Rose Mapendo Responds to Tragedy in Tuscon

CONGO SURVIVOR FEATURED IN UPCOMING INDEPENDENT LENS FILM

Rose Mapendo lost her husband and home to the ethnic violence that engulfed the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1990s, yet she emerged from the suffering advocating for forgiveness and reconciliation. Now, in this interview with Ted Simons of KAET 8 in Arizona, Ms. Mapendo shares her reaction to last month’s tragic events in Tucson, which took the lives of six people and injured nineteen, including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

Rose Mapendo is the subject of the gripping documentary Pushing the Elephant which airs March 29, 2011 on Independent Lens.  Watch the interview after the jump.

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Tags: Arizona, congo, drc, Gabrielle giffords, gun control, Independent Lens, partisanship, politics, Pushing the elephant, tuscon

Stories of Immigration Front and Center on Global Voices

Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee

Take an intimate look at immigration this Sunday on Global Voices on PBS WORLD. First up, Paper Words by filmmaker Joyce Lee. The 3-D animated short tells the story of a bright 5-year-old from China who uses her imagination to cope with her new life in a small, Midwestern town.

Then stay tuned for Point of Entry by filmmaker Zeus Quijano. The film follows Carlos, an undocumented immigrant living in the U.S. with his wife and two children. At 15, Carlos came to America and left his life and family behind in Mexico. Now Carlos is 30 and continues to send money home to his family.

Enoy the films this Sunday and be sure to become a fan of Global Voices on Facebook to find out about upcoming broadcasts, and keep up with the filmmakers and news surrounding the stories you see on TV.

Tags: 3-D, animation, Arizona, citizenship, immigration, ITVS, Mexico, PBS, public television

Can a Human Being Be Illegal? Thoughts on Immigration through Film

"The New Americans" from Global Voices on PBS WORLD

The national dialogue on immigration has reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, with many municipalities declaring boycotts of Arizona over the recent enactment of a strict immigration law that critics say amounts to little more than institutionalized racial profiling. Some Arizonans, in response, have sworn to boycott the cities that demonized their state. Regardless of your position on the law, the truth is that immigration is an issue at the forefront of international debate and legislation, as the increasing mobility of humanity makes borders ever more easily crossable as people search for social and economic opportunity.

Even in the UK, Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s flippant retort to a citizen angry about Eastern Europeans flooding into Britain sparked a backlash that may have cost him the recent election there.

Much of the debate turns on what rights are afforded a person just for having been born in a particular nation, and what are refused to a person for not having been. Even that  is being parsed, as Arizona considers withholding citizenship and birth certificates to children born to undocumented immigrants on U.S. soil (although this contravenes the U.S. Constitution and may not survive the courts if passed).

"Tia and Marco" from the online series FUTURESTATES

Truly understanding the particulars of immigration requires a knowledge of individuals involved in the transformative process of emigrating or immigrating — often to a foreign land, often without knowing anyone or even possessing a familiarity with customs and language, and often either fleeing persecution or poverty. In turn, they often contribute to the rich cultural fabric of their adopted country. Some evidence indicates immigration boosts a nation’s overall economy, while there is similar data showing that some states absorb an uneven share of the costs for immigrants without healthcare or jobs.
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Tags: Arizona, Global Voices, immigration, law, PBS World, the new americans, tia and marco

In the News: The Latest on ITVS Programs

“[Michal Goldman] has recaptured a daring social experiment, limning its idealism on race relations and social justice and its ultimately fatal embrace of Communist doctrine.”
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“The titular figure in Klaartje Quirijns’ fascinating THE DICTATOR HUNTER, Brody remains committed to the case, despite serial setbacks.”
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“…A splendid, subtle documentary…”
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“Among the swaying giant arms of the saguaro cactus and clouds of dust that drift along isolated roads in southern Arizona is a soothing rhythm, a sound so distinct and stimulating that it arouses both the heart and soul.”
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“Through rare interviews with surviving kamikaze pilots, viewers learn that the military demanded pilots volunteer to give up their lives. Retracing their journeys from teenagers to doomed pilots reveals a complex history of brutal training and ambivalent sacrifice.”
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Tags: Arizona, Jewish, kamikaze