Comments on: Greased palms

By: Elizabeth Mariani

Elizabeth Mariani — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:20:08 +0000

while the people in calgary were not able to see it, someone in buffalo heard about it…and so the seed is planted. from buffalo, ny, one of the most marginalized areas in ny state and the north eastern usa, comes a voice of gratitude to the hour for this article and to the filmmaker, nadja drost for her bravery and efforts.
h o w e v e r
for those of us conscious of power and how it is distributed, we should not be surprised. we should not act surprised nor should we react surprised. coming from a land of sensationalistic propaganda, i ask you, montréal and canada and any lucky american to be reading this, i ask you: what now? yes, we know corporations or greedy and occasionally, we are able to force these monstrous entities to do what’s right for the planet and for every living thing on this planet but…..come on….our track record is ridiculous. we need a better formula. quicker. more effective. more sweeping. solid. i am not criticizing the format of art and action. i am poet but please, we have to find more ways to apply this very same pressure. it shouldn’t matter that corporate interests were able to politically sway the festival in calgary. why are we wasting time being surprised?
and so we’ve come to the point again where we force corporations to end their criminal misconduct on planet earth…again. what next? i ask everyone from everywhere through this little internet porthole………what next? how can we improve our efforts? if this was so effective, should it be a formula? and if so, can we extract the sensationalistic surprise of corporate misconduct from this formula? it’s time to realize that, there is no time to be surprised anymore and no more time to complain. what next? there is only time for brainstorming, action and evolution of our efforts.
Surprised is part of their formula to distract us.

By: Dawn Manhertz

Dawn Manhertz — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 20:35:43 +0000

What a bold move on Drost’s part.
She had a piece of news she felt passionate about, she got herself a camera, and made her passion matter.
Gosh, I feel the same way about Niger, except, I haven’t got a camera to film some of the unfortunate situations that occur there, but I’m sure that all of you politically informed Canadians know that that doesn’t mean that their situation matters any less, right?!
Good.
Either way, I won’t have time during this visit to actually trounce on the more impoverished parts of Niger, as the capital = mostly where I’ll be. But no matter right? In the capital, even though they are hosting the Vth Francophonie games, I’m sure that the situation of poverty will still be able to be seen & heard loud & clear, by locals and tourists alike, just the way Nadja Drost captured the folks I’m sure of Ecuador.
Oh what a tangled web these large corporations weave, don’t they?
When will they ever learn?
Peace.

By: Charles Montpetit

Charles Montpetit — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 22:13:49 +0000

As positive as Hour’s coverage is, Ms. Drost might hesitate to include it in her press book–or at the very least she might just want to skip that great shot of her on the cover. Why? Because her head obscures the last two letters of “Hour,” leaving just enough of the word visible to form what seems to be an (unfortunate) editorial comment. I have no doubt that this was unintentional. But when someone like her is involved in a controversial fight, extra care should have be taken to avoid “fueling” ridicule from her opponents.

By: Mark St Pierre

Mark St Pierre — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:56:29 +0000

Wow, yet another fest! One, though, I’m sorry to say that I knew precious little about until now. I guess the climate has changed over the last couple of years, what with the runaway success of docs like Bowling for Columbine and SuperSize Me. And not a moment too soon, I might add. It’s refreshing that more thought-provoking fare is finally getting the recognition it so richly deserves. Hopefully, because of their resultant higher profile, documentaries like Between Midnight and the Rooster’s Crow, will reach a larger demographic, stimulate a dialogue and actually make people sit up and take notice of the transgressions that our country has been a party to.

By: Pedro Eggers

Pedro Eggers — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:59:55 +0000

I know what you’re probably feeling. Outrage? Indignation? Righteous fury? A sense of betrayal? Shame? All good and valid emotions but here are some you might want to try on for size–fear and worry. Why? Because Nadja Drost’s “Between Midnight and the Rooster’s Crow” just shines a spotlight on one huge stain left by our global economy at work. Ask yourself–what else ~don’t~ you know about? If this is the crime we know about that we know Canada is involved in, just try to imagine what’s still out there waiting to be exposed. Like I said, be afraid and be concerned.
~
Canada gets away with a lot of crap around the world because of by virtue of who we’re always compared to (the U.S. & the U.K.) we’re practically saints…practically but not quite. Most media organizations up here tend to gloss over our own corporate sins and the rest of the world is frankly too busy ripping Bush’s America to shreds to notice when we falter so who’s really going to hold a mirror up and say what needs to be said? People like Nadja Drost, that’s who. That it takes a documentary filmmaker to make us notice and care ought to tell you something about how lulled we’ve become to what’s really going on. And hers is only one of many docs spotlighted in this edition of les Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal. If I really have to sell you further on why this fest rocks then I’m just wasting my breath. 10 days of solid and unique Oscar caliber docs to make you think and feel? Sorry but if that isn’t a selling point, nothing is.

By: Maria Cecillia Silva

Maria Cecillia Silva — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 16:55:21 +0000

Yes I would say admirable woman of coarse, who after being rejected for the screening of her documentary film did not just turn around and have the movie run on T.V. or take it to programs like W5. Maybe because she wanted to make money with it, like Columbine Sometimes you have to make moves for justice rather than for making money and fame. I believe she should have ran her movie through the television where Albertains would have a chance to see what is going on . But I do give her credit for trying to make a difference.

By: Geneviève Hunt

Geneviève Hunt — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:20:32 +0000

“There’s a link between Westerners – our consumption patterns, our financial institutions and the way we participate in globalization processes – and the challenges people in developing nations face.”
Yes, yes, yes! Gods, I wish I could waive a magic wand and make everyone _really_ get this… Not only do our consumption choices affect other nations, they also affect our environment and our communities here too, by a ripple effect!
This article was so well written too (kudos Stuart Trew and Meg Hewings), I really want to go see that documentary now – and bring someone else with me (my little awareness-raising gesture: one more person who’ll know about this).
Nadja Drost sounds like a fascinating, passionate and gutsy documentary maker and I look forward to seeing her work, now and in the future.