Film Guide: Iraq, Terrorism,
and Their Regional Contexts

Gunning for Saddam. 2001 / 60 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
As Americans are confronted by acts of bioterrorism, powerful forces in the nation's capitol believe Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is to blame, for this and many other terrorist acts during the last decade. Many are lobbying to mobilize a military operation to oust Hussein when the next phase of the war on terrorism kicks in. Proponents of the plan, including former Clinton administration CIA director James Woolsey, contend Saddam Hussein was involved in the first World Trade Center bombing, the attempted assassination of President George H.W. Bush in 1993, and the ongoing state sponsorship of terrorist activities. Foes of this plan argue that attacking Saddam will destabilize other nations in the region, most prominently Saudi Arabia, and no doubt destroy the carefully crafted coalition presently hunting for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. FRONTLINE investigates America's other enemy, Saddam Hussein.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gunning/etc/tapes.html or call 1-800-328-7271

Hidden Wars of Desert Storm. 2000/64 min./Free-Will Productions. In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and the United States moved in. But was this attack a surprise? Did we use all methods of diplomacy before entering combat? In this video, you will find out a lot more about the Gulf War than you heard in the news a decade ago. Prominent personalities such as Desert Storm Commander General Norman Schwarzkopf, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, and former UN Iraq Program Director Dennis Halliday all speak out about the hidden policies and politics behind the war as well as its bitter legacies, including sanctions and the "Gulf War Syndrome."
Email: freewillprod@prodigy.net

IRAQ: Voices From the Streets. 2002/23 min./Saul Landau and Sonia Angulo.
Prompted by fears of an impending war, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk (D-SD) and Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) visited Iraq in September 2002 to speak with Iraqi officials and ease tensions between the two governments. As Abourezk and Rahall meet with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, and others, filmmakers Saul Landau and Sonia Angulo record these encounters and take their own journey to the streets to hear from those who have been and will be affected most by war: the Iraqi people. Listening to the thoughts and feelings of the Iraqi people on this new U.S. threat serves as a reminder of why war is not justified and why peaceful negotiations are needed.
Distributed by The Cinema Guild in New York City
To inquire about ordering: call 1-800-723-5522

Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq. 2000/75 min./John Pilger/Off The Telly (OTT). When the U.S. imposed sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime in 1990, President George Bush told the American public, "Our quarrel is not with the people of Iraq." But a 1998 study by the United Nations found that the death rate of Iraqi children has doubled since the sanctions were imposed, while the wealthy and politically powerful continue to enjoy access to imported food and other supplies. With 4,000 children dying every month as a result of severe shortages of food and medicines, the political rhetoric and rationale used to justify sanctions have proven false. In this harrowing, hard-hitting documentary, award-winning British filmmaker John Pilger depicts the immorality of the UN sanctions maintained by the U.S. and Britain. Footage of children and adults dying in hospital rooms for lack of drugs--or even morphine to ease their pain--demonstrates the reality behind the sanctions, which allegedly deny Iraq access to "weapons of mass destruction." Confronted with the Machiavellian illogic of his position, the head of the UN sanctions committee, Peter van Walsum, almost breaks down under Pilger's questioning.
Website: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ott/dyspayingtheprice.htm

Spying on Saddam. 1999/ 60 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
"Spying on Saddam" chronicles the UN's dramatic, thwarted eight-year long effort to find and dismantle Saddam Hussein's secret weapons of mass destruction. While the achievements of the UN weapons inspection mission (UNSCOM) were considerable--destroying more of Iraq's weapons than were eliminated in the Gulf War--it fell short in getting all of Hussein's deadly arsenal. And, in December 1998, Iraq expelled all UNSCOM weapons inspectors charging that UNSCOM has become a spy agency. This FRONTLINE report traces the history of UNSCOM--from its birth at the end of the Gulf War, to its daring inspections and confrontations with the Iraqi military, to the final events leading up to the expulsion. Through interviews with the heads of UNSCOM, journalists, and policy experts on Iraq, it also tracks how politics, quarrels and turf wars involving the UN, the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and Israel effectively undermined and ended UNSCOM.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/unscom/etc/tapes.html or call 1-800-328-7271

