You want films? We’ve got films!

They’re available at NO CHARGE, and we’ve paid for the

public-viewing rights-unless identified “for private viewing only.”

THE FOLLOWING FILMS, WHICH MAY BE VIEWED PRIVATELY OR SHOWN TO

GROUPS, ARE AVAILABLE AT FOUR CORNERS.

(A more detailed explanation of these films follows this list.)

ALTA GRACIA tells the inspiring story of a living-wage, union-made tee-shirt factory in the Dominican Republic.

A SACRED DUTY is one-hour documentary about applying Jewish Values to help heal the world.

A THOUSAND FIBERS, which was filmed in both Peru and the U.S., bridges the gap between consumers and producers and helps viewers understand why Fair Trade is an important—and viable—way to do business)

BEAN TO BAR introduces viewers to the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, who grow the cocoa used in Divine Chocolate.

BLACK GOLD is about the costs behind the cost of our 2nd largest import, coffee.

BLUE GOLD examines the global water crisis and the commoditization of the world’s water supply.

BUYER BE FAIR (1 hour documentary) explores how conscious consumers and businesses can use the market to promote social justice and environmental sustainability through product labeling, with a focus on Fair Trade coffee and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.

CALCUTTA HILTON (23 minutes) features the Hilton family and the jute bag manufacturing business they have established on the fringes of Sonagacchi, the largest, most infamous sex district in Calcutta, India. It gives the women of the area something they have long been denied-the option of leaving the sex trade.

CHOCOLATE COUNTRY (30 minutes) is about a group of cacao farmers in the Dominican Republic who have a plan to turn the global economic system on its head.

COAL COUNTRY (90 minutes) is a dramatic look at modern coal mining, which helps us understand the costs behind the promises of “cheap energy” and “clean coal.”

CROSSING THE LINE is a short film which celebrates the stories of five individuals, families and communites who, with the help of Midwest Environmental Advocates, stood up for their rights to clean air, land and water and won.

THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE is a suspenseful undercover investigation of the rumors connecting the harvesting of cocoa with human trafficking.

DATELINE: INVESTIGATION INTO SWEATSHOPS 2005 examines sweatshop conditions in Bangladesh.

DIRT tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility—from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.

THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS examines the problems that come with globalization and the movement toward the economics of localization.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE PowerPoint by Albert Dello Russo is a well done PowerPoint, which presents Fair Trade from a Christian Faith perspective using the production of coffee to tell the story.

FAIR TRADE: THE STORY is a 9-minute YouTube slide show, which explains what Fair Trade is, how it works, why it’s important for a sustainable future. You can see this show at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhQJrz-aDfI.

FLOW is about the global water crisis-about the war between public health and private interests.

FRESH, which features local urban farmer Will Allen, is about people who are re-inventing our food system.

GASLAND investigates the Halliburon-developed drilling technology of “fracking.”

THE HUMAN FACE OF THE ENVIRONMENT: WE ARE THE EARTH is a series of three films of the speakers at Carroll College’s environmental event held in February 2011.

KING CORN is an entertaining documentary which makes a serious point about how the corn kernel conquered America.

LIFE & DEBT is about “Jamaica, land of sea, sand and sun . . . and a prime example of the complexities of economic globalization on the world’s developing countries.”

MARDIS GRAS is a critique of globalization that compares conditions in a Chinese factory with Mardis Gras revelers. (For mature audiences only; contains frontal nudity.)

MATAMOROS (by Sierra Club) is about the pollution and miserable living conditions of the workers and their families who live in the Mexican border town named Matamoros.

MT. MERU COFFEE PROJECT is an explanation of how the Lutheran churches of Southeastern Wisconsin came to join coffee farmers in Tanzania to market Fair Trade coffee.

NOT FOR SALE is a disturbing documentary on the 27 million (and more) people who are enslaved today.

PLAYING FOR CHANGE is a filmed recording of 10 songs performed by musicians from around the world.

