THE SHADOW OF GOLD Resources
THE SHADOW OF GOLD Screening Resources
The Discussion Guide will contain the following for your screening use:
• about the film & filmmakers • ready to watch! screening guide
• ready to talk! discussion guide • ready to act! handout
THE SHADOW OF GOLD
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THE SHADOW OF GOLD
Discussion Guide
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MiningWatch Canada works in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous communities who are dealing with potential or actual industrial mining operations that affect their lives and territories, or with the legacy of closed mines, as well as with mineworkers and former workers seeking safe working conditions and fair treatment.
Earthworks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the adverse impacts of mineral and energy development while promoting sustainable solutions.
THE SHADOW OF GOLD
Interested in hosting a virtual screening?
Click here for more information.
THE SHADOW OF GOLD is an unflinching look at how the world's favorite heavy metal is extracted from the earth.THE SHADOW OF GOLD is a global investigation of how the world's favorite heavy metal is extracted from the earth. The film explores both sides of the industry: the big-time mining companies that dig deep and lop off mountaintops to extract gold from low-grade ore, and the small-time miners—an estimated 20 million people in the world's poorest nations—who extract gold by hand, often producing just enough to survive.
From communities threatened by proposed mining projects in the U.S. and Canada to small-time and artisanal miners risking their health—and their lives—in countries like Congo, Peru and China, THE SHADOW OF GOLD leads viewers from these flashpoints of extraction through loosely regulated supply networks to the very top of the global supply chain, where conflict gold reaches consumers who are unaware of the origins of this coveted commodity.
Finally the film engages with engineers, scientists, and Fair Trade advocates who are working with miners to tackle gold's worst environmental and social problems.
79 minutes
SDH Captioned
Directed by Denis Delestrac, Robert Lang, Sally Blake
Produced by Robert Lang, Sally Blake
Writers: Allen Booth, Denis Delestrac
Editors: Franck Nakache, Sarah Bachinski, James Blokland
Music: Eric Cadesky, Nick Dyer
Cinematographers: Mark Caswell, Russel Gienapp, German Gutierrez, Josh Lee
Produced by Kensington Communications, Inc., Films à Cinq and CAPA PresseWe offer two basic screening options: in-person or virtual. Book an in-person screening using the button below. For an online screening, fill out the virtual screening request form.
For more information on virtual screening options, visit our Learn About Screenings page.
Screening options:
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS (single events with license to charge admission)
$100 Small Community Screening (1-50 people)
$200 Medium Community Screening (51-100 people)
$350 Large Community Screening (100+ people)
"Offers an important overview of what we are buying - or buying into - when we invest in gold bars or purchase gold jewelry. The gold trade is breathtaking in its exploitation of workers, indigenous populations, and the environment. This film can be used as an introduction to the economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions of the gold trade and is well suited for viewing and discussing in the classroom or in the community."
Linda Forst, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Illinois-Chicago
"THE SHADOW OF GOLD is a reminder that we are going to greater lengths - with more ecological and human collateral - to extract smaller amounts of gold. As an educator, I look for films like this one to convey complex, systematic problems through tangible stories of impacted communities. It's an informative look at the global network of drivers behind the large-and small-scale gold mining industries."
Mozhgon Rajaee, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Oakland University
"Tells very important stories about how we are all globally connected to gold, including the conflict and pollution that mining companies don't like to talk about."Nuskmata Mack, Executive Director of the Moccasin Footprint Society; Past Coordinator, First Nations Women Advocating Responsible Mining
"THE SHADOW OF GOLD is a very important film that should be seen broadly to help spur urgent debate about how consumers, legislators and communities can hold the gold industry to account."
David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster
"This is a stunning yet shocking depiction of the devastating environmental, economic and social consequences of industrial and small-scale artisanal gold mining around the world. In an optimistic twist, the film moves beyond these problems offering real world solutions. I will use this film in my sustainability courses, and recommend it for educators and activists who teach or work at the intersection of environment and social justice and who desire a global perspective."Dr. Richard Niesenbaum, Director of Sustainability Studies, Muhlenberg College, Author, Sustainable Solutions: Problem Solving for Current and Future Generations
"Excellent film. THE SHADOW OF GOLD is a comprehensive, global examination of gold throughout its supply chain that balances both environmental and business oriented perspectives, while simultaneously not shying away from the severe social and ecological impacts of contemporary mining. I highly recommend this film for both educational and community organizing purposes."Jerry Jacka, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Colorado-Boulder, Author, Alchemy in the Rain Forest: Politics, Ecology, and Resilience in a New Guinea Mining Area
"An ambitious exploration of a metal that still fascinates the world."Thomas Walkom, Toronto Star
"By shining a light on the possibilities for more sustainable practices, the film encourages viewers to strive to protect the purity of our environment, and, finally, to re-think the sort of luxury that comes in gold."Maria Paula Serrano, Vancouver Weekly
"if you're someone who waltzes into the jewelry store to figure out how to add some bling to your life, the new documentary THE SHADOW OF GOLD has a message for you - stop...The human stories resonate...Where big business thrives, nothing else does."
Mark Hanson, In the Seats
"A comprehensive look at the secretive global gold mining industry and the people who work in it and seek to change it."
Peter Robb, Artsfile
"The film is able to make the audience reflect on how this commodity, so much present in our lives, has a not-so-shining side indeed."
Sergio Martinez, Montreal Times
"THE SHADOW OF GOLD criss-crosses the planet to shed light on the shiny substance."
Chris Knight, National Post
"This film is a good reminder what the jeweler of the future should do and also a reference to educate our clients to ask for better solutions."
Olga Leclair, Jeweler, LOFT.bijoux
"This documentary is a great first step for consumers to make in educating themselves on the challenges of the gold supply chain."
Kesha Frank, Fair Trade Jewellery Co.