Survival of Saddam. 2000/ 60 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
FRONTLINE's "The Survival of Saddam" presents an intimate portrait of Saddam Hussein's life and the secrets behind his leadership. The film examines Saddam's uncanny ability to outmaneuver his enemies, exploit their weaknesses and, against all odds, to remain in power. Producer Greg Barker spent months gaining special access to research and film in Iraq--obtaining rare photographs of Saddam, secret internal documents, seldom-seen archival and tv footage, and traveling to northern Iraq to tell the story of the Kurds' long struggle with the Iraqi government.
The result is an in-depth look at Saddam's career and the secrets behind his survival--from his days as a young hit man in the Ba'ath Party, to his rise to power with CIA help--from his successful exploitation of superpower rivalry in the 1970s, to his miscalculations in invading Kuwait 20 years later--from CIA-backed coup attempts and internal rebellions against him throughout the 1990s, to his successful stand-off not long ago with UN weapons inspectors.
To order, go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saddam/etc/tapes.html or call 1-800-328-7271

Veterans United Against The War. 2002/ 40 minutes/ Peoples Video Network
A new documentary, Veterans United Against The War is an account of the November 10, 2002 Veterans Protest Meeting & Speakout in New York City and the anti-war veterans contingent in the Veterans Day Parade the next day. The video includes comments by Charles Sheehan-Miles, Gene Glazer, Dave Cline, Jaime Vazquez, John Kim, Greg Payton, Major Doug Rokke, Pvt. Wilfredo Torres, Nancy Chang, Dr. Erwin Parson, Ellen Barfield, Moe Fishman, Steve Geiger and others. Also included is good footage of the VFP-VVAW parade contingent and the positive response from those who came to watch the parade. This video is a powerful record of the resurgent veterans anti-war movement. Discounted copies are available for $10 plus $4 shipping.
To order:
Make checks payable to "VVAW" and send orders to
Vets United
P.O. Box 7053
Jersey City, NJ 07307

Inside the Terror Network. 2002/60 min/FRONTLINE. FRONTLINE follows clues the hijackers of September 11 left behind as they prepared for the terrorist attacks from within the U.S. American flight schools taught them to fly, local banks helped them move money, libraries provided computers, and the Department of Motor Vehicles supplied essential IDs. Tracking these individuals across four continents, FRONTLINE provides insight on individuals in Osama bin Landen's network of terror and raises the question on everyone's minds: Could September 11 have been prevented?
Website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

My Beard Forever. 1999/17min./Afif Arabi/USA. Racial profiling of Americans of Middle Eastern and Muslim heritage has a history that precedes the September 11 attacks. Immediately following the Oklahoma bombings, for example, the American news media focused on Arab-American males as the probable perpetrators of this crime. In this short film, Arabi explores media coverage as seen through the eyes of an Arab-American man.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/

5-Part Series from PBS' FRONTLINE: (Can be shown separately)

1. Target America. 2001/57 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. Following the September 11 terrorist attack, the nation's top leaders gathered to decide the U.S. response. Some of the same individuals were in Washington, DC, 22 years before when the United States suffered its first humiliation at the hands of Islamic militants who took U.S. embassy employees hostage and held them captive before the world. Over the decades, incident followed incident--the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the killing of American soldiers in a Berlin nightclub, the downing of Pan Am 103, and the first attack on the World Trade Center. In "Target America," FRONTLINE uncovers a longstanding division within the American security apparatus about how to deal with an enemy that has been targeting America and its citizens for decades.
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

2. Looking for Answers. 2001/60 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. The attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon was not only the most devastating terrorist attack in history, it was also the biggest failure of U.S. intelligence since Pearl Harbor. FRONTLINE correspondent Lowell Bergman and The New York Times investigate why the CIA and FBI failed to uncover the hijackers' dramatic plot to strike at the heart of the U.S. government and its economy. The film also examines the failure to fully understand the hatred of America among Muslim fundamentalists, and it traces the roots of this rage to Washington's support for Israel and for authoritarian regimes in the oil-rich Middle East. A FRONTLINE coproduction with The New York Times, this special episode is anchored by Bill Moyers.
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

3. Dangerous Straits. 2001/57 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. Since the terrible events of September 11, the United States has worked hard to put together a worldwide coalition against international terrorism. Where will China come down? FRONTLINE and The New York Times explore the tensions between the U.S. and China and the troubles that the relationship presented for President Bush, who visited China in October 2001. The dramatic U.S. spy plane incident off the coast of China in early 2001 reminds us of the dangerous suspicion that exists between the world's most powerful country and its most populous one. China has been supportive of some Islamic states that the U.S. considers enemies, and there is always the simmering question of Taiwan. Washington's support for Taipei means that if Taiwan declares independence, the U.S. could be drawn into an international dispute that might lead to war. The Straits of Taiwan have been described by one China expert as "one of the most dangerous places in the world."
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