RENEWAL tells the stories of a variety of faith groups and their religious-environmental activism.

RESCUING EMMANUEL is a documentary about a filthy 13-year-old street boy who wants to go to school-a testimonial to the resilience of the human spirit.

ROOTS OF MIGRATION explores the reasons why people of the south are migrating to the U.S.

SOLIDARITY IN A CUP: THE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICE FAIR TRADE COFFEE CD. This 15-minute multi-media presentation introduces you to the farmers who grow your coffee in Nicaragua, explains what CRS is doing to support them, and suggests eight ways you can help. Runs on any PC or Mac.

STOLEN CHILDHOODS is a documentary about the exploitation of children as laborers (narrated by Meryl Streep and the children, as well as by a number of other adults who are concerned about them and their futures).

THE END OF SLAVERY:THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE IN OUR TIME takes you inside the violent and ugly business of modern-day slavery — the buying and selling of human beings — from the brothels of the Philippines to the brick kilns of India.

THE LAST MOUNTAIN, A FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE is a compelling enviro-documentary about a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, who are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal. Is this the future of northern Wisconsin?

THE STORY OF STUFF is an entertaining and fast-paced explanation of American consumers and their insatiable appetite for goods: how it came to be and how it is affecting our planet and the quality of our lives.

VANISHING OF THE BEES follows commercial bee keepers as they try to keep their bees healthy. (FOR PRIVATE VIEWING ONLY)

VILLAGE STORIES-AFRICA features the stories behind eleven of the Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade products. Viewers may choose to watch some or all of these inspiring Fair Trade stories.

WHEN CHILDREN DO THE WORK (27 minutes) explores the connections between products on American shelves and the exploitation of children and teens. (Release year 2005.)

ZATOUN: A LIFE STORY is a four-part audio documentary series, which explores the genesis and evolution of a unique Canadian grass-roots initiative to bring fair trade organic olive oil from farmer co-operatives in Palestine to North America. Each segment is 17-19 minutes long.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS RECOMMENDED BY FTRN (FAIR TRADE RESOURCE NETWORK)

  • Paul Rice Interview (2007, 1 min.). This interview from LinkTV is with the CEO of TransFair USA examines the FT movement in the U.S. and how it compares to the rest of the world. It’s a really good introduction to FT. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOlKq5A3V4Y
  • Fair Trade Advert (2007, 1.5 min.). This minute and a half video features a man trying to get change. When people don’t have enough change to repay the man in full, they are unwilling to exchange with him even though he doesn’t mind. It is an interesting analogy to FT prices worldwide, since 86% of people wouldn’t make an unfair trade. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfVS1vbXyXo
  • Fairtrade Coffee in Uganda (2007, 3.5 min.). This video by GreenTV explains the process of FT approval for coffee growers in Uganda. Through interviews, it shows the positive effects in the lives of Ugandan coffee growers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEVozJa13po&feature=related
  • Inside Fairtrade fashion – a day in the life of People Tree (6 min.). This is a really interesting video about a Fair Trade fashion company. It interviews the founder and other employees, who explain why their work is positive and different from other clothing companies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amVmhSaRgnk&NR=1
  • Santiago’s Story (2000, 6 min.). Made by TransFair USA, this is the story of one farmer. He discusses the challenges in getting a fair price for coffee and the effects of switching to FT coffee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9U1q1g8oDc
  • Free Vs. Fair Trade (2007, 10 min.). This is a really well put together video, with lots of interviews from leaders of the FT movement and some celebrities. For a 10 min. video, it deals with lots of the issues, like food security and the role of international organizations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlT9atfuhOE
  • Trade Aid: Alternative trade in a conventional world (2007, 20 min. in 2 parts). Trade Aid does a good job in this video explaining what is Fair Trade and why it works in the developing world. It discusses the problems with international trade regulations and gives the history of their organization. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNodTqHw9Eo
  • Another YouTube video is Catholic Child Martyr (1 minute, 31 seconds; not identified as a recommendation by FTRN), which tells the story of Igbal Masih , a Pakistani child labor activist who became an international hero for speaking out against the exploitation of children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLxtkxdtTos

 

FOLLOWING ARE THE MORE DETAILED SUMMARIES WITH LINKS:

ALTA GRACIA is a fun and polished documentary that tells the story of Alta Gracia, a living-wage, union-made tee-shirt factory in the Dominican Republic. Tejid@s Junt@s is a new brand that opened up on the site of what was once a Nike and Reebok sweatshop. Alta Gracia is a unique success story in the anti-sweatshop movement. The film includes interviews with workers and organizers who sew shirts at the factory as well as footage from American university students who stand in solidarity with the Alta Gracia workers. This international relationship connects the struggle for fair treatment at the point of production to the right of consumers to know how and where their stuff is made.

A SACRED DUTY: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World. This one-hour documentary, while especially suitable for synagogues, temples, JCCs, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions, contains a universal message that also makes it appropriate for showings at Christian, as well as at other religions’ and secular institutions. A SACRED DUTY speaks to people everywhere about the ethics of our relationship to our natural world and why it is imperative that we respond quickly to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. (See http://www.jewishveg.com/asacredduty/.)

A THOUSAND FIBERS. Two versions of the DVD exist. One version (33 minutes) is designed as a stand alone educational tool for individuals, community groups, retail stores, schools, and more. The second version (41 minutes) can be used as a multimedia aid to accompany Partners for Just Trade’s Bible study “Using our Purchasing Power for Justice and Hope.” PJT brings you this film that explores the principles of Fair Trade based on real life experiences. Filmed in both Peru and the United States, this documentary bridges the gap between consumers and producers and helps viewers understand why Fair Trade is an important—and viable—way to do business. (See http://www.partnersforjusttrade.org/ht/d/sp/i/6871/pid/6871.)

AT THE END OF SLAVERY (narrated by Danny Glover). Shot on location in the Philippines, India, Cambodia and the U.S., At the End of Slavery takes you to the frontlines of today’s battle for justice and includes true stories of former slaves and undercover footage from police operations to rescue children from brothels. International Justice Mission’s investigators, lawyers and social workers and their clients, along with other leading abolitionists and anti-trafficking experts, show that there is nothing inevitable about slavery. Law enforcement success in finding and rescuing victims, and prosecuting perpetrators, demonstrates the real possibility of an end to this trade. (See http://www.attheendofslavery.com/about-film/)

BEAN TO BAR is a short film about the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, who grow the cocoa used in Divine Chocolate. Viewers learn how cocoa is grown and harvested, and how they can put their faith into action through the LWR Chocolate Project.

BLACK GOLD. As westerners revel in designer lattes and cappuccinos, impoverished Ethiopian coffee growers suffer the bitter taste of injustice. In this eye-opening expose of the multi-billion dollar industry, Black Gold traces one man’s fight for a fair price. (See http://www.blackgoldmovie.com/.)

BLOOD DIAMOND is a 2006 drama film co-produced and directed by Edward Zick and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds mined in African war zones and sold to finance conflicts, and thereby profit warlords and diamond companies across the world. Set during the Sierra Leone Civil War in 1992-2002, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebel forces. It also portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels’ amputation of people’s hands to discourage them from voting in upcoming elections. The film’s ending, in which a conference is held concerning blood diamonds, is in reference to an actual meeting that took place in Kimberley, South Africa in 2000 and led to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which seeks to certify the origin of diamonds in order to curb the trade in conflict diamonds. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Actor (DiCaprio) and Best Supporting Actor (Hounsou). (FOR PRIVATE VIEWING ONLY)

BLUE GOLD. This award-winning documentary makes eminently clear that we are at a crisis stage with our clean water supply. It shows numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water: from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive? (See http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/.)