"As a jeweler, the question 'Where does the gold I am using come from?' is always lurking in the shadows of my mind. This documentary gives all of the unsettling answers about the mining industry you would prefer not to hear. But it also lets you know that there are organizations that are working to further consciousness and implement standards and rules to change things for the better."
Annegret Morf, Goldsmith, Serafino
"THE SHADOW OF GOLD expertly documents environmental and human health problems with both large-scale gold mining using cyanide leaching and small-scale gold mining dependent on mercury use. As the documentary weaves together personal experiences from all over the world, it pushes viewers to consider the real cost of gold and if 'clean' gold extraction is ever possible."
Henrik Selin, Associate Professor of International Relations, Boston University, Author, Mercury Stories: Understanding Sustainability through a Volatile Element
MELTDOWN IN DIXIE Resources
Screening Resources
MELTDOWN IN DIXIE
Screening Poster
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MELTDOWN IN DIXIE
BC Discussion GuideMELTDOWN IN DIXIE
Filmmaker's Discussion Guide
MELTDOWN IN DIXIE
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Whose Heritage? Public Symbols of the Confederacy
In this updated edition of a 2016 report, the SPLC identifies 114 Confederate symbols that have been removed since the Charleston attack, and 1,747 that still stand. Many of these monuments are protected by state laws in the former Confederate states.Southern Coalition for Social Justice
SCSJ is a nonprofit organization founded by a multidisciplinary group, predominantly people of color, who believed that families and communities engaged in social justice struggles need a team of lawyers, social scientists, community organizers, and media specialists to support them in their efforts to dismantle structural racism and oppression.Further Reading
Confederate Symbols: Relations to Federal Lands and Programs
Congress is considering the role of Confederate symbols on federal lands and in federal programs. While no comprehensive inventory of such symbols exists, numerous federal agencies administer assets or fund activities in which Confederate memorials and references to Confederate history are present.The Orangeburg Massacre
Sons of Confederate Veterans
America’s Most Political Food (The New Yorker)
A Confederacy of Sauces (The New York Times)
Can a S.C. barbecue family rise above their father’s history of racism?The Confederate Flag: The Use of a Symbol
A video by the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
MELTDOWN IN DIXIE
Interested in hosting a virtual screening?
Click here for more information.A DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT BBQ, ICE CREAM, AND THE CONFEDERATE FLAG
In MELTDOWN IN DIXIE a battle erupts in Orangeburg, SC, between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot.
The Confederate flag has flown in the corner of an Orangeburg, South Carolina parking lot since 2000, when former ice cream shop owner Maurice Bessinger raised the flag in protest over it coming down from the SC State House dome. Bessinger, a self-avowed segregationist, deeded the plot of land where the flagpole stood to the local Sons of Confederate Vets chapter to ensure the flag continued to fly in Orangeburg long after his death.
In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, new creamery owner Tommy Daras, who once considered the flag an acceptable sign of a rebel, has a change of heart and commits to doing anything possible to get it down. But "Keeper of the Flag" Buzz Braxton and the Sons of Confederate Vets refuse. With Confederate symbols coming down around the country, can Tommy get the flag down in Orangeburg?
This intimate, verité-driven short documentary film explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in the 21st century and the lingering racial oppression which these symbols help maintain.
There are two versions of this program: 54-minutes and 40-minutes.
54 and 40 minutes
SDH Captioned
Directed by Emily Harrold
Produced by Emily Harrold, Seth Gadsden
Editor: Rosie Walunas, Virginie Danglades
Executive Producer: Jedd Canty, Ryan Chanatry, Mahalia Cohen
Cinematographers: John Barnhardt, Kelly Creedon, Seth Gadsden, Kyle Kelley
A Lynnwood Pictures ProductionWe offer two basic screening options: in-person or virtual. Book an in-person screening using the button below. For an online screening, fill out the virtual screening request form.
For more information on virtual screening options, visit our Learn About Screenings page.
Screening options:
$29.95 Home Use DVD purchase (private use only)COMMUNITY SCREENINGS (single events with license to charge admission)
$100 Small Community Screening (1-50 people)
$200 Medium Community Screening (51-100 people)
$350 Large Community Screening (100+ people)"Brilliantly succeeds in giving voice to the common people caught in the collision of the past and the present."