4. Trail of the Terrorist. 2001/57 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. On December 14, 1999, Ahmed Ressam was detained at the U.S./Canadian border when an alert customs agent became suspicious of Ressam's hesitant answers to her questions. When the trunk of his car was opened, agents discovered a powerful bomb and a plot for a millennium attack on America. Ressam said nothing at his trial but, facing 130 years in prison, decided to testify against an accomplice. His chilling testimony reveals his motives, his methods, and his connection to an Algerian terrorist group that had already carried out bombings in Europe. Ressam described his training at the Osama bin Laden camps in Afghanistan, where he became skilled in urban warfare, sabotage, and covert operations. With access to Ressam's testimony, police files, and officials in the U.S., Canada, and France, correspondent Terence McKenna follows the trail of a terrorist.
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

5. Hunting bin Laden. 2001/57 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. On Friday, August 7, 1998, two car bombs exploded simultaneously at United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 268 people and injuring more than 5,000. In the days and weeks that followed, investigators from the CIA and the FBI rapidly closed in on a series of suspects. The accused mastermind of the bombings was named almost immediately--Osama bin Laden, an exiled Saudi millionaire. But was this the work of an individual terrorist or the symptom of more deeply rooted vendettas against the United States? FRONTLINE, in collaboration with The New York Times, investigates bin Laden, his followers, and the Africa bombings.
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

Afghan Massacre: The Convoy of Death. 2002/ Atlantic Celtic Films and Jamie Doran
In the running for most controversial war on terrorism TV documentary, Afghan Massacre, by Scottish filmmaker Jamie Doran, is a film of an alleged massacre of Taliban prisoners of war last year. It has created a stir in Europe. He says he would lead U.S. authorities to investigate any involvement of American soldiers. Doran told Reuters--before screening "Afghan Massacre: The Convoy of Death" on Germany's ARD television network (Germany's PBS)--that witnesses saw U.S. special forces stand by and watch as Northern Alliance allies murdered Taliban POWs. BBC covered aspects of this story at the time but it was largely ignored by U.S. TV outlets, which focused on the death of a CIA agent during the Mazar-e-Shrif prison revolt. They ignored well-documented charges of human rights abuses at the time.
To order:
ATLANTIC CELTIC FILMS, CELTIC HOUSE
Amberley Place
Windsor, SL4 1TN
United Kingdom
email : AtlanticCelticFilms@compuserve.com or david.mcdougall@whsmithnet.co.uk
Tel: (44) 1753 842 222 Fax: (44) 1753 842 244

Afghan Nomads. (The Maldar) 1974/21 min./Norman Miller/National Science Foundation. At dawn a nomad caravan descends on Aq Kupruk from the foothills of the Hindu Kush. In their camp, and in commerce with the townspeople, the Maldar reveal the mixture of faith and distrust that has kept nomads and sedentary people separate and interdependent over the centuries. The theme of the film focuses on political and religious beliefs. The film and accompanying instructor notes in this series embrace five different and complex units of analysis concerning how political change occurs: individual attitudes, ethnic identity, national loyalties, institutional affiliations, and ideological beliefs.
Email <docued@der.org> or call (800) 569-6621

An Afghan Village. 1974/44min./Norman Miller/National Science Foundation. Set in the Balkh province and the town of Aq Kupruk, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples 320 miles northwest of Kabul, the film focuses on rural society. A collage of daily life in Aq Kupruk builds from the single voice that calls the townspeople to prayer, the brisk exchange of the bazaar, communal labor in the fields, and the uninhibited sports and entertainment of rural Afghans. The film and accompanying instructor notes explore concepts of development, modernization, environmental equilibrium, and change, identifying change agents and analyzing barriers and stimulants to change.
Email <docued@der.org> or call (800) 569-6621

Afghan Women. 1974/17 min./Norman Miller/National Science Foundation. Set in the Balkh province and the town of Aq Kupruk, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples 320 miles northwest of Kabul, the film focuses on women. The words of the women and the rhythm of their lives in the seclusion of family compounds suggest both the satisfying and the limiting aspects of a woman's role in a rural Afghan community. The film and accompanying instructor notes examine the economic, political, religious, and educational status of women, their legal and customary rights, and the degree of change in their actual and perceived roles.
Email <docued@der.org> or call (800) 569-6621

Jung (War): In the Land of the Mujaheddin. 2000/114 min./Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Alberto Vendemmiati/Afghanistan/Italy. In this beautifully produced look at Afghanistan, a surgeon and a war correspondent decide to join forces and set up a hospital in a country that has had to cope with various wars for the past twenty years. Since the Russian invasion, the Taliban has taken society firmly into its grasp. Houses and schools are burned, sons are killed on the battlefield, and almost everybody is hungry, an Afghan woman explains. Meanwhile, tanks have conquered the mountains, soldiers are trigger-happy, and the rugged, stunning landscape is strewn with mines, which maim or kill countless innocent victims daily. The new hospital tries to help all of these war victims, but it is banging its head against a brick wall. The violent content of this film's depiction of the gruesome realities of war can be disturbing. The film won the 2001 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival Nestor Almendros Prize.
Email <holleya@hrw.org>

