Category: Economics/Development
20th century with Mike Wallace. The US in Latin America : Yankee go home
Looks at the relationship between the US and Latin America. Turns a critical eye toward the invasions of Grenada and Panama and the occupation of Haiti. Respectively, these operations were ordered by Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Extensive footage shows American forces in action, and foreign policy experts examine the stated goals and results. Interviews Dr. Robert A. Pastor who personnally negotiated with Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega and Haitian dictator Raoul Cedras
Economics/Development, Politics/Human Rights, USA25KM
This documentary follows sisters María Dolores and María de los Ángeles Domínguez as they walk 25 kilometers each week from their remote village of El Brujo to Candelaria to attend mass. Part of a trilogy by Jeffrey Puente García (72 Hrs, Para subir al cielo), it reflects the perseverance of rural Catholic communities in Cuba. At its core is Father Yvan Bergeron, a Quebec missionary who served in Candelaria for decades. More than a simple pilgrimage, 25 KM portrays faith, dignity, and resilience in the Domínguez-Martínez family, especially their mother Milagros Díaz, who strives to preserve tradition and spirituality amid hardship and isolation.
Cuba, Drama, Economics/Development, Religion, Social Issues, Women's StudiesA Cor Do Trabalho
The documentary is part of a set of actions developed by Setre since 2007, including the Call for Support to the Solidarity Economy of the African Matrix, whose objective is to permanently strengthen and value the historical roots of black people. According to the state secretary of Labor and Sports, Nilton Vasconcelos, "the documentary records how the union between solidarity and work constituted a force with the power to transform stories and lives of the black population in Bahia, making positive their experiences, surpassing the adversities and serve as examples and references for later generations. " The film encourages young people to dream of a future different from their parents
Brazil, Economics/Development, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesAdjusting in Nicaragua: The IMF, World Bank, and Community Development
A documentary about the effects of IMF and World Bank policies on the economy and society of Nicaragua, and the efforts to counteract the negative results of such policies through cooperative and community development efforts. Based primarily on oral interviews with representatives from development agencies.
Economics/Development, Nicaragua, Politics/Human RightsAl otro lado
Border, Country/Region, Economics/Development, Latinos/Chicanos, Mexico, Migration/Immigration, USAAlsino y el Condor
An allegory about an idealistic ten-year-old peasant who dreams of flying like a condor. He eventually learns to fly when he joins guerrillas fighting in an imaginary Central American country.
Drama, Economics/Development, Nicaragua, Politics/Human Rights, ReligionAmericas: Part 1
"The Garden of Forking Paths" This program traces the modern-era development of the nations and national economies of the Americas, with a focus on Argentina that includes the Peron years, the dictatorship of the 1970s and the Malvinas/Falklands War.
Argentina, Economics/Development, History, Latin America, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesAmericas: Part 2
"Capital Sins" Part of a 10-part PBS series on the western hemisphere, this program examines the trajectory of Brazil's economy from the mid 1960s through the 1980s, spotlighting the methods Brazil's rulers chose to develop that country and how their choices affected the lives of ordinary Brazilians. Beginning with the rapid growth of the late 1960s and 1970s known as the "Brazilian Miracle," it examines the cost of this growth in terms of the repression of the military regime of that period, as well as the growing inequality of the 1970s and the debt crisis of the 1980s. The transition to democratic rule in the 1980s is also covered. Interviews with members of the military regime and its opponents, including current President Luis Ignacio "Lula" Da Silva and politician Benedita Da Silva, complement the documentary's narrative.
Brazil, Economics/Development, History, Latin AmericaAmericas: Part 8
"Get Up, Stand Up" This program addresses internal and external challenges to sovereignty in the Americas and examines the ways in which the nations of the Americas cope with the dilemma of maintaining economic and cultural sovereignty in the face of strong pressures, both foreign and domestic. The program, set in Colombia, Jamaica and Panama, explores a wide range of threats to sovereignty, from narco-terrorism to foreign intervention.
