What Are We Doing Here?

What Are We Doing Here?

How to view: Free on Vimeo

Director/Producer: Brandon, Nicholas, Daniel and Tim Klein
Produced 2012 | Country: USA
Run Time: 1hr25min | Language: English

Synopsis: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? explores why the charity given to Africa over the last five decades has been largely ineffective and often harmful. The film tells the story of Brandon, Nicholas, Daniel and Tim Klein who travel across Africa in an attempt to understand one of the great problems of our time; the failure to end poverty.

In the film, the Klein family travel 15,000 miles via public transportation from Cairo to Cape Town. They cross war torn and famine-ridden regions where aid workers, politicians, and inspiring individuals tell about the incredibly complex and often misunderstood issues that affect hundreds of millions of people across the continent.

Daring to ask the questions no one else will, the filmmakers invite the world to rethink the fight against poverty in Africa.  Could our good intentions be causing more harm than good?  Have humanitarian interventions prolonged suffering? Who is actually benefiting from our good intentions? These questions and many more are addressed for the first time ever in this groundbreaking feature length film.  If you ever wanted to know what happened to the $10 dollars you donated to charity last year, look no further.  This film will change the way you look at charity in Africa forever.

Recommendation: I watched the first 20 minutes, and the film looks like a great learning opportunity.

Africa's Last Famine

Viewers: Brittany Collins, Will Fenton, and Clara Herrero

Stream for free: http://www.viewchange.org/videos/viewchange-africas-last-famine

About: 
Director:  | Producer: 
Produced: 2011 Country: 
Run time: 25:16 | Language: English

Synopsis: This World Food Day is marked by one of the worst famines in recent history.  But, with the right planning a few new ideas, it could be the last.  Get the latest from the Horn of Africa and beyond in this special report from Oxfam America and ViewChange.org.

Opinion:

• Great introduction to Oxfam (at least our international work)
• Could be perceived as an advertisement for Oxfam
• Effectively addresses small-scale farmers, work for insurance, managing risk, Rural Resilience Initiative

• No consistent narrator/titles
• Jumps from famine to Vietnam-- slightly disjointed

Recommendation: 

• Show for: People not yet familiar with Oxfam's work
• Use as auxiliary component to events
• Break down the video into parts
• Perhaps end with "Is microinsurance the silver bullet..." to lead into a discussion of how it is not a silver bullet

Seeds of Hunger

Viewers: Brittany Collins and Brian Rawson

Stream for free: http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/festival/play/5856/Seeds-of-Hunger (Must request individual viewing link)

About:

Director: Yves Billy & Richard Prost | Producer: Auteurs Associes

Produced: 2008 | Country: France
Run time: 52:26 | Language: English

Synopsis: The threat of famine and increasing food shortages is not going to go away; rather it is to the contrary.  Above and beyond the stock market phenomenon lies the problem of the decline in food production that now has a structural basis.  The demonstration is overwhelming, and forces on us the question: are we capable of avoiding the impending crash?

Opinion:

• Good film with great information
• Does a decent job of at least touching on most of the GROW campaign aspects

• Focuses too exclusively on problems rather than solutions (we want viewers to feel energized rather than defeated from the start)
• Underlying message is the issue of the globalization and industrialization of agriculture (not a focus of GROW)

Recommendation: 

• Show the first 15 minutes to lead into a discussion about the GROW campaign
• Good for showing for:
• People already involved in and aware of these issues (OAC organizers and committed volunteers rather than the general public)
• Raises lots of various questions only marginally related to or outside of GROW
• Does not explore the small-scale food producer perspective.