Fresh off his Sundance appearance, Davis Guggenheim
(“Waiting for Superman”) took the AFI main theater to honor another nonfiction
auteur and master of the form: Fred Wiseman.
Wiseman took center-stage as the 2010 Guggenheim honoree, while
the emceeing Guggenheim lightly peppered the artist with questions in the key
of James Lipton.
A cursory but comprehensive glance into Wiseman’s portfolio
reveals a simple yet very unique direct cinema approach to documentary; a method
that unfolds a narrative in near real-time, while managing to capture the best
of human conflict—a natural feat for a lawyer-come-filmmaker.
Wiseman has never employed the over-produced antics of the
contemporary televised stories the culture has grown so frighteningly
accustomed to, yet this is a far more engrossing way to conduct social
experimentation.
He’s documented institutions, and the behavior they compel
in the average Americans who frequent them. His titles read like encyclopedia
entries: “Ballet”, “Welfare”, “Hospital”, “Basic Training”—all accurate,
lightly edited reflections of ourselves at our best and worst, and every snatch
of film shown at this year’s Silverdocs builds a solid case for the 2010
recipient.
See some of the best of Wiseman before the fest ends June 27th.
Screenplay: Christopher Murphey, Robert Mark Kamen
Running Time: 140 min.
No empty hands here.
This is kung fu.
But there’s nothing soft about how Jaden Smith and company update the 1984 classic.
I hate to jump right into how the 2010 spin holds up, but alas, that’s what happens when you make a remake! The good news for Harald Zwart, however, is this isn’t your typical uninspired disappointment. (A recurring conundrum for HWD these days…)
This is a genuinely good movie.
Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) makes the move from Detroit to China when his mom (Taraji P. Henson) accepts a new job in the country. (How about that for true to life foreshadowing…) Where Daniel LaRusso (the 1984 ‘Kid’) was headed for a new high school, Dre is 12-years-old, headed for a new middle school complex that will forgive his nil Chinese.
As in the original, Dre can’t get to the first day without an altercation from the classroom punk, Cheng. But this poor child isn’t fighting on a beach in the sand. Instead, the flick earns every bit of its PG rating from the punches and body slams he takes to the concrete.
And yes.
It’s all because of a girl.
Mei Ying (Wenwen Han) is the 2010 Alli with an ‘I.” This girl is performing the function of the stereotypic overachiever—not beach babe in blue—when she and Dre meet. Instead of a boombox, it’s her sheet music that Dre bravely sets out to protect, setting Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) and his playground flunkies off. Dre is further deserted by his would-have-been friends (his free throws prove a disappointment: “Yeah…my shooting arm still has some jetlag.”), and the fish out of water trope stands intact.
That scene rolls out just fine for this reviewer.
The irritation is how Dre met Mei Ying.
Sure Dan LaRusso had the Joizy-Jersey accent to fawn over and mimic, but here are the first words out of Mei Ying’s mouth: “(Giggle…giggle) Can I touch your hair?”
You didn’t see anybody trying to hijack Dan’s accent, but wait! Maybe that’s because there’s no equivalent for fondling an accent!
Dre meets his Mr. Miyagi—who is actually Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan—over a maintenance issue as well. Except, this time around, the hot water is fixed with a nice suggestive jab about the U.S. and the Kyoto Protocol. Mr. Han tells Dre that the shower is fine, the Parkers simply need to flip the switch.
“No switch in America?” When Dre says no, Mr. Han returns: “Get switch. Save planet.”
Zing!
Expect similar plot devices to unfold from this point in the film forward, but don’t expect them to come verbatim, and don’t expect them to be too cheesy, either.
Dre ultimately comes to fight in a major kung fu tournament as a compromise for dousing water on Cheng and his homeboys—and subsequently getting their rear ends owned by Mr. Han.
Chan brings his own flair to the fight, artfully and in classic Chan fashion, using each young whippersnapper to fight the others. Sorry, Mr. Miyagi. Your moves were cool. But I think the kids will get their cheer’s worth with Mr. Han.