Peter S. Carmichael, Prof. Civil War Studies, Gettysburg College
"Symbols are important. In public spaces they mark who belongs, who is welcome, and who is excluded. MELTDOWN IN DIXIE is an honest and empathetic portrayal of a controversy over the public display of the Confederate battle flag in a small South Carolina town. Through this film, students will be able to see the emotional power that historical memory exercises in the present, as well as the bravery and persistence it takes to overcome resistance to change. The film will work well for classes in which students are exploring the enduring power of the Lost Cause narrative of the Civil War in the American South."Gabriel Reich, Associate Professor of History/Social Studies Education, Virginia Commonwealth University"MELTDOWN IN DIXIE is an excellent and important film about an episode in our ongoing saga over Confederate symbols that lays bare the stakes of these debates for the everyday people affected by this complex issue. It is a fascinating and poignant film that raises frustrating but valuable questions over property rights, historical memory, and the slow pace of change."William Sturkey, Associate Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Author, Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White
"Monuments falling, Confederate flags coming down, and people taking to protest racial injustice are the images of a Southern Lost Cause coming undone. Too often the lives of ordinary folks disappear in the national story. This film looks behind the dramatic headlines...This is a powerful film told through the voices of blacks and whites. MELTDOWN IN DIXIE brilliantly succeeds in giving voice to the common people caught in the collision of the past and the present."Peter S. Carmichael, Professor of Civil War Studies, Director of the Civil War Institute, Gettysburg College, Author, The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies
"MELTDOWN IN DIXIE is a moving and timely narrative of the modern South. Sensitively weaving together interviews on race, history, and politics, filmmaker Emily Harrold demonstrates how all combine to reverberate across generations and in different ways for various people. The narrative dramatically highlights the vicious legacy of white supremacy which still raises its ugly head; but countered by a coalition of Black and white locals who use both the rule of law and community activism to combat racism and help move the American experiment towards a truer multicultural democracy."Orville Vernon Burton, Chair of History, Professor of Pan-African Studies, Sociology and Anthropology, and Computer Science, Clemson University
"MELTDOWN IN DIXIE is a riveting film that uses a local conflict over the Confederate battle flag in Orangeburg, South Carolina to educate viewers about the broader issues of race, memory, and power implicated in controversies over public displays of Confederate iconography. Its use of first-person narratives to illustrate these issues renders it an excellent documentary for learning about the ways in which symbols of the past continue to convey powerful meanings in the present and future. This film has resonance for a variety of audiences, and I highly recommend it."Patricia Davis, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Northeastern University, Author, Laying Claim: African American Cultural Memory and Southern Identity
"MELTDOWN IN DIXIE offers a sad, subtle, powerful examination of the confrontation over Confederate symbolism in one small southern town. It lets both sides speak as it reveals the racial tensions at the heart of the debate over a Confederate flag in front of a local creamery. With the flag still flying and the creamery closed at the end of the movie, the film will foster classroom discussion."Gaines Foster, Professor of History, Louisiana State University, Author, Ghosts of the Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause, and the Emergence of the New South
"This is a timely film that demonstrates the tensions between those that want to fly the Confederate flag and those that find the flag offensive. As we grapple with our past, MELTDOWN IN DIXIE is an important tool that could be used in classrooms to help facilitate important discussions."Andrea Benjamin, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, University of Oklahoma
CRUTCH Resources
CRUTCH Screening Resources
CRUTCH
Screening Poster
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(customize for your event)
Press Stills
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What Is What
Bill Shannon's art and his ideas as they reflect his life, environment and cultural influence
CRUTCH
Interested in hosting a virtual screening?
Click here for more information.CRUTCH chronicles the gravity defying life of Bill Shannon, an internationally renowned artist, breakdancer and skate punk — on crutches.
Two decades of exclusive access, plus a lifetime of archival footage, depict Bill Shannon from his early years, to his rise as an award-winning dancer and cutting-edge performance artist whose work finds outlet at prestigious venues worldwide.
CRUTCH documents Bill's extraordinary journey: the history of his medical odyssey and his struggles with chronic pain, the evolution of his crutch dancing and skating, his rise to become a world-renowned performance artist, and his transformation from an angry skate punk to an international hero.
CRUTCH also dives into Bill's provocative street performances, in which he exposes the hidden world of assumptions disabled people encounter in public, on a daily basis. While the film questions his early exploitation of strangers' good Samaritan impulses, it also marvels at Bill's ability to create solutions and empower others to navigate similar challenges.
From childhood "cripple" to international provocateur, CRUTCH is an emotional story of a one-of-a-kind artist's struggle to be understood.
96 minutes
SDH Captioned
Directed by Sachi Cunningham, Vayabobo
Produced by Vayabobo, Sachi Cunningham
Writer: Vayabobo
Executive Producers: Stephen Nemeth, Michael Levin, Sarah Evans, Billy Graves, Tim Cunningham, Nancy Blachman
Co-Executive Producers: Earl Cole, Betsy Stahl
Editor: Nick Bradford
Directors of Photography: Sachi Cunningham, Vayabobo
Music: George Karpasitis, Te'Amir Sweeney
Music Supervisor: Jennifer Lanchart
A Vayabobo/Seasachi FilmWe offer two basic screening options: in-person or virtual. Book an in-person screening using the button below. For an online screening, fill out the virtual screening request form.
For more information on virtual screening options, visit our Learn About Screenings page.
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS (single events with license to charge admission)
$100 Small Community Screening (1-50 people)
$200 Medium Community Screening (51-100 people)
$350 Large Community Screening (100+ people)
"You realize that CRUTCH may be about him, but it's also about us. Beneath its surface lays a strong critique of you, me, and all the ways we interact with individuals who have disabilities...CRUTCH suggests we discard our own metaphorical crutch, which is our presumptions about how to manage encounters with disabled individuals, and move, maybe unsteadily, to a place where we ask, rather than assume."
Erin Bomboy, The Dance Enthusiast"A brilliant intersection of performance, movement science, and social commentary."
Pamela Block, Prof, Sociocultural Anthropology, Western University
"Watching Bill Shannon dance can be enthralling, disturbing and voyeuristically captivating. But what makes him such a singular artist is that he's likely to be carefully observing you, too...A powerful film."
Andrew Gilbert, KQED"Sheds light on a much-overlooked artist who has created unlimited possibilities within his own limited situation. It's what they call 'flipping the script on traditional disability narratives.'"
Nadja Sayej, Forbes"This is truly an inspiring story of overcoming constraints to make yourself a new kind of presence in the world...Moving in his own way, he seems to float above the ground. The crutches do not keep him earthbound. They make him fly."
Bradley Gibson, Film Threat"CRUTCH is a global story, a powerful story, a transformational story, and one which will have you re-evaluating your own perspectives. From childhood 'cripple' to international provocateur, CRUTCH is an engrossing, emotional story of an artist's struggle to be understood."
Dance Informa Magazine
"Entertaining and enlightening."
Carla Hay, Culture Mix"A cohesive and forward-moving story that will make you wonder why you've ever griped about anything."
Tony Frankel, Stage and Cinema"His art didn't fit in with traditional styles, so he forged his own path and quickly invented an artistic language to explore the boundaries of his body and creativity. His dancing became political art...CRUTCH evolves into a fascinating study of art that asks about your own preconceptions."
