitudes of both men and women are beginning to change, but this slow process sometimes leads to conflicts between official and traditional law. A film by Maarten Schmidt and Thomas Doebele.
Director: Maarten Scmidt, Thomas Doebele Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, women, law, marriage, social conditions, development, family violence
Images in Struggle: South African Photographers Speak (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 6442
Abstract: South African photographers speak about their work and aspirations. All are concerned to document the developing liberation struggle, as well as the lives and hopes of the South African people. Discusses the challenges to the development of the medium and the nature of their work in the 1990s. Interviews with Omar Badsha, Lesley Lawson, Rashid Lombard, Santu Mofokeng, Cedric Nunn, Zubeida Vallie, Paul Weinberg.
Director: Barry Feinberg Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, photography, apartheid, politics, history
In Danku the Soup Is Sweeter: Women and Development In Ghana (DVD : 30 min. ) [2000]
DVD 9105
Abstract: As in many African villages, life in Danku in the north of Ghana has been a struggle for subsistence. The women bear the burden of caring for the children, raising food, and trying to make life better for their families. Through a special project of the Canadian International Development Agency, the women were given access to credit for the first time. This film shows how this little bit of financial aid allowed the women to become 'entrepreneurs.' We follow two women who take advantage of this program, borrowing a little bit of start up money. We see how hard they work to pay back their loans. One makes butter from arduously pounding vegetables; the other cooks delicious soup from seasonal crops. They each sell their products from door to door and at the market near their village. Eventually their efforts make a small profit that affords their families some more comforts. This beautifully filmed video captures the rhythms of village life and the tenacity of the women who, though uneducated, are willing to undertake new responsibilities.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor:NA
Keywords: Ghana, women, development, NGO, economy, credit associations
Leaving Home for Sugar (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1986]
VHS 9179
Abstract: Leaving Home for Sugar continues the history of sugar, focusing on later developments in the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Following the withdrawal of the Dutch in 1654 from the Brazilian sugar cane industry, the Caribbean became the center of world sugar production. With an ever-increasing demand for sugar in Europe, and as many as 15 million slaves transported from Africa, the West Indian sugar industry was for 200 years one of history's most profitable enterprises. Following Abolition, the plantations of the West Indies declined and the market favored European sugar beet production and newer ventures in the Pacific and Africa. Besides looking at the rise and fall of sugar in the West Indies, the film contrasts two sides of the history of sugar in Zimbabwe: the companies' story of turning semi-desert into model plantations, and the story told by local farm workers who were dispossessed or brought in as forced labor. Today in Europe and North America, the demand for cane sugar is falling as a result of protectionist policies, health concerns, and the use of new artificial sweeteners. The film ends with the multi-national agricultural companies looking for new markets for cane sugar - ironically in the producing countries themselves. Volume 5 of The Commodities Series. A seven part series by Sue Clayton & Jonathan Curling.
Director: Sue Clayton Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, West Indies, economy, globalization, history, plantation, sugar, slavery
Lines in the Dust (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7420
Abstract: In a small village in northern Ghana, a group of men and women discuss their daily chores with the help of a chart they've drawn in the dust. This village is part of a program called Reflect, which aims to reach the 900 million illiterate adults across the world. Reflect uses participants' own knowledge and experience as starting points for learning. Lines in the Dust looks at this program in Ghana and India, and how it not only teaches people to read, write, and work with numbers, but also encourages the participants to change their ideas about men's and women's separate workloads, stand up for their rights, earn more money for their families, and become more self-assured. Additional materials available at: http://www.tve.org/lifeonline/index.cfm?aid=1162
Director: Lucinda Broadbent Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, development, literacy, gender, labor
Live Aid (DVD : 600 min. ) [2004]
DVD 3977
Abstract: Documents the U.S. and U.K. concerts for famine relief in Ethiopia. Performers included: Coldstream Guards, Status Quo, The Style Council, The Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Elvis Costello, Nik Kershaw, Sade, Sting, Phil Collins, Howard Jones, Bryan Ferry, Paul Young, Alison Moyet, Bryan Adams, U2, The Beach Boys, Dire Straits, George Thurgood & the Destroyers, Queen, Simple Minds, David Bowie, Joan Baez, Pretenders, The Who, Kenny Loggins, Elton John, Kiki Dee, George Michael, Madonna, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Black Sabbath, REO Speedwagon, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Judas Priest, The Cars, Neil Young, Thompson Twins, Steve Stevens, Nile Rodgers, Eric Clapton, Duran Duran, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, INXS, B.B. King, Ashford & Simpson, Teddy Pendergrass, Run DMC, Cliff Richard.
Director: NA Distributor:Warner Strategic Marketing
Keywords: United States, Great Britain, Ethiopia, concerts, famine, development
Living With Hunger (DVD : 50 min. ) [2004]
DVD 8602
Abstract: In an unprecedented mission, Sorious Samura moves into a remote village in Ethiopia. Between August and September 2003 Sorious lived in a hut and survived on the same meagre diet as the rest of the villagers. As well as this remarkable film, the DVD includes specially commissioned interviews with Sorious Samura, the film's director, Charlotte Metcalf and the film's editor, Richard Guard. See also Living with Illegals, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Ethiopia, hunger, food, development, poverty
Living in Africa: African Solutions to African Problems (DVD : 150 min. ) [1995]
See individual titles
Abstract: Series of five films (each 30 minutes):
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Matamata and Pilipili (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3800
Abstract: This film, from a 1950s Congo, features two comic heroes from films conceived and made by a Belgian missionary, Albert Van Haelst. Looks at their creation, reception by Congolese audiences, their disappearance, and what happened later to the film maker and his two Congolese movie stars.
Director: Tristan Bourlard Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Congo (Democratic Republic), comedy films, history, missionization, development, popular culture
Maîtres fous (Les) (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1955]
V.CASS. VHS 2566
Abstract: Describes the Haouka, members of a religious cult living in Accra, Ghana. Shows them living and working in Europeanized Accra and participating in a spirit possession ceremony. Documents the annual religious ceremony of the Hauku cult which was widespread in Niger and Ghana from the 1920's to the 1950's. Ceremony took place on a rural farm, where the Haukas entered into trance, and were possessed with the spirits, associated with their former Western colonial powers. Supplicants consult the gods through trance, and may receive advice about their problems and illnesses. They may also find support and comfort although they can also be reprimanded for wrongdoings. Hauka first began in the person of a soldier who witnessed the decimating of their West African troops by the Germans, despite their outstanding performance in battle. The Hauka was suppressed by the French and British, subsequent administrators of Niger. After protestations against this suppression the agreement was reached that they should limit their ceremonies to prescribed places. Today the Hauka movement has been absorbed into the traditional religious systems and there is now an end to the Hauka development.
Director: Jean Rouch Distributor:Interama Video Classics
Keywords: Niger, Ghana, Hauka movement, Zabrama, colonialism, spirit possession, ritual
Neria (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2851
Abstract: Patrick and Neria, through shared hard work and resourcefulness, built a comfortable home, a good life and family in the city. But when their loving and equal partnership suddenly ends with the tragic death of Patrick, Neria's nightmare begins. Utilizing a new Zimbabwean law protecting women, the widow fights back. A box office hit in Zimbabwe.
Director: NA Distributor:KJM3 Entertainment Group/Documentary Educational Resource
Keywords: Zimbabwe, gender, law, marriage, development, feature film
Nyamakuta (Videocassette : 32 min. ) [1989]
V. CASS. VHS 4554
Abstract: Mai Mafuta is a nyamakuta ( 'a traditional midwife') in Zimbabwe. Half of all births in the developing world are attended by women like her, without the help of modern medicine. People seek her out because she is skillful, compassionate, and because her grandmother was also a midwife. Five years ago, Mai Mafuta's skills were inadequate to save her own daughter's life, and she died in childbirth. In an attempt to prevent such deaths, over eighty countries have begun training traditional midwives in modern medical methods. Mai Mafuta enrolled in one such program. Now she tries to reconcile what she has learned at the clinic with traditional birth practices. We see her deliver a child on the dirt floor of a hut. Mai Mafuta narrates her own story, giving the audience an intimate view of the lives of Third World women.
Director: Chris Sheppard Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zimbabwe, health, women, development
One World, One Economy (Videocassette : 70 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1570
Abstract: Describes three widely differing economies (Mexico, Poland, Ghana) and their relationship to each other and the International Monetary Fund. Producer: John Merni.
Director: NA Distributor:IMF
Keywords: Ghana, economy, geography, development
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 5 Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 7 Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, politics, history, economics
Our Friends at the Bank (Videocassette : 90 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 4693
Abstract: Filmed over a period of 14 months, documents the negotiations between the World Bank and Uganda in an attempt to understand and describe the relationship and its implications for Uganda. Describes the activities of James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, and Yoweri Museveni, leader of Uganda.
Director: Peter Chappell Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, World Bank, aid and development, economy, politics
Pain, Passion and Profit (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1992]
VHS 9402
Abstract: From the director of Bend it Like Beckham and Pride and Prejudice, the film Pain, Passion and Profit is an inspirational look at women entrepreneurs through the eyes of the Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, who has always maintained a strong commitment to the idea of profits with principles. Several women in Africa who have successfully developed small-scale business enterprises in their own communities provide a focus for Roddick to pose questions about how the role and status of women affects their enterprises and how those enterprises provide a means of community and economic development for women. Pain, Passion and Profit gives an in-depth look at global feminism and economic development as well as a personal and spirited view of the connections between the experiences of women entrepreneurs in the First and Third Worlds.
