The Torturer: a.k.a Force Drift

Director: Graham Green

From the moment the Torturer started and I, the viewer, was confronted with the image of a torturer, I felt my mind drift to irrelevancies, to almost anything but this low keyed action film that I elected to view.

As the film switched from the actual reenactment of the torture scenes to the plush recovery sessions with the "doctor" apologist for the system of law in support of torture, I anticipated with every change of scene a relief, an end to the torture I experienced as a passive bystander.
Of course, there was none.

As the scenes went first from the actual events of torture to the recollection of the torture sessions from a comfortable upholstered artistically decorated professional office I surrendered to the process, to the moment with the dawning realization that the torturer himself was now out of his mind and that I too was in a limbo state of sanity.

Torture is no longer a lofty and widely disputed intellectual debate about whether or not it leads to finding out the "truth". For me the acts of torture speak to the endless reaction of a vivid imagination, and a science gone wrong without regard to the consequences we face for the torture victim on either side of the process.

This is an anti torture film done with a great deal of thought, of first hand knowledge and a commitment that this is not the way to find the meaning of life nor the source of a potentially deadly act.

As a film The Torturer might reach more viewers but this film is essentially a play to be redone over and over again.

Ideal audience would be politicians
Ideal performers, high school students.

Linda Z
WBAI Women's Collective

Gran Torino Review

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Bigot, racist
Korean war veteran with a purple heart

hates his family
his children (who call only when they want something)
his neighbors
his church,
he mocks
and avoids

sits on his porch with his dog
with whom he converses
watches gangs emerge
and take over
intimidate with random violence
until....

This is a story of Clint Eastwood
Dirty Harry with a conscience
who sees the police as worthless
corrupt, prone to the same reckless violence
the same lies and rationale for their crimes as
the criminals they are paid to control

this is a story worth telling
and certainly worth seeing

Clint Eastwood, Director, Actor
at his best
as he reflects on our world and introduces
immigrant actors who are worth watching
now and in future films

It is fun, action filled and hard hitting
Need i say more?


Linda Z
WBAI Women's Collective
WFCC member

The Garden Movie Review

Kati Lopez, The Garden


Scott Hamilton Kennedy, Director

A presentation of:
The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund
Docs on the Shortlist

On Saturday night 1/10/2009, 7 p.m." The Garden" was shown to an enthusiastic public. As late as the previous Thursday Tribecca had not sold enough tickets to make the screening worthwhile. But by Saturday night it was a sold out crowd that battled the City snow to see this documentary. It was a mostly young, thirty something crowd who remembers not long ago or maybe even still frequents the Forever 21 clothing stores.

The Garden chronicles the southern California neighborhood South Central 14 acre Community Farm where in 1992 the riots broke out following the police beating of Rodney King and their subsequent acquittal. This event is repeated with the courts, the politicians, the money and land holders of Los Angeles prevailing as they set about destroying the community garden where the riots once ravished the land subsequently saved through the community's tedious and successful agricultural efforts.

This subject, the destruction of squatters' property and the Community Gardens is one that resonates strongly with New Yorkers. Every day new bigger-than-life buildings are erected, more concrete poured upon our land while the little bit of grass, of foliage disappears never to be seen again even with the activation of the million tree agenda.

In The Garder, Scott Hamilton Kennedy brings into sharp relief the political lies by the unabashed politicians and the court's twists and turns seemingly without reason and behind closed doors, and the ego driven people emerge from beneath their thin covers, those who would rather have land lie baron, unusable dirt than have it be made into green lettuce or food fit for a dinner table.

This is a documentary done with real artistry, with the heavy hand of a team of people who care about the "community' and the youthful energy to persist until they get the story out, the story that the U.S. press hides from its citizens.

The Tribeca and Gucci foundation are committed to bringing to light just this type of hidden political story and Scott Kennedy has met their challenge with an effort well worth the price of admission.

Linda Z
WBAI Women's Collective

Conversations With Women Critics

CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN CRITICS, a feature of the WBAI Arts Magazine Tuesdays at 2pm EST, airing on WBAI Radio in NY 99.5 FM, and on Web Radio at WBAI.org. Tune in to hear Chicago critic Jan Lisa Huttner challenge the Oscar and Golden Globe nods for Slumdog Millionaire, and the outrageous disappearance of Loveleen Tandan from recognition as co-director.

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE

WFCC Member Sparks SLUMDOG Brouhaha in Wall Street Journal

LOVELEEN TANDAN, CO-DIRECTOR OF SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE


Dear Friends of Women Filmmakers,

The SLUMDOG brouhaha has reached today's Wall Street Journal, with a few quotes from/references to yours truly, especially this:

"After the 2009 Golden Globe nominations were announced in December, a Chicago film critic launched an online campaign to question the governing Hollywood Foreign Press Association about why Ms. Tandan had not been nominated for best director along with Mr. Boyle. "If she's co-director during the filmmaking and marketing process, why isn't she co-nominee when the awards are passed out?" says campaign organizer Jan Lisa Huttner."

"Ms. Huttner hasn't dropped her effort. She says her real mission (with Oscar nominations coming Jan. 22) is to spotlight how rare it is for female directors to be in the awards race. Only three women have been nominated for best director Golden Globes (Barbara Streisand won for "Yentl"), and three have been nominated in that category at the Oscars, with no winners."

"Ms. Tandan's link to Hollywood has been as a casting director. Director Mira Nair hired the New Delhi native to fill the sprawling cast of her 2000 film "Monsoon Wedding" and recommended her to Mr. Boyle. "She is hugely responsible for the foundation of 'Slumdog,' " says Ms. Nair. "Once you trust that it is authentic, you can go with the pop quality of it. She had the nose for it."


CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE ARTICLE


Jan Lisa Huttner
Women Film Critics Circle
JUF News/Fund for Women Artists
& Managing Editor of FILMS FOR TWO
www.films42.com
www.TheHotPinkPen.com

The next International SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now) will be on Saturday, March 28, 2009! Read all about it at: www.SwanDay.org