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JANITORS FIGHT FOR WAGES AND RESPECT IN AFFLUENT LOS ANGELES Forty million persons have no medical insurance in the richest country in the world, the United States. Among the uninsured are recent immigrants, who often work at wages below the minimum allowed by law while immigration quotas are not relaxed to allow badly needed unskilled […]

TURKEY’S REPRESSION OF THE KURDS LAUNCHES A JOURNEY THROUGH HELL The title of the film Journey to the Sun (Günese Yoculuk) describes a trek by a young Turkish man, Mehmet (played by Newroz Baz), with the body of his Kurdish friend Berzan (played by Nazmi Quirix) from the European side of Istanbul to Zorduc, a

BLOW  STICKS ITS NOSE INTO THE LIFE OF AN EARLY SUPPLIER FOR THE RECREATIONAL LIBERATION The sexual liberation, which began in California during the 1960s, was accompanied by the recreational liberation. A weed from México brought temporary Nirvana to consumers and vast wealth to kingpins. In the 1970s, however, a powder from Colombia gradually replaced

POLITICAL FILM SOCIETY CELEBRATES A FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY It was in Honolulu during the last week of March 1986 that the idea for the Political Film Society was approved during the first meeting of the now-defunct Hawai`i Political Studies Association (HPSA). Within two weeks, the Society was launched with the same membership as the HPSA, but

ACADEMY AWARDS SNUBS POLITICAL FILMS AGAIN Political films have often been nominated for Academy Awards as Best Picture, but they rarely get the votes.  Gladiator, the winner for the year 2000, raised far less political consciousness than Erin Brockovich and Traffic,which were also nominated for best picture. From 1986-2000, some 25 films have received both

JEAN-JACQUES ANNAUD HONORS THE MEMORY OF THE SNIPER OF STALINGRAD When Nazi Germany was at the pinnacle of its power in 1942, the only adversary left on the European continent was the Soviet Union, and the path to German control of the oil-rich Caucasus lay through the city of Stalingrad. Now Jean-Jacques Annaud, whose Seven

BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF THE YEAR 2000 ANNOUNCED The Political Film Society Board of Directors met today, counted ballots cast by members, and certified the following winners in four categories:             DEMOCRACY.  Sunshine, directed by István Szabó.             EXPOSÉ.  Before Night Falls, directed by Julian Schnabel.             HUMAN RIGHTS.  Remember the Titans, directed by Boaz

POLITICAL FILM SOCIETY AWARD BALLOTTING CONTINUES During January, Political Film Society members reduced the many films nominated for awards during the year 2000 to five nominations per category. The final ballot was sent out on February 3. To obtain a copy, go to the Political Film Society website. ANTITRUST PUBLICIZES THE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE MOVEMENT

NOMINATIONS FOR POLITICAL FILM SOCIETY AWARDS NARROWED TO FIVE PER CATEGORY During January, Political Film Society members reduced the many films nominated for awards during the year 2000 to five nominations per category. The final ballot below has a threefold choice—yes, no, or undecided. To refresh your memory, consult reviews posted during 2000. FINAL BALLOT

TRAFFIC EXPOSES THE HYPOCRISY OF THE WAR ON DRUGS The War on Drugs has been exposed as a fraud in Traffic, which is based in part on the 1990 BBC miniseries Traffik, which focused on drug traffic from Pakistan to Britain. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, whose Erin Brockovich was nominated for two awards earlier this