Director: Gurinder Chadha Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: business, women, economy, development, feminism
Peanuts (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 7824
Abstract: Documentary on the introduction of appropriate technology in a village in Southern Mali. Film technician Jock Brandis alerted villagers to the fact that growing cotton would rob their soil of nitrogen, and suggested that they plant peanuts either around the cotton plants or in rotation, to improve the soil. Peanuts are also more profitable, but a mechanical peanut sheller was needed. Brandis set about designing a small scale sheller that local people could build on the spot and repair themselves. A living example of the difference that one person, with good will and determination, can make in the lives of countless others.
Director: Martin Harbury Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Mali, cotton, peanuts, agriculture, development, technology
Perfect Famine (The) (Videocassette ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8134
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. In Malawi bad weather, poor governance and profiteering have combined to create famine. This segment looks at the causes of, and solutions to this famine. Although many have thought foreign aid would lift the world's poor out of poverty, there is now a growing consensus that the policies of poor countries and ineffectual bureaucracies can be major obstacles to sustainable development.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Malawi, famine, economic development, globalization
Population 6 Billion (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 6140
Abstract: Discusses problems created by the growing human population, which surpassed the six billion mark in 1999. Covers topics such as poverty, illiteracy, the toll on the environment, and water, food and other resource shortages. Addresses the grim realities of life in Third World nations while discussing population control initiatives in Vietnam, Uganda, and Mexico that include family planning, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, sex education, and efforts to improve the economic status of women.
Director: Sam Shinn, Jonathan Silvers Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, population, development, environment, poverty
Rivers of Sand (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1991]
VHS 9344
Abstract: The Niger River brings life to the countries on the southern edge of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. Because nomadic herders are losing their grazing land to the desert, plans are being made to divert Niger River water to this area to permit the growing of crops.
Director: Bruno Sorrentino Distributor:NA
Keywords: Mali, Sahel, Sahara, drought, agriculture, development, desertification
Road from Rio (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8130
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment questions the relevance and success of the World Summit on Sustainable Development which opened in August 2002 in Johannesburg. As world leaders prepared for the meeting, hard questions were raised -- when governments had failed to deliver on so many of the promises they made in Rio -- why should the world believe they'd be any more responsive at the second summit?
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: South Africa, economic development, globalization, pollitics
Sango Malo (Videocassette : 95 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4472
Abstract: Sango Malo is the tale of two schoolteachers and two philosophies of education. The strict headmaster insists on a conventional French-style curriculum which doesn't challenge the village power structure. When an innovative young teacher Sango Malo (Mr. Malo) arrives, he introduces a more practical education designed to make the peasants the focus of rural development. Soon his ideas spread to the rest of the village and the peasants open a cooperative store and farm. But Malo is impatient with local customs and alienates many of his supporters. The village chief, store owner and priest now call in the army to arrest him. But Malo has taught his lessons well, and the peasants carry on the reforms he introduced without him. .
Director: Bassek ba Kobhio Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, education, development, feature film
Scorpion Under the Rock: Afrikaans from Colonialism to Democracy (Videocassette : 78 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 6957 Pts. 1- 3
Abstract: This three part docudrama looks at the relationship between language and political, social and economic power in South Africa from the beginning of Dutch colonial rule until today. The story of the origins and development of the Afrikaans language is narrated by Zaine Lackay (played by David Isaacs), a student activist from Salt River. His experience of the Afrikaans language is used as a central point at which to relate a series of historical tableaux. (3 videocassettes)
Director: Zackie Achmat and Jack Lewis Distributor:Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, Afrikaans, language, race relations, history
Seeing Is Believing (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8136
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. Health experts have long known that a lack of Vitamin A can lead to serious diseases during childhood, as well as increasing the risk of child and maternal mortality. This segment looks at the country of Zambia as it begins a nationwide program to deliver Vitamin A to its population through sugar fortification as just one part of a multi-pronged strategy.
Director: Christopher Walker Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, economic development, malnutrition, globalization
Senegal: the Power to Change (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6299
Abstract: The protest against female genital mutilation in Senegal started with an educational program set up by the United Nations in cooperation with a local NGO. News of the declarations spread through the media, inspiring women in other villages to demand education and to take similar decisions. This is a success story which shows that education makes all the difference.
Director: Gerd Inger Polden Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, female genital cutting, women's rights, gender, development
Setting the Grass Roots on Fire (DVD : 56 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8935
Abstract: Dr. Norman Borlaug, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, has spent his life battling against hunger and poverty in developing countries. With characteristic energy and a sense or urgency, he is setting the agenda for a 'Green Revolution' in sub-Saharan Africa as population increases overwhelm production. Borlaug grew up on a small farm in Iowa during the Depression years and trained as an agricultural scientist. He developed a lifelong determination to use science for the benefit of subsistence farmers. The film charts his struggle against third world poverty, using footage shot in Africa and Mexico over the last thirty years. In Mexico after World War II, Borlaug designed a simple approach for intensifying traditional agriculture that had dramatic results. It saved India and Pakistan from a repetition of the dreadful famine of the 1960's. Often embroiled in politics in his determination to put agriculture at the top of the agenda, he has also crossed swords with some environmentalists, who he felt had little understanding of life in developing countries. His faith has always been in small-scale farmers who are 'setting the grassroots on fire.'
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nobel Peace Prize, poverty, hunger, development, agriculture, environment
Side by Side (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2863
Abstract: Follows a social worker and a theater director/magazine editor as each uses her skills to overcome the effects of AIDS.
Director: Peter Davis Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, HIV/AIDS, health, gender, development
Silent Killer. The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger (DVD : 57 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7636
Abstract: There are still a billion hungry people in the world. Fifteen thousand children -- the equivalent of five times the victims of the World Trade Center bombings -- die each day of hunger. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. We can end hunger -- if we make a commitment to doing so. Silent Killer shows how it can be done. Hosted by National Public Radio's Scott Simon, the film begins in South Africa's Kalahari Desert, where razor-thin Bushmen use the Hoodia cactus to fend off hunger. But now, a drug firm has patented the Hoodia's appetite-suppressant properties and is using it to make a diet product for obese Americans and Europeans. Hoodia is a metaphor for a world where some people die from too much food, but millions more die from too little. We discover how serious the problem is in Kenya as we meet Jane Ininda, a scientist who is trying to make agriculture more productive in her country, while her own brother, Salesio, barely survives the drought, poor soils and pests that constantly threaten his crops. Through powerful stories, we come to understand the dimensions of the hunger crisis. At the World Food Summit in Rome, we learn how activists have been working to end hunger since President John Kennedy declared war on it in 1963. But today, America's commitment to food security is less clear. In fact, world financial commitments to hunger research have been declining in recent years. But Silent Killer does not leave viewers feeling helpless. A visit to Brazil finds a nation energized by a new campaign called 'Fome Zero' -- Zero Hunger. In the huge city of Belo Horizonte, we meet a remarkable leader and see how, under the programs she supervises, the right to food is guaranteed to all. In the countryside, we are introduced to the Landless Peasants' Movement, which is giving hope to millions of hungry Brazilians.
Director: Hana Jindrova and John de Graaf Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Kalahari, Bushmen, hunger, drought, food, agriculture, development
Slave Ship (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 6813
Abstract: Over 150 documented mutinies occurred aboard slave ships between 1699 and 1845; only once, in the case of the Amistad, did slaves successfully return to Africa. The program weaves the remarkable developments of the Amistad case -- argued and won in the U.S. Supreme Court by former President John Quincy Adams -- into the overall fabric of slavery in America. Produced and written by Richard Rivera, narrated by Alfre Woodard.
Director: Noah Morowitz Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Science
Keywords: United States, Africa, diaspora, slave trade, rebellions, history, Amistad
Slavery and the Making of America (DVD : 240 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5288 PT.1 to PT.4
Abstract: This program examines the history of slavery in the United States and the role it played in shaping the new country's development. Each film is narrated by Morgan Freeman. The series comprises 4 volumes: v. 1. The downward spiral / director/producer/writer, Danté J. James -- v. 2. Liberty in the air / director/producer/writer, Gail Pellett -- v. 3. Seeds of destruction / director/producer/writer, Chana Gazit -- v. 4. The challenge of freedom / director/producer/writer, Leslie D. Farrell. Language: Soundtrack in English with optional subtitles in English and Spanish.
Director: James Danté, Gail Pellett, Ghana Gazit, Leslie Farrell Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery
Sowing seeds of Hunger (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8140
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the AIDS epidemic in Zambia and other sub-Saharan African nations which has crippled the agricultural community, forcing children to undertake the responsibilities of farming.
Director: James Heer Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, HIV/AIDS, farming, economic development, globalization
T-Shirt Travels (DVD : 57 min. ) [2001]
DVD 8789
Abstract: What happens to all those old clothes you bring to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries? This comprehensive program is about Third World debt and secondhand clothes. The filmmaker travelled to Zambia and was amazed to find almost everyone wearing Calvin Klein, MTV and James Dean t-shirts! Huge bales of American secondhand clothing are sold to African importers, putting the African manufacturers out of business. We see a secondhand clothing dealer in Zambia carefully select a bale among dozens, bundled and shipped from abroad. He pays for the used clothing and then transports it by bus ten hours to a market. His meager profits support his entire extended family who subsist in shanty towns miles from the market. Their lives exemplify the poverty plaguing Africa today. They have virtually no possibility of advancing themselves and their children. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Harvard University Center for International Studies and other experts discuss the history of colonialism, slavery and the depletion of Africa's natural resources. They draw the connection between this shameful legacy and the current huge debt. As the African governments service their debts according to an IMF/World Bank policy known as 'structural adjustment lending,' people's benefits are slashed drastically, resulting in terrible suffering from malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate schools and a crumbling infra-structure. Our old t-shirts come with a high price-tag.