Naim and Jabar. 1974/50 min./Norman Miller/National Science Foundation. The hopes, fears, and aspirations of adolescence are expressed in the close friendship of two Afghan boys. As the boys gradually accept the filmmakers and express their feelings more openly, the film grows rich in fact and themes of universal concern. Set in the Balkh province and the town of Aq Kupruk, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples 320 miles northwest of Kabul, the film focuses on education and socialization. The film and accompanying instructor notes examine formal and informal learning systems and how they are changing. Particular attention is paid to the lives of two young people in the educational system, to their family and kinship structure, and more broadly to educational policies in the developing world.
Email <docued@der.org> or call (800) 569-6621

Shroud of Silence. 13 min./Linda Burnstyn/Lorraine Sheinberg for the Feminist Majority Fund. This powerful documentary, narrated by Marlo Thomas, chronicles the everyday struggle that is life for women under the Taliban regime's brutal system of gender apartheid. With actual footage of the current situation in Afghanistan, this video is a must-see for those interested in mobilizing support for ending gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
Website: http://www.feminist.org/store/ProductVideos.asp

The Taliban: Prayer for Hate. 13 min./Feminist Majority Foundation. An educational 12 min. film chronicles the rise of the Taliban regime, and its role in exporting drugs and enforcing a brutal system of gender apartheid.
Website: http://www.feminist.org/store/ProductVideos.asp

Arab-Israeli Struggle for Peace.1993/55 min./Chris Sheridan /Arab Film Distributions. Through fast-paced editing and exceptional archival footage, Arab-Israeli Struggle for Peace traces the Middle Eastern conflict from the creation of Israel in 1948 to the signing of the peace treaty in September 1993. Rich with information about the military tactics and weapons used on both sides, this documentary covers the Six Day and Yom Kippur wars and looks at Beirut and the Golan Heights.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/item/14/

The Arabs: A Living History. 1986/50 min./Narrated by Basim Musallam/Arab Film Distributions. Comprising ten five-minute essays, each written and narrated by a prominent Arab intellectual, The Arabs: A Living History explores the many facets of Arab culture and history. The essayists/narrators depend on their personal experiences as well as interviews and historical footage to expose many of the pressing questions facing their world. A powerful and elegant introduction to the Arab world, these documentaries are a must for any film library.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/item/15/

Bashu, the Little Stranger. 1985/20min./Bahram Beizai/Iran. This stunning antiwar film was made in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. Beizai's gentle narrative shows the ways that nationalism operates at both the national and local levels to instigate and justify violence and bigotry--and the painful cost that so many are forced to pay at such tragic times. Bashu, an Iranian boy of Arab ethnicity, flees the war-torn region of southern Iran and seeks refuge in a small village in northern Iran. Bashu is taken in by Nai, a woman who takes care of her small farm and two children while her husband is a soldier at the front. Bashu and Nai share the burdens of war as they come to forge a deeply human bond. Beizai's sensitive lens gives us a glance at the price of Middle East wars through the eyes of war's biggest victims: women and children.
Website: http://www.Iranianmovies.com/

Battle for the Holy Land. 2002/60 min/FRONTLINE. Frontline looks at the evolution of violence in the Middle East. From battles that used to be fought with stones to the suicide bombings and targeted killings that now characterize the hostility, both Israel and Palestine are involved in deadly conflict. This video speaks to commando units in Israel and Palestinian militants to reveal the tactics and strategies behind the fighting.
Website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

Children of Shatila 1998. /50 min./Mai Masri/Arab Film Distribution. The 1982 Sabra-Shatila massacre of more than 500 refugees brought international attention to the Shatila refugee camp near Beirut. This camp is home to some 15,000 displaced Palestinians and Lebanese; its original occupants were Palestinians driven into exile when the Israeli state was founded in 1948. The video tells the story of how the children of Shatila attempt to come to terms with the realities of being refugees in a camp that has endured the horrors of massacre, starvation, and widespread poverty and unemployment. Against the backdrop of the camp's collective tragedies, filmmaker Mai Masri focuses on the personal stories of two Palestinian children, who articulate the aspirations of a younger generation. (Includes sections in Arabic with English subtitles.)
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/films/lebanon/children_shatila/children_shatila.htm

