Arts and Culture

Film Highlights of “The Battle of Ideas”,

Nicole Burton, Canada, Tuesday 11 December 2007

Don’t Miss this year’s 5th Annual Antiwar Film Festival, “The Battle of Ideas.” With only a few days to go, the festival is gearing up to present two conflicting ideas of worldwide scope to people across the Metro Vancouver region. The festival runs from Saturday December 15th from 10am-9:30pm to Sunday December 16th from 10am-9pm.

The annual antiwar film festival is organized by the Vancouver antiwar coalition, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) in partnership with the Britannia Community Services Center, and will be taking place at the Britannia Community Centre Auditorium, with free admission.

The two days will feature more than 25 films, which range from Canadian premieres of antiwar feature films, new documentaries, independent films and Cuban classics. The first day of the festival will focus on the theme “The New Era of War and Occupation” which will be contrasted on the second day with the theme “A New World is Possible: Films from Cuba”.

As the festival takes the audience around the world—from the US and Canada to Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Cuba and other parts of Latin America—moviegoers will be able to experience this variety of cinema in 4 different languages, including Spanish, English, Arabic, and Farsi.

What is the “Battle of Ideas"? Throughout the films, movie-goers will see two very different options for the future of humanity. One, represented by the United States, offers occupation and misery from the Middle-East and beyond. The alternative to this is lead by Cuba, as it exports doctors and solidarity around the world.

The Film Festival this year will be greeted by special guest and feature speaker on the first day, Fernando Suarez a Mexican immigrant to the US whose son Jesus was one of the first soldiers killed in the war on Iraq. Jesus, like over 32,000 other foreign soldiers fighting in the US military, had been promised a Green Card in the US in exchange for fighting in the US Army. Fernando visited Iraq in 2003, and has become a very active opponent of the occupation ever since. He will introduce a film on his fight for justice for his son, as well as “The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez”, a documentary about a Guatemalan immigrant to the U.S, who was also promised a Green Card for his service and who was the first soldier from the US Army to die in Iraq.

Another important feature is the new film, “Why is Canada in Afghanistan? What Afghans Think”. It was produced by York University PhD candidate, Michael Skinner, who spent 5 weeks in Afghanistan interviewing Afghans on university campuses and street corners, speaking candidly about the horrors of the occupation of their country.

“I Am My Sister’s and Brother’s Keeper: Cuba & Southern African Liberation” is another brand new documentary being screened at the festival this year and it will be featured on the second day. It details Cuba’s decisive role in defending the African country of Angola from the invading South African apartheid army in the 70’s and 80’s. The film was made by Isaac Saney, a university professor, author and filmmaker from Nova Scotia. North American audiences have never had the opportunity to learn about this, until now.

Highlights from “A New World is Possible: Films from Cuba” include inspiring new film about Cuba’s medical system, “Salud!” This film spans three continents to witness the examples of what a 3rd world country that has been under US blockade for over 45 years can bring to the world. Cuba’s accomplishments are told through the 28,000 health professionals of the volunteer corps posted in 68 countries, as well as Cuba’s international medical students.

Straight from Cuba, also comes the new documentary “The Trial” which exposes the hypocrisy of the US government that has kept 5 Cuban political prisoners in jail for over 9 years for exposing US-based terrorist organizations attacking Cuba.

A special section will also showcase short films from the Cuban Film Institute (ICIAC). From short documentaries on showing films to remote Cuban villages for the first time (“La Primera Vez” - 1967), to humorous and political looks at relationships between Cuban people (“DollyBack” - 1987), audiences will be able to experience pieces of Cuban revolutionary culture.

These are only a few of the highlights at this year’s festival and people from across the Metro Vancouver region are encouraged to attend Canada’s one and only Annual Antiwar film festival and to see for themselves the power of people around the world in struggle against injustice, and for a better world. For a full list of films and more information, visit the MAWO website at: www.mawovancouver.org