Award-winning director Apitchatpong Weerasethakul (Tropical Malady) has shown his films all over the world, including here in Minneapolis for a 2004 retrospective, but with his latest, he can't get a showing in his home country. The Thai director submitted Syndromes and a Century (Sang Satawat) to Thailand's Censorship Board, and was told four cuts had to be made for the film to be released commercially. Saying he treats his "works as my own sons or my daughters," Weerasethakul refused to make the cuts. Now the Thai government says they'll hold onto his film print until the four prescribed deletions are made. Thai artists have begun an online petition -- already signed by more than 4,000 people -- urging the government to return the film print, but also seeking "a long-needed modernization of Thai legislation concerning movie censorship," which is based on a law from 1930. Sign the petition here.
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label film. Show all posts
4.20.2007
Free Thai Cinema: Tropical Malady director censored
Award-winning director Apitchatpong Weerasethakul (Tropical Malady) has shown his films all over the world, including here in Minneapolis for a 2004 retrospective, but with his latest, he can't get a showing in his home country. The Thai director submitted Syndromes and a Century (Sang Satawat) to Thailand's Censorship Board, and was told four cuts had to be made for the film to be released commercially. Saying he treats his "works as my own sons or my daughters," Weerasethakul refused to make the cuts. Now the Thai government says they'll hold onto his film print until the four prescribed deletions are made. Thai artists have begun an online petition -- already signed by more than 4,000 people -- urging the government to return the film print, but also seeking "a long-needed modernization of Thai legislation concerning movie censorship," which is based on a law from 1930. Sign the petition here.
1.27.2007
A Girl Like Me
In 1954 researcher Kenneth B. Clark did a test: he asked African American kids to choose which doll they liked better, a black one or a white one. Overwhelmingly black kids chose white dolls. The test was instrumental in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court case that overturned school segregation.
Unfortunately, as 17-year-old filmmaker Kiri Davis found out last year, little has changed. As part of a film project at Reelworks, she set out to recreate the test, finding that 15 of 21 black children she interviewed picked the white doll as the "nice" one:
Unfortunately, as 17-year-old filmmaker Kiri Davis found out last year, little has changed. As part of a film project at Reelworks, she set out to recreate the test, finding that 15 of 21 black children she interviewed picked the white doll as the "nice" one:
“And why does that look bad?”Minneapolitans: Davis' A Girl Like me screens continuously in the Walker Art Center's Lecture Room throughout March as part of the Women With Vision film festival.
“Because she’s Black,” the little girl answers emphatically.
“And why is this the nice doll?” the voice continues.
“Because she’s White.”
“And can you give me the doll that looks like you?”
The little girl hesitates for a split second before handing over the Black doll that she has just designated as the uglier one.
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