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Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Pirate Tapes Not All Adventure in the High Seas.
The Pirates Tapes
What lengths should a person go to in order to get their message across? And is personal sacrifice worth it if the end results are the same regardless? These are a couple of the questions that some may ultimately struggle with after seeing The Pirate Tapes.
Exposing piracy in Somalia from the inside out, The Pirates Tapes follows Mohamed Ashareh, a young Somali-Canadian, as he travels to Somalia in hopes of joining an active pirate cell. Armed only with a hidden camera, Mohamed works his way into a cell run by a ruthless warlord, Jama Donyal, and is assigned to his first hijacking mission. When things take an unexpected turn, Mohamed finds himself on the run from the law with the danger of execution looming.
In many ways The Pirate Tapes feels like two different documentaries mashed together. The first two thirds of the film is riveting as we not only see Mohamed trying to make contact with pirate cells, but with political figures such as President Faroole who governs Puntland as well. Of all the regions that make up Somalia, Puntland is the place where most of the Pirate cells originate from. The Pirate Tapes not only does a good job of displaying how the warlords and Faroole are linked, but the film also highlights the events that created the pirate epidemic in the first place.
Despite the wealth of information, the film begins to falter in the last act which, by all accounts, should have been the most gripping part. It is in this section the directors are forced to confront questions that they themselves had put off acknowledging up to this point. Only when Mohamed is on the run does The Pirate Tapes stop to question why someone would put their life at risk in the first place. Especially since the film states in the early few frames that the importance of Mohamed’s family name would grant him safe travel in Somalia. What is further frustrating about the documentary is how it leads the audience to believe that Mohamed is on a Michael Moore-style quest for the truth, yet the film is not really Mohamed’s to begin with. He is merely the star not one of the four directors listed in the credits. Sure he is the one with the hidden camera in the most dangerous moments; yet the interview footage with experts in the field (e.g. politicians, activists, etc), which offers the most insight, are clearly done by the directors. When Mohamed gets into serious trouble it becomes very apparent that The Pirate Tapes could have been made without his involvement at all. He is nothing more than an expendable figure in all of this.
This is not to say that the risk that Mohamed took should not be commended. In fact it was a ballsy move that very few of us would have attempted. Yet the fact that corruption leads to his downfall is not shocking in a film that has spent the first forty-five minutes detailing the levels of corruption in Somalia. Also, the film throws in additional facts and statistics in the closing that slightly takes away from the overall impact of the film (e.g. only 0.2 percent of ships are attacked when sailing through Somalian waters).
Although the last act really hinders the documentary, The Pirate Tapes is still an informative piece of filmmaking that offers a lot of food for thought. The film provides a rare look into what life in Somalia is really like and the toll that world greed has taken on a nation that merely seeks an existence where they can export their own goods, have a government that actually speaks for the people, and not have to suffer for others lack of environmental concern.
Exposing piracy in Somalia from the inside out, The Pirates Tapes follows Mohamed Ashareh, a young Somali-Canadian, as he travels to Somalia in hopes of joining an active pirate cell. Armed only with a hidden camera, Mohamed works his way into a cell run by a ruthless warlord, Jama Donyal, and is assigned to his first hijacking mission. When things take an unexpected turn, Mohamed finds himself on the run from the law with the danger of execution looming.
In many ways The Pirate Tapes feels like two different documentaries mashed together. The first two thirds of the film is riveting as we not only see Mohamed trying to make contact with pirate cells, but with political figures such as President Faroole who governs Puntland as well. Of all the regions that make up Somalia, Puntland is the place where most of the Pirate cells originate from. The Pirate Tapes not only does a good job of displaying how the warlords and Faroole are linked, but the film also highlights the events that created the pirate epidemic in the first place.
Despite the wealth of information, the film begins to falter in the last act which, by all accounts, should have been the most gripping part. It is in this section the directors are forced to confront questions that they themselves had put off acknowledging up to this point. Only when Mohamed is on the run does The Pirate Tapes stop to question why someone would put their life at risk in the first place. Especially since the film states in the early few frames that the importance of Mohamed’s family name would grant him safe travel in Somalia. What is further frustrating about the documentary is how it leads the audience to believe that Mohamed is on a Michael Moore-style quest for the truth, yet the film is not really Mohamed’s to begin with. He is merely the star not one of the four directors listed in the credits. Sure he is the one with the hidden camera in the most dangerous moments; yet the interview footage with experts in the field (e.g. politicians, activists, etc), which offers the most insight, are clearly done by the directors. When Mohamed gets into serious trouble it becomes very apparent that The Pirate Tapes could have been made without his involvement at all. He is nothing more than an expendable figure in all of this.