Colombia, Economics/Development, Jamaica, Latin America, Panama, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesArgentina: Growth or Disappearance
This documentary discusses Argentina's current economic crisis by focusing on the effects of neoliberal economic policies implemented in the early 1990s. Subjects such as the "corralito", pesification, devaluation, piqueteros, neighborhood associations, mass movements, occupied factories, and the effects of the crisis on education, and heath care are all covered in this thorough look at present-day Argentina.
Argentina, Economics/DevelopmentAs Américas Têm Cor / The Americas Have Color
"Different skin tones, individual and collective stories. This is the content of the documentary, 'The Americas Have Color: Afro-Descendants in 21st-Century Censuses.' This documentary reconstructs the African Diaspora's ties to the Americas and reveals the censuses' strategic role for advancing the rights of Afro-descendants in Latin America. The documentary was conceived by the 2010 Census Afro-descendant Group, produced by TV Brasil International, and funded by UNIFEM Brazil and Southern Cone, through its Regional Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Poverty Program." Part of 4-DVD collection, "Coletânea Gênero, Raça e Etnia."
Brazil, Economics/Development, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesBanana Split
A Documentary that delves into the history of the banana. The film starts by explaining the globalization of the banana and its effects on the economy of Honduras. It shows the viewer the hardships and difficulties faced by the common banana workers and their relationship with the fruit corporations.
Economics/Development, Honduras, Social IssuesBatalla de Tepoztlan, La
This documentary is not only a chronological description of the controversy between the town and the group KS but a much more complex and critical description. It is a contrast between modernity and backwardness, richness and poverty, and what is legal and what is not in present civilization.
Economics/Development, Mexico, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesBoca del Lobo, La
La Boca del Lobo is fiction inspired by the Peruvian army's November 1983 massacre of 47 men, women and children suspected of terrorism. When the news of the massacre came out, the army blamed Shining Path for the atrocities, but one eyewitness testified to the contrary. The movie portrays the moral and emotional disintegration of the members of a small army detachment sent away from any world they know to root out Shining Path missing in a remote mountain village.
Drama, Economics/Development, Peru, Politics/Human Rights, ReligionBorderline Cases
Nearly 2000 maquiladoras have been built in Mexico by companies from the US, Asia and Europe. As a result, the border has become a 2000 mile-long open sewer, a vast toxic waste dump. Filmed in three border regions, (Matamoros and Brownsville; Tijuana and San Diego; Ciudad Juarez and El Paso), Borderline Cases reveals the complexity and magnitude of the clean-up and gives a sense of energy and imagination found in the diverse mix of people of both countries who are re-thinking traditional notions of borders as they engage in the search for solutions.
Border, Economics/Development, Mexico, Politics/Human Rights, USABrother Towns / Pueblos Hermanos
Brother Towns/Pueblos Hermanos describes the lives of immigrants from Jacaltenango, Guatemala who currently work and reside in Jupiter, Florida. The documentary explores the motives of migration to the United States and the hardships that the Mayan descendants of Jacaltenango face either in Guatemala or in the United States. The documentary also includes the voices of those who have responded to undocumented immigration: those who adamantly oppose it and also the advocates who help migrants acclimate to a new place.”
Subject: Migration/Immigration
Buscándote Habana / Looking For You, Havana
"Looking For You, Havana" is a documentary that follows a group of undocumented Cubans from the eastern province of Oriente looking for a better life in Havana. Without proper documents allowing them to legally live there, they often set up a home in areas close to the city, building with whatever they can get their hands on--wood, cardboard, sheet metal. These shantytowns, called fanguitos, are similar to Brazil's favelas. Quite often lacking running water and electricity, without proper papers residents are not entitled to medical care or education and, if caught, are deported back to their province
Cuba, Economics/Development, Migration/ImmigrationCooperative Without Borders, A
This informative piece begins with a presentation of the struggle of Mexican men crossing the U.S. border in search for better economic opportunities. It narrates the crossing of U.S. border in search for better opportunities. It narrates the creation and accomplishments of the Cooperativa sin Fronteras, a fund for economic development. Through this fund money is transferred from employers of migrant workers in Arizona to create and encourage the economic development necessary for the amelioration of conditions in 6 Mexican states. In this way, the Cooperative strives to reduce the problem of illegal migration to the United States. Inter-American Foundation.
