State
College Peace Center Sponsored Films and Events
Spring
2009
Except as noted, all films are
on Thursdays at 7:30 pm in
Room 201 State College Municipal Building, 243
South Allen Street
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February
5: The 11th Hour
(2007)
With contributions from over 50 politicians, scientists,
and environmental activists, the film documents
the grave problems facing the planet's life systems.
Global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction,
and depletion of the oceans' habitats are all
addressed. The film's premise is that the future
of humanity is in jeopardy. The film proposes
potential solutions to these problems by calling
for restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking
of global human activity through technology, social
responsibility and conservation. Scientists and
environmental advocates paint a portrait for a
radically new and different future in which it
is not humanity's intent to dominate the planet's
life systems, but to mimic and coexist with them.
(85 minutes) |
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SPECIAL
SPEAKER !
Dont
miss Andrew Miller!
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February
19: Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller will speak on his work as an Environmental
and Human Rights Campaigner with Amazon Watch.
Amazon Watch partners with indigenous and environmental
organizations in campaigns for human rights,
corporate accountability and the preservation
of the Amazon's ecological systems. |
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February
26: Constantine’s Sword (2007)
Constantine’s Sword is the story of James
Carroll, a former Catholic priest on a journey
to confront his past and uncover the roots of
religiously inspired violence and war. His search
also reveals a growing scandal involving religious
infiltration of the U.S. military and the terrible
consequences of religion’s influence on
America’s foreign policy. Carroll focuses
on Christian anti-Semitism as the model for all
religious hatred, exposing the cross as a symbol
of a long history of violence against Jews (and,
most recently, Muslims). The film brings the history
of religious intolerance to life, tracing it as
a source of the fanaticism that threatens the
world today. At its core, Constantine’s
Sword is a compelling personal narrative, a kind
of detective story, as one man uncovers the dark
areas of his own past, searching for a better
future. (93 minutes) |
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March
19: Occupation 101
(2006)
A
thought-provoking and powerful documentary film
on the current and historical root causes of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike any
other film ever produced on the conflict, Occupation
101 presents a comprehensive analysis of the
facts and hidden truths surrounding the never
ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived
myths and misconceptions. The film also details
life under Israeli military rule, the role of
the United States in the conflict, and the major
obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting
and viable peace. The roots of the conflict
are explained through first-hand on-the-ground
experiences from leading Middle East scholars,
peace activists, journalists, religious leaders
and humanitarian workers whose voices have too
often been suppressed in American media outlets.
The film covers a wide range of topics, which
include the first wave of Jewish immigration
from Europe in the 1880's, the 1920 tensions,
the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada
of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement
expansion, the role of the United States Government,
the second Intifada of 2000, the separation
barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza,
as well as many heart wrenching testimonials
from victims of this tragedy. (85 minutes) |
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March
26: The Cats of Mirikitani (2006)
Eighty-year-old Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani survived
the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima,
and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11
threatens his life on the New York City streets
and a local filmmaker brings him to her home,
the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's
painful past. An intimate exploration of the
lingering wounds of war and the healing powers
of friendship and art, this documentary won
awards at some 20 festivals. (74 minutes) |
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April
2: Sacco and Vanzetti (2006)
Sacco and Vanzetti brings to life the story
of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two
Italian immigrant anarchists who were accused
of a murder in 1920, and executed in Boston
in 1927 after a notoriously prejudiced trial.
The ordeal of Sacco and Vanzetti came to symbolize
the bigotry and intolerance directed at immigrants
and dissenters in America. Millions of people
around the world protested on their behalf,
and now, 80 years later, their story continues
to have great resonance, as civil liberties
and the rights of immigrants are again under
attack. (86 minutes) |
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April
16: Soldiers of Conscience (2007)
The film is a dramatic window on the dilemma
of individual U.S. soldiers in the Iraq War
–
when their finger is on the trigger and another
human being is in their gun-sight. The film
profiles eight American soldiers, including
four
who decide not to kill and become conscientious
objectors; and four who believe in their duty
to kill if necessary. The film reveals all of
them wrestling with the morality of killing
in war, not as a philosophical problem, but
as soldiers experience it - a split-second decision
in
combat that can never be forgotten or undone.
(86 minutes) |
Vigils
for Peace: College
& Allen Streets,
Saturdays from 1:30-2:30 and Wednesdays 5:00-6:00
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