This is not to say that the risk that Mohamed took should not be commended. In fact it was a ballsy move that very few of us would have attempted. Yet the fact that corruption leads to his downfall is not shocking in a film that has spent the first forty-five minutes detailing the levels of corruption in Somalia. Also, the film throws in additional facts and statistics in the closing that slightly takes away from the overall impact of the film (e.g. only 0.2 percent of ships are attacked when sailing through Somalian waters).
Although the last act really hinders the documentary, The Pirate Tapes is still an informative piece of filmmaking that offers a lot of food for thought. The film provides a rare look into what life in Somalia is really like and the toll that world greed has taken on a nation that merely seeks an existence where they can export their own goods, have a government that actually speaks for the people, and not have to suffer for others lack of environmental concern.
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Royal Wedding Of Prince Charles and Lady Diana 1981
The Royal Wedding Of Prince Charles and Lady Diana 1981
It was 29 years ago today, on July 29, 1981, that the world was captivated by the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. A global media event, it was televised live and watched by hundreds of millions of people. It was a fairytale wedding, one that would later give way to tabloid headlines about infidelity, including Diana’s admission in 1995 of her infidelity in an amazingly vulnerable and powerful interview on the BBC (see video), and taped conversations of Charles in love talk with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he would later marry. Charles and Diana would separate in 1992 and divorce in 1996. Just one year and three days after the divorce was finalized, Diana would die in an automobile crash in Paris with Dodi Fayed, son of Harrod’s owner Mohamed al-Fayed. The outpouring of grief over death was immediate and wrenching, and it is estimated that some 2.5 billion people around the world watched her funeral.
This photo captures the couple on their return to Buckingham Palace after their wedding, Diana’s smile and innocence captured so well by the photographer.
Prince William and Catherine Middleton Are Married (Photos)
Prince William and Catherine Middleton Are Married (Photos)
The wedding, pegged the greatest and grandest royal affair since Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 nuptials, is the fairy-tale ending to a love story thrust into the spotlight last November when the couple first announced their engagement.
“I, William Arthur Philip Louis, take thee, Catherine Elizabeth, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse,” William vowed. “For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish, till death us do part.”
With brother and best man Prince Harry, sporting the uniform of Captain of the Household Cavalry, by his side, William, 28, wearing the scarlet uniform of the Colonel of the Irish Guards, slipped a traditional Welsh gold wedding band on Middleton’s finger, saying, “With this ring, I thee wed.”
The couple also wrote their own prayer for the occasion. “God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage,” they said. “In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy. Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer”
Wiebo’s War Wobbles But Won’t Fall Down
Wiebo’s War
In the fictional world of comics and novels praise is often heaped on the characters who take matters into their own hands and rise up against the system that has let them down. In the real world, these types of people are often vilified by theirs peer for disrupting the social norm. While a few individuals, such as Erin Brockovich, mange to overcome the odds, most will end up like Wiebo Ludwig continually fighting a war that few people even care to acknowledge exists.
Wiebo Ludwig is a devout Christian, who along with his family and a few like minded friends moved to the Trickle Creek Farm in rural Alberta. There, they formed their own community with little connection to the “secular world.” Unfortunately for Wiebo, the outside world comes crashing down on him when a big oil & gas company decides to set up shop right outside his property. As soon as the drilling begins, Wiebo and his family notice sickness and abortion occurring both within the family and their live stock. As sour gas wells continue to plague his community, Wiebo pleads with everyone from the police to local politicians for help. When no one comes to Wiebo’s aide he decides to wage war against the oil & gas industry himself. Soon reports of gas wells being bombed start appearing and Wiebo finds himself at the top of the police suspect list.