Jackie Chan makes the Mr. Miyagi figure a much more austere characte. Perhaps, thanks to the change of times, or thanks to the performance, Chan and Taraji P. Henson don’t allow the aloof adult motif into their “Karate Kid.”
Where Dan could swear freely in front of Mr. Miyagi, Mr. Han won’t have it from Dre. He swiftly changes a beat “ass” to simply “beat up” at Mr. Han’s no-nonsense command. Likewise, Henson isn’t about to let her son get involved day in and day out with a teacher she doesn’t know too well.
As mom, Henson makes more than one appearance to Mr. Han’s house to check in on Dre’s instruction and to get to know Han outside of the tournament preparations.
When Dre leaves his jacket on the ground in Mr. Han’s courtyard, Henson brings the I’m-only-going-to-tell-you-once tone, going sweet to psycho the way only a mama could: “Dre—PICK UP YOUR JACKET!”
On the journey to the ultimate deus ex machina, we’re allowed much more time than in the 1984 original to see Dre’s preparation.
Some call the glowing shots of China fetishistic, but let’s not forget, this is a movie about kung fu, and the training shots of the original were pretty peace-inducing, too. The DP (Roger Pratt) ought dust off his shoulder for the breathtaking beauty he brings to the film.
Dre (Smith) masters tai chi, and returns the blessing of that lesson to Mr. Han where we expect it in the film. The soundtrack orchestration and cinematography build the needed tension when Dre and Mr. Han connect over the death of his wife and son—an emotional feat that is effortlessly conquered in shadow, in rain, and in the cleanest of dollies.
Here, may be the first time, that we see the full range of Chan’s acting prowess in a Hollywood film. Henson, Smith, and Chan clench every emotional moment. They will certainly grip your heart strings at each opportunity they’re awarded.
Ultimately, Mei Ying and Dre do develop their romance, despite a scripted Chinese apology Dre feels he must make to Mei Ying’s well-to-do parents. (Yeah…where was the reverse apology when your daughter was feeling all over this kid’s hair?! Okay…I’m done with that…for now...)
Be sure to be, at least, an ounce amazed by the healing and very literal heat you remember Mr. Miyagi to bring.
Kids in my preview theater cheered Dre on for the duration of the final tournament—and you just may find a smile or two for the parodied elements of instant replay throughout the closing scenes.
But critic or not—the only audience that matters is the kids.
And as far as I can tell, Jaden Smith and “Karate Kid” 2010 wins.
If you hadn't noticed, bytwenty8 posting has slowed a bit.
There are AWESOME reasons for that, and in just a little while, newness will pop off all over this site. (I'm bubbling up a bit on the inside...)
That being the case, I'm giving you fair warning: posting will be sparse these next couple of weeks, but know it's all for good reason. Until the next time I hit this orange button glaring back at me from Blogger's interface--
Meet Christian Filmworks Magazine, the domain of Christian Cinema. I don't think you should expect to see Tyler Perry's face show up in its pages, but the thought is a brilliant one.
Take a gander and let me know what you think.
P.S.
Would love to see my own fam represented, too. We go pretty hard in this arena, but I don't know that we've consolidated our efforts where film for entertainment is concerned.
That being said, the more you read, the more I get to write!So please DO stop on through! You'll know every time I post something new. Love you much. A tout a l'heure!
You may have heard about 'Norteado'--which opened the festival, but the people's choice is worth your eyeballs and attention to staying 'woke', too. Yours truly viewed Sergio Arau's Naco es Chido ("Kitch Is Cool") Friday at Landmark, and may I say, it is indeed a timely faux tale.
For would-be revolutionaries who are losing their vigor since hope-dope became too much, I recommend you take a whiff of the beauty in Mexican cinema at Sam Douek's Hola Mexico Film Festival, running now through Tuesday, June 1st.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain and the 100th year since the Mexican Revolution. To celebrate in cinematic style, Hola Mexico Film Festival is here in the DMV for the first time since the international fest began.