Ricardo Gallegos, Shuffle Online"THIS is a dancer you've never seen before...This is a great film to watch to celebrate the human spirit and unlimited human potential."
Trina Boice, Movie Review Mom"Authentic and powerful documentary...We could all take a page from [Bill] Shannon's playbook."
Jennifer Vintzileaos, Starry Magazine"A mind-blowing participatory work."
Mark Rifkin, This Week In New York"A wonderful portrait of a man following his heart to do wondrous things."
Steve Kopian, Unseen Films"A refreshing perspective that will grab your attention...It pushes past cynicism to teach and entertain and delight."
Liz Whittemore, Reel News Daily"An exhilarating recounting of the artistry of Bill Shannon."
Brad Schreiber, Brad Schreiber"A rare and necessary mirror to the able-bodied viewer's deeply ingrained subconscious perceptions of the disabled."
Michael Dequina, The Movie Report
THE EMOJI STORY
Interested in hosting a virtual screening?
Click here for more information!In THE EMOJI STORY we explore the complex, conflict-prone, and often hilarious world of the creators, lovers, and arbiters of emoji, our world's newest pictorial language.
The rapid rise of emoji (Japanese for "picture character") is a global phenomenon without precedent. Their widespread use and ability to convey complex messages have not only cemented emoji's place as an emerging digital language, but prompted difficult questions about the creation of a language and digital communication's fraught ties to identity and inclusion.
In THE EMOJI STORY, directors Martha Shane and Ian Cheney lead viewers on a deep dive into the ever evolving world of picture characters, from their humble beginnings in Japan to mobile keyboards the world over, and shed fresh light on the private consortium that approves new emoji offerings and the individuals fighting to make the language more representative of its billions of users.
Directed by Martha Shane After Tiller, From This Day Forward and Ian Cheney King Corn, The Search for General Tso, The City Dark, Truck Farm, Bluespace, The Greening of Southie, A Sense of Wonder.
Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival as PICTURE CHARACTER.
79 minutes
SDH captions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Directed by Martha Shane, Ian Cheney
Produced by Ian Cheney, Jennifer 8. Lee, Martha Shane
Executive Producers: Fred Benenson, Peter Friedland
Editor: Frederick Shanahan
Cinematographers: Emily Topper, Ian Cheney, Lucy Martens
Original Score: Ben Fries, Simon Beins
Opening Titles & In-Film Graphics: Ben Radatz, Sean Donnelly
Associate Producers: Margaux Sax, Chirstina Choe
Screening options:
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS (single events with license to charge admission)
$100 Small Community Screening (1-50 people)
$200 Medium Community Screening (51-100 people)
$350 Large Community Screening (100+ people)
"Emojis are everywhere - on texts, tweets, Facebook pages, Instagram, are used equally by artists, politicians, advertisers, and others. What is happening? Does emoji writing constitute a new language? Something is definitely going on. This documentary provides an excellent overview of what is going on, how we got there, and where we are going. It is for both emoji users and non-users."
Marcel Danesi, Professor of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Author, The Semiotics of Emoji: The Rise of Visual Language in the Age of the Internet
"Enlightening...Clever...Everything you always wanted to know about emojis, but were afraid to ask."
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
"Whimsical...thoughtful."
Peter Keough, The Boston Globe
"You should never have this much fun learning about Unicode...It's a doc, but also an underdog story...Fascinating."
Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica
"A fascinating insight into something that everybody now takes for granted - and gives people some background to what they are cultivating and curating in the name of friendship and connection across the information highway."
John Higgins, Film and TV Now
"Interesting...A fun look at the importance of emojis...Conveys the spirit of happiness that emojis are supposed to have."
Nathaniel Muir, AIPT Comics
"Incredible creation stories...Who gets to be represented?"
Arielle Pardes, Wired
"A funny, witty and engaging documentary that explores the multifaceted aspects of emojis, the global digital pictograms that are bedazzling communication and cultural representation. THE EMOJI STORY points towards new pathways to learning and education, and is a must watch in classrooms and community settings."
Sanjay Asthana, Professor at the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, Middle Tennessee State University, Co-author, Palestinian Youth Media and the Pedagogies of Estrangement
"Fun, lighthearted...Inspiring."
Dami Lee, The Verge
"THE EMOJI STORY tells the history of emojis and unpacks their cultural significance on a global scale. This fascinating documentary is a welcome addition to the media and cultural studies curriculum."
Laurie Ouellette, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Minnesota
"Highlight[s] the importance of representation in how we communicate...Endearing and inspiring."
Marty Swant, AdweekThe idea of a feature-length documentary about emojis may sound whimsical, but the more filmmakers Ian Cheney and Martha Shane probe the topic, the more intriguing questions are opened up."
Jake Wilson, The Age
"It all makes for fascinating viewing."
Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Hammer to Nail
"Informative, entertaining...It's all bound to make you think twice before sending your next text — and wonder what imagery is missing that could make that message even more impactful."
Edwin Arnaudin, Asheville Movies
"This is probably one of the most insightful documentaries about the shaping of our modern language I've seen in some time."
Khadjiah Johnson, Black Nerd Problems
"A globe-trotting adventure that is as fun as it is thoughtful in exploring the sensitivities involved in the ongoing creation of a new language right before our eyes."
Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest
THE DIVIDED BRAIN Resources
THE DIVIDED BRAIN Screening ResourcesThe Discussion Guide will contain the following for your screening use:
• about the film & filmmakers • ready to watch! screening guide
• ready to talk! discussion guide • ready to act! handout
THE DIVIDED BRAIN
Screening Poster
click to download
(customize for your event)
THE DIVIDED BRAIN
Discussion Guide
(Available soon)
Press Stills
Download All
High-Resolution
Press Photos
Websites
Hidden Brain Excellent episode of NPR's "Hidden Brain" featuring Iain McGilchrist
BrainWorld Magazine: The Divided Brain: An Interview with Dr. Iain McGilchrist
very well mind: Left Brain vs. Right Brain Dominance: Is the analytical-creative separation true or false?
