Political Film Review #438

VOTING CONTINUES ON NOMINEES FOR BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2013

The year 2013 had many fascinating films raising political consciousness. In all, seventeen films were nominated in the four categories for Political Film Society awards, though only three for Democracy (The Butler, Capital and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and one for Peace (Zaytoun).

BALLOTS

Political Film Society rules require final balloting for only the top five in each category, so ballots below enable members to narrow the two longer lists. If you feel that the film deserves serious consideration, mark your ballot ACCEPT. If you believe that the film is off the mark, mark your ballot DROP. If you did not see a film, the best way to vote is by putting an X for UNDECIDED. Polls close at midnight January 31. If the emailed ballot is difficult to read, kindly go to the website.

For EXPOSÉ films, bringing to prominence lesser known facts that raise political consciousness, vote from the following nominees, selecting up to five films as ACCEPT, the rest either as films that should be dropped or those where you have no opinion:

FILM TITLE	ACCEPT	DROP	UNDECIDED	CONTENT
Aftermath	(    )	(    )	(    )	Polish complicity with Nazi extermination of Jews.
Dallas Buyers Club	(    )	(    )	(    )	How an AIDS-affected straight man helped gays and himself with meds.
A Dark Truth	(    )	(    )	(    )	Why Chevron paid $18 billion for polluting the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Emperor	(    )	(    )	(    )	How McArthur got the Japan’s Emperor to legitimate USA’s occupation.
The Fifth Estate	(    )	(    )	(    )	Biopic of Julian Assange, the Wikileaker
The Reluctant Fundamentalist	(    )	(    )	(    )	How the USA is inflaming Muslims to become terrorists.
Saving Lincoln	(    )	(    )	(    )	Biopic of Lincoln’s bodyguard, showing Lincoln as a very humble man.

For films that promote human rights, vote from the following nominees, selecting up to five films as ACCEPT, the rest either as films that should be dropped or those where you have no opinion:

FILM TITLE	ACCEPT	DROP	UNDECIDED	CONTENT
12 Years a Slave	(    )	(    )	(    )	What slavery in the USA was really like.
42	(    )	(    )	(    )	Biopic of Jackie Robinson: What he endured to play in the major league.
All God’s Children	(    )	(    )	(    )	How human trafficking destroys lives of women and children.
The Butler	(    )	(    )	(    )	How a butler saw presidential decisions for or against Blacks.
A Dark Truth	(    )	(    )	(    )	Enslavement of Amazonians in Ecuador, historically and today.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom	(    )	(    )	(    )	The evils of apartheid, including massacres and harsh laws.
Out in the Dark	(    )	(    )	(    )	The perils of being gay in Israel and the Palestinian state.
A River Changes Course	(    )	(    )	(    )	How Cambodians are being impoverished, sickened, and starved by Chinese investment and governmental indifference.
Wajdja	(    )	(    )	(    )	Palestinian boy returns to the home where Israelis evicted his family.

The Political Film Society Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, February 1, at 9 a.m. (8481 Allenwood Road, LA 90046) to count ballots. Final ballots, to be posted that night, will have a deadline of February 28. Winners will be announced March 1 after a Board of Directors meeting, same place at 9 a.m.