Four Women of Egypt. 1997/90 min./Tahani Rached/Canada/Egypt. Amina Rachid was raised in a nonreligious, Westernized, aristocratic household before embracing socialism and fighting for social justice. Another deeply committed activist, Shahenda Maklad, a Muslim, was a student demonstrator in Egypt's national movement who lost her husband to a political assassination before pursuing political office herself. Her mentor, Wedad Mitry, a devout Christian, is a militant nationalist leader and author. Their friend, Safynaz Kazem, is a political journalist and strict Muslim. These four women are the subject of this compelling documentary exploration of opposing religious, social, and political views in modern-day Egypt.Through December 31, 2001, you can rent this film free of charge through Women Make Movies
Website: http://wmm.com/news/against hate.htm

Frontiers of Dreams and Fears. 57 min./Mai Masri/ITVS.Two young Palestinian girls growing up in Beirut's Shatila and Dheisheh refugee camps speak about the realities of their daily lives. Depicting Mona and Manar grappling with the violence, poverty, and sieges that assault their world, Frontiers of Dreams and Fears articulates the innermost feelings, hopes, and fears of a new generation of Palestinians living in exile.
Website: http://www.itvs.org/

Gaza under Siege. 2001/27 min/Bullfrog Films. The Gaza Strip, home to a million Palestinians, has become a densely populated prison. After the second intifada occurred in 2000, Palestinian day laborers have not been able to cross over into Israel, nor have other goods or medical supplies been allowed into the area. This film talks to a refugee family and a human rights lawyer who ask the same question: How long can Palestinians go on like this and why is the international community not paying enough attention?
Website: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/

In My Own Skin. 2001/16 min/Arab Film Distribution. This film looks at the complexities of the Arab-American experience by interviewing five young Arab-American women living in New York following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Stereotypes are discussed and put to rest, as In My Own Skin reveals the joys and pressures of belonging to two very different communities in the United States of America.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/

Islam: Empire of Faith (3 parts). 2001/147 min./PBS-FRONTLINE and The New York Times. Between the fall of Rome and the European voyages of discovery, no event was more significant than the rise of Islam. This three-part series tells the spectacular story of the great sweep of Islamic power and faith during its first 1,000 years--from the birth of the prophet Muhammad to the peak of the Ottoman Empire under the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent.

1.The Messenger: This episode introduces the dramatic story of the rise of Islam with the extraordinary life of the prophet Muhammad and his simple but revolutionary message. The episode covers the revelation and early writing of the Koran, the creation of the first mosque, the persecution suffered by the first Muslims, and the major battles fought by Muhammad and his followers to establish the new religion. The rapid religious, cultural, and political expansion of Islam overwhelmed the empires of Persia and Byzantium, creating a new empire larger than Rome.

2. The Awakening: Episode two examines the flowering of Islam into one of the great civilizations in history. Culture and goods flowed freely throughout a large empire. Islamic principles and influence were spread further, affecting the intellectual development of the West. Arabic became the language of learning, and achievements in art, architecture, science, and medicine flourished. The episode also tells the story of the Crusades and describes the recapture of Jerusalem by Saladin the Great. The program ends with the devastating invasion of Islamic lands by the Mongols.

3. The Ottomans: The final program reveals the dramatic transformation of Islam resulting from the Mongol invasion. Nomads enlisted by Muslims to fight the Mongols staked their own claims and became known as Ottomans. The Ottomans transformed the Islamic world, creating a new empire that expanded westward into Christian territories. Suleyman the Magnificent shaped the Ottomans into a military powerhouse and an empire of extreme wealth and sophistication, which threatened the great power centers of Europe and the empire of the Persian Safavids to the east before falling victim to enemies from within.
Website: http://www.shop.pbs.org/
1-800-752-9727

Middle East, part 1 and 2. 1991/60 min. each/Gilles Cayatte/Arab Film Distributions. Relying solely on historical footage, Middle East 1 & 2 survey the turbulent history of the region from the year 1900 to the end of the Gulf War in 1991. The fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French and British colonization, the two World Wars, the creation of Israel, the Suez Crisis, and the American/Russian domination are only some of the events covered in this landmark document.Part 1: (1900-1956) From the End of the Ottoman Empire to the Suez CrisisPart 2: (1956-1991) From the Suez Crisis to the Gulf War.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/item/98/

Muslims. 2002/ 120 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
The events of Sept. 11 left many Americans questioning how such atrocities could be perpetrated in the name of religion: specifically, the religion of Islam. Few Americans know much about Islam, yet it continues to be the fastest growing religion in the US today. What is Islam? What do Muslims believe in? And how does their faith shape their lives, identities and their political ideologies? FRONTLINE explores these and other questions in "Muslims," a special two-hour report that examines the fundamental tenets of Islam and the causes behind its current worldwide resurgence. Through interviews with dozens of ordinary Muslims from such diverse countries as Iran, Malaysia, Turkey, and the U.S., FRONTLINE illuminates the perspectives, conflicts, and tensions that are shaping today's Muslim world.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/muslims/etc/tapes.html or call 631-668-4244

