This documentary examines the way in which pro-Israeli/anti-Palestinian bias is constructed and maintained within the mainstream U.S. media. I thought the step-by-step explanations and many examples of the various points made the film very easy to understand. This film is not only an excellent case study in how power and influence can be used to legitimize injustice and the abuse of an entire people; it also functions as a pretty good introductory ‘historical overview’ of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. ~ pinky (Pinky: A, Mimi: A, Bunny: A, Kim: A)

[ www.superfund365.org ]

[ note from Bunny: The “Superfund” to clean up these sites is broke. Originally the parties responsible for the pollution were held financially responsible for cleaning up their mess. But now U.S. taxpayers are made to pay for clean up. Read more here. ]

This animated film presents a very personal and vivid examination of life in Iran, 1980-1994, through the eyes of an Iranian girl and her family. The story is very wrenching and sad, but also funny at times and the characters show great strength and dignity as they persevere through the enormous changes that swept over Iran during those years. One thing I like about films like this is how they’re able to show (insofar as representations are able to communicate reality) how the lives of families and individuals are transformed by historical movements in complicated, unpredictable ways. ~ pinky (Pinky: B+ Bunny: B+, Kim: A, Mimi: A-) [ note from Bunny: The movie is very well done but I like the graphic novel version much better. More detail and the drawings are more expressive. ]

We like documentaries, and we are interested in analyzing educational institutions, so we were all very excited to sit down and watch this classic documentary. Frederick Wiseman is one of the world’s most famous documentary filmmakers and here he turns his lens on a Philadelphia high school. To my surprise I found myself more interested in the technical and formal aspects of his filmmaking style than the critical dimension of the film, which, to quote Bunny, was only “mieh”. As a record of a specific place/time though, it’s pretty fascinating to see how much style-politics, micropractices, and mannerisms have changed since 1968. ~ pinky (Pinky: B+, Bunny: C+, Kim: F, Mimi: D) [ Bunny says, “Looks like Wiseman and crew like the young girls, hey? That gym class scene went on for forever!” ]

Everybody who’s ever eaten “food” bought from a supermarket needs to watch this documentary. It’s an excellent overview of the argument against genetic engineering and the corporate takeover of our world’s food supply. For more background information, I like Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed (2007, Vandana Shiva, editor) and Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply (1999, Vandana Shiva). - Bunny (Bunny: A+, Pinky: A, Kim: A, Mimi: B+)