Channel McGilchrist: The official platform of renowned psychiatrist, author and thinker, Dr Iain McGilchrist.
Institute for New Economic Thinking: Could Modern Crises Stem from Problems in the Human Brain?
BrainFacts.org: We are a public information initiative of The Kavli Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and the Society for Neuroscience – global nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing brain research.
Psychology Today: The Brain: We No Longer Need to Take a Side
THE DIVIDED BRAIN
Interested in hosting a virtual screening? Inquire here!
THE DIVIDED BRAIN explores Iain McGilchrist's pioneering exploration of the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history, and culture.
THE DIVIDED BRAIN is a mind-altering odyssey about one man's quest to prove a growing imbalance in our brains, and to help us understand how this makes us increasingly unable to grapple with critical economic, environmental and social issues; ones that shape our very future as a species.
THE DIVIDED BRAIN follows Dr. Iain McGilchrist on a journey of discovery as he travels to meet his champions and critics and defends his vision on the implications of his theory. Dr. McGilchrist is a prominent British psychiatrist and neuroscientist who may have uncovered an insidious problem with the way our brains function. He has been compared to Freud and Darwin. He believes that one half of our brain—the left hemisphere— is slowly taking power, and that we in the Western world are simultaneously feeding its ambitions. This half of the brain is very proficient at creating technologies, procedures and systems, but it cannot understand the implications of these on the people and the world around it.
McGilchrist knows that if he is right, we may be creating the technologies and the conditions that will spell our own downfall. With the clock ticking on critical issues, he must make his case and help us all to find ways to restore balance before it's too late.
78 minutes
SDH captions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Directed by Manfred Becker
Produced by Vanessa Dylyn
Executve Producers: Vanessa Dylyn, Niki Barbery Bleyleben, Kirkland Newman Smulders
Writers: Stephen Milton, Vanessa Dylyn
Director of Photography: John M. Tran
Editors: Dave Kazala, Eamonn O'Connor, Edwin Janzen, Regan Latimer
Original Score: Alex Khaskin
Digital Media Producer: Cathleen MacDonald
Narrator: Seana McKenna
Screening options:
$29.95 Home Use DVD purchase (private use only)
COMMUNITY SCREENINGS (single events with license to charge admission)
$100 Small Community Screening (1-50 people)
$200 Medium Community Screening (51-100 people)
$350 Large Community Screening (100+ people)
"An inordinate number of people will revive, thrive and flourish as a result of this film."
Dr. Miranda Banks, Author, Fitter, Faster, Stronger, Smarter
The film operates on many levels as a science documentary, a philosophical debate, a political essay, and environmental film, drawing links from each field to further the conversation about the interconnectedness of our world and our ways of thinking...The Divided Brain invites audiences to dive deeper into the ideas proposed by these conversations. It encourages us to expand our ways of thinking to save the planet, and there's no doubt that's the first step we collectively need to take."
Pat Mullen, POV Magazine
"One of the most powerful and thought-provoking films on the subject... And now, with the world gripped by a mysterious virus that literally came out of nowhere, this documentary allows one to question if the right decisions and proper actions are now in place to deal with the post-COVID-19 world of tomorrow."
Rita DeMontis, Toronto Sun
"Dr. Iain McGilchrist is one of the most profound thinkers alive, not only on the brain, but on art, philosophy and the human condition, and this fascinating film, so much deeper than almost all films on the brain, is a fabulous entry point to this most poetic and soulful man's thoughts...You can't help but be changed and broadened by encountering these revelations, and you can't help but understand yourself, and the world around you, better for having watched it.
Dr. Norman Doidge, Author, The Brain's Way of Healing and The Brain That Changes Itself
"The Divided Brain is a very powerful documentary that has not shied from including critical voices. It conveys, with great clarity and conviction, the immeasurable dangers of the colonization of the brain by the left-brain hemisphere."
Sunil Kumar, PhD, former dean, London School of Economics and Political Science
"A stunning film!"
Gerald Ashley, Visiting Fellow at Newcastle Business School, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
"McGilchrist has a remarkably imaginative, creative and learned mind. He has created a grand synthesis that spans his experiences treating neuropsychiatric patients and his encyclopedic knowledge of literature and the arts. It should be no surprise that such an original and ambitious project is vulnerable to criticism. Nonetheless, McGilchrist's central claim - that we urgently need to rebalance our thinking - is not only broadly correct but also of tremendous social importance."
Anthony Jack, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Psychology, Neurology, Neuroscience and Organizational Behavior, Case Western Reserve University
"This provocative and evocative movie brings forward a timely and important question about how we use our brains: whether certain aspects are being driven by modern culture, and in turn driving us toward smaller and more specialized views of the world. How this question is answered may have significant consequences on how we relate to ourselves, each other and our planet."
Judson A. Brewer, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Research and Innovation, Mindfulness Center, Brown University
"The Divided Brain is a universally accessible in-depth journey-backed by scientific findings of how humans process and interpret our world-into the benefits as well as the potential costs of a structuralist approach to societal development. Interestingly, the film explores how the mapping of the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres reflects not only how humans explore and manipulate the laws of nature to our benefit, but also how overdependence on empirical structuralism results in unforeseen consequences. This thought-provoking approach should leave viewers questioning the current zeitgeist, as by eschewing the gestalt in favor of immediate technological benefit we may in fact be missing the forest for the trees."
Robert Assini, PhD, Neuroscientist
"An extraordinary film that traverses science, art, nature, history, culture, music, education and humor, and thereby skillfully exemplifies its subtle, visionary, beautiful and timely message."