There is very little word, but the word that exists goes something like this:
MOVE OVER ALL YOU SO-CALLED HOUSE CHICKS.
Casting for the Real Housewives of Accra will go down from mid-July to August according to the 480+ Facebook fan page of the alleged soon-to-be show. No, Bravo did not fall and bump its head (yet). The show is to be a Ghanaian production with requests for advertisers, camera folks and the like being made now, and auditions to take place in Accra.
One blog is deeming this but one foray into the land of Ghana's socialite scene, and while I'd like to believe I'm above socialite-ness and the manifestations of it in televisual form--I'm not. I'll probably watch an episode or several if this is for real and if given the chance...
I'm worried.
What are the implications of such a thing, Readership?!
Dennis Hopper, the star behind 'Easy Rider', and a reputed Hollywood hell-raiser, died Saturday, May 29th after a long battle with prostate cancer. Hopper was 74. Dennis Hopper dead at 74 - NYPOST.com
Daresay, one of the most bitten celebrities in parody and sketch comedy, Gary Coleman was a breakout child star and testimony to a life lived against the odds. Coleman's 4'8 stature was the result of a kidney condition that left him resembling his childhood characters well beyond their appearances on television. While he garnered much success around every "Whatchu taum'bout Willis?" utterance on Diff'rent Strokes, he also managed to appear at the center of tabloid press. Coleman suffered a brain hemorrhage following an accident at his Utah home last Wednesday. He was 42 years old.
Peep Regina King's interview with South Cack-a-lack-eee's Tessaand Baby J.
This is a piece of cable's circus. Cable isn't held to the same tight scheduling guidelines that broadcast is known for. Pilot-schmilot. Air it in fall... Air it in spring... Air it in summer... Relevance? What's the difference? Producers in cable are at liberty to air when they please. And if you were left feeling like I did when the Boondocks premiered, it's not because the show lost its sting.
It has everything to do with the politics of programming--and cable's own fear of the FCC. That realm isn't all the way live immune.
*Sighs... But make no mistake--I'm still in love! (Tonight was uncomfortable as hell, though, no? Hermanito had to go to sleep.)
Essentially, that's what this guy is about to tell you. While the crew below is focusing specifically on skateboard coverage, I'd definitely recommend these tips to anyone responsible for camerawork on a live shoot.
For those of us who have been trying to figure out a substitute for the incomparable dolly effect, the long and short of it is this: learn how to skateboard in a straight line.
When you see the shot this kid gets during the chapter called "Lines," you'll see why I'm co-signing. (And also why so many young film rockstars look like skater kids...lol)
So...according to Variety, you get $10K from Focus Features to "help develop the next generation of African filmmakers."
Word.
Kisha Cameron-Dingle (...Sometimes in April) supervises the program. Submissions will be accepted through August 3. Call home and tell a friend to tell a friend.
Just read this at Shadow & Act and all I can say is...
God, no.
Even if I don't manage to pass my test tomorrow, can you answer this prayer?
You know I don't even clown folks like this, and even now, I'm not clowning. I'm typically very open-minded, but I really just can't breathe at the sight of such news, so please...
NO!
PLEASE can Terrence Howard NOT be Marvin Gaye in Cameron Crowe's biopic?
PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE??????
I see I'm too late where Nelson Mandela is concerned, but please, please, please, please, please.
I promise I'll put all my Haterade away after this!
He can have any role he wants (as long as it doesn't happen to be Huey P. Newton) after this.
P.S. [I feel like Terrence Howard is saying, "Hi, Hater." in this picture...hm...Bad choice...But then again, save: I feel like Marvin Gaye is saying, "Y'all got jokes!"]