Director: Shantha Bloemen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zambia, trade, economy, clothing, poverty, history, government, development
Tableau ferraille (Videocassette : 88 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3795
Abstract: Tells the story of an idealistic young politician's rise and fall. Daam, a well-intentioned but vacillating European-trained politician, must choose between two social paradigms exemplified by his two wives. The film offers a view of how modernization, as practiced in today's Africa, corrodes traditional communities and retards grassroots development.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, marriage, gender, modernity, development, politics, feature film
Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man (DVD : 52 min. ) [2006]
DVD 9601
Abstract: A biography of Thomas Sankara, a charismatic army captain who became the first president of Burkina Faso after a popularly-supported coup. During his four years in office before being assassinated, he instituted a wide range of progressive social and economic reforms.
Director: Robin Shuffield Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Upper Volta, Thomas Sankara, politics, development, economics, postcolonialism
Toro Si Te -- Everything's Fine (DVD : 78 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7205
Abstract: Set in Mali, this film tracks the difficult daily life of a rural doctor as he goes about providing healthcare and hope.
Director: Daisy Lamothe Distributor:Agora Films
Keywords: Mali, health, medicine, development
Trade Trap (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8132
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the struggles by Ghanaian farmers to get a foothold in the international market. The film follows Austustine Adongo, chief executive of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters, as he visits farmers and business owners across his country, exploring both sides of the globalization issue along the way.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, farming, globalization, economic development
Uganda: A Different Drummer (Videocassette : 34 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7444
Abstract: Uganda has begun eradicating poverty with a unique approach. Gone is the old way of government telling the poor what's good for them. Instead--via community meetings around the country-- the poor are telling government what they want. The results so far: better healthcare, free elementary education, new roads and agricultural extension programs. The government is further helping with poverty reduction by working with the International Monetary Fund for debt relief. Electronic access at: http://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view1.asp?eventId=54&file=1
Director: Frances Anne Hardin Distributor:International Monetary Fund
Keywords: Uganda, poverty, IMF, development, democracy
Up in Smoke (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8141
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the country of Malawi in Southern African where tobacco is the major export crop, responsible for 70% of all export earnings. But dependence on tobacco crops and manipulation by the tobacco industry has stunted the economy of Malawi, and despite the diminished returns from tobacco growing, the government has increased the land under cultivation.
Director: Martin Otanez, Christopher Walker Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Malawi, economic development, tobacco, farming
Waiting (Videocassette : 33 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 4559
Abstract: Chronicles the remarkable dignity of a people in a truly desperate situation. The people of the town of Alek have run out of food. The grain crop has been consumed, and enemies have stolen their livestock. Desperate, the people appeal for hunger relief. One hundred and forty five tons of grain are air-dropped into Alek, but there is a problem: without enough relief workers to distribute the food properly, there might be a riot. For a week, as the food sits on the ground, everyone, the starving Dinkas, and the well-fed aid workers, waits for relief.
Director: NA Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Sudan, Dinka, development, war, food relief
Water for Tonoumassaé (DVD : 28 min. ) [1987]
DVD 7931
Abstract: During the long, dry season in the south of Togo, in West Africa, a woman's day began at 1:00 a.m. with an eight-hour trek for water. Unbeknownst to her, the water so arduously collected was contaminated. Water for Tonoumassé shows the efforts of a group of villagers to get clean water by drilling a well nearby. It chronicles the success of this project in which women played a key role. To the surprise of the village men, the women were capable of making decisions, handling money, and learning the mechanics of keeping the pump in working order. We share their joy as they celebrate when water pours forth. By taking responsibility, these women have transformed daily life, both for themselves and their families. They are able to care for their children better and have more time to grow food. This vivid example of a development project that works is an excellent resource for exploring issues relating to women's roles in developing countries.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, water, technology, development, women
Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS VHS 7560
Abstract: This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. It will stimulate discussion and reflection in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, women's and gender studies, African studies, and development studies. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives. The three women discuss their experiences from the perspective of three different stages of the life cycle. Produced by Barbara G. Hoffman.
Director: NA Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, female circumcision, women, gender, ritual
World Bank (The): The Great Experiment (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1997]
V.CASS. VHS 5105
Abstract: This two-part documentary provides a rare glimpse into both the inner workings of the World Bank and its efforts to bring economic stability to Africa. A case study tracks the fortunes of proposed development projects in Uganda over a twelve-month period. Through it, we become privy to how decisions are made, who benefits and why, and what happens when World Bank and Ugandan policies clash. Actual footage of closed-door meetings and private conversations between officials provides insights into negotiations conducted at World Bank offices in Washington, D.C., and in Uganda. Pt. 1 -- Tug of war (50 min., 14 sec.); Pt. 2 -- Mountains of debt (50 min., 14 sec.).
Director: Peter Chappell Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, World Bank, economic conditions, development
You Can't Eat Potential: Breaking Africa's Cycle of Poverty (DVD : 57 min. ) [1996]
DVD 9104
Abstract: The world faces an impending catastrophe if nothing is done. In the context of the steepest rises of population in human history, world food security is an increasingly urgent issue. The film focuses on Africa, south of the Sahara, the region of the world most under threat of food shortages and where absolute poverty is increasing at an alarming rate. The key issue is the development of agriculture in this severely disadvantaged region. How this situation can be reversed is highlighted primarily by the experience in Tanzania, Ghana and Benin. The film explores the critical changes needed to reduce poverty and protect the environment in sub-Saharan Africa -- for example tackling the massive 'mining' of soil nutrients. Expert testimony is provided by Dr. Norman Borlaug (Nobel Peace Prize winner) as well as other distinguished agricultural scientists, and on the political front by Frederick Sumaye (Prime Minister of Tanzania) and Ibrahim Adam (Minister of Food and Agriculture in Ghana). The problems are huge, the situation is urgent, but there is vast untapped potential in the people and environments of the region. The right policies can avert a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, poverty, food, development, agriculture, famine, environment, government
Page(s): 1
21 Up South Africa (DVD : 68 min. ) [2007]
DVD 9883
Abstract: Featuring scenes shot in 1992, 1999 and 2006, this documentary follows the lives of South African children -- rich and poor, black, white and 'mixed race' -- from all over the country, from the townships to the bushveldt. In the process 21 Up South Africa offers unique insights into the social and political changes occurring throughout the country since the fall of Apartheid. First filmed as 7-year-olds in 1992, these 11 individuals are ordinary South Africans growing up at a time of enormous social change. We see them now at the age of 21 making their way in the new South Africa and, as we roll back time in this unique chronicle of their lives, we also see them aged 14 and 7. We see where they started -- in township slums, old-school mansions and white suburbs -- their world divided along racial lines, as the policy of apartheid begins to crumble. While the fall of apartheid presented them with new opportunities, it also confronted them with new challenges. In successive interview sessions, characterized by disarming honesty, touches of humor and sadness, we see how their attitudes and experiences changed regarding many issues, from race relations and educational opportunities, crime and unemployment, to marriage and the AIDS crisis, which has already claimed the lives of several of the children.
Director: Angus Gibson Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: South Africa, Mandela, psychology, child development, history, politics
A-OK? (Videocassette : 24 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 8924
Abstract: Vitamin A is essential for the functioning of the human immune system. In industrialized countries, foods like flour or sugar have been fortified with it for decades. But in some developing countries, children with Vitamin A deficiency run the risk of dying from common childhood illnesses like measles. The cost of ensuring all children receive enough Vitamin A is small, but improves children's chances of survival by as much as 25 percent. This episode looks at the prospects for two very different Vitamin A distribution programs in Ghana and Guatemala.
Director: Di Tatham Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, Guatemala, nutrition, children, health, development
AIDS in Africa (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1990]
V.CASS. VHS 5118
Abstract: Describes the war on AIDS in Africa, where the disease cuts across the entire population, affecting men and women of reproductive age and their children, striking a continent already wracked by underdevelopment, civil strife and corruption.
Director: Roger Pyke Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Africa, HIV/AIDS, health, economic conditions, politics
African Recovery (An) (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1988]
V. CASS. VHS 1174
Abstract: Peoples of the Sahel region, recovering from the recent drought, with outside assistance, are striving to recover the once abundant forests, crops, and quality of life the region once supported. In addition, efforts are under way to reeducate the nomad tribes to useful lives in the cities and villages.
Director: Sandra Nichols Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Sahel, drought, development, pastoralism
Aftertaste (Videocassette : 36 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8332
Abstract: This video focuses on two South African wine farms where 'empowerment' projects have recently been started in response to calls for change. The wine farm workers receive part of the profits from the sale of 'empowerment' brand wine Winds of Change. They have used this money to buy their own houses and shares in the wine farm business. On the surface, these 'empowerment' projects seem to be a radical departure from the abusive, paternalistic labor relationship between farm owners and workers that has existed for so long. But the legacy of centuries of abuse cannot be eradicated overnight.
Director: Ceridwen Dovey Distributor:Documentary Educational Resources
Keywords: South Africa, viticulture, economic development
Aiming High (DVD : 26 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8462
Abstract: This film focuses on Uganda's successful economic recovery in the wake of Idi Amin's regime.
