Category: 2008/2009 Films

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 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

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD – a documentary by Werner Herzog (99 min) 2007 “Off the map, things get strange” Herzog explores the landscape and the dreams of people who live and work in the Antarctic. Breathtaking underwater scenes, images of deep tunnels carved beneath the snow and ice and more are intermixed with interviews with scientists and other souls who choose to live for a time at the ends of the earth. “… this is very much Werner Herzog’s story of the Antarctic and not, as he intimates right up front, a heartfelt tale of ‘fluffy’ penguins…” The New York Times Special Guest Kari Nester Kari Nester lived for over a year in Antarctica. She will talk about her experiences and share photographs. Kari’s words: “It was a great experience to be at the bottom of the world for over a year.  I saw one sunset and one sunrise in the course of a year.  Six months of sunlight and six months of darkness.  We were able to see amazing austral lights!  It was an unforgettable time, and I will always be humbled by it.”

The Struggle of Illegal Immigrants GOLDEN VENTURE – a documentary by Peter Cohn 2006 (70 min) “We feel for these immigrants, we want them to stay and find satisfying lives here…” The Golden Venture is an immigrant smuggling ship that ran aground near New York City in 1993. The film follows the fate of the passengers who had paid thousands of dollars to leave China for what they thought would be a golden future in the US. Their fate gets entangled with the confusing objectives of US immigration policy, which is set in stark contrast with the heartwarming concern of everyday US citizens.

FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER –  an award winning documentary by Irena Salina 2008 (93 min)   “How did a handful of corporations steal our water?” A careful look at the politics behind the world’s diminishing water supply. The film includes interviews with scientists and activists that outline the seriousness of the growing crises and highlights efforts to develop practical solutions and technologies. Screened at the United Nations as part of the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. “An astonishingly wide-ranging film.  An informed and heartfelt examination of the tug of war between public health and private interests.”
- The New York Times Also – St John Environmentalist Rafe Boulon Rafe Boulon, Chief of Resource Management for the Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, will make a presentation about our island’s fresh water resources. Gourmet Concessions Provided by La Plancha del Mar! La Plancha del Mar will provide full beverage service at the event, as well as a variety of old-fashioned homemade candy, flavored popcorns, and gourmet pizzas. Bring your own reusable water bottle for free refills during the event!