This is like losing a tooth in kindergarten, and your mom coming to tell you she found it on your 25th birthday. Ok. Can I have that tooth-fairy money plus interest accrued?
Saban is snatching the series we all knew and loved back from Disney (Back on the playground, I was Trini, the Yellow Ranger, thankyouverymuch). Disney had issues with the fighting parts of the show, so they kilt [sic] it before too long. (I definitely think that sale came AFTER the beginning of whackness, but...) Anywho, this is...interesting. Quick question, though: What happened to 'original' programming?
Just a thought.
Read more on this new development over at //Ain't It Cool //
YO! Fab 5 Freddy raps 21st century "Wild Style" (Charlie Ahearn). See "Exit Through the Gift Shop" (Bansky) now at E Street Cinemas. Art and block meet cinema and have a movie...
No joke: I was like a kid on Christmas morning watching this episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live.
Not simply because I wanted to join the hallaballoo surrounding the Betty White SNL experience, but Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler AND Tina Fey were in the building, too. Can you say *SICE ME*???!
May 10th - 11th Kodak Stop By Shoot Film Workshops Kodak Office 1250 H St., NW Washington, D.C. 20005
10A, 2P
Kodak is offering free 16mm film production workshops (at 10A and 2P) today and tomorrow. Register for one of the four workshops at www.kodak.com/go/SBSF. Discover how easy and fun it is to use motion picture film - and get the best images you've ever created. You'll talk with a top cinematographer, learn how to use a S16mm camera and film, then shoot your own scene - all in under two hours! Following the event, we'll send you a DVD of your footage, so you can see for yourself what film quality means. There's no fee, but space is limited, so sign up now!
Screen on the Green is indeed the mark of summer in the city (cue Regina Spektor!) HBO pulls out the big screen on the National Mall, and beginning at sundown every Monday night, an ole, nostalgic classic revs up to crowds gathered on blankets and lawn chairs. (Sweet!)The festivities were almost nixed last year, and according to the pushers behind "Save Screen on the Green," (their advocacy earned Screen on the Green 2nd place in Washington City Paper's "Best Festivals" category) there's still no final word from HBO that it's committed to a 2010 movement. If you've ever partaken, do read on. The viral movement continues:
Dear Movie Lover,
One year ago this week, HBO canceled "Screen on the Green."
In response, a citywide campaign to "Save Screen on the Green" was launched - and it worked.
But the campaign's not over yet. HBO hasn't yet decided whether or not they'll host "Screen on the Green" this year, so we're back in action.
The DC Film Alliance needs $2,000 to upgrade our website and prepare it for our next letter writing campaign. Will you chip in $20 to help build our website and save "Screen on the Green"?
"Save Screen on the Green" isn't being run by the city - or a bunch of fancy corporate sponsors. It's being run by regular Washingtonians, just like you, who care about saving our favorite film festival. The project is a program on the DC Film Alliance-- the same folks who bring you theDC Shorts Film Festival.
Last year, the "Save Screen on the Green" website was used to contact Washington companies about co-sponsoring "Screen on the Green" -- and Comcast came to the rescue. This year, our website has attracted attention of other potential corporate sponsors who want to save "Save Screen on the Green."
But we want to do this right - and run the best possible campaign we can. That's why we need your help. Please make a donation to "Save Screen on the Green" now. Thanks for your support - and don't forget to tell your friends to visit savescreenonthegreen.org to join the campaign!
DC Fab will be in the house tomorrow at Policy for the DC advance screening of Just Wright.RSVP today by 5:00P to catch an early look at the Queen Latifah and Common'd pic. See you there! Just Wright opens Friday 5/14 in theaters everywhere.
The incomparable and timeless Lena Horne has died at age 92.