Director: Ashley Bruce Distributor:Bull Frog
Keywords: Uganda, Idi Amin, poverty, government policy, development, economy
Between War and Peace (DVD : 23 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8909
Abstract: Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, was relatively calm until 1980 when William Tolbert was overthrown by Sergeant Samuel Doe after food price riots. By the late 1980s, arbitrary rule and economic collapse culminated in civil war when dissidents of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front overran much of the countryside and executed Doe. Over half of the population fled their homes in terror during its long and bloody civil war. After 14 years of anarchy, the international community has arrived in force in an attempt to stabilize the country. Many see this as Liberia's last chance. With more than 59,000 fighters (some of them children) demobilized in the last three months and another 15,000 waiting to follow, this Life program reports on Liberia's attempts to find a way of engaging the former fighters in rebuilding their country - to sustain the peace.
Director: Emily Marlow Distributor:Bull Frog films
Keywords: Liberia, conflict management, civil war, government, history, politics, development. children
Burden on the Land (DVD : 52 min. ) [1991]
DVD 9044
Abstract: Filmed in the face of enormous political and geographical obstacles, Burden on the Land is a comprehensive look at Africa's future as it faces the 21st century. It addresses the root causes of famine and suggests reasons why development efforts in Africa have been so disappointing. Examining the sub-Saharan countries - Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ethiopia and Uganda - the documentary clarifies the conflicts and interrelated issues of politics, health, environment, and culture. When the colonial powers left Africa, the political vacuum was filled by authoritarian regimes whose armies continue to keep them in power. Frequent tribal wars keep countless people refugees, fleeing from one nation to another. Despite the efforts of international relief agencies, the vast number of refugees have depleted the host countries of resources. The film shows that despite the overwhelming problems there are small successes that improve the quality of life - dams, food processing, reforestation, road building, irrigation, and animal husbandry. But basically, it proposes that Africa's future depends on developing an infrastructure while maintaining the integrity of village life.
Director: Roger Pyke Productions Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: famine, development, colonization, environment, health, politics, history
Coffee-Go-Round, The (DVD : 26 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7920
Abstract: Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world - a major cash crop for many poor, developing countries trying to trade their way out of poverty. Coffee promises to increase developing countries' share of income from agricultural products on world markets - in line with Millennium Development Goal No 8's commitment to a global partnership for development. But for the last 10 years the international coffee industry has been in crisis - and many coffee-producing countries are facing disaster. The world's 25 million coffee farmers receive less than one per cent of the price of a cup of coffee sold in a coffee bar. Life visits Ethiopia, the cradle of coffee cultivation, and speaks to players in the international coffee trade to find out how individual coffee growers can survive the boom and bust of the global coffee market.
Director: Joost de Haas Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, coffee, industry, agriculture, development, economy, trade
Continent that Overslept: Africa, The (DVD : 58 min. ) [2005]
DVD 8285
Abstract: The award-winning investigative team of Heilbuth and Bulow (Battle of the Titans) produced this thoroughly researched program with a bold disregard for political correctness. They met with a new generation of African businessmen and intellectuals who addressed the appalling lack of progress. These Africans are outraged at the widening gap between the rich heads of state and poor subjects; the lack of a work ethic among African workers; and the fact that famine still claims so many lives when Africa could easily feed itself. The film shows that Africa is a rich area: it has 70% of the world's cobalt reserves; 46% of its diamonds; 44% of its chrome; and great hydroelectric power potential. Contrary to popular belief, Africa is not densely populated. The young, educated Africans feel that colonialism and the rich countries of the world can no longer be blamed for all the ills of Africa. As one African journalist says, 'It is unfortunate and shameful to see Africa with all her potential, always turning to the West and saying 'Give us this, give us that.' A young Kenyan businessman says he is embarrassed by an economy built on aid. Yet, he believes that a change is taking place across Africa and 'we have to take our place amongst the nations.'
Director: Poul Erik Heilbuth and Hans Bulow Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: economy, politics, government, development
Controlling Interest: the World of the Multinational Corporation (Motion Picture : 45 min. ) [1978]
MP-16MM 219
Abstract: Examines the scale and underlying dynamics of multinational corporate expansion, and shows the deleterious social and economic effects of the multinationals' power in both the U.S. and the Third World. Includes interviews with several corporate executives and with workers in a small New England city faced with the threat of a runaway shop. Investigates the role of the multi-nationals in influencing U.S. government policy in underdeveloped nations.
Director: Larry Adelman Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: economics, politics, business, development
Cultivating Opportunity: Self-Help Solutions to Poverty in the U.S. and Africa (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1997]
VHS 9327
Abstract: Willie Head, Jr. is struggling to hold on to his farm-70 acres in southeast Georgia. Willie is one of the remaining 18,000 African Americans who are losing their land at the rate of a thousand acres a day. Teresa Massango, a farmer in Mozambique in southeast Africa, is among the 80 percent of Mozambicans who depend on their land to feed themselves. They've faced war and famine, and are now threatened by investors wanting to profit from Mozambique's cheap land and labor. Cultivating Opportunity tells the inspiring story of how poor communities in Mozambique and the United States are creating opportunities to better their lives. Their work is a road map to ending hunger and poverty, a journey that begins within the communities themselves. In Cultivating Opportunity communities in vastly different parts of the world demonstrate surprising similarities in the self-help solutions they champion to fight poverty. The video shows how these communities are creating the opportunities they need. Willie says, 'I don't care what profession you're in; to just work hard doesn't do it. To just be committed doesn't do it. The opportunity must be there...'
Director: Michael Sheridan Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Mozambique, Georgia, development, farming, poverty
Cutting Edge (The) (Videocassette : 10 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3804
Abstract: Documentary film, shot in the Kapchorway region of Uganda, looks at the success story of the REACH project in northern Uganda which replaces the dangerous practice of female genital mutilation with ceremonies for the exchange of cattle and gifts to welcome young girls into the adult community. Producer/director: Charlotte Metcalf. [See also Welcome to Womanhood, a follow up to this film].
Director: Charlotte Metcalf Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Uganda, women, social conditions, initiation rites, development projects, female circumcision
Dead Mums Don't Cry (DVD : 49 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7635
Abstract: Becoming a mother in Africa can be among the most frightening and dangerous jobs in the world. This program investigates why more than half a million women die every year in pregnancy and childbirth. Dead Mums Don't Cry documents one woman's remarkable struggle to stop mothers in her country from dying. She's Grace Kodindo - an obstetrician in the poverty-stricken central African country of Chad. Women in Chad have a 1 in 11 chance of dying during pregnancy or in childbirth. The risk for women in the UK is 1 in 5100. Cutting maternal mortality by 75% by 2015 was one of the eight Millennium Development Goals set by 189 countries in 2000. Five years on, progress is far behind schedule - and this film reveals it's slowest on the goals that affect women and children. But Dead Mums Don't Cry shows there is reason for hope. A few poor countries have succeeded in saving mothers' lives. BBC reporter Steve Bradshaw and Grace Kodindo travel to Honduras, which has cut maternal mortality far faster than some wealthier neighbors. A key reason is that influential men and women cared enough to make the issue a priority.
Director: Grace Kodindo, Tristan Quinn Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Chad, pregnancy, motherhood, health, development
Debt of Dictators (The) (DVD : 46 min. ) [2005]
DVD 9422
Abstract: The Debt of Dictators is the first film to expose the nefarious lending of billions of dollars by multinational banks and international financial institutions to brutal dictators throughout the world. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, asserts that transnational banks 'know the price of everything, but have no values.' The Debt of Dictators reveals the impoverishment resulting from the odious debts incurred to multinational lending institutions by these dictators. The film transports viewers to Argentina, South Africa, and the Philippines, where they come face to face with those suffering from the sacrifice of essential social services in order to repay these illegitimate debts.
Director: Erling Borgen Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: South Africa, debt, economics, dictatorship, politics, poverty, development
Egypt: the Struggle for Stability (Motion Picture : 28 min. ) [1976]
MP-16MM 197
Abstract: Documents modern-day Egypt, pointing out its contrasts and conflicts. Shows both wheels and massive hydroelectric power facilities; describes the great potential natural resources and a level of poverty among the worst in the world.
Director: NA Distributor:Learning Corporation of America
Keywords: Egypt, power facilities, development
Equatorial Guinea: Drowning in Oil? (DVD : 35 min. ) [2003]
DVD 8456
Abstract: In 1995, U.S. oil companies arrived in Equitorial Guinea in West Africa and found petroleum. Guinea has now become the third biggest oil-producing nation in sub-Saharan Africa, with production at 300,000 barrels a day. Because of its location, away from the Arabian peninsula, Guinea is important to the U.S. since it helps the U.S. in its goal to diversify its sources of oil. Throughout its Spanish colonial past and until the discovery of oil, the raising of cocoa crops was the only economic activity. Sarah Wykes, Global Witness NGO says that '...although the country will have about $700 million in oil revenues per year there has been no improvement in the development of the country. It isn't benefiting the people of Guinea.' Where is the money going? John Bennett, the ex-US Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea says that President Obiang, considered a dictator by many, is stealing much of the oil money (estimated at $1.5 to 2 billion over the past nine years) and depositing it offshore. Besides financial corruption, the government suppresses and even imprisons the leaders of the political opposition. The human rights violations and the lack of democracy are tolerated by the governments of the West in order to support U.S. oil interests.
