When it comes to storytelling, film is a powerful medium. With visuals, we get pulled into the heart of a story; we take part at the same time that we learn. Skilled documentary filmmakers know the art of getting across a complex idea in a tangible way, one that’s not only informative but also touching. They can make us cry, they can make us laugh, most most importantly, hopefully they inspire us to take action.

If you care about women and women’s rights, there are some excellent documentaries out there, not only about women, but also directed and produced by women. That’s a good thing, because while the world of media is male dominated, with top grossing films often directed by and depicting men, the independent documentary world is more balanced, with women more likely to work on independent films and documentaries. In fact, 39 percent of directors working on independently produced documentaries in 2011-2012 were women.

Compare that with the dismal statistics of women and girls around the world: “Sixty-six million are currently out of school; 150 million are sexually assaulted each year; and in the past 30 seconds, about 13 were forced into arranged marriages,” as PureWow recently pointed out. We can’t have enough films about these topics. Films that addresses the state of women around the world are essentials to helping us pave the way forward.

The more films by and about women, the more we support women in general. Here are some excellent ones to start with.

1. Miss Representation

Why do we have certain images of women in the media? Miss Representation takes a look at that question, showing the link between gender inequality in power positions in media, and how that perpetuates stereotyped gender roles in our culture. Produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom – who we interviewed around the time the film cam out – it is a compelling look at the under representation of women from media to politics, and a call to action for those of us who want to make change.

2. Girl Rising

The format of Girl Rising is unique: it’s a film about the stories of nine girls from nine countries written by nine writers and performed by nine actresses. The equivalent of a short story collection, each segment features the real girl acting out an episode of her own life, giving us an intimate view of what girls around the world are up against.

3. To Educate a Girl

In 2000, 110 million children in the world were not in school—two thirds of them were girls. Moved by this statistic, two filmmakers Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky traveled to Nepal and Uganda to find out what it actually takes to educate a girl. To Educate a Girl is a look at the lives of young women who are working hard to achieve their dreams despite living in situations of conflict and poverty.

4. Invisible War

Soldiers in the military are up against a lot, their everyday jobs often being physically and emotionally taxing. But for some it’s even worse than that. In fact, a female U.S. soldier in a combat zone is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. Invisible War is an investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, a difficult topic, but one that’s necessary to talk about.

5. Half the Sky Movement

Not a traditional big screen film, Half the Sky Movement is a four-hour PBS series that was shot in ten different countries to show women and girls living under the most difficult circumstances imaginable, yet fighting to change them. Inspired by the powerful book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, the film isn’t just a film, it’s a call to arms to end the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

Want more? The National Organization for Women has an excellent extensive roundup of films about global women’s rights that are all well worth a watch.

Image courtesy of Miss Representation

The post 5 Essential Documentary Films for Anyone Who Cares About Women appeared first on EcoSalon.

The most well-said stories of the week at EcoSalon.

Sometimes body language can say so much more than words. Here’s one artist who sculpts figures that speak volumes.

Sunday is Women’s Equality Day. It’s also International GoTopless Day – misguided and irrelevant?

SAMSARA- 5 years in the making, across 5 continents and 25 countries – is shaping up to be an incredible piece of film-making, and a statement about the unchanging cycle of life that underpins our conflicted, turbulent world. Watch the trailer and see an interview with its writer-producer here.

Contrary to promises by its President a year ago, Iran is now selectively barring women from University degree courses – and one Nobel laureate human rights campaigner is demanding the U.N. investigates.

Finally, we talk to Elizabeth L. Cline about her book Overdressed, an investigation into the appallingly high cost of cheap fashion. What’s the answer for the industry and the consumers supporting it?

The post The Friday 5: Statement-Making Edition appeared first on EcoSalon.

A powerful non verbal film that shows us the state of our world. 

In the day and age of information overload, it’s not uncommon that our brains shut down when we are overwhelmed with data. Statistics about how many people are dying from malnutrition, what percentage of our food we waste, how many parts per million of CO2 our atmosphere can sustain; at some point, we can only take in so much.

But then there is the power of visuals and music; two forces that can tell a story and pass along an idea without words.

If you have seen films like Koyaanisqatsi or BARAKA you know exactly the power that non verbal filmmaking can have. SAMSARA, the new movie from director-producer Ron Fricke and writer-producer Mark Magidson (BARAKA and CHRONOS) which opens on August 24, 2012 is exactly that, a beautiful, and at times somber, compilation of visuals that showcases the world that we live in and leaves us to make our own conclusions.

