Author: Andrea Leland

An entertaining look at a fading subculture… THE RECYCLERGY by Jeremy Kaller (33 min) 2006 The history of the recycling movement in the San Francisco area, starting with the first Earth Day celebration in 1970. “The Bay area is still home to a unique community of recyclers who push the envelope of possibilities.” Additional Feature: THE STORY OF STUFFby Annie Leonard (20 min) 2007 The way you look at all the stuff you accumulate may change forever. Lighthearted and educational. A special thanks to our guest speakers from St John’s Recycling Forum!

SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS by Banker White and Zach Niles (80 min) 2007 “Traumatized by physical injuries and brutal losses in Sierra Leone’s civil war, a group of refugees fight back with the only means they have — music.” The heartwarming true story of a group of African men who fled Sierra Leone during the civil war that devastated their country from 1991 to 2000. Among them were musicians who began making music as a distraction for their fellow refugees. A UN sponsored trip took the band back to Freetown where they were given the opportunity to make their first studio recording. The band now tours the world.

The remarkable Fez Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco SOUND OF THE SOUL by Stephen Olsson (70 min) 2005 “Imagine the feeling of arriving in North Africa without ever stepping on a plane.” This striking documentary is set in Fez, the ancient Moroccan city known for its tolerance of all inhabitants, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew. The film highlights the historic city itself, as well as the annual music festival staged there. Musicians travel from around the world to perform in Fez. A chorus of African Berber women, players and vocalists from Afghanistan, England, France, Portugal, Russia, Ireland, Mauritania, Turkey and a gospel band from Harlem intermingle with a group of amazing Sufi whirling dervishes. “In a world increasingly polarized by religious conflicts and fundamentalist forces, Sound of the Soul reverberates with unity, understanding, and most of all, hope.”

“The best film ever made about Calypso” CALYPSO DREAMS – a documentary by Geoffrey Dunn & Michael Horne (85 min) 2004 Winner of the Best Caribbean Documentary Film at the 2002 Jamerican Film Festival; also screened at the 2003 Mill Valley Film Festival. This award-winning film documents the history of Calypso in Trinidad and Tobago. Features performances by Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Lord Superior, Brother Valentino, Regeneration Now, and Mystic Prowler. “…brings the amazing history of this music and its culture to life, showing us the roots of modern day reggae, hip hop and rap. Fantastic!” – Bonnie Raitt

The Lost Boys of the Sudan GOD GREW TIRED OF US – a documentary by Christopher Dillon Quinn 2005 (89 min) Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival This touching and inspiring film traces the journey of three of the thousands of Sudan’s Lost Boys who trek barefoot for five years across barren desert to reach the UN refugee camp in Kenya. Over 3000 of them are then resettled in the US. They experience the modern world with the eyes of innocence as they grow accustomed to a new way of life, yet they never lose sight of those who were left behind and their desire to help them as well. “…a must-see, if only to remind viewers of the courage, enterprise and integrity that are so often obscured in discussions about immigration.” The Washington Post