Director: Lluis Jene and Enric Miro Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Equatorial Guinea, oil, industry, NGO, development, corruption, government, human rights
Farmers of Gaho, The (Videocassette : 21 min. ) [1998]
VHS 9331
Abstract: Over the generations, the farmers of the village of Gaho in southern Ethiopia have developed unique farming techniques that enable them successfully to grow crops in their arid environment. The preservation and enhancement of their soil is the villagers' most important priority. They accomplish this through constant weeding and composting. To trap water and prevent erosion, they build stone terraces on hilly terrain and earth embankments on level ground. Amongst the crops they grow successfully in this land of undependable rainfall are sorghum, sunflower, rapeseed, coffee, cassava, and yam. Farm Africa, an NGO promoting sustainable agriculture, has enabled the farmers of Gaho to experiment with new sorghum varieties resistant to pests, and requiring less moisture. It has also enabled Gaho's women to purchase livestock to be used for meat and sold in the region for supplemental income. Although each farmer has his own plot of land, cultivation and maintenance are communal endeavors. A common area is tilled and planted, and the yield of this area is stored for distribution during times of scarcity.
Director: Bill Locke Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: Ethiopia, arid regions, agriculture, sustainability, NGO, development
From Congo to Zaire (DVD : 52 min. ) [2001]
DVD 7895
Abstract: The Congo, the largest country in Central Africa, was granted its independence from Belgium in 1960. This riveting historical documentary, using a wealth of archival material, illustrates how the legacy of colonialism effected modern Congo, led first by Patrice Lumumba, then by General Mobutu for thirty years. From 1908, when King Leopold II ceded his land grants to the Belgian people, economic development was seen as the first stage of the process of colonization. A new industrial port, along with road and rail networks, opened up the Congo to overseas trade. The Belgians brought with them an efficient system of administration, education and healthcare. By the end of World War II, the relationship between the colonizers and colonized changed. The pace accelerated towards decolonization. However, independence brought its own problems. Two leaders emerged, Patrice Lumumba and General Mobutu, and conflict between them ended with the murder of Lumumba and Mobutu's seizure of power. From Congo to Zaire takes a fresh look at the Congo's turbulent history and provides new insights into the problems it faces today.
Director: Olivier Moser and Frederic Tadino Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, colonialism, history, Mobutu, Lumumba
Geldoff in Africa (DVD : 240 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5559
Abstract: If Bob Geldof had never seen news footage of the horrific famine in Ethiopia back in the mid-'80s, he might have carried on in relative obscurity, making so-so records with his band the Boomtown Rats. But see it he did, which led to Band Aid (and 'Do They Know It's Christmas' ), Live Aid, Live 8, knighthood, and now Geldof in Africa, a profound, provocative, beautifully made six-part series that aired in 2005 on Britain's BBC. Sir Bob, who narrates both on- and off-screen, visited many parts of what he calls the Luminous Continent (as opposed to the Dark Continent moniker that was ironically bestowed on Africa by Europeans whose own countries were often gray and grim), including Somaliland, a sort of non-country whose very existence isn't acknowledged by any other nation; Ghana, from which slaves were once shipped to America and elsewhere; the Congo, the true heart of darkness, which still bears the ugly scars of Belgian colonization; the Sahara desert, where 'you discover the absolute insignificance of you'; Uganda, where a brutal 'rebel leader' abducts children and turns them into sex slaves and soldiers; and Ethiopia, where it all started for Geldof (and where conditions are actually improving). But Geldof and producer-director John Maguire's film is not a travelogue. Nor is it a scientific documentary, although we learn something about geography, anthropology, meteorology, geology, agriculture, history, religion, and, inevitably, politics. What distinguishes Geldof in Africa is the presence of Geldof himself. An excellent writer and articulate speaker, he brings a decidedly subjective point of view to the work. 'I can't do slick television,' he admits; neither cynical nor naïve, he says exactly what he thinks, and expresses his wonder, fascination, rage, grief, sympathy, blame, and hope with a quiet passion that compels the viewer to feel those things as well. The camera work is flawless throughout, with shot after shot of breathtaking beauty, and Pete Briquette's music provides graceful accompaniment. Extras include audio commentary by Geldof and Maguire, deleted scenes, photos, and a Geldof interview. --Sam Graham
Director: John Maguire Distributor:BBC/Warner Vision International
Keywords: Africa, Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, charity, development, NGO, travel
God Sleeps in Rwanda (DVD : 28 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5902
Abstract: Uncovering amazing stories of hope in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, Academy Award-Nominee God Sleeps in Rwanda captures the spirit of five courageous women as they rebuild their lives, redefine women's roles in Rwandan society and bring hope to a wounded nation. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide left the country nearly 70 percent female, handing Rwanda's women an extraordinary burden and an unprecedented opportunity. Girls are attending school in record numbers, and women now make up a large part of the country's leadership. Working with two cameras and no crew except for their translator --a genocide survivor herself-- the filmmakers uncover incredible stories: an HIV-positive policewoman raising four children alone and attending night school to become a lawyer, a teenager who has become head of household for her four siblings, and a young woman orphaned in her teens who is now the top development official in her area. Heart-wrenching and inspiring, this powerful film is a brutal reminder of the consequences of the Rwandan tragedy, and a tribute to the strength and spirit of those who are moving forth. In Kinyarwanda and English, Subtitled
Director: Kimberlee Acquaro, Stacy Sherman Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: Rwanda, gender, genocide, race relations, women
Gorée: Door of No Return (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 4423
Abstract: This documentary covers the arrival of the first Europeans in Africa, the origins of slavery in the Americas, the development of Gorée Island as the center of the expanding slave trade, and the wealthy merchant women who controlled the slave trade on the island. The program also visits the colonial buildings, the homes of the slave traders, the trading warehouse called the House of Slaves, and the infamous Door of No Return, the door through which most of America's enslaved people passed on their way to the New World.
Director: Ann E. Johnson and Robin Klein Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords: Senegal, slavery, diaspora, history
Hospice (The) (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [2004]
V.CASS. VHS 8989
Abstract: The Mother of Mercy Hospice on the edge of the capital, Lusaka, was the first of its kind in Zambia. 'Our idea was just to build a simple shelter so people can die with dignity,' says Sister Leonia. Two hundred people a day in Zambia die from HIV/AIDS. Because controlling HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest challenges world health experts face, all the member countries of the United Nations have pledged to 'reverse' the spread of the disease as one of the UN's Millennium Development Goals - a global ambition the international community hopes to achieve by 2015. This film follows the work of the staff and volunteers at the Mother of Mercy Hospice and in the surrounding villages. The courage of patients, the resilience and despair of the staff and the dignity of how they all deal with the almost daily ritual of death combine to give a poignant account of the human face of AIDS in modern Africa.
Director: Kaper Bisgaard Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, HIV/AIDS, death and dying, health
Hyenas (Videocassette : 146 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2574
Abstract: This Senegalese film is based on the play The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. The Wolof-language film satirizes the influence of Western materialism on traditional Africa as Linguerre, a Senegalese woman, returns to her village after a life in exile. Thirty years earlier, she became pregnant by a local merchant. The man denied her claims that he was the child's father and went further to accuse her of adultery with other men from the village. The woman's life in exile has actually been quite prosperous, while her village is in a state of poverty. Linguerre is wealthy and is willing to bail the village out of its financial misfortune -- in exchange for the life of the man who betrayed her decades earlier. The film holds a sharply critical view of capitalism and its effect on traditional values.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, development, capitalism, feature film
Hyenas (DVD ) [1992]
DVD 7510
Abstract: This Senegalese film is based on the play The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. The Wolof-language film satirizes the influence of Western materialism on traditional Africa as Linguerre, a Senegalese woman, returns to her village after a life in exile. Thirty years earlier, she became pregnant by a local merchant. The man denied her claims that he was the child's father and went further to accuse her of adultery with other men from the village. The woman's life in exile has actually been quite prosperous, while her village is in a state of poverty. Linguerre is wealthy and is willing to bail the village out of its financial misfortune -- in exchange for the life of the man who betrayed her decades earlier. The film holds a sharply critical view of capitalism and its effect on traditional values.
Director: Djibril Diop Mambety Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, development, capitalism, feature film
I Have a Problem, Madam (Videocassette : 59 min. ) [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 3254
Abstract: Run by female lawyers, FIDA-Uganda has set up several legal aid centers for women in domestic trouble. With the help of a weekly radio show, the centers fill daily with women waiting to tell their stories. FIDA lawyers attempt to reconcile the women and their men in face to face meetings, even if it means traveling to isolated villages. The attitudes of both men and women are beginning to change, but this slow process sometimes leads to conflicts between official and traditional law. A film by Maarten Schmidt and Thomas Doebele.
Director: Maarten Scmidt, Thomas Doebele Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, women, law, marriage, social conditions, development, family violence
Images in Struggle: South African Photographers Speak (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 6442
Abstract: South African photographers speak about their work and aspirations. All are concerned to document the developing liberation struggle, as well as the lives and hopes of the South African people. Discusses the challenges to the development of the medium and the nature of their work in the 1990s. Interviews with Omar Badsha, Lesley Lawson, Rashid Lombard, Santu Mofokeng, Cedric Nunn, Zubeida Vallie, Paul Weinberg.
