African Studies Media Catalog


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Search results:19 records | 19 records per page | Search by keywords (Criteria:"environment")



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African Wildlife (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 60 min. )  [1986]
V. DISC 540
Abstract: Filmed in Namibia's Etosha National Park over a two year period capturing extraordinary close-ups of animal behavior.
Director: NA Distributor:Vestron Video
Keywords:
Namibia, environment, wildlife

Arlit: Deuxieme Paris (DVD : 75 min. )  [2004]
DVD 7605
Abstract: Arlit is a case study in environmental racism set in a uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. Here European corporations extract nuclear power and profits leaving behind disease, contamination and unemployment.
Director: Idrissou Mora Kpai Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords:
Niger, Sahara desert, environment, uranium, nuclear power, economy, business

Blue Eyes of Yonta (The) (Videocassette : 92 min. )  [1994]
V.CASS. VHS 2798
Abstract: Uses the device of a young woman's search for the author of a love letter to explore the political and social environment in the former Portuguese overseas province of Portuguese Guinea, now the independent country of Guinea-Bissau.
Director: Flora Gomes Distributor:California Newsreel
Keywords:
Guinea-Bissau, gender, politics, popular culture, feature film

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

Drilling Fields (The) (Videocassette : 24 min. )  [1995]
V. CASS. VHS 5034
Abstract: Looks at the land rights dispute in the Niger Delta area between the Nigerian government, the indigenous Ogoni people and the Shell Oil Company (Part of the Cutting Edge series).
Director: Glenn Ellis Distributor:Catma Films
Keywords:
Nigeria, Ogoni, human rights, pollution, environment, politics and government, history

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

Ken Saro-Wiwa: An African Martyr (Videocassette : 23 min. )  [1996]
V. CASS. VHS 3900
Abstract: Ken Saro-Wiwa, the celebrated Ogoni writer and political activist, was hanged in November 1995 by the Nigerian military dictatorship. Saro-Wiwa had been campaigning for the rights of Nigeria's Ogoni people, who have suffered fromdecades of resource exploitation by foreign oil companies and oppression by the Nigerian military government. This program tells Saro-Wiwa's story through his own words and those of his wife and features the only in-depth interview he gave before his death.
Director: Mark Johnson Distributor:Films for the Humanities
Keywords:
Nigeria, Ogoni, politics, environment, prisoners, industry, human rights

Last Year's Rain Fell on Monday (Videocassette : 58 min. )  [1999]
V. CASS. VHS 4539
Abstract: Film about Namibia, one of the driest countries on earth and how this affects people's lives.
Director: Laase Berg, Anders Ribbjö Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords:
Namibia, environment

Lions of the African Night (Video Disc/Laser Vision : 60 min. )  [1988]
V. DISC 1199
Abstract: At dusk, a pride of lions sets out to hunt. The camera captures intimate glimpses of lion behavior - care of the young, the struggle for food, the interplay of the pride with other African bushveld animals.
Director: NA Distributor:Image Entertainment
Keywords:
South Africa, Kruger National Park, wildlife, environment

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:
Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Maasai, modernization, tourism, economy, development, environment, HIV/AIDS, wildlife conservation, government

Living with Refugees (Videocassette : 49 min. )  [2005]
V.CASS. VHS 9025
Abstract: Sorious Samura returns to Africa for one month to report on the refugee crisis in Darfur. Over 2 million people are forced into neighboring Chad, because of the brutal attacks from the militia, while thousands more have been killed. Samura chronicles the experiences of the refugees and how they must cope with an environment which does not guarantee security, food or shelter. See also Living with Hunger, Living with Illegals and Living with AIDS.
Director: Simon Atkins, Sorius Samura Distributor:Insight News Television, Limited (London)
Keywords:
Sudan, Chad, Darfur, civil war, refugee crisis, humanitarian crisis, journalism, militia

Mauritania: The Vanishing Oasis (DVD : 57 min. )  [1993]
DVD 9001
Abstract: Beautifully photographed, this film introduces us to a couple, Baba and his wife Fatou, and their two children who live in a tiny oasis at the outskirts of Chinguetti, once a holy city of Islam. Ninety percent of Mauritania is desert, which encroaches a little every day upon the remaining arable land. Barely twenty years ago, eighty percent of Mauritania's population was nomadic. Today, only twelve percent can maintain the nomadic life. Fatou had grown up in a nomadic family and struggles with her new sedentary life. The family lives as best it can by protecting their date trees, which are constantly threatened by the ravages of sand. Drinking sweet tea to assuage their own hunger, they aim to keep their baby daughter plump so she can be married off at age seven. This is a memorable portrait of human beings surviving despite the forces of nature that buffet them.
Director: Louise Racicot Distributor:Filmakers Library
Keywords:
Mauritania, economy, family, environment

Pig of the World (The) (Videocassette : 30 min. )  [1977]
V. CASS. 22
Abstract: Examines mass consumption in countries of the third world. Deals more specifically with economic exploitation and the controversial issue that 'our gluttony has hurt the developing world.'
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords:
economy, environment

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

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

Tree of Survival (Videocassette : 20 min. )  [1984]
VHS 9349
Abstract: Trees, sorely needed to halt the desertification of the Sahel, are also the only source of energy for an ever-growing population. The delicate ecological balance is in danger. The key to successful efforts to reverse the trend lies with the people of the Sahel; only time will tell whether they will win, or the sand.
Director: Abdellatif Ben Ammar Distributor:First Run, Icarus Films
Keywords:
North Africa, Sahara, Sahel, desertification , drought, environment

War in Congo (DVD : 40 min. )  [2002]
DVD 8038
Abstract: Presents two stories about the struggle in Congo, capturing first a decade of crises including the Tutsi genocide in neighboring Rwanda, the resulting flood of refugees, the irreparable damage to Congo's wildlife, and the depredations against native Congolese and Rwandan refugees by Rwandan Hutu raiders and others. Following this, the focus narrows to the town of Shabunda, where a Catholic priest attempts to help his traumatized flock deal with the rape and murder it endures.
Director: hosted by Ted Koppel Distributor:Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Keywords:
Congo, Rwanda, Tutsi, refugees, ethnic relations, environment, genocide, history

Year of the Wildebeest (The) (Motion Picture : 55 min. )  [1976]
MP-16MM 404
Abstract: Examines the migration of millions of wildebeest in Kenya on their search for grass and water during the dry summer months. (motion picture: 2 reels, 55 min.; 2 cartridges, 55 min.)
Director: NA Distributor:NA
Keywords:
Kenya, wildebeest, wildlife, environment

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