Immediately after September 11, 2001, Third World Newsreel and ED Dorothy Thigpen reached out to TWN workshop graduates and other filmmakers with a challenge to document their communities' reactions and concerns. The tragic attack, the resulting wars and anti-immigrant/anti-Muslim backlash had particular resonance for communities of color. The result was a collection of short videos that presented a wide range of issues of concern that asked questions largely overlooked in the media at large.
THE CALL TO MEDIA ACTION includes:
FORGOTTEN LESSONS
A dialogue between two unlikely historical interlocutors is set against a compelling collection of images that situate the horror of recent events within the context of foreign policy, popular mobilization and a desire for a the possibility of a non-violent resistance to the war in Afghanistan.
Dir: Nashid Fareed, 11 min
THROUGH MY EYES
A group of NYC African American school children assembled in the weeks following September 11th express a wide range of emotions,thoughts and criticisms of the new world in which they now find themselves. A revealing examination of how media representations are reconstructed to take on different meanings by children.
Dir: Shawn Batey, 10 min
SELF-DEFENSE
An interview with a veteran of the mujahedeen from the Soviet war in Afghanistan provides a revealing look at the relationship between personal conviction and global politics. Originally from Mauritania, and now living in New York, he offers thoughts on the events of September 11th that are both candid and provocative.
Dir: Mark Boulos, 8 min
TAKE A LOOK
A closer look at one of the most historical neighborhoods near the World Trade Center finds a variety of personalities, viewpoints, and perspectives. those who live and work in New York City's Chinatown describe how their community has been affected since the attacks.
Dir: Kevin Lee, 4 min
IN THE SPIRIT OF PEACE
After September 11th, religion becomes the vehicle for a Yoruba community looking for
commensurability in the midst of an environment that would rather seek quick answers to a larger problem.
Dir: Al Santana, 8 min
FLAG TV
Can one, or many, comprehend a tragedy without either condoning it or committing to an uncritical call for retribution? This video interrogates the shifting meaning popular symbols have in competing strategies of mobilization for war, resistance and understanding.
Dir: Susie Lee, 10 min
SALT PEANUTS
An ironic and engaging short on how worries of an impending economic downturn following the events of September 11th have caused corporations to cut their budgets. A Video blending documentary with narrative, the true priorities of the industry of 'friendly skies' are brought into the open.
Dir: Alonzo Speight & Simin Farkondeh, 6 min
TERRORISM
Cynicism and outrage animate this exploration of how American foreign policy has fueled resentment around the world.
Dir: Cynthia Lockhart, 12 min
HOMELAND INSECURITY
A recent string of hate crimes in the months following September 11th is set within the historical context of jingoism and nationalism in the United States.
Dir: Third World Newsreel, 6 min
LOCKDOWNS UP
A frightening look at the potentials that privatized prisons see for their industry following the policy shifts after September 11th. A corporate conference call from one of the leading correctional facility corporations details the impact that such shifts offer not only for investors, but for those most prone to racial profiling.
Dir: Ashley Hunt, 8 min
WE TOO SING AMERICA
This short is a poignant and revealing document of the thoughts,hopes and fears of Muslim, Arab-American and South Asian children in the milieu of a country calling for war and unconditional compliance after the events of September 11th. Anxiety gives way to determination and perseverance as each of the children refuse to submit to popular sentiment and prejudice.
Dir: Yun Jong Suh, 12 min
LIFE OR LIBERTY
The popular cries for increased security since September 11th have glossed over the potential impact that heightened surveillance and policing may have on basic civil liberites. This film highlights the stakes of such cries and what or who might be overlooked in them.
Dir: Konrad Aderer, 9min
DECEMBER 7/SEPTEMBER 11
A comparison of how the events and possible after effects of September 11th may mirror those of the attack on Pearl Harbor. A collection of interviews with Japanese-American veterans who witnessed the events of December 7 in Hawaii offer their insight into what has happened and what might be to come.
Dir: Ann Brandman & Paul Nishijima, 15 min
VOICE OF THE FACELESS
An intimate look at the experience of September 11th for a group of young African Americans in Laurelton, Queens.
Dir: Rita Michel, 10 min
OUTSIDE LOOKIN' IN
This highly stylized short presents the opinions of urban Latino youth about the World Trade Center tragedy. Filmmaker Karen Torres interviews teenagers on the streets of Washington Heights in New York City, not long after the event. They reflect on their personal experiences that day, in addition to more pervasive questions and topics as to why it happened, patriotism and the government's response to the attack.
Dir: Karen Torres, 15 min