Director: Barry Feinberg Distributor:Cinema Guild
Keywords: South Africa, photography, apartheid, politics, history
In Danku the Soup Is Sweeter: Women and Development In Ghana (DVD : 30 min. ) [2000]
DVD 9105
Abstract: As in many African villages, life in Danku in the north of Ghana has been a struggle for subsistence. The women bear the burden of caring for the children, raising food, and trying to make life better for their families. Through a special project of the Canadian International Development Agency, the women were given access to credit for the first time. This film shows how this little bit of financial aid allowed the women to become 'entrepreneurs.' We follow two women who take advantage of this program, borrowing a little bit of start up money. We see how hard they work to pay back their loans. One makes butter from arduously pounding vegetables; the other cooks delicious soup from seasonal crops. They each sell their products from door to door and at the market near their village. Eventually their efforts make a small profit that affords their families some more comforts. This beautifully filmed video captures the rhythms of village life and the tenacity of the women who, though uneducated, are willing to undertake new responsibilities.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor:NA
Keywords: Ghana, women, development, NGO, economy, credit associations
Leaving Home for Sugar (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1986]
VHS 9179
Abstract: Leaving Home for Sugar continues the history of sugar, focusing on later developments in the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Following the withdrawal of the Dutch in 1654 from the Brazilian sugar cane industry, the Caribbean became the center of world sugar production. With an ever-increasing demand for sugar in Europe, and as many as 15 million slaves transported from Africa, the West Indian sugar industry was for 200 years one of history's most profitable enterprises. Following Abolition, the plantations of the West Indies declined and the market favored European sugar beet production and newer ventures in the Pacific and Africa. Besides looking at the rise and fall of sugar in the West Indies, the film contrasts two sides of the history of sugar in Zimbabwe: the companies' story of turning semi-desert into model plantations, and the story told by local farm workers who were dispossessed or brought in as forced labor. Today in Europe and North America, the demand for cane sugar is falling as a result of protectionist policies, health concerns, and the use of new artificial sweeteners. The film ends with the multi-national agricultural companies looking for new markets for cane sugar - ironically in the producing countries themselves. Volume 5 of The Commodities Series. A seven part series by Sue Clayton & Jonathan Curling.
Director: Sue Clayton Distributor:First Run/Icarus Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, West Indies, economy, globalization, history, plantation, sugar, slavery
Lines in the Dust (Videocassette : 28 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7420
Abstract: In a small village in northern Ghana, a group of men and women discuss their daily chores with the help of a chart they've drawn in the dust. This village is part of a program called Reflect, which aims to reach the 900 million illiterate adults across the world. Reflect uses participants' own knowledge and experience as starting points for learning. Lines in the Dust looks at this program in Ghana and India, and how it not only teaches people to read, write, and work with numbers, but also encourages the participants to change their ideas about men's and women's separate workloads, stand up for their rights, earn more money for their families, and become more self-assured. Additional materials available at: http://www.tve.org/lifeonline/index.cfm?aid=1162
Director: Lucinda Broadbent Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, development, literacy, gender, labor
Live Aid (DVD : 600 min. ) [2004]
DVD 3977
Abstract: Documents the U.S. and U.K. concerts for famine relief in Ethiopia. Performers included: Coldstream Guards, Status Quo, The Style Council, The Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Elvis Costello, Nik Kershaw, Sade, Sting, Phil Collins, Howard Jones, Bryan Ferry, Paul Young, Alison Moyet, Bryan Adams, U2, The Beach Boys, Dire Straits, George Thurgood & the Destroyers, Queen, Simple Minds, David Bowie, Joan Baez, Pretenders, The Who, Kenny Loggins, Elton John, Kiki Dee, George Michael, Madonna, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Black Sabbath, REO Speedwagon, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Judas Priest, The Cars, Neil Young, Thompson Twins, Steve Stevens, Nile Rodgers, Eric Clapton, Duran Duran, Patti LaBelle, Hall & Oates, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, INXS, B.B. King, Ashford & Simpson, Teddy Pendergrass, Run DMC, Cliff Richard.
Director: NA Distributor:Warner Strategic Marketing
Keywords: United States, Great Britain, Ethiopia, concerts, famine, development
Living With Hunger (DVD : 50 min. ) [2004]
DVD 8602
Abstract: In an unprecedented mission, Sorious Samura moves into a remote village in Ethiopia. Between August and September 2003 Sorious lived in a hut and survived on the same meagre diet as the rest of the villagers. As well as this remarkable film, the DVD includes specially commissioned interviews with Sorious Samura, the film's director, Charlotte Metcalf and the film's editor, Richard Guard. See also Living with Illegals, Living with Refugees and Living with AIDS.
Director: Sorious Samura Distributor:Insight News TV
Keywords: Ethiopia, hunger, food, development, poverty
Living in Africa: African Solutions to African Problems (DVD : 150 min. ) [1995]
See individual titles
Abstract: Series of five films (each 30 minutes):
l. Maasai in the Modern World - Kenya: This film looks at the impact of the modern world on the ancient culture of the Maasai people. Traditionally the Maasai herded their cattle between the plains and the well -watered mountain land. As tourism makes inroads on their already scarce land, they are trying to adapt without losing their heritage. DVD 8904
2. The Survival Age - Tanzania: Tanzania illustrates some of the problems of development and the environmental crisis. The economists featured are critical of Western ideas about progress. The film reflects on the failure of both socialism and capitalism in this country and explains the need to overcome the legacy of colonialism. DVD 8905
3. This Virus That Has No Cure - Zambia: Worldwide there are over 17 million people infected with the AIDS virus and an estimated ten million live in Africa. The problem is placing a serious strain on the Zambian health system. The film explores ways in which the community is uniting to fight back, caring for sufferers and educating about prevention. DVD 8906
4. The Riches of Elephants - Zimbabwe: The Campfire project is a highly successful program for both wildlife conservation and social development. The local community is allowed to sell safaris or hunting rights on public land reserves. The profit is used for development projects such as fences, schools, and individual households. DVD 8907
5. A Land of Immense Riches -Mozambique:
Once devastated by war, Mozambique now offers positive models for bio-diversity, community conservation and eco-tourism. We meet members of the local community who are working with the conservation authorities to educate people about sustainable harvesting and many other ways of protecting the environment. DVD 8908
Director:
Mark Newman
Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords:
Maragoli (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 1823
Abstract: A documentary in which the villagers of the Maragoli region in Kenya describe their reaction to 'development' by explaining their aspirations, why they have so many children and why they fear the destruction of their traditional ways. Portrays the interlocking problems of high fertility rates, land scarcity, lack of education and employment and migration.
Director: NA Distributor:Sandra Nichols Production
Keywords: Kenya, Luhya, development, fertility, migration
Matamata and Pilipili (Videocassette : 55 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3800
Abstract: This film, from a 1950s Congo, features two comic heroes from films conceived and made by a Belgian missionary, Albert Van Haelst. Looks at their creation, reception by Congolese audiences, their disappearance, and what happened later to the film maker and his two Congolese movie stars.
Director: Tristan Bourlard Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Congo (Democratic Republic), comedy films, history, missionization, development, popular culture
Maîtres fous (Les) (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1955]
V.CASS. VHS 2566
Abstract: Describes the Haouka, members of a religious cult living in Accra, Ghana. Shows them living and working in Europeanized Accra and participating in a spirit possession ceremony. Documents the annual religious ceremony of the Hauku cult which was widespread in Niger and Ghana from the 1920's to the 1950's. Ceremony took place on a rural farm, where the Haukas entered into trance, and were possessed with the spirits, associated with their former Western colonial powers. Supplicants consult the gods through trance, and may receive advice about their problems and illnesses. They may also find support and comfort although they can also be reprimanded for wrongdoings. Hauka first began in the person of a soldier who witnessed the decimating of their West African troops by the Germans, despite their outstanding performance in battle. The Hauka was suppressed by the French and British, subsequent administrators of Niger. After protestations against this suppression the agreement was reached that they should limit their ceremonies to prescribed places. Today the Hauka movement has been absorbed into the traditional religious systems and there is now an end to the Hauka development.
Director: Jean Rouch Distributor:Interama Video Classics
Keywords: Niger, Ghana, Hauka movement, Zabrama, colonialism, spirit possession, ritual
Neria (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1992]
V. CASS. VHS 2851
Abstract: Patrick and Neria, through shared hard work and resourcefulness, built a comfortable home, a good life and family in the city. But when their loving and equal partnership suddenly ends with the tragic death of Patrick, Neria's nightmare begins. Utilizing a new Zimbabwean law protecting women, the widow fights back. A box office hit in Zimbabwe.
Director: NA Distributor:KJM3 Entertainment Group/Documentary Educational Resource
Keywords: Zimbabwe, gender, law, marriage, development, feature film
Nyamakuta (Videocassette : 32 min. ) [1989]
V. CASS. VHS 4554
Abstract: Mai Mafuta is a nyamakuta ( 'a traditional midwife') in Zimbabwe. Half of all births in the developing world are attended by women like her, without the help of modern medicine. People seek her out because she is skillful, compassionate, and because her grandmother was also a midwife. Five years ago, Mai Mafuta's skills were inadequate to save her own daughter's life, and she died in childbirth. In an attempt to prevent such deaths, over eighty countries have begun training traditional midwives in modern medical methods. Mai Mafuta enrolled in one such program. Now she tries to reconcile what she has learned at the clinic with traditional birth practices. We see her deliver a child on the dirt floor of a hut. Mai Mafuta narrates her own story, giving the audience an intimate view of the lives of Third World women.
Director: Chris Sheppard Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zimbabwe, health, women, development
One World, One Economy (Videocassette : 70 min. ) [1990]
V. CASS. VHS 1570
Abstract: Describes three widely differing economies (Mexico, Poland, Ghana) and their relationship to each other and the International Monetary Fund. Producer: John Merni.
