Category: 2011/2012 Films

BAG IT! Directed by Susan Beraza    78 minutes, documentary 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he tries to make sense of our dependence on plastic bags. When Jeb discovers that he and his partner are expecting a child, his plastic odyssey becomes a truly personal one. How can they protect their baby from the health dangers associated with plastics? Jeb looks beyond single-use disposable plastics and discovers that virtually everything in modern society – from baby bottles, to sports equipment, to dental sealants, to personal care products – is either made with plastic or contains potentially harmful chemical additives used in the plastic-making process. The average American uses about 500 plastic bags each year, for about twelve minutes each. This single-use mentality has led to the formation of a floating island of plastic debris in the Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Texas.  The film explores these issues and identifies how our daily reliance on plastic threatens not only waterways and marine life, but human health, too. Featuring interviews with scientists and experts from around the world, Bag It is a first-person documentary in the style of Michael Moore, asking how we can incorporate healthy, more environmentally friendly practices into our lives, our cultures, and our communities. Find out more about BAG IT!, the movie here. THIS SCREENING IS BEING CO-SPONSORED BY BOTH THE ROTARY CLUB OF ST JOHN AND THE ECO-CLUB OF GIFFT HILL SCHOOL.  THE ROTARY CLUB will be announcing the beginning of its “Bring Your Bag” campaign to help end the use of disposable plastic bags on St. John. Rotary is seeking sponsors to donate and distribute heavy duty, reusable organic cotton, made in the USA shopping bags around the island.  Each bag will have sponsors logos printed on one side of the bag.  Bags are printed in quantities of 500.  Each of the 14 sponsors who donate $300 to Rotary will receive 36 bags to distribute as they like.  Rotary is also posting “Bring Your Bag” signs in store parking lots and entrance doors to remind people to bring their reusable shopping bags with them. For additional information or to sign up as a sponsor contact Doug White 340 690 0217. THE ECO-CLUB OF GIFFT HILL SCHOOL not only showed the film for the entire student body but created a skit to raise awareness to the problem in the VI and were invited to the senate to support legislation to ban single use plastic bags throughout the territory. If you would like to sign the petition to be delivered to the senate and governor in support of banning plastic bags you can do so at the below link.   https://www.thepetitionsite.com/338/229/699/ban-plastic-bags-in-the-us-virgin-islands/   PLEASE HELP US BAN SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS FROM THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS and preserve our spectacular natural resources and unique wildlife for generations to come!  

QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Bees are  Telling Us Directed by Taggart Siegel:   83 minutes,  Documentary 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay This full length feature documentary is a a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis.   Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. This film takes us on a pilgrimage around the world, 10,000 years of beekeeping is unveiled, highlighting how our historic and sacred relationship with bees has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices. The film goes on to reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Read more about the film on the website: https://www.queenofthesun.com

MILKING THE RHINO* Directed by David E. Simpson:   85 minutes, 2008, Documentary 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Milking the Rhino examines Africa’s deepening conflict between humans and animals in an ever-shrinking world. It is the first major documentary to explore wildlife conservation from the perspective of people who live with wild animals. Shot in some of the world’s most magnificent locales, the film offers complex, intimate portraits of rural Africans at the forefront of community-based conservation: a revolution that is turning poachers into preservationists and local people into the stewards of their land. With memorable characters and spectacular locations, this film tells intimate, hopeful and heartbreaking stories of people from Kenya and Namibia.   MEET DIRECTOR DAVID SIMPSON FOR DISCUSSION AFTER THE SCREENING! David E. Simpson is a producer, director and editor who has crafted award-winning documentaries for over 25 years. His pioneering film about disability culture, When Billy Broke His Head, garnered dozens of major awards including a jury prize at Sundance and a duPont-Columbia Baton for journalistic excellence. David directed Refrigerator Mothers, about the mothers of autistic children, which won top honors at many festivals and aired on public television’s POV.  Milking the Rhino aired on PBS’ Independent Lens and screened at over five dozen film festivals on six continents.   *An On Screen/In Person program made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

PROCEED AND BE BOLD* Directed by Laura Zinger:   90 minutes, 2008, Documentary 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. is an internationally recognized printing press artist known for his socially and politically charged works of art.  At age 40 and unsatisfied with his comfortable, middle-class life, Amos traded in his computer for a printing press and his white collar for a pair of overalls. Armed with life, liberty, peanuts and a meager yearly income of $7,000, Amos cranked out a new, rebellious declaration of independence. The film joins Amos in a fascinating account of his story, while examining the pretensions and provisions of the art world. The work of this self-proclaimed “Humble Negro Printer” raises emotionally-charged questions and reveals remarkable depth beneath the bold print. By learning the rules and then choosing to break them, Amos redefines what life (and letterpress printing) can be: exhilarating and revolutionary. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FILM / ARTIST / FILMMAKER AT THESE WEBSITES: 20K FILMS, PROCEED ,  AMERICAN CRAFT, AMOS KENNEDY JOIN DIRECTOR LAURA ZINGER  FOR DISCUSSION  AFTER THE SCREENING! Laura Zinger is the founder and owner of Chicago-based, creative content production company 20K Films. Her 2008 initiative, Proceed and Be Bold has been screened in countries around the world.  Zinger has worked for various film companies, including MGM, Pretty Pictures and MOJO, a post-production trailer house. In addition to 20K Films, Zinger works as the Web Video Producer for Milk For Thought, a new national website dedicated to connecting, empowering and supporting breastfeeding mothers.         *An On Screen/In Person program made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.

CONCRETE, STEEL AND PAINT* Directed by Cindy Burstein and Tony Heriza:   55 minutes, 2009, Documentary 7:30 pm / St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay When men in a Pennsylvania state prison join with victims of crime to create a mural about healing, their views on punishment, remorse and forgiveness collide.  Finding consensus is not easy, but as the participants move through the creative process, mistrust gives way to genuine moments of human contact and common purpose. This complex story raises important questions about crime, justice and reconciliation, and dramatically illustrates how art can facilitate dialogue about difficult issues.   READ MORE ABOUT THIS FILM ON THESE WEBSITES: New Day Films   &    Concrete / Steel / Paint LISTEN TO A PODCAST WITH THE FILMMAKERS, CLICK HERE  JOIN DIRECTOR TONY HERIZA AND MURAL ARTS PROGRAM ORGANIZER JANE GOLDEN FOR DISCUSSION AFTER THE SCREENING! Since co-founding the Community Media Workshop in Dayton, Ohio in 1974, Tony Heriza has been involved in many aspects of media for social change: producing, editing, teaching and working with community organizations. His work has been broadcast nationally on PBS and featured in many festivals. He is now the Director of Educational Outreach for the American Friends Service Committee and along with his co-producer, Cindy Burstein, is an active member of the New Day Film distribution co-operative.         Since the Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, Jane Golden has been the driving force, overseeing its growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest mural program, a catalyst for positive social change and a model for replication across the country and around the globe. Read more about Jane and the Mural Arts Program here.         Interview with Cindy Burstein and Tony Heriza of Concrete, Steel, and Paint:   *An On Screen/In Person program made possible by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Regional Touring Program.