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Q: What is a movie you love that depicts a community rocked by changes in the world?

A: Costa-Gavras's Missing. Set in Chile in 1973 against the backdrop of the Pinochet regime's violent coup, Missing is the story of American man who, in searching for his journalist son who has disappeared, has his faith in his own government tested, and comes away with a deeper understanding of both his son and of the international human rights movement.
- Julie Fasciana, Technical Writer, St. Paul, MN


From chashama to the 1,200-foot-tall Bank of America building

From 2004- Today, Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street

As an artist at chashama from 2002 to 2004, cFF Director Rick Kariolic documented the array of artistic events happening at neighborhood theaters. He continued documenting the same area when construction began on The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park. Designed to be among the most efficient and environmentally friendly structures in the world, the $1 billion project features recycled and recyclable building materials, a system that collects rainwater for reuse, and insulating glass to retain heat and maximize natural light. Watch in this segment as Rick climbs to the tower's top with a camera to explore how a green skyscraper rises.

Big Changes in Libya

The hunger for freedom that seems to be epidemic in the Middle East has triumphed now in Libya with the toppling of Moammar Gadhafi after his iron-fisted 42-year rule. As rebel leaders begin the work of forging an independent nation out of one that never was, Mahmoud Jibril, deputy chairman of the rebels' National Transitional Council (NTC), said, "The whole world is looking at Libya. We must not sully the final page of the revolution."

The country faces unusual challenges although its situation is similar to the aftermath of the end of the powerful regimes in Iraq and Egypt. The AP's Hamza Hendawl explains that Gadhafi had fewer limits than any other Arab leader since he seized power in a coup and never held a formal leadership role. As a result, "Libyan society was, in effect, governed by his whims."

A sign of things to come may be that humanitarian aid is among the new leaders' first concerns. NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil told a news conference last week that Tripoli was requesting medicine, first aid and surgical supplies, and that they were working to resolve shortages of water and electricity due to sabotage by Gadhafi's forces.

Even while fighting continued in the six-month-long uprising, the Council was beginning to work toward reconciliation and a peaceful transition. Jibril introduced his roadmap for Libya's formation of democratic rule, which includes drafting a constitution. Libya also had its first political march last week in Tripoli. Chanting slogans and sharing their joy in the streets, the crowd called for a European-style democracy. Libyans clearly have hope for a brighter future for their country.

What to Watch For

The end of the world is a scary prospect, and most films that deal with it are suffused with the appropriate level of dread. But for some aimless, overprivileged American men, the prospect of total social collapse is genuinely exciting. The end of civilization would mean no more banal social requirements, excruciating mating rituals, or ennui. Instead, existence would be a series of frantic fights for survival, life honed to a diamond-hard point.

At least, that's the dream of the young slackers in Evan Glodell's new film Bellflower, currently in limited release. Their dreams of apocalypse are expressed by building flamethrowers and armored cars, and waiting for the End Times to begin.

 

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August 31, 2011

  • cFF Remembers: Little Fugitive

  • 2008 cFF Winner: Maria Y el Neuvo Mundo

  • cFF Recommends: Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived
  • Aaron
    McFarlane,
    owner of
    Yosh!!
    Films, LLC.
    Writer/
    Producer/
    Director

    What I do: "I take the written words off paper and make them into moving pictures that people can emotionally bond to. Then I find money for those projects by hitting the streets."
    My favorite part: "Two things. First, going out there and hustling. Have to get people and get the funding, try to get people and convince them to invest. It’s a thrill. You get to see the inner workings of people's minds—what they want to spend their money on and what they don’t. It's trial and error. You meet a lot of people, make connections. It’s addicting. Second part: Writing. [As] the writer, you have the ability to create something out of nothing, like a god complex. For example, a person running down a street with blood on their face, and you think, how did this happen? Then you create a whole scenario and think about what could possibly happen. You start making back-stories that got this character into this position. I became a filmmaker because I wanted to share with everyone what was in my mind."
    My advice is: "Put your foot forward in the direction you want to go. If you don’t, it will never happen. And you have to be talented, and not lazy."