POLLS CLOSE ON NOMINATIONS FOR BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2003
December 31 was the last day to nominate films for Political Film Society awards for 2003. Political Film Society rules require the number of nominated films to be reduced to five in each category. Accordingly, a ballot below for two of the four categories for awards. If you have not seen the film, an “Undecided” vote is appropriate.
Five films were nominated for the category DEMOCRACY for promoting increasing consciousness of the need for more political decisionmaking by the people rather than by elites: Herod’s Law, Runaway Jury, Sandstorm, Shattered Glass, and Veronica Guerin. Accordingly, there is no need to reduce the number now. On February 1, members will vote to select the best film of the three.
For the categoryEXPOSÉ, which recognizes the importance of raising political consciousness by bringing to light little-known facts, nineteen films were nominated, so select the best five:
| FILM TITLE | ACCEPT | DROP | UNDECIDED | CONTENT (see full review on website) |
| All My Loved Ones | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | a Brit organizes the kindertransport from Hungary |
| Amen | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | an SS officer asks a callous pope to stop the Holocaust |
| Beyond Borders | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | NGOs perilously cope with refugees in time of war |
| Casa de los Babys | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | the adoption racket for babies in Latin America |
| The Dancer Upstairs | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | the nihilism of Perú’s Sendero Luminoso |
| Dark Blue | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | LA police corruption in the 1990s |
| Dirty Pretty Things | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | exploitation of illegal aliens in London |
| Emerald Cowboy | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | a Japanese American as the top emerald merchant |
| Green Card Fever | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | scams cheating immigrants who seek green cards |
| Herod’s Law | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how the PRI stayed in power so long in México |
| Lilja 4-Ever | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Swedes trap Russian women into white slavery |
| The Magdalene Sisters | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Ireland sends “loose women” to their doom |
| Marooned in Iraq | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how Iranians helped Kurdish refugees from Iraq |
| Runaway Jury | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how to fix a jury; the NRA’s death toll |
| Sandstorm | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how India allows low-caste women to be raped |
| Shattered Glass | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | a reporter fabricates news stories |
| The Statement | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how the “butcher of Lyon” was brought to justice |
| Taking Sides | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | A German conductor as a poster boy for the Nazis |
| Tycoon: A New Russian | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how mafias control the Russian economy |
| Veronica Guerin | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | A journalist exposes Irish druglords & dies |
Vote for the top five films out of ten nominated for raising consciousness of the need for greater HUMAN RIGHTS:
| FILM TITLE | ACCEPT | DROP | UNDECIDED | CONTENT |
| Amen | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | Catholic priests stop euthanasia but not the Holocaust |
| Beyond Borders | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | the desperate need for aid to keep refugees alive |
| Dirty Pretty Things | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | illegal aliens give up a kidney to get a passport |
| The Life of David Gale | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | protest of the death penalty |
| Lilja 4-Ever | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | shows the white slavery racket from Russia to Sweden |
| The Magdalene Sisters | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | how Ireland incarcerated “loose women” |
| Sandstorm | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | legal battle to end casteism & trans-caste rape in India |
| The Statement | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | the Vichy regime purges France of 77,007 Jews |
| Twilight | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | poverty & prejudice in Iran under the ayatollahs |
| X-2: X-Men United | ( ) | ( ) | ( ) | discrimination against those who are different |
Five films were nominated for raising consciousness of the need for greater use of PEACE as a preferred method for conflict resolution–Beyond Borders, Cold Mountain, The Dancer Upstairs, Sandstorm, and X-2: X-Men United. Accordingly, there is no need for a ballot now.
Political Film Society members must return ballots by January 31, 2004. A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Political Film Society will convene at 8481 Allenwood Road, Los Angeles, on Sunday, February 1, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. to count ballots. All Political Film Society members are invited.