Filmed over a period of five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on 70mm film, SAMSARA transports you to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders. The result is breathtaking.

“We’re trying to stay away from a real strong point of view. It’s a real fine line to walk with editorializing and having strong opinions. We’re trying not to interrupt that flow… where you guide the viewer through those locations and through that subject matter,” says Magidson.

Although it results in a strong cultural critique, SAMSARA, a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life,” is first and foremost about imagery that fits the film’s name, as Magidson puts it, “birth, death and re-birth.” That imagery is intended to allow the viewer to connect with what they see; focus not on facts or numbers but simply on a place and a feeling.

“Because it’s all non fiction imagery there is an essence and power that is hopefully captured in the imagery. You need to feel the totality of that when you’re finished watching that. Find how that connects together in a way you didn’t imagine,” says Magidson.

The intent is less about politics and more about emotion, encouraging the viewer to come to their own conclusions. “It’s not doing a documentary about food processing… we just try to show how all of this is interconnected,” says Fricke.

In this case, less is more, and the ultimate impact comes from the essence of what the viewer sees, not necessarily just the subject of what they are watching.

“In an abstract way, you are providing what you hope is a moving emotional experience… regardless if you are commenting on it in an intellectual way. A lot of people feel a sense of compassion. That is a pathway to a more activist reaction potentially. We’re not trying to say what people should do.. we’re trying to provide a strong profound feeling state,” says Magidson.

Learn more about the film and screenings near you here. 

The post SAMSARA: A View of Our World, Shot in 5 Years, 25 Countries and 5 Continents appeared first on EcoSalon.

VideoCombining the art of cinema and activism.

Over Memorial Day weekend, the streets of Telluride, Colorado fill with travelers, athletes, artists, writers, humanitarians and activists, all coming together to spend four days being challenged and inspired, in the hopes that they will return to their own communities and do the same. This is Mountainfilm and with over 70 films at the festival, there are many that are worthy of accolades.

These five stand out as ones that have the potential to change how you view the world. Drawing on themes of art, environment and activism, they all highlight important issues and causes that shape our modern society, and force us to question what we are doing about them.

Ai Weiwei Never Sorry

Does art have the power to change the world? Contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is proof that creativity has the power to push global boundaries. A dissident in his homeland, he is revered around the world for his work that makes a political statement. Ai Weiwei Never Sorry is a detailed exploration of the world of Ai Weiwei and his work that blurs the boundaries of art and politics.

Chasing Ice

In 2007, National Geographic photographer James Balog founded Extreme Ice Survey, a long-term photography project that gives a voice to climate change by documenting glaciers around the world. Chasing Ice documents this project and the work that goes into it. It is the story of one man’s crusade to gather undeniable evidence that climate change is a reality. The time-lapse footage of quickly receding glaciers is haunting, but a clear visual reminder of the destructive path that we have put our planet on and will continue to spin out of control unless we start to make real change in climate policy.

The Lost Bird Project

When an animal goes extinct, how do we ensure that it stays a part of the collective consciousness? Compelled by the tragedy of modern extinction, sculptor Todd McGrain embarks on a project to memorialize extinct birds and place them in public locations related to the bird’s decline. To date, bronze memorials have been dedicated to the Passenger Pigeon, the Carolina Parakeet, the Labrador Duck, the Great Auk, and the Heath Hen.

Living Downstream

The personal journey of ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, PhD. originally told in her book Living Downstream  and now turned into a documentary film, is one that immediately strikes a chord. All of us have seen the ugly face of cancer, whether we have dealt with it ourselves or it has touched members of our family and friend circles. Unfortunately, the discussion around the causes of cancer are not always on the public agenda, especially when it comes to questions of environmental pollution and toxicology. Steingraber works hard to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links, traveling across North America and bringing attention to the urgent human rights issue of cancer prevention and reminding us of the connection between a healthy environment and human health.

Bidder 70

In 2008 when Tim DeChristopher, with no intention to pay, bid a total of $1.8 million at a Bureau of Land Management Oil and Gas Lease Auction to save 22,000 acres of Utah wilderness surrounding Arches and Canyonlands National Park he knew he would face consequences. Despite the fact that Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, later invalidated the entire BLM Auction, DeChristopher was indicted on two federal felonies. While he awaited his trial, he became a symbol for the climate justice movement, rallying individuals around the country to stand up and speak out against climate change. This film is a reminder of the political structure that we live in, often bound by economic interests, and where necessary action often comes with severe consequences.

The post Art, Environment and Activism: 5 Films to Change How You View the World appeared first on EcoSalon.