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Making of a Martyr - Director's Statement
"Making this film we realized our worst nightmares were true. Palestinian children are being taught and incited on a massive scale to take their own lives as human bombs. It wasn't just the terrorist organizations who were recruiting, but the whole of the Palestinian society, including their state sponsored media and schools, is active in this new form of infanticide, which is an obvious violation of these children's human rights. We hope that the exposure of this organized murder machine will finally get the media attention that these violated children deserve. The question that remains is why this film has not been made before? Why has the international media purposefully ignored the openly practiced incitement of children to kill themselves and others in the process? Is the death of these children something that the media is willing to accept due to its own political biases? And finally, what is going to happen as these perpetrators of child suicide bombers are spreading their methods and hate to other Muslim children in the world? Where is the future when children are being bred to kill themselves? Where are the intellectuals and philosophers? Where are the historians and child psychologists? Where are the critics and the human rights lawyers? Where are the western Muslims and liberal Imans? Why hasn't child suicide bombing been declared a crime against humanity? Why are all these people silent when it comes to the lives of Palestinian children? The silence is deafening and we hope that this documentary will begin the process of fruitful discussion and hopefully will inspire some action. As Nelson Mandela once said; 'There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.'"
- Brooke Goldstein
"Like most people who regularly read the newspaper, I was shocked & dismayed when I opened up several international broadsheets to find reports that a 15 year old Palestinian suicide bomber had been arrested. In the days that followed I grew confused, as each report was conflicted. Was he 14 or 16? Was he mentally challenged or simply brain-washed? Was this an example of how desperate the Palestinian society had reached, or was this an Israeli-orchestrated event? With so many discrepancies, I grew frustrated the more I learned about that fateful day Hussam chose to end his life. It was just a matter of time before we decided that if we were going to begin the arduous task of creating a documentary film - this boy's story needed to be the central narrative thread. As I learned more about Hussam, I realized this was the sad tale of a marginalized teenager coerced into criminal activity. Complicating matters, however, was the lack of support outlets for Palestinian teenagers in this conflict zone. From what I observed, there is no viable alternative to nationalism. Anyone who speaks out against the Intifadah is harshly labeled a collaborator. It reeks of familiarity to the contemporary term "you're with us, or against us."
- Alistair Leyland
'Darfur Now' is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours - a call to action for people everywhere to end the catastrophe unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. In this documentary, the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show how the actions of one person can make a difference to millions.
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'Angels in the Dust' is the story of a courageous, self-sacrificing, fiercely loving woman who chooses a spiritual path over a material one; it tells of the life-changing power of one compassionate heart. For a nation overwhelmed by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, orphans, rape, violence, and Apartheid's legacy of social and political unrest, the film offers a clear pathway of hope and a replicable paradigm for the future.
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On his first weekend back after serving in Iraq, Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) goes missing and is reported AWOL. When Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a former military MP and his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) get the phone call with the disturbing news, Hank sets out to search for their son. Local police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) reluctantly helps him in his search and soon finds herself in a fight with the military brass. When the truth about Mike's time in Iraq finally begins to emerge, Hank's entire world is challenged and he's forced to reevaluate long-held beliefs to solve the mystery behind his son's disappearance.
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"I can still hear him hollering and coaching.."
-- William Haley (L) and his brother Glen remember their father, Joseph Howard Haley, founder of Jackie Robinson West Little League in Chicago. More
'Fears of Your Life', by Michael Bernard Loggins, read by Tom Wright
What are you afraid of? Michael's afraid of exactly 183 things. He counted. More
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