On Boys, Girls, and the Veil. 1995/72 min./Yousry Nasrallah/EgyptThis highly effective film examines veiling within the larger context of Egyptian society, presenting it as a complex practice and not simply a religious phenomenon. Focusing on Bassem, who is both a teacher and an aspiring actor, and his family and friends, the film demonstrates the various factors that can determine a woman's choice to veil. At a time when the veiled woman has become the preeminent symbol of the local repression and global terrorism of Islamic fundamentalism, it is important to better understand the myriad dimensions of veiling as a lived experience.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/

People and the Land. 1997/57 min/Global Exchange. Challenging U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, this film examines Israel's conduct in the West Bank and Gaza while questioning the phenomenal amount of foreign aid Israel receives from the U.S. The viewers are brought into the homes of the occupied people of Palestine, as an apartheid based on ethnicity has taken control of the region. People and the Land questions the US role in this conflict while highlighting the human rights violations in the Palestinian community.
Website: http://store.globalexchange.org/peopleland.html

Promises. 87 min./Justine Shapiro, B.Z. Goldberg/ITVS. Promises is a compelling and humorous look at the Middle East conflict through the eyes of seven children growing up in Jerusalem, living only 20 minutes apart but locked in separate worlds. Exploring the boundaries that separate Palestinian and Israeli children, Promises depicts a few brave souls who dare to cross the lines to meet their neighbors.
Website: http://www.itvs.org/

Promises. 2000/106 min/The Promises Film Project. Seeing the conflict in the Middle East through Israeli and Palestinian childrens eyes takes the audience past the politics and stereotypes and into the children's complex and multidimensional lives. Talking to seven children between the ages of 9 and 13, Promises reveals the dramatic, emotional, and at times hilarious insight of an age group that does not often have the choice to express what it goes through on a daily basis.
Website: http://www.promisesproject.org/

Rivers of Fire. 1991/40 min./Paul Woolwich/Arab Film Distributions. Control of water is the ultimate weapon in the Middle East, and it is an issue that will continue to threaten stability in the area well into the future. This British documentary, part of the Dispatches series, explores the effect that the Ataturk Dam in Turkey has on the water supply of the region. With the damming of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which provide water for nearly all of Iraq and much of Syria, Turkey now has the power to stop the flow of these vital resources. Water is being diverted to vast irrigation projects in Turkey, depriving, in the process, Iraq and Syria of their water supplies. If present trends continue, the region could face a human and environmental catastrophe in the future.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/item/120/

Saudi Time Bomb? 2001/ 60 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
President Bush says that if the nations of the world are not with us in the war on terrorism then they're with the terrorists. But what about the United States' supposed ally Saudi Arabia? After September 11th many Saudi citizens reportedly applauded native son Osama bin Laden as a hero. Then the monarchy hesitated to renounce the Taliban and they are still reluctant to allow U.S. warplanes to fly from their bases. Why have Saudi and other Gulf charities sent money to support Islamic fundamentalist schools that are encouraging jihad? And are the Saudis dragging their feet when it comes to assisting U.S. law enforcement agencies that are tracking down terrorists? Whose side are the Saudis on? FRONTLINE and The New York Times explore the fragile alliance with this ultra conservative fundamentalist kingdom upon which the U.S. depends for fifteen percent of the country's oil needs.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saudi/etc/tapes.html or call1-800-328-7271

Shattered Dreams of Peace. 2002/ 120 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
In the summer of 2000, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were on the brink of reaching a peace agreement. After years of negotiation, both sides seemed ready to move forward--never before had the dream of peace seemed so close. Within weeks, however, the window of opportunity had closed and the peace process had collapsed. What went wrong? As the Middle East continues to erupt in violence between Israelis and Palestinians, FRONTLINE examines the faltering, frustrating quest for peace in "Shattered Dreams of Peace." Beginning with the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the two-hour documentary traces the ongoing peace process through years of negotiations and up through the chaotic events now unfolding. With never-before-seen footage of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and interviews with key figures on both sides of the bargaining table, "Shattered Dreams of Peace" gives viewers unprecedented access to the decision making process on which the fate of millions depends.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/oslo/etc/tapes.html or call (800) 328-7271