Dr. Jonathan Rowson, Scottish Chess Grandmaster, former Director, Social Brain Centre at the RSA"Beautifully filmed, aesthetically pleasing and completely engrossing...Magnificent work."Sylvie Hammerson, European Dana Alliance for the Brain
"An absolutely brilliant film!"
Camila Batmanghelidjh, CBE, Founder, Kids Company
"A remarkable piece of work...It deserves as wide an audience as possible."
Michael Driver, Chairman, Convex Capital
"A fascinating documentary which filled me with admiration for the amazingly rich and amusingly imaginative human brain."
Leslie Caron, Academy Award nominee, Gigi and An American in Paris
"So much food for thought for how we live...A great film - urge you to see it!"
Nina Jasinski, Chief Marketing Officer, Ogilvy UK
"A fascinating look at the brain and how fragile its overall chemistry truly is."
David Voigt, In the Seats
"The work of Iain McGilchrist is essential to understanding the dangerous imbalance in our thinking and culture between what he characterizes as left and right hemisphere thinking. This engaging film vividly dramatizes his important message and as such should be widely viewed in educational circles that aspire to a more humane future."David Lorimer, Program Director, Scientific and Medical Network, Author, A Quest for Wisdom, Editor, Paradigm Explorer
"Provocative...To further test his theory, [McGilchrist] looks at history, the animal kingdom, early childhood development, and other cultures and is convinced Western society is over-emphasizing the left hemisphere in education, work, finance, and government. With a fascinating look at the brain and its implications for mankind, this film is recommended."
Trudie Root, Video Librarian
The Boys Who Said NO!
In THE BOYS WHO SAID NO!, young Americans, barely adults, find their faith in their country shaken by the Vietnam War. Inspired by Black America’s crusade for equal rights, young Americans choose to resist the Vietnam War, and openly refuse military service, risking prison to end the horrors of war.
The filmmakers and people in the film are available to participate in your screening event.
Please contact ehrlich.judith [at] gmail [dot] com.
THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is the first documentary film to profile the young men and women who actively opposed the military draft in order to end the Vietnam War. The film shows how their personal and collective acts of nonviolent resistance, risking arrest and imprisonment for up to 5 years, were a critical part of the antiwar movement, intensifying opposition to the war and eventually forcing an end to both conscription and the war.
Drawing on original interviews with more than thirty male and female nonviolent activists and historians, THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! explores the influence of Gandhian nonviolence and the impact of the civil rights movement on Resistance members, a connection illustrated in footage of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. visiting and supporting Joan Baez and others jailed for blocking the Oakland Induction Center in 1967.
THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is an overdue and definitive account of the principled and powerful nonviolent resistance to America's most problematic war. These young men risked years in prison to challenge a war of tragic human proportions. Their leadership, personal sacrifices, and example had a direct effect on ending the war, and are an important example for today's movements for social justice and peace.
95 minutes
SDH Captioned
Directed by Judith Ehrlich
Produced by Christopher Jones, Judith Ehrlich, Bill PrinceFor more information on virtual screening options, visit our Learn About Screenings page.
Executive Producers: Clara Bingham, Robert Estrin, Alan Gould, Robert Levering and Carolyn Leone Levering, Robert and Marie Weissbourd, Bob Zaugh
Editor: Scott Walton
Writers: Michael Chandler, Judith Ehrlich
Composer: Beth Custer
Narrator: Michael Stewart Foley
"Terrific film...An ode to the power of activism."
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle"Some films are too important not to see. THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is one of those films. There are many different kinds of courage. Having moral and social courage to stand up for what one believes in is perhaps one of the most courageous things anyone can do. Watch THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! to educate yourself on an important part of American history and watch it to renew your faith in the belief that your voice also has the power to make a lasting difference."
Documentary Drive
"A stand out film...THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is a playbook for the resistors of conscience putting individual belief in combined effort to change the minds of America. Profound and startling in its revelation of how the revolution to justice starts with one person understanding their power to say no. Fascinating because it is a movement from the beginning to end offering lessons learnt to future fighters for justice."
Annie McLoughlin, Showreel"There's more courage and moral integrity in this documentary than in any fictional blockbuster. The wars now underway and those being threatened are as unjust as those 50 years ago, and with women being added to draft registration, we need more saying NO. We also need to recognize the scale of the horror of the war on Southeast Asia and avoid the foolishness of desiring a draft. Our planet is imperiled by military spending, and the time to learn from and act on the lessons of this film is not in the future. It is right now."
David Swanson, Executive Director of WorldBeyondWar.org, Campaign Coordinator for RootsAction.org, Advisory Board Member of Veterans For Peace"Wonderful, truly inspiring and informative, with a powerful message about the necessity of resisting unjust war and the imperative of nonviolence. The linkage to the civil rights movement and the role of Dr. King is brilliant and critically important. A fantastic job on an essential film that everyone who cares about justice and peace will want to see."
David Cortright, Vietnam-era Veteran, Director of Policy Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
"THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! tells an important story...Theirs was a cause built on fundamental American responsibilities - that we speak truth to power and resist the unjust, unjustifiable, and illegal. It's an engaging, compelling documentary with considerable relevance today. And there's a lesson in it that transcends the Vietnam era: that individual actions can make a difference."
Leonard Steinhorn, Affiliate Professor of History, School of Communication, American University
"There is never a blueprint for social movements - there are templates - and this film is an important one. It's powerful. ...beautifully highlights another link on the chain of the long arch of American activism."
Susan Erenrich, Ph.D., Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, School of Professional and Extended Studies, American University
"Finally, an account that shows the diversity of the antiwar movement! History comes alive in this thorough account of draft resistance, its roots in the Civil Rights Movement, and the eventual fusion of the two. Young viewers fighting for equity and a healthy planet will be particularly appreciative of this chance to witness the efficacy of creative nonviolent actions, while those who think they know the Vietnam War era well will learn new details about the coalitions that were formed in the efforts to end it."