BUYER BE FAIR (1 hour documentary). The promise of product certification takes viewers to Mexico, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, the USA and Canada to explore how conscious consumers and businesses can use the market to promote social justice and environmental sustainability through product labeling, with a focus on Fair Trade coffee and Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. BUYER BE FAIR is an inspirational and balanced television special that reaches beyond the choir to present the promise of product certification to a wide audience. (See http://www.buyerbefair.org/film_summary.html)

CALCUTTA HILTON (23 minutes). Sonagacchi is the largest, most infamous sex district in Calcutta, India. Every day 20,000 men seek out the services of the 6,000 women who work there. Many of these women were stolen from their homes, some were tricked, others sold into prostitution by friends and family. It was in the midst of this despair that Calcutta Hilton presenter Evie Ashton discovered an inspiring group, doing their best to make a difference.

CHOCOLATE COUNTRY. This 30-minute film features the cacao farmers from the isolated hill towns of the Dominican Republic. (Farmers speak and sing in their native language; English subscripts included.)These farmers, who have been fighting a losing battle with the global economy, are now hoping that their inability to afford herbicides or pesticides will make what was a disadvantage into an advantage as first-world consumers shift their focus from cheap to sustainable consumables. If the farmers can certify their cocoa beans “organic”, and leverage the benefits of “Fair Trade”, their product could instantly double - even triple - in value. To learn more, see the “Chocolate Country Trailer” at http://www.tazachocolate.com/store/Products/chocolatecountry.

COAL COUNTRY (90 minutes) is a dramatic look at modern coal mining. We get to know working miners along with activists who are battling coal companies in Appalachia. We hear from miners and coal company officials, who are concerned about jobs and the economy and believe they are acting responsibly in bringing power to the American people. Both sides in this conflict claim that history is on their side. Families have lived in the region for generations, and most have ancestors who worked in the mines. Everyone shares a deep love for the land, but MTR (Mountain Top Removal) mining, which has leveled over 500 Appalachian mountains, is tearing them apart. We need to understand the meaning behind promises of “cheap energy” and “clean coal.” Are they achievable? At what cost? Are there alternatives to our energy future? (See http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/trailer_page.html.)

CROSSING THE LINE is a short documentary which tells five stories of individuals, families and communities who fought for their rights to clean air, land and water. With the help of Midwest Environmental Advocates, they won and are now sharing their stories. This film helps viewers understand what’s at stake and what can be done to preserve clean air, land and water in Wisconsin. (See http://www.midwestadvocates.org/support/Events/CrossingtheLine/index.html.)

THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE. Award-winning Danish journalist Miki Mistrati goes undercover to investigate the rumors connecting the harvesting of cocoa with human trafficking in this suspenseful investigative report. (See http://www.thedarksideofchocolate.org/)

DATELINE: INVESTIGATION INTO SWEATSHOPS 2005 shows consumers the real cost of a bargain by focusing on sweatshop conditions in Bangladesh, where women are paid just 37 cents an hour. (Learn more at http://walmartwatch.org/blog/archives/dateline-investigation-on-supplier-sweatshops-in-bangladesh-on-nbc-tonight/.)

DIRT tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility—from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation. Jamie Lee Curtis narrates this movie, which brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has on the life of this planet. It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil. (See http://www.dirtthemovie.org/pages/about-the-film)

THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, all around the world people are resisting those policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance-and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm-an economics of localization. (See the trailer at http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE PowerPoint by Albert Dello Russ is a well done PowerPoint, which presents Fair Trade from a Christian Faith perspective using the production of coffee to tell the story. Recommended for student presentations and personal research.

FAIR TRADE: THE STORY. This 9-minute YouTube slide show explains what Fair Trade is, how it works, why it’s important for a sustainable future. You can see this show at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhQJrz-aDfI.

FLOW is Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?” Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. (See http://www.flowthefilm.com/.)