Director: NA Distributor:IMF
Keywords: Ghana, economy, geography, development
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography (Videocassette : 241 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS. Ten videocassettes (volumes five through seven concern African nations): (v. 1) Central America: Costa Rica; (v. 2) Central America: Cuba; (v. 3) South America: Brazil; (v. 4) South America: Paraguay; (v. 5) Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt; (v. 6) Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya; (v. 7) Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho; (v. 8) Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal; (v. 9) Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; (v. 10) South Pacific/Oceania: The Philippines, Kiribati.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Costa Rica, Cuba, Brazil, Paraguay, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mongolia, China, Nepal, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oceania, the Philippines, Kiribati, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 5 Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 6. Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya (Videocassette : 26 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, politics, history, economics
Our Developing World: Studies in Regional Political Geography: Vol. 7 Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho (Videocassette : 29 min. ) [1996]
IN-PROCESS
Abstract: Each video of this series presents the political geography of a certain region. Topics frequently reviewed for each region are economic development, education, politics, cultural geography, and other subject areas. Produced by the Information Department of the United Nations Developmental Programme with the support of UNICEF and PROWESS.
Director: Josy Dubie Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Sciences
Keywords: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho, politics, history, economics
Our Friends at the Bank (Videocassette : 90 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 4693
Abstract: Filmed over a period of 14 months, documents the negotiations between the World Bank and Uganda in an attempt to understand and describe the relationship and its implications for Uganda. Describes the activities of James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, and Yoweri Museveni, leader of Uganda.
Director: Peter Chappell Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Uganda, World Bank, aid and development, economy, politics
Pain, Passion and Profit (Videocassette : 49 min. ) [1992]
VHS 9402
Abstract: From the director of Bend it Like Beckham and Pride and Prejudice, the film Pain, Passion and Profit is an inspirational look at women entrepreneurs through the eyes of the Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, who has always maintained a strong commitment to the idea of profits with principles. Several women in Africa who have successfully developed small-scale business enterprises in their own communities provide a focus for Roddick to pose questions about how the role and status of women affects their enterprises and how those enterprises provide a means of community and economic development for women. Pain, Passion and Profit gives an in-depth look at global feminism and economic development as well as a personal and spirited view of the connections between the experiences of women entrepreneurs in the First and Third Worlds.
Director: Gurinder Chadha Distributor:Women Make Movies
Keywords: business, women, economy, development, feminism
Peanuts (Videocassette : 46 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 7824
Abstract: Documentary on the introduction of appropriate technology in a village in Southern Mali. Film technician Jock Brandis alerted villagers to the fact that growing cotton would rob their soil of nitrogen, and suggested that they plant peanuts either around the cotton plants or in rotation, to improve the soil. Peanuts are also more profitable, but a mechanical peanut sheller was needed. Brandis set about designing a small scale sheller that local people could build on the spot and repair themselves. A living example of the difference that one person, with good will and determination, can make in the lives of countless others.
Director: Martin Harbury Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Mali, cotton, peanuts, agriculture, development, technology
Perfect Famine (The) (Videocassette ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8134
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. In Malawi bad weather, poor governance and profiteering have combined to create famine. This segment looks at the causes of, and solutions to this famine. Although many have thought foreign aid would lift the world's poor out of poverty, there is now a growing consensus that the policies of poor countries and ineffectual bureaucracies can be major obstacles to sustainable development.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Malawi, famine, economic development, globalization
Population 6 Billion (Videocassette : 58 min. ) [2000]
V.CASS. VHS 6140
Abstract: Discusses problems created by the growing human population, which surpassed the six billion mark in 1999. Covers topics such as poverty, illiteracy, the toll on the environment, and water, food and other resource shortages. Addresses the grim realities of life in Third World nations while discussing population control initiatives in Vietnam, Uganda, and Mexico that include family planning, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, sex education, and efforts to improve the economic status of women.
Director: Sam Shinn, Jonathan Silvers Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, population, development, environment, poverty
Rivers of Sand (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [1991]
VHS 9344
Abstract: The Niger River brings life to the countries on the southern edge of the Sahara, known as the Sahel. Because nomadic herders are losing their grazing land to the desert, plans are being made to divert Niger River water to this area to permit the growing of crops.
Director: Bruno Sorrentino Distributor:NA
Keywords: Mali, Sahel, Sahara, drought, agriculture, development, desertification
Road from Rio (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8130
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment questions the relevance and success of the World Summit on Sustainable Development which opened in August 2002 in Johannesburg. As world leaders prepared for the meeting, hard questions were raised -- when governments had failed to deliver on so many of the promises they made in Rio -- why should the world believe they'd be any more responsive at the second summit?
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: South Africa, economic development, globalization, pollitics
Sango Malo (Videocassette : 95 min. ) [1991]
V. CASS. VHS 4472
Abstract: Sango Malo is the tale of two schoolteachers and two philosophies of education. The strict headmaster insists on a conventional French-style curriculum which doesn't challenge the village power structure. When an innovative young teacher Sango Malo (Mr. Malo) arrives, he introduces a more practical education designed to make the peasants the focus of rural development. Soon his ideas spread to the rest of the village and the peasants open a cooperative store and farm. But Malo is impatient with local customs and alienates many of his supporters. The village chief, store owner and priest now call in the army to arrest him. But Malo has taught his lessons well, and the peasants carry on the reforms he introduced without him. .
Director: Bassek ba Kobhio Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Cameroon, education, development, feature film
Scorpion Under the Rock: Afrikaans from Colonialism to Democracy (Videocassette : 78 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 6957 Pts. 1- 3
Abstract: This three part docudrama looks at the relationship between language and political, social and economic power in South Africa from the beginning of Dutch colonial rule until today. The story of the origins and development of the Afrikaans language is narrated by Zaine Lackay (played by David Isaacs), a student activist from Salt River. His experience of the Afrikaans language is used as a central point at which to relate a series of historical tableaux. (3 videocassettes)
Director: Zackie Achmat and Jack Lewis Distributor:Idol Pictures
Keywords: South Africa, Afrikaans, language, race relations, history
Seeing Is Believing (Videocassette : 23 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8136
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. Health experts have long known that a lack of Vitamin A can lead to serious diseases during childhood, as well as increasing the risk of child and maternal mortality. This segment looks at the country of Zambia as it begins a nationwide program to deliver Vitamin A to its population through sugar fortification as just one part of a multi-pronged strategy.
Director: Christopher Walker Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, economic development, malnutrition, globalization
Senegal: the Power to Change (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2000]
V. CASS. VHS 6299
Abstract: The protest against female genital mutilation in Senegal started with an educational program set up by the United Nations in cooperation with a local NGO. News of the declarations spread through the media, inspiring women in other villages to demand education and to take similar decisions. This is a success story which shows that education makes all the difference.
Director: Gerd Inger Polden Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Senegal, female genital cutting, women's rights, gender, development
Setting the Grass Roots on Fire (DVD : 56 min. ) [2000]
DVD 8935
Abstract: Dr. Norman Borlaug, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, has spent his life battling against hunger and poverty in developing countries. With characteristic energy and a sense or urgency, he is setting the agenda for a 'Green Revolution' in sub-Saharan Africa as population increases overwhelm production. Borlaug grew up on a small farm in Iowa during the Depression years and trained as an agricultural scientist. He developed a lifelong determination to use science for the benefit of subsistence farmers. The film charts his struggle against third world poverty, using footage shot in Africa and Mexico over the last thirty years. In Mexico after World War II, Borlaug designed a simple approach for intensifying traditional agriculture that had dramatic results. It saved India and Pakistan from a repetition of the dreadful famine of the 1960's. Often embroiled in politics in his determination to put agriculture at the top of the agenda, he has also crossed swords with some environmentalists, who he felt had little understanding of life in developing countries. His faith has always been in small-scale farmers who are 'setting the grassroots on fire.'
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Nobel Peace Prize, poverty, hunger, development, agriculture, environment
Side by Side (Videocassette : 50 min. ) [1993]
V. CASS. VHS 2863
Abstract: Follows a social worker and a theater director/magazine editor as each uses her skills to overcome the effects of AIDS.
Director: Peter Davis Distributor:Villon Films
Keywords: Zimbabwe, HIV/AIDS, health, gender, development
Silent Killer. The Unfinished Campaign Against Hunger (DVD : 57 min. ) [2005]
DVD 7636
Abstract: There are still a billion hungry people in the world. Fifteen thousand children -- the equivalent of five times the victims of the World Trade Center bombings -- die each day of hunger. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. We can end hunger -- if we make a commitment to doing so. Silent Killer shows how it can be done. Hosted by National Public Radio's Scott Simon, the film begins in South Africa's Kalahari Desert, where razor-thin Bushmen use the Hoodia cactus to fend off hunger. But now, a drug firm has patented the Hoodia's appetite-suppressant properties and is using it to make a diet product for obese Americans and Europeans. Hoodia is a metaphor for a world where some people die from too much food, but millions more die from too little. We discover how serious the problem is in Kenya as we meet Jane Ininda, a scientist who is trying to make agriculture more productive in her country, while her own brother, Salesio, barely survives the drought, poor soils and pests that constantly threaten his crops. Through powerful stories, we come to understand the dimensions of the hunger crisis. At the World Food Summit in Rome, we learn how activists have been working to end hunger since President John Kennedy declared war on it in 1963. But today, America's commitment to food security is less clear. In fact, world financial commitments to hunger research have been declining in recent years. But Silent Killer does not leave viewers feeling helpless. A visit to Brazil finds a nation energized by a new campaign called 'Fome Zero' -- Zero Hunger. In the huge city of Belo Horizonte, we meet a remarkable leader and see how, under the programs she supervises, the right to food is guaranteed to all. In the countryside, we are introduced to the Landless Peasants' Movement, which is giving hope to millions of hungry Brazilians.