The Siege of Bethlehem. 2002/ 60 minutes/ PBS-FRONTLINE
On April 2, as Israeli tanks rolled into Bethlehem, some 200 Palestinians--many of them armed--stormed into the fabled Church of the Nativity. They remained there for 39 days, as the standoff between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants at one of the world's most revered holy sites kept the world transfixed. In "The Seige of Bethlehem," FRONTLINE takes viewers inside the siege at the Church of the Nativity. With unprecedented inside access to key figures on both sides of the standoff, FRONTLINE reveals the secret negotiations, strategies, gambits, and maneuvers employed throughout the siege, as the combatants sought to maintain the delicate balance between diplomatic persuasion and military might.
To order, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/siege/etc/tapes.html or call (800) 328-7271

Suspended Dreams: The Lasting Effects of the Civil War in Lebanon. 1992/50 min./Mai Masri and Jean Camoun/MTC for BBC/TVE/One World Group of Broadcasters. This courageous documentary from Lebanon recounts the effects of 16 years of civil war on what was once the intellectual, cultural, and commercial center of the Arab world. The film tells the story of four Beirut citizens from very different backgrounds as they struggle to reconstruct their homes and lives amid the chaos, the broken buildings, and the unexploded mines of their once-beautiful city. The film assesses the appalling impact of modern warfare on the environment, and it portends a new conflict in the making over the Middle East's most precious commodity--water.
Website: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/sus.html

The Traditional World of Islam. (six parts, 25 min. each)/Arab Film Distributions. For 1,300 years Islam was the catalyst behind the most widespread and powerful civilization in the world, forming a bridge from classical antiquity to modern times. This six-part series reveals the universality of Islam, focusing on the classical Islamic empire and its lingering presence from Africa through the Arabian heartland to Indonesia. Set primarily in the Middle East, with an emphasis on Iran, The Traditional World of Islam offers the Westerner a magnificent background on the history and evolution of Islam and its contributions to world civilization. The film has four sections: (1) Unity, (2) Nomad and The City, (3) Man and Nature, (4) The Pattern of Beauty.
Website: http://www.arabfilm.com/

Without Rights: Palestinians Are Denied Human Rights. 2000/24 min./Charles Stewart/Television Trust for the Environment. Khaled is just one of 10,000 Palestinian refugees who live in Dieheshais, one of the cramped refugee camps in Bethlehem. "It's the holiest place in the world," he says, "but it's the worst now for human rights. I can't leave, I can't work, I can't talk, even, I can't do anything I want." Like Khaled, other refugees in Disheshais live lives of quiet desperation-wanting simply to return to their homes, to work, to have the chance to lead a full life. In 1948, during the war that accompanied the founding of the Israeli state, thousands of Palestinians fled to neighboring countries. Some twenty years later, in 1967, the Israelis fought what they regarded as a defensive war, occupying the West Bank of Jordan and the Gaza Strip. As a result there are now 1.3 million Palestinian refugees living under Israeli control and denied many human rights guaranteed to all people under international laws.
Website: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/lswr.html

Bombies. 57 min./Jack Silberman/ITVS. Northeastern Laos is a place that most people don't know exists. Between 1964 and 1973 the CIA conducted a secret air war, dropping over 2 million tons of bombs and making tiny Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. Millions of these cluster bombs did not explode when dropped, leaving the country massively contaminated with "bombies"--as dangerous now as when they fell a quarter century ago. Bombies examines the problem of unexploded cluster bombs through the personal experiences of a group of Laotians and foreigners.
Website: http://www.itvs.org/

Wheat Cycle. 1975/16 min./Norman Miller/National Science Foundation. The people and their labor are bound to the land in the cycle of activities involved in the sowing and harvesting of wheat. Without narration or subtitles, this film conveys a sense of unity between the people and the land. Set in the Balkh province and the town of Aq Kupruk, an area inhabited by Tajik and other Central Asian peoples 320 miles northwest of Kabul, the film focuses on rural economics. The film and accompanying instructor notes focus on herding and fishing under diverse environmental conditions. Technological change, human adaptation, and governmental extension of market systems are parallel topics.
Email <docued@der.org> or call (800) 569-6621

Another World is Possible. 2002/24 min. In 2002, public officials, representatives of NGOs, indigenous nations, farmers, and labor, gathered in Porto Alegre, Brazil for the World Social Forum. This creative gathering was called in response to the elite gathering of the World Economic Forum and introduced reality to the concept of 51,000 people from 131 countries putting their heads together to discuss what is wrong with the world and how to work together to change it.
Contact Analia Penchaszadeh, Jobs for Justice, 202-434-1191

