Studio Synopsis:

This portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff—from his early years as a gung—ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah—confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A tale of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops, and a mob—style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process. Oscar—winning filmmaker Alex Gibney once again wields the tools of his trade with the skill of a master. Following the ongoing indictments of federal officials and exposing favor trading in our nation’s capital, Gibney illuminates the way our politicians’ desperate need to get elected—and the millions of dollars it costs—may be undermining the basic principles of American democracy. Infuriating, yet undeniably fun to watch, Casino Jack is a saga of greed and corruption with a cynical villain audiences will love to hate.

Learn more about Casino Jack here

posted by: Harold Johns III

At San Quentin is a recording of a live concert given by Johnny Cash to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison in 1969. In addition to its release on record, the concert was also filmed by Granada Television for a 60 minute documentary, producing the footage shown above.

In 2000, Sony Legacy issued an expanded CD/DVD version of this landmark 1969 live LP, which included “A Boy Named Sue”, the Shel Silverstein novelty number that became one of Cash’s biggest hits. The original LP contained ten songs from Cash’s show, which actually ran far longer; the re-release added eight additional Cash performances. This 2-CD set presents the entire concert, start to finish. Not only assembling all Cash’s performances, but those by the other members of his stage show: June Carter, her mother and sisters (performing as the Carter Family), Cash’s buddy Carl Perkins of “Blue Suede Shoes” (and “Daddy Sang Bass”) fame, and the Statler Brothers, known then for their 1965 hit “Flowers on the Wall”.  Among the high points is their unreleased, spine-chilling gospel medley of “He Turned the Water into Wine”, “Daddy Sang Bass” and “The Old Account.”

posted by: Harold Johns III

Studio Synopsis:

Working alone in Iraq over eight months, director/cinematographer Laura Poitras creates an extraordinarily intimate portrait of Iraqis living under U.S. occupation. Her principal focus is Dr. Riyadh, an Iraqi medical doctor, father of six and Sunni political candidate. An outspoken critic of the occupation, he is equally passionate about the need to establish democracy in Iraq, arguing that Sunni participation in the January 2005 elections is essential. Yet all around him, Dr. Riyadh sees only chaos, as his waiting room fills each day with patients suffering the physical and mental effects of ever-increasing violence. Dramatically interwoven into the personal journey of Dr. Riyadh is the landscape of the US military occupation, with Australian private security contractors, American journalists and the UN officials who orchestrate the elections. Unfolding like a narrative drama, My Country, My Country follows the agonizing predicament and gradual descent of one man caught in the tragic contradictions of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and its project to spread democracy in the Middle East.

Director’s Statement:

This film was motivated by a sense of despair about the contradictions of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and its project to implement democracy in the Middle East through the use of military force. I wanted to understand these contradictions from the perspective of the people living them, on the ground.

I spent eight months in Iraq, from June 2004 to February 2005. I worked alone in the field, operating camera and sound. I met Dr. Riyadh in July 2004 at Abu Ghraib Prison while he was conducting an inspection.

Although My Country, My Country focuses on the January 2005 elections, it is a broader story about U.S. foreign policy post-9/11. The use of preemptive military force and the goal of implementing democracy in the Middle East mark a radical shift in U.S. and world politics. The January 2005 elections were the first to be held after the U.S. invasion, and thus are in some ways a testing ground for this new era.

Learn more about the film via PBS or Zeitgeist Films

Watch My Country, My Country free of charge in 11 parts via YouTube

My Country, My Country is also available on Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” system

posted by: Harold Johns III

From Films for Action:

On Tuesday April 13 at 7pm, Lawrence Fair Trade and Ecumenical Christian Ministries, along with The Community Mercantile, Films For Action, and the KU French Club, will hold a screening of The Price of Sugar at Liberty Hall (644 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS).

The Price of Sugar is a documentary about one of the Dominican Republic’s major sugar plantations, and the poor living and working conditions of the Haitian immigrants who plow its fields. A Catholic priest who took up the workers’ cause in the early 1980s leads the audience on an exploration of this harsh setting, highlighting the breaches of human rights which can and often do occur in the production sites of global industries in developing countries.

Sugar is a long-time principle cash crop for the economy of the Dominican Republic, and the Dominican Republic has long been one of the leading sugar suppliers to the U.S. The industry is therefore largely dependent on the U.S. market, and is often a precarious challenge for the economy of the Dominican Republic and the Haitians who have worked the sugar fields for decades.

We hope the film will illuminate one example of the risks connected with the industries we as U.S. citizens turn to for our every-day needs. A discussion following will focus on the U.S.’s roll in global trade, as well as alternative economies like Fair Trade, and local resources for these kinds of products.

Admission is FREE, with a suggested donation of $5. Doors open at 6:45pm.

posted by: Tricia Rock

According to Vice TV:

When VBS initially asked me to go down to Colombia to dig into this Scopolamine story, I was pretty excited. I had only a vague understanding of the drug, but the idea of a substance that renders a person incapable of exercising free-will seemed liked a recipe for hilarity and the YouTube hall of fame. I even spent a little time brainstorming the various ways I could transport some of it back to the states and had a pretty good list going of different ways to utilize it on my buddies. The original plan was for me to sample the drug myself to really get an idea of the effect it had on folks. The producer and camera man had flew down to Bogota ahead of me to confirm some meetings and start laying down the groundwork. By the time I arrived a few days later, things had changed dramatically. Their first few days in the country had apparently been such a harrowing montage of freaked-out dealers and unimaginable horror stories about Scopolamine that we decided I was absolutely not going to be doing the drug. All elements of humor and novelty were rapidly stripped away during my first few days in town. After meeting only a couple people with firsthand experience, the story took a far darker turn than we ever could have imagined, and the Scopolamine pranks I had originally imagined pulling on my friends seemed beyond naive and absurd. By the time we were wrapping things up and preparing to leave the country, I couldn’t wait to get as far away from Colombia and that drug as possible. Apologies for a fleeting moment of sincerity, but looking back, I’m pretty proud of the work we did down there. This story, and the people who tell it, truly deserve to be heard.

- VBS Correspondent Ryan Duffy

posted by: Harold Johns III

Studio Synopsis:
Street Fight chronicles the bare-knuckles race for Mayor of Newark, N.J. between Cory Booker, a 32-year-old Rhodes Scholar/Yale Law School grad, and Sharpe James, the four-term incumbent and undisputed champion of New Jersey politics.

Fought in Newark’s neighborhoods and housing projects, the battle pits Booker against an old style political machine that uses any means necessary to crush its opponents: city workers who do not support the mayor are demoted; “disloyal” businesses are targeted by code enforcement; a campaigner is detained and accused of terrorism; and disks of voter data are burglarized in the night.

Even the filmmaker is dragged into the slugfest, and by election day, the climate becomes so heated that the Federal government is forced to send in observers to watch for cheating and violence.

The battle sheds light on important American questions about democracy, power and — in a surprising twist — race. Both Booker and James are African-American Democrats, but when the mayor accuses the Ivy League educated Booker of not being “really black” it forces voters to examine both how we define race in this country. “We tell our children to get educated,” one Newarker says, “and when they do, we call them white. What kind of a message does that send?”

Street Fight tells a gripping story of the underbelly of democracy where elections are not about spin-doctors, media consultants, or photo ops. In Newark, we discover, elections are won and lost in the streets.

Learn more about the film here

Cory Booker eventually became mayor of Newark ( that doesn’t spoil the movie) and has since brought about some very positive changes for his city. For the first time in 40 years Newark has gone an entire calendar month without a homicide.

posted by: Brent Carter