Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Monday, February 24, 2014

Pregnant and Working in the Fields

Seven Months Pregnant and Working in the Fields 

Januka stands in doorway



How to view: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26154092

Director: | Producer: Sonia Narang 

Produced | Country: Nepal 

Run Time: 2 minutes 24 seconds  | Language: Nepali (English subtitles) 

Synopsis: Women in Nepal do the lion's share of agricultural work, and it's common for them to continue working in the fields throughout pregnancy. But this can seriously affect their health, and that of their unborn child.

Opinion: Read the fill article on the BBC page along with the video. 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Bajo Aguán: The Clamor for Land


Bajo Aguán: The Clamor for Land 

How to view: http://www.albasud.org/video/en/22/bajo-aguan-grito-por-la-tierra-english-version

Viewer: Zhenxi 

Director: | Producer: Alba sud and Rel-UITA with the support of the The World Rainforest Movement (WRM), Food First International, The Coordination of Popular Organizations of the Aguán (COPA), Radio Universidad (UCA Nicaragua) anb Comitè de Empresa de Serveis Funeraris de Barcelona
Produced | Country: Honduras

Run Time: 30 minutes  
Language: (Spanish with English subtitles)

Synopsisa film about one of the most violent regions in Honduras since the 2009 coup, where the country’s largest and wealthiest landowner, Miguel Facussé, has used extreme levels of violence to re-press peasant communities in order to expand his massive oil palm plantations. Since the coup, over 80 Aguán peasants and activists fighting for the right to land been murdered.

Opinion:
The film documented the struggle people in Bajo Aguan are facing by letting the people speak for themselves. It starts with an introduction to the military regime and follows up with the reality of farmer's lives after the resettlement. 
The film highlighted the cruelty and injustice in the region through people's narration. Through the interviews with the local activists, survivors and government officials, we get a holistic idea of the impacts the violence has caused. 

Good with documentation, but no suggestive actions. See hope but mostly depressing.

 Recommendation:

Good for motivational purpose. It leaves a powerful impression. However, the documentary does not link Oxfam's campaigns as the solutions to the problem. 

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Food, Inc.

Viewer: Brittany Collins

Stream for free: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html

About: 
Director: Deborah Koons Garcia | Producer: Catherine Butler and Koons Garcia
Produced: 2004 | Country: United States
Run time: 1:29:00 | Language: English

Synopsis: The Future Of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade.

Opinion:

  • Starts off with background information about how the food system has changed over the past couple of centuries
  • Quickly transitions into how the Green Revolution became the Gene Revolution, setting the tone for a narrow focus on genetic engineering
  • Lots of anti-GMO, especially anti-Monsanto segments, as well as explanations of how companies have patented living organisms 
  • Interviews with farmers who have been sued by Monsanto for violating their patent
  • Big focus on biotech revolution
  • Mentions it is cheaper for Mexico to import corn from the U.S. than to grow its own because of U.S. subsidies
  • U.S. subsidizes crops, Europe subsidizes farmers, Canada and Mexico subsidize neither
  • University research can't challenge conventional wisdom (corporate control of genetic research)
  • Mentions dangers of multinational companies continuing to consolidate the food system
  • At around 1:10:00, states that world hunger is not about the amount of food (the people starving today used to be farmers themselves)
  • Talks about local food, CSAs at the end
  • Very heavily focused on issues of GMOs and patents
  • Does not focus so much on the future as the title would suggest
  • Much more problem-oriented than solution-oriented
  • Outdated (7 years old)
Recommendation:
  • Some segments may or may not be worth showing to Oxfam supporters
  • Would have to update such figures as "800 million malnourished" (to 925 million)
  • Not really the most appropriate film for Oxfam events
  • Appropriate audience
    • Easily understandable for anyone interested in the issues of GMOs and U.S. patents
    • Does not align with Oxfam/GROW