Economics/Development, Mexico, USACrise Financeira: O Que Pensam A Juventude Brasileira E As Trabalhadoras Domésticas…?
Financial Crisis: Latin American Youth and Women Domestic Workers' Views" interviews young people and domestic workers about the global financial crisis of 2008-present. Interviewees offer their opinions about the roots of the crisis and offer solutions. Part of 4-DVD collection, "Coletânea Gênero, Raça e Etnia."
Subject: Economics/Development, Social Issues
Eles Não Usam Black-Tie
Union leader's son doesn't want to engage in a strike, because his wife is pregnant, thus disregarding his father's tradition of political activism.
Brazil, Drama, Economics/Development, Politics/Human Rights, Social Issues, Social Movements/ResistanceEn El Hoyo / In The Pit
In Mexico City, a second layer is being built atop the Periférico freeway, which inscribes a massive circle on the metropolis. Despite the project's enormity, the workers who are building the freeway are barely noticed by drivers who roll by endlessly. Rulfo's film places us among these workers. The film chronicles long days of arduous work, risk taking, joking, swearing, and philosophizing.
Economics/Development, Mexico, Social IssuesGuestworker, The
Since 1986, thousands of Mexican men have entered the United States to work under the auspices of the H-2A guestworker program. These men are given temporary visas to come to the United States for several months a year and provide labor in sectors such as agriculture in which American citizens are increasingly unwilling to work. The Guestworker centers on the experiences of Candelario Moreno, who works on the pepper, cucumber, and tobacco fields of Wester Farms in North Carolina. It explores the need for labor that drives the program and examines the conditions experienced by those Mexicans who make the choice to participate.
Economics/Development, Mexico, Migration/Immigration, USAGuestworker, The
Economics/Development, Mexico, Migration/Immigration, USALa Generacion del Estanbai
The working class of Puerto Rico is shrinking, leaving millennials entering the work force with few options.This film follows the lives of several college graduates and their economic hardships.
Economics/Development, Latinos/Chicanos, Puerto Rico, Social IssuesLetters From the Other Side / Cartas del Otro Lado
This film interweaves video letters carried across the U.S./Mexico border by the film’s director with the personal stories of women left behind in post-NAFTA Mexico, giving voice to 4 amazing women who feel the effects of failed immigration and trade policies on a daily basis. Focusing on a side of the immigration story rarely told by the media or touched upon in our national debates, Letters from the Other Side offers a fresh perspective, painting a complex portrait of families torn apart by economics, communities dying at the hands of globalization, and governments incapable or unwilling to do anything about it.
Economics/Development, Mexico, USALos Que Se Quedan
An award-winning and discerning depiction of the impact of migration on Mexican families and villages left behind by loved ones who have traveled North for work.
Border, Economics/Development, Latinos/Chicanos, Migration/Immigration, Social IssuesMan Who Copied, The
omance and intrigue await a poor copy machine operator who learns that counterfeiting and murder are a lethal combination in this enthralling Brazilian thriller that blends good-humored romanticism, poignant social observations and exciting criminal action. Fresh from his success in the acclaimed hit Madame Sat, handsome Lzaro Ramos stars as 20 year-old Andre, a dreamer whose days consist of working at a copying store while at night he draws comic book fantasies and spies on Silvia (Leandra Leal), the beautiful clothing store salesgirl who lives across the street. After he summons enough courage to meet her, their lives take an unpredictable turn when the lure of cash proves to be too great a temptation. In combining magical realism and comedy, director Jorge Furtado creates a new cinematic vision that is propelled by a lively soundtrack and a first-class ensemble cast.
Art, Brazil, Comedy, Drama, Economics/Development, Social IssuesMaquila: A Tale Of Two Mexicos
This film examines the impact of corporate globalization on Mexico, focusing on the maquiladoras, U.S.-owned factories employing cheap Mexican labor. Archival footage and interviews provide historical background to the present crisis.
Economics/Development, Mexico, Social Issues, USANew World Border
New World Border documents the rise in human rights abuses along the U.S.-Mexico border since the implementation of border blockades, which have been erected in populated areas throughout the border region during the last decade. This film includes interviews with immigrant rights organizers, testimony from immigrants, analysis of “free trade” policies & current efforts to build a vibrant movement for immigrant rights.