Elise Lemire, Professor of Literature, Purchase College SUNY, Author, Battle Green Vietnam: The 1971 March on Concord, Lexington, and Boston
"Shows how bravery and courage are contagious. As this feature presents, it's when one steps out of the pages of history that people can pave a way for real change. Successful resistance doesn't have to be violent, and social change can start from the smallest of acts. An interesting, thought-provoking and ultimately challenging film, THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is not to be missed."
Joel Kalkopf, Switch
"This inspiring and long-overdue documentary explores a decisive era in recent American history...An excellent service in memorializing this enduring portrait of America during an earlier time of momentous inner conflict."
Emily Mendel, Culture Vulture
"Make it a must-see."
Local News Matters, Bay Area
"Enlightening and absorbing...A film that speaks to the present as eloquently and as urgently to its audience as the resistors did to their audiences 50 years ago. THE BOYS WHO SAID NO! is too important a film to be missed."
Emily Chase, EatDrinkFilms.com
"An insightful and comprehensive documentary. The film is especially prescient today as it dovetails in with the Civil Rights movement and the current issues relating to the racial divide in America and the rest of the world."
Peter Krausz, Movie Metropolis, WYN-FM Melbourne
"A powerful film. Ninety minutes of goodness."
KTVU, Fox Mornings on 2
"A fascinating documentary about the lengths that a government would go to in order to keep a war machine working, and also the ways in which passive as well as active protest can be a tool of change."
Samaya Boron, Right Now
"A fascinating exploration of the protest movement that helped reinforce draft resistance during the Vietnam War era."
Dov Kornits, Filmink
The Boys Who Said NO! Resources
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ORGANIZATIONS
Resource Center for Nonviolence
Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee
American Friends Service Committee
FILMS
Sir! No Sir! 2005 documentary from Bullfrog Films about the anti-war movement within the ranks of the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War.The Most Dangerous Man in America, Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, filmmakers. Oscar-nominated documentary that goes to the heart of the lies and deceptions that drove the Vietnam War and the courage it took to release the Pentagon Papers.
The Good War and Those Who Refused To Fight It Produced and directed by Judith Ehrlich, this is the story of conscientious objectors during World War II.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Draft Resisters and Related
Dancis, Bruce. Resister: A Story of Protest and Prison during the Vietnam War. Cornell University Press. 2014. Autobiography of a resister.
Elmer, Jerry. Felon for Peace: The Memoir of a Vietnam-Era Draft Resister. Vanderbilt University Press, 2005.
Ferber, Michael and Staughton Lynd. The Resistance. Boston: Beacon Press, 1971. Survey of the draft resistance movement.
Foley, Michael S. Confronting the War Machine: Draft Resistance During the Vietnam War. University of North Carolina Press. 2003. A history of the draft resistance movement focused on the Boston group.
Gaylin, Willard, MD., In the Service of Their Country: War Resisters in Prison. Viking Press, 1970. A psychological study of resisters written by a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst.
Gottlieb, Sherry Gershon. Hell No, We Won’t Go! Resisting the Draft During the Vietnam War. New York: Viking Press, 1991. Oral histories of resisters.
Gould, Richard. Refusal to Submit: Roots of the Vietnam War and a Young Man’s Draft Resistance. Susan Kaplan, 2017. A memoir and historical record unveiling a complex and multifaceted antiwar movement, based on personal narrative, meticulous research on the war, and interviews with fellow draft resisters who served time at the federal prison in Safford, Arizona. http://www.refusaltosubmit.org/
Harris, David and Joan Baez Harris. Coming Out. Pocket Books, New York. 1971. Written shortly after Harris’s release from prison.Harris, David. I Shoulda Been Home Yesterday. Delacorte Press. 1976. Harris’s account of his time in prison.
Harris, David. Our War: What We Did In Vietnam. Random House. 1996. Memoir of and commentary on the war from Resistance leader David Harris.
Keith, Jeff. Inmate 31114 – A Draft Resistance Memoir. Xlibris Corporation, 2006. Served time from 1965 to 1966 for refusing the draft.
Kusch, Frank. All American Boys- Draft Dodgers in Canada During the Vietnam War. Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers, 2001.
Naeve, Lowell. A Field of Broken Stones.Libertarian Press, 1950. After being rejected by twenty publishers, the chronicle of a World War II draft resister has become a classic of civil disobedience and objection.
Useem, Michael. Conscription, Protest, and Social Conflict: The Life and Death of a Draft Resistance Movement. John Wiley & Sons, 1973.
Zimmer, Timothy W. L. Letters of a C.O. from Prison. Valley Forge, PA: The Judson Press, 1969.
General Histories of the War
Axelrod, Alan. The Real History of the Vietnam War. Sterling Publishing. New York. 2013
Bradley, Mark Philip. Vietnam At War. Oxford University Press. 2009.
Karnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History. Viking Press. 1983. Highly reviewed.
Lawrence, Mark Atwood. The Vietnam War: A Concise International History. Oxford University Press. 2008.
Neale, Jonathan. A People’s History of the Vietnam War. The New Press, New York, 2001. A history told by those who fought the War on both sides.
Rotter, Andrew J. The Causes of the Vietnam War in The Oxford Companion to American Military History, John Whiteclay Chambers II, Editor. New York: Oxford UP, 1999.
The Civil Rights Movement
Burns, Stewart. To the Mountaintop – Martin Luther King Jr.’s Sacred Mission to Save America 1955 – 1968. Harper, San Francisco. 2004. Biography of Dr. King and movement history with an emphasis on his spiritual base and the use of original documents and oral histories.
Hall, Simon. Peace and Freedom: The Civil Rights and Antiwar Movements in the 1960s. University of Philadelphia Press.