Director: Hana Jindrova and John de Graaf Distributor:Bull Frog Films
Keywords: South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, Kalahari, Bushmen, hunger, drought, food, agriculture, development
Slave Ship (Videocassette : 52 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 6813
Abstract: Over 150 documented mutinies occurred aboard slave ships between 1699 and 1845; only once, in the case of the Amistad, did slaves successfully return to Africa. The program weaves the remarkable developments of the Amistad case -- argued and won in the U.S. Supreme Court by former President John Quincy Adams -- into the overall fabric of slavery in America. Produced and written by Richard Rivera, narrated by Alfre Woodard.
Director: Noah Morowitz Distributor:Films for the Humanities & Science
Keywords: United States, Africa, diaspora, slave trade, rebellions, history, Amistad
Slavery and the Making of America (DVD : 240 min. ) [2005]
DVD 5288 PT.1 to PT.4
Abstract: This program examines the history of slavery in the United States and the role it played in shaping the new country's development. Each film is narrated by Morgan Freeman. The series comprises 4 volumes: v. 1. The downward spiral / director/producer/writer, Danté J. James -- v. 2. Liberty in the air / director/producer/writer, Gail Pellett -- v. 3. Seeds of destruction / director/producer/writer, Chana Gazit -- v. 4. The challenge of freedom / director/producer/writer, Leslie D. Farrell. Language: Soundtrack in English with optional subtitles in English and Spanish.
Director: James Danté, Gail Pellett, Ghana Gazit, Leslie Farrell Distributor:Ambrose Video Publishing
Keywords: America, Africa, overview, history, slavery
Sowing seeds of Hunger (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8140
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the AIDS epidemic in Zambia and other sub-Saharan African nations which has crippled the agricultural community, forcing children to undertake the responsibilities of farming.
Director: James Heer Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Zambia, HIV/AIDS, farming, economic development, globalization
T-Shirt Travels (DVD : 57 min. ) [2001]
DVD 8789
Abstract: What happens to all those old clothes you bring to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries? This comprehensive program is about Third World debt and secondhand clothes. The filmmaker travelled to Zambia and was amazed to find almost everyone wearing Calvin Klein, MTV and James Dean t-shirts! Huge bales of American secondhand clothing are sold to African importers, putting the African manufacturers out of business. We see a secondhand clothing dealer in Zambia carefully select a bale among dozens, bundled and shipped from abroad. He pays for the used clothing and then transports it by bus ten hours to a market. His meager profits support his entire extended family who subsist in shanty towns miles from the market. Their lives exemplify the poverty plaguing Africa today. They have virtually no possibility of advancing themselves and their children. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Harvard University Center for International Studies and other experts discuss the history of colonialism, slavery and the depletion of Africa's natural resources. They draw the connection between this shameful legacy and the current huge debt. As the African governments service their debts according to an IMF/World Bank policy known as 'structural adjustment lending,' people's benefits are slashed drastically, resulting in terrible suffering from malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate schools and a crumbling infra-structure. Our old t-shirts come with a high price-tag.
Director: Shantha Bloemen Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Zambia, trade, economy, clothing, poverty, history, government, development
Tableau ferraille (Videocassette : 88 min. ) [1997]
V. CASS. VHS 3795
Abstract: Tells the story of an idealistic young politician's rise and fall. Daam, a well-intentioned but vacillating European-trained politician, must choose between two social paradigms exemplified by his two wives. The film offers a view of how modernization, as practiced in today's Africa, corrodes traditional communities and retards grassroots development.
Director: Moussa Sene Absa Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Senegal, marriage, gender, modernity, development, politics, feature film
Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man (DVD : 52 min. ) [2006]
DVD 9601
Abstract: A biography of Thomas Sankara, a charismatic army captain who became the first president of Burkina Faso after a popularly-supported coup. During his four years in office before being assassinated, he instituted a wide range of progressive social and economic reforms.
Director: Robin Shuffield Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords: Burkina Faso, Upper Volta, Thomas Sankara, politics, development, economics, postcolonialism
Toro Si Te -- Everything's Fine (DVD : 78 min. ) [2006]
DVD 7205
Abstract: Set in Mali, this film tracks the difficult daily life of a rural doctor as he goes about providing healthcare and hope.
Director: Daisy Lamothe Distributor:Agora Films
Keywords: Mali, health, medicine, development
Trade Trap (The) (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8132
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the struggles by Ghanaian farmers to get a foothold in the international market. The film follows Austustine Adongo, chief executive of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters, as he visits farmers and business owners across his country, exploring both sides of the globalization issue along the way.
Director: Steve Bradshaw Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Ghana, farming, globalization, economic development
Uganda: A Different Drummer (Videocassette : 34 min. ) [2001]
V.CASS. VHS 7444
Abstract: Uganda has begun eradicating poverty with a unique approach. Gone is the old way of government telling the poor what's good for them. Instead--via community meetings around the country-- the poor are telling government what they want. The results so far: better healthcare, free elementary education, new roads and agricultural extension programs. The government is further helping with poverty reduction by working with the International Monetary Fund for debt relief. Electronic access at: http://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view1.asp?eventId=54&file=1
Director: Frances Anne Hardin Distributor:International Monetary Fund
Keywords: Uganda, poverty, IMF, development, democracy
Up in Smoke (Videocassette : 27 min. ) [2002]
V.CASS. VHS 8141
Abstract: Part of a series examining the issue of globalization and its effect on ordinary people around the world. This segment looks at the country of Malawi in Southern African where tobacco is the major export crop, responsible for 70% of all export earnings. But dependence on tobacco crops and manipulation by the tobacco industry has stunted the economy of Malawi, and despite the diminished returns from tobacco growing, the government has increased the land under cultivation.
Director: Martin Otanez, Christopher Walker Distributor:Bullfrog Films
Keywords: Malawi, economic development, tobacco, farming
Waiting (Videocassette : 33 min. ) [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 4559
Abstract: Chronicles the remarkable dignity of a people in a truly desperate situation. The people of the town of Alek have run out of food. The grain crop has been consumed, and enemies have stolen their livestock. Desperate, the people appeal for hunger relief. One hundred and forty five tons of grain are air-dropped into Alek, but there is a problem: without enough relief workers to distribute the food properly, there might be a riot. For a week, as the food sits on the ground, everyone, the starving Dinkas, and the well-fed aid workers, waits for relief.
Director: NA Distributor:First Run/Icarus
Keywords: Sudan, Dinka, development, war, food relief
Water for Tonoumassaé (DVD : 28 min. ) [1987]
DVD 7931
Abstract: During the long, dry season in the south of Togo, in West Africa, a woman's day began at 1:00 a.m. with an eight-hour trek for water. Unbeknownst to her, the water so arduously collected was contaminated. Water for Tonoumassé shows the efforts of a group of villagers to get clean water by drilling a well nearby. It chronicles the success of this project in which women played a key role. To the surprise of the village men, the women were capable of making decisions, handling money, and learning the mechanics of keeping the pump in working order. We share their joy as they celebrate when water pours forth. By taking responsibility, these women have transformed daily life, both for themselves and their families. They are able to care for their children better and have more time to grow food. This vivid example of a development project that works is an excellent resource for exploring issues relating to women's roles in developing countries.
Director: Gary Beitel Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Togo, water, technology, development, women
Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say (Videocassette : 30 min. ) [2002]
V. CASS VHS 7560
Abstract: This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. It will stimulate discussion and reflection in a wide variety of courses in cultural anthropology, women's and gender studies, African studies, and development studies. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives. The three women discuss their experiences from the perspective of three different stages of the life cycle. Produced by Barbara G. Hoffman.
Director: NA Distributor:University of California Extension Center for Media
Keywords: Kenya, Maasai, female circumcision, women, gender, ritual
World Bank (The): The Great Experiment (Videocassette : 100 min. ) [1997]
V.CASS. VHS 5105
Abstract: This two-part documentary provides a rare glimpse into both the inner workings of the World Bank and its efforts to bring economic stability to Africa. A case study tracks the fortunes of proposed development projects in Uganda over a twelve-month period. Through it, we become privy to how decisions are made, who benefits and why, and what happens when World Bank and Ugandan policies clash. Actual footage of closed-door meetings and private conversations between officials provides insights into negotiations conducted at World Bank offices in Washington, D.C., and in Uganda. Pt. 1 -- Tug of war (50 min., 14 sec.); Pt. 2 -- Mountains of debt (50 min., 14 sec.).
Director: Peter Chappell Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords: Uganda, World Bank, economic conditions, development
You Can't Eat Potential: Breaking Africa's Cycle of Poverty (DVD : 57 min. ) [1996]
DVD 9104
Abstract: The world faces an impending catastrophe if nothing is done. In the context of the steepest rises of population in human history, world food security is an increasingly urgent issue. The film focuses on Africa, south of the Sahara, the region of the world most under threat of food shortages and where absolute poverty is increasing at an alarming rate. The key issue is the development of agriculture in this severely disadvantaged region. How this situation can be reversed is highlighted primarily by the experience in Tanzania, Ghana and Benin. The film explores the critical changes needed to reduce poverty and protect the environment in sub-Saharan Africa -- for example tackling the massive 'mining' of soil nutrients. Expert testimony is provided by Dr. Norman Borlaug (Nobel Peace Prize winner) as well as other distinguished agricultural scientists, and on the political front by Frederick Sumaye (Prime Minister of Tanzania) and Ibrahim Adam (Minister of Food and Agriculture in Ghana). The problems are huge, the situation is urgent, but there is vast untapped potential in the people and environments of the region. The right policies can avert a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions.
Director: Tony Freeth Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords: Tanzania, Ghana, Benin, poverty, food, development, agriculture, famine, environment, government
September 16, 2008: Geoffrey Nyarota