Border, Country/Region, Economics/Development, Environment/Geography, Mexico, Subject, USAOlvidados, Los
This 1950 masterpiece, directed by Luis Buñuel, portrays the misery of poverty with an astounding starkness. Poor children of Mexican slums are the primary subjects of this unconstrained vision of poverty. In many big cities, behind the large buildings are areas of complete misery. Children are malnourished, there are no schools, sanitation is not up to par and delinquents abound. Los Olvidados has been called a work of free art, a testimonial, an aesthetic expression of moral conscience. The film is an effective protest against human cruelty.
Economics/Development, Mexico, Social IssuesOwners Of The Water: Conflict And Collaboration Over Rivers
The Xavante of central Brazil and the Wayuu of Venezuela are two indigenous groups who both face considerable challenges in their efforts to maintain control over and access to one of the most basic of natural resources, fresh water. In this compelling documentary an anthropologist from the United States collaborates with a member of the Xavante and a member of the Wayuu to explore the ways in which indigenous peoples are responding to threats to their environment and natural resources. The film focuses primarily on efforts by the Xavante to combat the deforestation and excessive use of agritoxins associated with the expanding Brazilian soy industry that threatens the viability of the Rio das Mortes as a viable water source. Through a focus on this particular movement, the filmmakers explore the close connection between the the goals of protecting our environment and defending the interests of indigenous peoples, as well as an growing solidarity among indigenous peoples throughout South America that is centered around mobilization with respect to environmental issues.
Brazil, Economics/Development, Environment/Geography, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements/Resistance, VenezuelaPais de los Pueblos Sin Dueños, El
The documentary features the voices of indigenous peoples, campesinos, Afro-Colombians, trade unionists, students, displaced peoples and all those who mobilized in the Social and Communitarian Minga in October and November of 2008.
Colombia, Economics/Development, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues, Social Movements/ResistancePascua Lama: A Contemporary Quest For El Dorado
This documentary provides an in-depth look at the social, economic, and environmental impact of the Pascua Lama gold mine in the Huasco Valley of northern Chile. By examining the Canadian Barrick Gold Corporation's management of the mine, this film forces us to rethink whether such operations are actually beneficial for Chile and its citizens. In addition to exploring the negative environmental impact and associated effects on local agriculture, the films uses interviews with a number of activists who argue that these mines generate very little economic benefit for the local or national economies, and instead export profits while nationalizing costs.
Chile, Economics/Development, Environment/GeographyPoto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars Of The Global Economy
An exploration of the effects of globalization and neo-liberal policies in Haiti as reflected in the lives and daily struggles of five Haitian women living in Port-Au-Prince. These women tell compelling stories about their experiences working in factories producing items for export for wages that are far from sufficient to meet the cost of living, highlighting the ways in which Haiti has come to serve as a reserve pool of cheap labor for the global marketplace. The film explores themes such as the contraction of the agricultural sector and increased urbanization spawned by neo-liberal policies, the lack of basic services such as healthcare and education, and the gendered dimensions of the violence spawned by widespread poverty in Port-Au-Prince.
Economics/Development, Haiti, Social Issues, Women's StudiesRoots Of Migration
A journey by US citizens to Oaxaca, Mexico reveals the global forces that have pushed millions of people to migrate to the United States. Learn first-hand why people make the journey north, why they wish they didn't have to, and what effect their migration has on their communities back home. Shot entirely on location in Oaxaca, Mexico during a fact-finding trip organized by Witness for Peace co-founder, Gail Phares.
Border, Economics/Development, Latinos/Chicanos, Mexico, Migration/Immigration, USASituacao Das Mulheres Afrodescedentes Na América Latina, A
"The Situation of Afro-descendant Women in Latin America" examines the correlation between race and poverty across the Americas with particular focus on the experiences of Latin American women. This UNIFEM-produced documentary features interviews with experts and activists from Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, all of whom highlight discrimination against women of color throughout the region. Part of 4-DVD collection, "Coletânea Gênero, Raça e Etnia."