Horne's career spans some decades in entertainment, breaking barriers on stage and screen as one of the first Black women to front an all-white band, and one of Hollywood's problem stars, as she worked with her own contemporary and firestarter, Paul Robeson. Only last week, conversation resurfaced about the [still] forthcoming biopic based on Horne's life. The film is set to star singer, musician Alicia Keys as Horne. Janet Jackson had originally been named as the on-screen manifestation of Horne, but following the 2004 Super Bowl, the Elder made it very clear that Ms. Jackson would have no part in her legacy. Hear this tribute from NPR's Debbie Elliot:
U.K. Based outlet, Film Directing 4 Women, has already given you the uniform. (Go 'head. Order the t-shirt and hat.) Now check out the swelling call to arms that begs the Cannes pardon:Really?! No lady directors in the line-up?
Now, I shared the goods in the go-meet-people, go-get-upgraded depot. It's time for that gud'a, gud'a, intensive care--if you want it. The Story Department and Screenwriting U are amazing outlets for writers who are looking for resources in the mean time, entirely gratis. (I get it. I promise. No pennies to speak of. Thanks, higher ed!) So if you wanna hear it--here it go!
P.S.
I'm sharing MONEY SHOTS only! If you want more, follow the hyperlink, hun. *Mwah*
Story Department (the money shot)
Karel Segers is a producer and a script consultant who started as a [film] rights buyer in Europe, and upgrades scripts the world over from Australia. (Always feels official to get international, no?) Here's where he stands on perfecting your script format:
In newbie screenplays I often read "POV: [Character Name]". This is almost always unnecessary. BTW, Any technical element that is about HOW it is filmed rather than WHAT is filmed, takes us out of the read. This includes "Point of View".
Hal Croasmun has been in the biz, read the whack, the good and the utterly ugly in scripts, and here's his two bits for the week on engaging characters:
Let's be blunt for a second: If your lead characters don't engage a reader, your script will be turned down. So it is very important that the top three characters have great introductions. I can't tell you how many times a lead character is introduced in a bland way -- often through "talking-heads" scenes that do little to make the character memorable.
My advice: Make those character introductions as interesting as you can by putting your character into action right away. To do that, we'll use a simple "action/insight" format on characters from five movies. //Follow the pretty green hyperlink//
Hey there, you Scribe-y-poo, you! Check out these local options to make you better. I'm clearly in a writing kind of mood, no? DC Film Salon and the Organization of Black Screenwriters have some script-a-licious goodness to serve. It may seem far off, but it's never too early to upgrade yourself. If you check in, as always, don't forget to tell them bytwenty8 sent you! *Mwah*
Thursday, June 10th
DC Film Salon Live Script Reading
Take 2
DEADLINE: Wednesday, May 12th
We had such a successful reading in April that we've decided to do it again. The next script read will take place on Thursday, June 10th. Deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 12th. If you are interested in having your script read in front of a live audience by professional actors please submit up to 10 pages of a short or feature length script. We will not read anything over 10 pages, so please choose your selected pages wisely. This is a great opportunity for you to hear your words read aloud, and to received constructive feedback that can be instrumental in making your writing even stronger. To participate, please send your script to Andrea Ellis at andrea@dcfilm.org by Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Place “SCRIPT READING” in the subject line.
October 1st & 2nd
ORGANIZATION OF BLACK SCREENWRITERS – OBS ON TOUR Presents:
Do you have a story inside of you that is just dying to be told? Have you ever wanted to write a screenplay, but you just didn't know where to start? Now is the time for you to get started! This is a great tool to use to make sure that there are no unnecessary scenes in your script. Once you know the general beginning of your story, and have an idea of where you’d like it to end, you start backward creating a cause for each major beat until you reach your beginning. Get the entire worshop at a great price or save by just buying the class you need!
My appreciation of this organization grows deeper every day. Support EMPOWER DC, tonight and Wednesday, May 5th as they continue to represent and advocate for the issues directly impacting the people of DC. Make sure there are no more cuts to Child Care in DC and make your voice heard at the John A. Wilson Building.
No More Cuts!
Save Our Safety Net!