FRESH (72 minutes) celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. Among several main characters, FRESH features Milwaukee’s urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy. (See http://www.freshthemovie.com/)

GASLAND investigates the Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking”—the process used to access natural gas from beneath the earth’s surface. It’s an energy goldmine, but is fracking safe? “When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.” (Learn more at http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/)

THE HUMAN FACE OF THE ENVIRONMENT: WE ARE THE EARTH is a series of three films of the speakers at Carroll College’s environmental event held in February 2011. The speech titles and speakers’ names are “The Human Body in the Modern World of Chemicals: And We Thought We Were Safe” by John Whitcomb, MD; “Agriculture and Urban Community: Tradeoffs and the Implications for Sustainability” by David Andrews of the Michael Fields Institute; and “Empathy and Cooperation: Moral Acts for Living in a Troubled World” by Dale Olen, Ph.D., Sierra Club.

INVESTIGATION INTO SWEATSHOPS. This Dateline video shows why Wal-Mart can offer products at such a low price. It shows the costs behind the costs and makes viewers question what kinds of bargains consumers are getting with this low-cost leader. (See http://blog.wakeupwalmart.com/ufcw/2005/06/child_labor_vio.html.)

KING CORN is a 90-minute paradoxically entertaining and troubling documentary featuring two college grads who, after learning they are essentially walking and talking corn plants, decide to examine the journey from planting corn on an acre of Iowa farmland and tracking its journey to the dinner plate. In the course of this film, you will learn about government subsidies, genetically modified seeds and powerful herbicides. (See http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn/film.html.)

LIFE AND DEBT utilizes excerpts from the award-winning non-fiction text “A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid. Life & Debt is a woven tapestry of sequences focusing on the stories of individual Jamaicans whose strategies for survival and parameters of day-to-day existence are determined by the U.S. and other foreign economic agendas. By combining traditional documentary telling with a stylized narrative framework, the complexity of international lending, structural adjustment policies and free trade will be understood in the context of the day-to-day realities of the people whose lives they impact. (See http://www.lifeanddebt.org/about.html)

MARDI GRAS: MADE IN CHINA (appropriate for mature audiences, contains frequent, but brief, frontal nudity shots) is a compelling 75-minute film, which contrasts Americans in New Orleans (drinking, polluting, and ignorant during the Mardi Gras celebrations) to the Chinese girls who make the beads for which American women bare their breasts. The juxtaposition of the two worlds is disturbing to say the least. The story overall is compelling to watch as the filmmakers bring to each group some understanding of the story behind the product. To learn more, see http://www.mardigrasmadeinchina.com/about_the_film.html.

MATAMOROS is an 11-minute disturbing documentary about the Mexican border town of Matamoros. Produced by Sierra Club, the film reveals the terrible conditions in which the people live and work as a result of NAFTA. Because of NAFTA, American companies can produce cheap goods. The companies, which are encouraged to move their factories out of the US into other countries where they aren’t required to meet any pollution or worker safety standards, do not pay the taxes that could be used to meet the needs of the social and environmental damage which results from the factories, 90% of which are American owned. To learn more, see http://www.ironweedfilms.com/films/matamoros-the-human-face-of-globalization.

MT. MERU COFFEE PROJECT. Developing out of a partnership between Lutherans of the Milwaukee Synod (ELCA) and the Diocese of Meru (ELCT) in northern Tanzania, coffee grown on the slopes of Mt. Meru is purchased directly from small farmers through their local coops. This film shows how the project has brought economic and social justice to the small farmers and people of the Mt. Meru region in Tanzania. Pastor Kitoi states, “The farmers consider this a life-giving, hope-filled project, providing folks at the grass root level with liberating abilities in a very poor economy”. This short 10-minute film shows how Southeastern Wisconsin’s Lutherans came together to make a difference for Tanzanians.

