Blackwood Docs @ Noon

A series of documentaries and thought provoking films
All films are shown on the Image Bar, CCIT ground floor, UTM

BHOPAL: THE SEARCH FOR JUSTICE
(NFB, 2004, 52 min.)
Directed by Lindalee Tracey
March 31st at 12 noon playing all day

On December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India leaked poisonous methyl isocyanate gas killing fifteen thousand people. Bhopal was, and remains, the world’s worst chemical industry disaster. Twenty years later, survivors and their families are being re-victimized by the deliberate thwarting of scientific and medical studies concerning the disaster. Beautiful Bhopal, once known as the “City of Mosques” is a sad, disgraceful testament to the absence of environmental and human justice.

Bhopal: The Search for Justice straddles the intersection between science, politics and human rights. Exploring charges of corruption and greed, the film follows Raajkumar Keswani, the local journalist. Set against the rich visual tapestry of India, Keswani travels through the Indian bastiis where the poorest victims live, and to the offices of frustrated doctors and scientists. Finally he makes his first trip to North America in search of answers.

BIODEMOCRACY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
(2002, 38 min)
Directed by Charles Kassatly
April 13th at 12 noon on repeat until 2pm

Filmed in 2002 at the Biojustice/Biodiversity conference & picnic organized in opposition to the Biotech industry event at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre, this documentary features experts from the Council of Canadians, Greenpeace, the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, Polaris Institute & Gene Action. Keynote Speaker, Dr. David Suzuki headlines the concerns of many attending when he says: "GMO's are everywhere in our food stream already - yet we have never given our consent to this perilous experiment!"

McLUHAN'S WAKE
(NFB, 2002, 94 min)
Directed by Kevin McMahon
April 20th at 12 noon and again at 2pm

Canadian media guru Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), now best remembered for cryptic phrases like "the medium is the message" and "the global village," comes in for a much-needed reassessment in Kevin McMahon's innovative documentary portrait. With narration from Laurie Anderson and contributions from educator Neil Postman and editor Lewis Lapham among others, this dazzling and accessible exploration of the man and his work illustrates why McLuhan's enigmatic and often misunderstood theories remain profoundly relevant in today's wired society.