Lucks, Daniel. Selma to Saigon: The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. University Press of Kentucky. 2014. Traces the continuity between anti-racism activism and anti-war activism in the 1960s.
Dissent in the Vietnam War Era
Aguilar-San Juan, Karin, and Frank Joyce. The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement. Essays by nine activists about their involvement in people-to-people diplomacy during visits to Vietnam during the War, including visits to the North.
Berkeley Art Center Association. The Whole World’s Watching – Peace and Social Justice Movements of the 1969s and 1970s. 2001. Berkeley, California. Catalog of a 2006 exhibit, focused on northern California with more than 100 photographs.
Bingham, Clara. Witness to the Revolution: Radicals, Resisters, Vets, Hippies, and the Year America Lost Its Mind and Found Its Soul. Random House. New York. 2016. Fascinating survey of dissent in America from August, 1969, to August, 1970.
Burns, Stewart. Social Movements of the 1960s – Searching for Democracy. Twayne Publishers, Boston. 1990. The continuities between the Civil Rights, the antiwar, and the Women’s Rights Movements, and their impact.
Cluster, Dick, Editor. They Should Have Served that Cup of Coffee – 7 Radicals Remembers the 60s. South End Press, Boston, MA, 1979. Essays and interviews with seven activists in social change movements of the 1960s.
Gettleman, Marvin E., Jane Franklin, Marilyn B. Young and H. Bruce Franklin. Vietnam and America, The Most Documented History of the Vietnam War. Grove Press, New York, 1995. Extensive collection of essays and original documents telling the history of the War.
Gosse, Van. The Movements of the New Left, 1950-1975: A Brief History with Documents. Bedford/St. Martins. 2005. Original source material.
Hayden, Tom. Hell No: The Forgotten Power of the Vietnam Peace Movement. Yale University Press. 2017. Book-length essay about the meaning of the antiwar movement.
Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. Peace Now! American Society and the Ending of the Vietnam War. Yale University Press. 1999. Examines the involvement of students, African-Americans, women, and labor in the anti-war movement.
Lewis, Penny. Hardhats, Hippies, and Hawks: The Vietnam Antiwar Movement as Myth and Memory. Cornell University Press. 2013. Explores the extensive opposition to the Vietnam War among working-class Americans.
Robbins, Mary Susannah. Against the Vietnam War. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 1999. Essays from a wide variety of antiwar activists.
Wells, Tom. The War Within: America’s Battle Over Vietnam. University of California Press. 1994. Year-by-year history of the antiwar movement.
Memoirs
Coyote, Peter. Sleeping Where I Fall. A Chronicle. Counterpoint. 1999. Now an actor, Coyote was deep in 1960s counter-culture life in the Bay Area.
Didion, Joan. Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Random House, New York. 2000. Incisive essays about life in the 1960s including her own.
Ellsberg, Daniel. Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2002. The government think-tank insider who broke ranks to reveal a top-secret report detailing government deception about the War.
Gitlin, Todd. The Sixties; Years of Hope, Days of Rage, New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1987. Insider’s view of the era and particularly the rise and violent collapse of the New Left.
Other Aspects of the War and the Anti-War Movement
Appy, Christian G. Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides. Penguin Books, 2003. Oral history from participants in all aspects of the war and anti-war experience.
Appy, Christian. Working-class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam. University of North Carolina Press. 1993. Oral history of the war from working-class servicemen, who made up 80% of those who served in Vietnam.
Barkan, Steven E. Protesters on Trial: Criminal Justice in the Southern Civil Rights and Vietnam Antiwar Movements. Rutgers. 1985. Aspects of prosecution of and the legal process for anti-war activists, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Baskir, Lawrence M. and William A. Strauss. Chance and Circumstance: The Draft, the War and the Vietnam Generation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1978. Classic survey of the Vietnam-era draft itself – who was drafted and who was not, who resisted, evaded, or escaped, and how..
Kerry, John and Vietnam Veterans Against the War. The New Soldier. Edited by John Thorne and George Butler. Collier Books, New York. 1971. Compelling account of a series of demonstrations and actions by War veterans in 1971, including throwing their medals onto the steps of the US Capitol.
Miscellaneous
Chung, Nguyen Ba and Kevin Bowen. 6 Vietnamese Poets. Curbstone Press, Willimantic, CT, 2002.Six Vietnamese poets who came of age during the Vietnam War.
Model, David. Lying for Empire, How to Commit War Crimes with a Straight Face. Common Courage Press, 2005. Eight Presidents, and their lies and war crimes, including some of the Vietnam War era.
Perry, Charles. The Haight-Ashbury – A History. Vintage Books, Random House, New York. 1985. The center of the counter-culture – sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Sallah, Michael and Mitch Weiss. Tiger Force – A True Story of Men and War. New York & Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2006. An elite volunteer fighting force descends into a seven-month period of atrocities and war crimes.
Yuki, Tamura and Marilyn B. Young. Bombing Civilians: A Twentieth-Century History, The New Press, 2008. The modern phenomenon of indiscriminate bombing of civilians.
Photographs of the War
Griffiths, Phillips Jones. Vietnam Inc. Collier Books, New York. 1971. The War in photographs
Leroy, Catherine, Editor. Under Fire: Great Photographers and Writers in Vietnam. Random House, New York, 2005. The War’s photographs, and the stories of the photographers and their subjects.
Nonviolent Social Change
Cooney, Robert P. J. Jr. and Helen Michalowski. The Power of the People – Active Nonviolence in the United States. Culver City, CA: Peace Press, Inc. 1977. A history of nonviolence social change movements in America.
Gregg, Richard B. The Power of Nonviolence. J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 2007.
Lynd, Staughton. Accompanying: Pathways to Social Change. PM Press. Oakland, California. 2013