NOT FOR SALE. (Preview available at http://www.notforsalefilm.com/index.html ). This documentary introduces viewers to the world of human trafficking, the fastest growing criminal business in the world today. The film can be shown in its entirety or segments can be selected. There is a total of 10 segments (each narrative approximately 10 minutes in length). Each segment features a narration by a person who has stepped outside of her/his comfort zone in order to make a positive difference in the lives of the victims of traffickers. These people are today’s abolitionists. Following a brief intro with disturbing statistics about trafficking, the menu provides the following options/segments on “abolitionists”:

  • “Polaris Project” features director Catherine Chone narrating her experience with victims of trafficking in the US. Chone first heard about trafficking from a fellow student in the final year of her studies at Brown University. She found it difficult to believe that slavery existed in other countries and with further investigation learned that slavery is thriving even in the US. The goal of the Polaris Project is to stop global slave trading today and to influence laws in the US to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable human beings. (This narrative features young people as leaders in the stop trafficking movement. It could be especially effective with high-school and college students.)
  • “Regina Pacis” set in Italy features founder Padre Cesare, who narrates his experience with women trafficked from Eastern Europe. These women are generally offered work in another country but soon find themselves forced into prostitution in Italy and sometimes moved from Italy to other countries. Father Cesare and his supporters search the streets of Italy to locate these women and bring them to the heavily fortressed Regina Pacis shelter. There staff try to help these women regain their dignity and return home. Fr. Cesare also travels to impoverished, remote villages in countries such as Romania to warn citizens of the trafficking. He says, “When you work for poor people, you become a citizen of the world.” (This film shows how faith in God and a commitment to doing God’s will can work miracles in everyday life.)
  • “Florida Coalition against Human Trafficking” features founder Anna Rodriguez, who works to rescue victims as young as 5-6 years of age from slavery in Florida, one of the top four slave states in the US. Most slaves are 11 to16-year-old females—many of whom are forced to work the fields during the day and are sexually assaulted by 30-50 men at night (statistic is not a typo!).
  • “Hagar Shelter” features founder Pierre Taml, who provides a safety net for women and children in Cambodia. Once trafficked women and children are delivered from their traffickers, they find it difficult to integrate into society because of their lack of skills. In order to address this issue, Taml and his colleagues have created their own products to sell in Cambodia, the U.S., and other countries. (See http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/gbo.nsf/Content/Hagar.)
  • “Generacion” features Lucy Borja who explains what life is like for the street children of Peru. When she began her work with these children, they were being hunted by death squads during the day and by pedophiles and traffickers at night. These children faced violence at home and violence on the street as the police sided with traffickers and pedophiles rather than with them. Particularly troubling in this film are portraits of street children—some of them just babies—who have died. The average life expectancy of a street child in Peru is 26.
  • “Child Soldiers” features Florence Lakor of World Vision, who lives and works with recovering child soldiers. She describes in detail what these children from Gulu, Uganda, endure when they are abducted by the RUF (Revolutionary United Front). The child soldiers of Gulu are also the focus of the YouTube documentary Invisible Children (see http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3166797753930210643).
  • “International Justice Mission” features founder Gary Haugen. He works to free children who are victims of trafficking in all parts of the world. Even though most countries have laws against child trafficking, few enforce them. Haugen personally assists with rescuing and prosecuting offenders. During this film, we see video footage of 37 children who are rescued from 15 suspected traffickers. Haugen tells us to, “Get over the idea that there’s nothing we can do.”
  • “Music Montage” serves as an effective conclusion. The music (with lyrics about touching), the pictures, and the statistics presented in this segment persuade viewers that children must be protected, that they are resilient, and that we have a moral obligation to hear and respond to their stories.
  • The final credits offer contact information about what we can do to end trafficking.

PLAYING FOR CHANGE: SONGS AROUND THE WORLD is a celebration of global connectedness. This film includes music selections (such as “Stand by Me” and “One Love”) that brings musicians throughout the world together in song to impress on listeners that we will have a better world if we “get together and feel all right.” This music DVD is a joy to hear and watch. To get a taste, check out http://www.playingforchange.com/journey/introduction.