Five Days to Change the World. 2001/57 min/Richter Videos. This documentary about the recent Hague Appeal for Peace and Justice follows a group of young activists at the world's largest peace conference as they discuss concrete steps, with the help of older activists, aimed at stopping war and the use of child soldiers, land mines, the trade in small arms, nuclear weapons, the institution of a permanent international criminal court, peace education, expanding the role of women in the peace process, and reducing debt by poor countries. Five Days to Change the World inspires youth activists to create their own agenda for peace in the 21st century.
Website: http://www.richtervideos.com/d_five_days.html

Hungry for Profit. 2001/85 min/Richter Videos. Is our world turning into a global supermarket where food is bought at the lowest price possible, regardless of its effect on local farmers and small populations, and sold at the highest price whenever possible? Hungry for Profit takes a look at the global agribusiness system on five continents and examines how global food markets operate at the price of famine in developing countries.
Website: http://www.richtervideos.com/d_hungry.html

The Moneylenders. 2000/85 min/Richter Videos. This film looks at the two major international financial institutions of the world, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and examines their structural adjustment policies in developing nations. Economists, journalists, government officials, community leaders and ordinary every day people discuss and criticize five country case studies: Bolivia: Debt, Drugs and Democracy; Ghana: The Model of Success; Brazil: Debt, Damage and Politics; Thailand: Dams and Dislocation; and the Philippines: The Debt Fighters. Responses are provided by high-ranking Bank/Fund officials, as well as Bank/Fund history and decision making processes, making this video an excellent educational tool.
Website: http://www.richtervideos.com/d_money.html

Trading Democracy. 2002/60 min/NOW-PBS. No one hears or talks about Chapter 11 in NAFTA--the North American Free Trade Agreement--except for the multinational corporations that are taking advantage of this obscure section to undermine democracy. Trading Democracy examines this provision that has undermined local communities, foreign governments, environmental decisions, and even an American jury, totaling four billion dollars since 1994.
Website: http://www.pbs.org/now/

Alternatives to Military Power in Foreign Policy. 1998/29 min/CDI. How important is the military to our foreign policy in the 21st century? Can America's massive military serve the nation's needs in an era when international talk, travel, trade, and cooperation rule our foreign policy? This video discusses the possibility of focusing less on military power in our relations around the world and more on diplomacy and communication.
Website: http://www.cdi.org/

The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight. 57 min./Rick Tejada-Flores, Judith Ehrlich/ITVS. The Good War... is the story of the conscientious objectors (C.O.s) who refused to fight in World War II. As medical guinea pigs, fire jumpers, attendants in mental institutions, and participants in church-sponsored Civil Public Service Work Camps, 12,000 C.O.s performed alternative service during the war. Six thousand C.O.s spent the war years in prison and used hunger strikes to integrate the federal prison system. Their experiences prepared a generation of nonviolent activists to change American society in ways that we are only now beginning to appreciate.
Website: http://www.itvs.org/

The Human Cost of U.S. Arms Sales. 1998/29 min./America's Defense Monitor. Investigating the nefarious link between the overseas arms trade and human rights abuses, this video reveals how U.S. weapons have been used to commit atrocities in Turkey, East Timor, Colombia, Haiti, and Iraq.
Website: http://www.cdi.org/adm/1209/

The Military-Industrial Squeeze. 2000/29 min/CDI. The military's expenditures of the United States cause a justifiable amount of concern as the current administration seeks to increase an already-booming military budget. As the nation is forced to re-evaluate its needs, the government ought to think about reprioritizing its programs. This video looks at the conflict between increasing military budgets and investments in non-military areas such as social security, healthcare, education, and housing.
Website: http://www.cdi.org/

The New Patriots. 2001/18 min/Richter Videos. Five U.S. military veterans, including a Medal of Honor winner and female West Point graduate, speak out on terrorism, patriotism and their transformation from warriors to peace activists. The hypocrisy of the Bush Administration is revealed as it demands the closure of terrorist camps worldwide but refuses to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC, formerly known as the School of the Americas), which has trained hundreds of Latin American soldiers in counter-surgency techniques aimed at terrorizing civilian populations.
Website: http://www.richtervideos.com/d_new_patriots.html

SOA: Guns and Greed. 2000/20 min/Maryknoll World Productions. The U.S. Army School of Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning, Georgia, has trained more than 60,000 Latin American soldiers in commando tactics, psychological warfare and military intelligence since 1946. In the past, many of these SOA graduates have either acted on their own or were ordered by governments to target labor organizers, educators, human rights advocates, religious leaders and others who speak out against human rights abuses and environmental degradation.
Website: http://www.maryknoll.org/

back to Film Guide home page | back to Foreign Policy In Focus home page

This page was last modified on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 2:28 PM
Contact the IRC's webmaster with inquiries regarding the functionality of this website.
Copyright © 2001 IRC. All rights reserved.