Costa Rica, Economics/Development, Gender/Sexuality, Social Issues, Women's StudiesSueños de Roberto, Los / Roberto’s Dreams
The sequel to "Los Sueños de Angelica" picks up 10 years later with the lives of a latino couple living in Durham. The recession has left Roberto without a job for some time, and he and his wife Angelica decide to start a cleaning business. After initial failures he finds himself on his way to starting a business that weds traditional knowledge with notions of sustainability and green practices.In order to get the venture going, Roberto and Angelica take classes on how to start a business at the Latino Cooperative Credit Union. In addition to relating an entertaining story with endearing characters, this film provides instructional information the steps necessary to start a new business and traces the shifting nature of the lives of latinos in the United States after they have established roots and become long-standing members of their local communities.
Economics/Development, Latinos/Chicanos, USATrabalho Domestico, Trabalho Decente
"Domestic Work, Decent Work" portrays the reality of African descendants and indigenous women domestic workers in Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, and Paraguay in their quest for rights, respect, and dignity. The documentary highlights opportunities and challenges for these countries in promoting women's economic rights and empowerment. Produced by TV Brasil International, this documentary series was funded and technically assisted by UNIFEM Brazil and Southern Cone through its Regional Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Poverty Program. Part of 4-DVD collection, "Coletânea Gênero, Raça e Etnia."
Brazil, Economics/Development, Gender/Sexuality, Social Issues, Women's StudiesTren Blanco, El / The White Train
Every night a special white train makes its way from the Tucumán province to Buenos Aires. Its passengers are an alternative army of workers who make ends meet by collecting paper and cardboard. The directors observe their engaging protagonists busily going about their work to try to make a living in a country wrecked by financial chaos and economic instability.
Argentina, Economics/Development, Social IssuesTumaco Pacifico
This film portrays daily life in an underdeveloped and overpopulated city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Tumaco is a city inhabited mainly by Afro-Colombians which depends on fishing as its principal economic activity, a way of life threatened by the accumulation of pollution in the sea and connected waterways. Residents live in houses standing on stilts over the ocean, with no proper water or sanitation systems. Residents of the town share their life stories, their modes of earning a living and reflections on their struggle to secure improved working and living conditions and overcome poverty. Award winner, 26th Latin American Film Festival Bordeaux, France (Public Award) & First Award best feature length documentary film 2009 FESALP Film Festival, La Plata. Argentina.
Colombia, Economics/Development, Environment/Geography, Social IssuesVenezuela: Revolution From The Inside Out
This documentary seeks to get beyond the cult of personality of Hugo Chavez to gain a deeper understanding of what the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela has meant for many citizens at the local level. Through interviews with government officials, community memebers and scholars such as former Duke Mellon visiting professor Steve Ellner, the film examines political developments of the last twenty years from the perspective of popular participation. Beginning with a brief discussion of the Caracazo of 1988, the documentary looks at the role that grassroots mobilization in the form of cooperatives and other locally-based organizations in efforts to reshape Venezuelan economy and society.
Economics/Development, Politics/Human Rights, Social Issues, Social Movements/Resistance, VenezuelaViva la causa
Viva La Causa focuses on one of the seminal events in the march for human rights - the grape strike and boycott led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta in the 1960s
Economics/Development, Indigenous Peoples, Latinos/Chicanos, Social Movements/Resistance, USAWe Don’t Play Golf Here
Mexico serves as a Third World example of how “free market” economics distorts culture and environment. The construction of a golf course is more than the military trying to replace the democratic sport, soccer, with golf. It is how the golf course is going to affect the people in the surrounding area. Fertilizers and pesticides will pollute the nearby waters, Constructing the golf course would require the government to cut down trees, creating an environmental issue. People who believe in taking care of the natural forests around them were being punished by the military for not agreeing with their course of action. Without an individual voice the people of Mexico came together and had strikes against the golf company, the metal company dumping materials, in order to move toward a more democratic country. Despite globalizing efforts of the government, the people of Tepozitlan will always fight for what they believe in.
Culture/Festivals/Food, Economics/Development, Environment/Geography, Mexico, Politics/Human Rights, Social Issues