RENEWAL is the first feature-length documentary to capture the vitality and diversity of America’s religious-environmental movement. Made up of eight individual stories, RENEWAL captures the efforts of men, women and children who from within their Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim traditions, are finding ways to become caretakers of the Earth. (See http://www.renewalproject.net/)

RESCUING EMMANUEL. When a film crew begins their work of filming the story of street children in Nairobi, Kenya, they meet 13-year-old Emmanuel, who demands that they help him go to school. The film soon focuses on the efforts made by the film crew to help Emmanuel achieve his dream. (See http://www.rescuingemmanuel.org/)

ROOTS OF MIGRATION is a film about 20 U.S. citizens who traveled to Wahaka, Mexico, to learn why so many of their neighbors to the south were migrating to the U.S. This Witness for Peace film shares with us what they saw, heard and learned about the roots of migration. (An intro to the film is available at http://www.witnessforpeace.org/article.php?id=758. Also, a pdf file entitled “Forced from Home: U.S. Trade Policy and Immigration” is available at the Witness for Peace site or a printed copy may be borrowed from Four Corners.)

SOLIDARITY IN A CUP: THE CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICE FAIR TRADE COFFEE CD. This 15 minute multi-media presentation introduces you to the farmers who grow your coffee in Nicaragua, explains what CRS is doing to support them, and suggests eight ways you can help. Runs on any PC or Mac.

STOLEN CHILDHOODS, narrated by Meryl Streep, is a documentary feature film about the growing plague of child labor that engulfs the lives of 246 million children today. In extraordinary footage of their working conditions, child slaves, bonded laborers and laboring poor children from eight countries (including the US) tell their own stories . . . children forced to pick pesticide-laden tobacco, coffee and vegetables, kids chained to looms, boys kidnapped to work on fishing platforms at sea, girls trafficked for prostitution, children scavenging at dumps and enslaved at rock quarries and brick kilns. All these children tell their stories in their own words. (To learn more, see http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/archives/2005/03/full_synopsis.php. Download teaching guides from http://www.stolenchildhoods.org/mt/index.php.)

THE LAST MOUNTAIN, A FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE, a documentary about the fight for the last great mountain in America’s Appalachian heartland, focuses on the battle between the mining giant that wants to explode it to extract the coal within and the community fighting to preserve the mountain and build a wind farm on its ridges instead. THE LAST MOUNTAIN highlights a battle for the future of energy that affects us all. Is this the future of northern Wisconsin? (See trailer at http://thelastmountainmovie.com/video/.)

THE STORY OF STUFF is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. To learn more and to watch the entire film, check out http://www.storyofstuff.com/. (Warning: This film upsets viewers who want to maintain the status quo.)

VANISHING OF THE BEES follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capital Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees. Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. (Learn more at http://www.vanishingbees.com/.) (FOR PRIVATE VIEWING ONLY)

WHEN CHILDREN DO THE WORK (27 minutes) is Charles Kernaghan’s exposé of abuses in US “free-trade” zones and maquiladoras; and the dramatic story of Iqbal Masih, a ten year-old activist who was assassinated for drawing international attention to the plight of indentured carpet children in Pakistan. In spite of tough laws enacted early in the century, child labor has re-emerged as a serious concern in the era of the global economy. This program explores the connections between products on American shelves and the exploitation of children and teens. This film reminds us that consumers need to know the true cost of the products they buy.

VILLAGE STORIES — AFRICA features the stories behind eleven of the Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade products. Viewers will not only learn how jewelry, baskets, and more are made in countries like Kenya and Uganda, but will also some to understand Fair Trade’s commitment to sustaining the environment, the culture, the workers, their families and their communities as the artisans share their stories. Hear the artisans say, “Asante Sana” (thank you) to those who purchase their products. (Release year 2005.)

ZATOUN: A LIFE STORY is a four-part audio documentary series, which explores the genesis and evolution of a unique Canadian grass-roots initiative to bring fair trade organic olive oil (“zatoun” is the Arabic word for olive) from farmer co-operatives in Palestine to North America. Each segment is 17-19 minutes long. (See http://www.zatoun.com/audiozatoun.htm)