Sunday, April 19, 2009 7p.m.

The larger scope of the story explores the gun trade to Africa that takes place under the covers -- Russian pilots fly guns into Africa, then fly fish back out to Europe . The hazards and consequences of this trade are explored, including the pan-African violence propagated by constant flow of weapons into the continent. If it is a "survival of the fittest" world, as Darwin concluded, then the capitalist interests that fund the gun runners are climbing the evolutionary ladder on the backs of the Africans in this stark Darwinian example. Much like the foreseeable extinction of the Lake Victoria perch, and death of Lake Victoria itself, the Africans are in grave jeopardy, even as they survive in the only ways they know how.

Written by Erin Willis {erindive@yahoo.com}

In the 1950s or 1960s, the Nile perch was released into the Lake Victoria . In just a few decades, the large, voracious predator has all but eliminated the other species of fish, turning the lake into an ecological wasteland. "But economically, it's good" -- and indeed, perch fillet is Tanzania 's best selling export to Europe . Fishermen, factory workers, civil servants, pilots of cargo aircrafts, delegates of the European Commission, communities living around Lake Victoria : plenty of people are involved in some way in this new industry. But if Africa exports hundreds of tons of premium-priced fish each day, what exactly do Africans get in return?

Sunday, May 10, 2009 7 p.m.

American Harvest
http://www.americanharvestmovie.com/

"The documentary 'American Harvest' powerfully portrays the truth about agriculture and

migrant labor in the United States at the present time. In a series of candid interviews with farmers and farmworkers from Florida to Maine the viewer objectively learns the facts and dispels the myths connected with migrant farmworkers. The film portrays the migrant reality that can’t be ignored and which is rarely seen by most people. It’s a must see if we are serious about the truth of migrant workers." Janet Korn

The men and women who sow our fields and harvest our crops are not criminals.The film, by Rochester filmmaker Angelo Mancuso, deals with the complacency of many regarding the backbreaking work it takes to get fresh fruits and vegetables to our supermarkets and to our tables. Growers from Florida to New York talk of their frustration at not being able to find farm labor locally and their survival as farmers depending on these "illegal" farmworkers.Congress is currently discussing legislation that includes these 12 million to 14 million undocumented workers, and it is up to each of us to express our support for a humane bill that does not unfairly burden these men and women with excessive fines, having to return to their country of origin, etc. For their sake and ours, we must find a way to integrate them into our society and stop calling them criminals.

Sunday, June 28, 2009 7 p.m.

http://www.communitysolution.org/cubaorder.html

When Cuba lost access to Soviet oil in the early 1990s, the country faced an immediate crisis – feeding the population – and an ongoing challenge: how to create a new low-energy society. This film tells the story of the Cuban people's hardship, ingenuity, and triumph over sudden adversity – through cooperation, conservation, and community.

"Everyone concerned about Peak Oil should see this film." Richard Heinberg.

Produced by Community Solutions; Directed by Faith Morgan

Date: TBA

Described by Jan Lundberg at www.CultureChange.org as “perhaps the most important media message of our time”, What a Way to Go, features interviews with Daniel Quinn, Derrick Jensen, Jerry Mander, Richard Heinberg, William Catton, Paul Roberts, Chellis Glendinning, Thomas Berry, Richard Manning and Ran Prieur. It looks head on at our present global predicament, as oil depletion, climate change, species extinction and population overshoot converge in a “perfect storm” of cataclysmic dimensions.

Produced independently by Sally Erickson and Tim Bennett, this personal essay explores the cultural stories and assumptions that have brought us to this point, and provides a larger context for thinking about, and feeling our way through, our global situation.

“Beautifully written and intimate.” ~Kelpie Wilson , truthout.org

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