JOIN US as we lift our voices in protest to more cuts in safety net services with the Fair Budget Coalition and Save Our Safety Net DC!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
RALLY
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Visit Council Offices
12:15 – 1:00 PM
Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Close to Federal Triangle (orange/blue) and Metro Center (red, orange/blue).
Our safety net is already in tatters after
$100 million in cuts in the past two years.
We can't afford any more cuts!
Mayor Fenty released his proposed budget and it is once again full of cuts to DC’s safety net, including the child care subsidy program, adult literacy, job training, mental health services, and the rapid housing program. NOW, we have only a short time to make sure OUR councilmembers vote against the Mayor’s proposed cuts and commit to Save OUR Safety Net! Join us on Wednesday to send a clear message: NO MORE CUTS! In a recession, it is more important than ever to protect programs that support all DC’s residents. If one of these programs is one of your priorities, please join us and make sure it is a priority for your elected officials!
PLUS…
SOS MAYDAY PARTY!
with Special Guest Head-Roc
a.k.a. The Mayor of DC Hip Hop
Get a preview of his upcoming release The Empower DC Project!
TOMORROW, Saturday, May 1
7 – 10 PM
The District @ 2473 18th St. NW (in Adams Morgan)
Suggested donation: $10, no one will be turned away
(proceeds help to send low-income community advocates to the US Social Forum in Detroit)
What is SOS? Save Our Safety Net is a campaign to protect the crucial city services that vulnerable DC residents depend on. During this recession, the city has made big cuts to programs like homeless shelters, childcare vouchers, and affordable housing, just to name a few. So instead of cutting more services, we are challenging City Council to raise the money by making sure the wealthiest among us pay a fair share. http://www.saveoursafetynet.com
Come out tomorrow night to join the SOS campaign, sign the petition, volunteer to get involved, and raise your voice for a fair income tax that supports critical services like the Child Care Subsidy program!
I can't dabble in the theoretical right now. Need to recover first. Just know this is def a GET WOKE special. Born Free...whewww...
M.I.A. and director Romain-Gavras present, "Born Free," likely the first single from M.I.A.'s as of yet untitled forthcoming album. If you were looking for a shell-shocker, here's one.
Please note: this video is graphic. If you are not mature enough to handle nudity and extreme violence, do not watch. YouTube has already removed the video from its server, citing violations of its posting policy. Before it was removed, M.I.A. warned that this might be tagged suitable for 18-and-older.
If you can't claim that, leave it alone or find an adult to interpolate. Read what MTV had to say about the YouTube posting broo-ha-ha and the video itself here.
Once the dust settles from the Iron Man 2 gig, prepare to see the Don [Cheadle] as woodwinded great, Miles Davis.
Cheadle will star and direct in the pic about the man who got Pearl Cleage readers a dash past peeved in 1990 (and forward!), but whose sound is unapologetically epic in the halls of jazz.
How does one treat a respected, revered, fundamentally and brazenly flawed legend--and not piss people off? Cheadle tells MTV to expect the "truth," but don't look for facts. Very diplomatic answer. *Nodding my head* He also advises that this is not a biopic. Mhmmmmmmm. I'm gonna be a likkle geeked for this one. He's working on the script now.
Til' then, go try to cop those Iron Man 2 tix from @WCP and check Cheadle's full interview aqui.
Visit the link above to win a preview screening of Iron Man 2 co-starring Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson alongside the Iron Man, Robert Downey, Jr. Iron Man 2 opens in theaters nationwide May 7th, but see it uptown at AMC Mazza Gallerie on May 4th.
Tell WCP "thank you!" and let them know bytwenty8.com told you. Pick up this week's edition of the Washington City Paper on the morrow at your local Metro station, and start planning a happy, well-informed weekend.
I really could leave it there and end this post, but you MUST know what Community Cinema and your friendly neighborhood activisticinephiles are up to. (Def made that word up.) And when you go, tell 'em bytwenty8 told you!
