Day 1
Taking place in the historic Golden State Theater–the kind of place that looks beautiful, smells like an antique shop, and is probably haunted by several ghosts–the Monterey chapter of the United Nations Association put on its 19th annual Film Festival this weekend. This event is situated between two important dates, United Nations Day (October 24th) and Human Rights Day (December 10th), and highlights important issues from all around the world. The two-day foray into documentary films centers on topics such as world cultures, human rights, environment, war, and peace.
One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts (2016)
The first film of the weekend, One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts, poses the question of a commercial land-owner’s responsibility. Set in one of the poorest counties in the Unites States, this film follows Will Harris, a factory-farmer in Georgia who changed his approach to farming in big ways. His view shifted from that of an industrial factory farmer, seeing how many pounds of meat he could sell, to how well he could care for the ecosystem that existed on his land. The changes this man brought about in the health of the environment and in his community are inspiring. Watching this film will make you want to recycle.
One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts can be watched below:
In Search of Perfect Consonance (2016)
Music transcends nationalities, languages, and borders. In Search of Perfect Consonance follows the faculty and students of AYO, the Asian Youth Orchestra. Founded by composer Richard Pontzius and cello soloist Yehudi Menuhin, AYO brings together young musicians from countries all over Asia to learn and perform together in one orchestra. These young students find friendship and solidarity with each other despite coming from very different backgrounds. Over the years since the orchestra’s founding, relations between China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and more have been tense–even hostile–but the Asian Youth Orchestra continues strong. In Search of Perfect Consonance proves that music does more than entertains, it changes lives.
Disturbing the Peace (2016)
A Palestinian woman is arrested and sent to prison before she could carry out a suicide bombing. An Israeli soldier guarding a checkpoint turns away a car full of sick Palestinian children in desperate need of medical attention. A Palestinian man’s fourteen-year-old brother is gunned down in the street by Israeli soldiers for being outside during curfew. An Israeli soldier demolishes the homes of Palestinian families amid a torrent of stones and Molotov cocktails hurled at their armored vehicles. What do all these people have in common? They have all changed their worldviews and have joined together to try put an end to the violence between their peoples using nonviolent means. Disturbing the Peace is awe-inspiring and emotional. It demonstrates the transformative power of peaceful protest in a cycle of ongoing violence and hatred.
Day 2
What is the purpose of documentary film? To tell non-fiction stories. To entertain. To inform. To challenge perceptions. To be a mirror to the world. To incite social change. To inspire Documentary film is a powerful tool in the right hands, and I can honestly say the films I saw this weekend at the USA UNA Film Festival did all these and more.
From Aleppo to L.A. (2017)
This short film followed Dayla, a young woman from Aleppo who immigrated to the USA when she was thirteen years old to escape the civil unrest of her home country. It offers perspective into the life of a Syrian refugee. Dayla has the advantage of being fluent in English, but she is still the only one at her high school who wears a hijab. In 2017, when protesters flocked to airports in response to President Trump’s refugee ban, Dayla felt a moral obligation to participate. Rather than perceiving Syrian refugees as an abstract mass of people, watching From Aleppo to L.A. forces its audience to look at a concrete example of a human being whose life is affected by war and Trump-era politics.
Los Lecheros (2017)
The dairy industry in the United States is largely dependent on undocumented workers who make up a large percentage of its workforce. Much like the film From Aleppo to L.A., Los Lecheros offers perspective on the life of undocumented workers. These aren’t just statistics, they are real people with real lives. And since the Trump administration, ICE raids and deportations have skyrocketed. If the trend of deportation continues, the $43 billion dairy industry will be facing a major crisis. This film informs its audience on how the lives of even the most marginalized people in our country affect everyone in great ways. When they suffer, America suffers.
Kayayo (2016)
Kayayo is a word that means, “girl carrier.” In Ghana, girls are sent away from their families to work as human shopping carts, carrying loads of up to 200 lbs. in bins balanced on their heads. These girls often start working when they are six years old, go years at a time without seeing their families, and barely earn enough money to survive. This documentary follows one such Kayayo, an 8-year-old girl named Bamunu who hasn’t seen her family in two years. This film exhibits the child labor that still exists in many parts of the world and is heart-wrenching to watch.
Kayayo is a documentary short film finalist for the 2018 Oscars.
Before the Flood (2016)
In the United States, climate change is a bipartisan issue. Typically, as an American, you either believe climate change is real or not based on the political party you associate yourself with. Before the FloodThis film, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, gives insights into the conversations being had in other parts of the world concerning climate change. It also informs of the effects of climate change already being felt around the globe far removed from American politics. Regardless of political leanings, citizens of the United States can do a lot through their choices of consumption to influence the health of the environment. The ultimate question posed by this film is about legacy. Will our generation do more harm than good?
Check out the USA UNA website to see more about the film festival and buy tickets for next year!
