· March, 2008

Stories about Film from March, 2008

Japan: Views on Yasukuni, the movie

  31 March 2008

A documentary film about the controversial Yasukuni shrine, shot by a Chinese filmmaker through funding by a Japanese government agency, has sparked debate and discussion after a group within the ruling LDP party convened a screening to assess its "neutrality". Bloggers offer differing views on the move and on the idea of their government subsidizing what some see as a "political" film.

Netherlands: What is the problem,Mr.Wilders?

Kamangir,an Iranian blogger, shares his idea about Geert Wilders’ famous video:”the video contradicts itself when at the end it asks for the Islamic ideology to be defeated. If that’s what you are asking for, Mr. Wilders, which I totally agree with you in it, then why offend billions of Muslims?”

Colombia: Contest brings forth multimedia citizen journalists

  28 March 2008

Contest open for anyone, regardless of nationality, to write, show and create content telling the world about a very special place in Colombia most people wouldn´t normally be aware of. Bloggers and vloggers are already responding, here are examples from the Chocó and Antioquia regions.

India: Right Wing and Films

  27 March 2008

La Dolce Vita takes a closer look at Geert Wilders, a Dutch right wing parliamentarian who is in the news for making an anti-Islam film.

Kenya: SLUM-TV

  27 March 2008

African Loft has an article about SLUM-TV in Kenya: “Operating from Mathare, the biggest slum in Kenya, the SLUM-TV was created to document the lives of the people in the slum and to ‘reevaluate’ these lives through the camera.”

Burkina Faso: Home of black bags, baobabs and cute kids?

  27 March 2008

This roundup will begin with some old business. From Stephen Davis of Voice in the Desert: His book Sophie and the Albino Camel is up for the Norfolk Shorts shortlist of books under 150 pages. While he won’t know the outcome until April 16, he did expound on why he loves writing short fiction.

Brazil: It's All True

  26 March 2008

Márcio Claesen [pt] has the highlights of the É Tudo Verdade [It's All True] festival, devoted to the culture of documentary in South America. The 13th edition starts today and takes pleace until April 6th. The 2008 program will screen 138 non-fictional productions.

Brazil: Mobile Filmmaking

  25 March 2008

Sérgio Amadeu [pt] is helping to spread the news about the next Filmobile festival happening simultaneously in April 5th in São Paulo and for the first time in London. Participants will talk about Mobile Filmmaking, Mobile Participation and Mobile Stories.

Japan: The New Era of Video

  24 March 2008

Last Friday, Japan's national broadcaster aired a special on the "New Era of Video" predicting changes in the industry of broadcast television that will shake the foundation of mass media. But why would a broadcaster as big as NHK air a TV special about the end of TV? Wouldn't that be against its own interests? Blogger Kobayashi Akihito asked if there wasn't more to the NHK special than meets the eye.

Bolivia: James Bond Visits Bolivian Territory in Chile

  24 March 2008

In the next James Bond film, the main character visits several real-life Chilean towns, but in the movie are said to be part of Bolivian territory causing some complaints. With the ongoing claim for access to sea by Bolivia, Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] writes about the relationship between...

Japan: Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant fuels debate

  21 March 2008

The village of Rokkasho, situated Aomori prefecture in the north of Japan's main island Honshū, hosts a nuclear facility for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, the first of its kind in Japan. While the scale of this reprocessing plant dwarfs standard nuclear plants, most Japanese citizens have up to recently known little to nothing of its existence. This has started to change recently with demonstrations held in various parts of the country by citizen groups. Bloggers have also picked up this debate, offering varying perspectives on the costs and benefits of the latest development of Japan's nuclear industry.

Japan: Tibet Tibet

  17 March 2008

Blogger and artist Takami Toshio writes about the Japanese film Tibet Tibet [ja] at his blog Radical Imagination. He points out the similarity in perspectives between the director, who is Zainichi Korean, and the people of Tibet, both of whom do not have a country of their own.