May 4-6, 2010
Community Cinema & 2010 Big Read DC
Second Chances
AED Global Theater 1927 Florida Ave., NW 7:00P FREE RSVP here or call 2/387-8391
The Humanities Council of Washington, DC in partnership with the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Justice for DC Youth and the Provisions Library present "Second Chances," the backdrop against which the District reads Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying. [The little teacher in me is geeked.] The screenings are as follows:
May 4
7:00P
Sentenced Home
a film by Nicole Newnham and David Grabias
Raised as Americans in inner-city projects near Seattle, three young Cambodian refugees each made a rash decision as a teenager that irrevocably shaped their destiny. Now facing deportation back to Cambodia years later, they find themselves caught between a tragic past and an uncertain future by a system that doesn't offer any second chances. Sentenced Home was featured on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens in April 2007.
May 5
7:00P
Crips & Bloods: Made in America
a film by Stacy Peralta
In the southern portion of Los Angeles, a civil war has been raging for more than 40 years. Crips and Bloods: Made in America searches for answers by providing a historical and sociological context for the rise of the devastating gang violence. Narrated by Forest Whitaker. Crips and Bloods: Made in America was featured on the Emmy Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens in May 2009. Q&A with Tendani Mpulubusi, Arts Commissioner for Ward 8 and Director of Programs, Helping Inner City Kids Succeed (HICKS); and Ashley Howard former gang member, youth member of HICKS.
May 6
7:00P
Panel Discussion
At the age of sixteen, Reginald Dwayne Betts-a good student from a lower-middle-class family-carjacked a man with a friend. He never held a gun before, but within a matter of minutes he had committed six felonies. He served his nine-year sentence as part of the adult population in some of the worst prisons in the state. He's documented his coming-of-age in prison in his memoir A Question of Freedom. Betts, David Muhammad, Chief of Committed Services for the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, and Shani Jamila O'Neal, Director of Justice for DC Youth give an overview of juveniles in the criminal justice system and the possibilities for second chances in a system that is long overdue for reform.
Monday, May 10, 2010
IPS' Social Action & Leadership School for Activists (SALSA) presents
Hip Hop As Mass Media
1112 16th Street NW, Suite 600, WDC, 20036 6:45P - 8:45P FREE
This workshop explores the function of hip-hop as part of a larger mass media structure. The presentation involves an investigation of hip-hop history, inner-workings of the music industry, hip-hop as media and cultural expression, the historical legacy of Black image and the hip-hop underground. Much of this is done via the particular history and contemporary use of the mixtape as this original mass medium has gone from an underground phenomenon to a popular corporate conduit, as well as, becoming a potential source of emancipatory journalism and free space for ingenuity. Led by Jared Ball, professor of African American and Media Studies at Morgan State University. Jared is also managing editor of the first hip-hop academic journal from Words, Beats and Life and hosts the Monday afternoon show, Jazz & Justice on WPFW 89.3 FM in Washington, DC, 1-3pm. Dr. Ball is also the founder and creator of FreeMix Radio: The Original Mixtape Radio Show, a rap music mixtape committed to the practice of underground emancipatory journalism. He and his work can be found online at VOXUNION.COM. Please pre-register here.
Sunday, May 23, 2010 (@ Busboys) Sunday, May 30, 2010 (@ DC Jewish Comm. Ctr)
ITVS and National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA)
A Village Called Versailles, by S. Leo Chiang
Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th St., NW at V St. @ 5:00P Washington, DC Jewish Community Center, 1529 16th St., NW at Q St. @ 3:00P RSVP village@communitycinema-dc.org or call 2/939-0794 FREE
Welcome to Versailles, New Orleans--home to the densest ethnic Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. For over 30 years, its residents lived a quiet existence on the edge of New Orleans. But then came Hurricane Katrina, the immense garbage piles and the shocking discovery of a toxic landfill planned in their neighborhood. Watch as they fight back, turning a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance to build a better future.