Wiebo Ludwig’s battle with the oil industry made major headlines in Canada as he was perceived as both a cult leader and an eco-terrorist by many. Even the documentary’s director, David York, seem skeptical of Wiebo’s way of life at first. The film opens with Ludwig and York, who is an atheist, discussing whether a man who has no faith can truly understand a person who does. Yet as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that Ludwig’s plight is not just a religious one but a human one. It is a battle between humanity verses big business. When the people who can effect change turn a blind eye to water from a kitchen faucet becoming flammable and children’s faces swelling from rain water, clearly their values are misplaced. There is something inherently wrong when the people who are suffering are told to just “tape their windows” as a means of preventing the gas from seeping in.
It is easy to say “why not just move?” Yet that does not solve the bigger issue at hand. This is about corporations and governments deeming the mighty dollar more important than human life. Imagine if this was your home. Picture someone setting up shop beside your land and conducting harmful practices which you have no say in. While Ludwig may own his patch of land, the government owns the oil that flows beneath it and can sell it to anyone they want. What is even more disturbing is how easily a company can control a whole community. Ludwig’s war against the oil industry is inadvertently a war against his neighbours. By setting up hundreds of oil & gas wells in the surrounding area, the oil industry creates more jobs in the area until the majority of town is working for them.
Although York may not necessarily agree with Ludwig’s beliefs or methods of action, Wiebo’s War offers a surprisingly human take on Ludwig and his clan. In one of the toughest scenes to watch, York not only includes homemade footage of the family grieving over the loss of a stillborn child, but also includes footage of the child to emphasize the devastation that the sour gas is causing. The sad part is that with all the documented evidence of the effects of sour gas, Ludwig is painted as the villain at every corner. When he tries to draw attention to the issue through the proper channels, he is ignored. When he takes matters into his own hands, he is labelled a terrorist.
Wiebo’s War does not justify or condone Ludwig’s actions but it does make an interesting statement about others lack of action. The film is arriving at a time when gas prices are skyrocketing based purely on speculation of “possible disruptions” to oil supplies overseas; completely ignoring the fact that Alberta is one of the largest suppliers of oil to North America. People are finding it hard to feed their families, let alone pay for gas, yet no one bothers to speak up against the shameless pillaging. Wiebo’s War is a film that reminds us that sometimes you need to stand up for what you believe in regardless of the consequences.
In the fictional world of comics and novels praise is often heaped on the characters who take matters into their own hands and rise up against the system that has let them down. In the real world, these types of people are often vilified by theirs peer for disrupting the social norm. While a few individuals, such as Erin Brockovich, mange to overcome the odds, most will end up like Wiebo Ludwig continually fighting a war that few people even care to acknowledge exists.
Wiebo Ludwig is a devout Christian, who along with his family and a few like minded friends moved to the Trickle Creek Farm in rural Alberta. There, they formed their own community with little connection to the “secular world.” Unfortunately for Wiebo, the outside world comes crashing down on him when a big oil & gas company decides to set up shop right outside his property. As soon as the drilling begins, Wiebo and his family notice sickness and abortion occurring both within the family and their live stock. As sour gas wells continue to plague his community, Wiebo pleads with everyone from the police to local politicians for help. When no one comes to Wiebo’s aide he decides to wage war against the oil & gas industry himself. Soon reports of gas wells being bombed start appearing and Wiebo finds himself at the top of the police suspect list.
Wiebo Ludwig’s battle with the oil industry made major headlines in Canada as he was perceived as both a cult leader and an eco-terrorist by many. Even the documentary’s director, David York, seem skeptical of Wiebo’s way of life at first. The film opens with Ludwig and York, who is an atheist, discussing whether a man who has no faith can truly understand a person who does. Yet as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that Ludwig’s plight is not just a religious one but a human one. It is a battle between humanity verses big business. When the people who can effect change turn a blind eye to water from a kitchen faucet becoming flammable and children’s faces swelling from rain water, clearly their values are misplaced. There is something inherently wrong when the people who are suffering are told to just “tape their windows” as a means of preventing the gas from seeping in.
It is easy to say “why not just move?” Yet that does not solve the bigger issue at hand. This is about corporations and governments deeming the mighty dollar more important than human life. Imagine if this was your home. Picture someone setting up shop beside your land and conducting harmful practices which you have no say in. While Ludwig may own his patch of land, the government owns the oil that flows beneath it and can sell it to anyone they want. What is even more disturbing is how easily a company can control a whole community. Ludwig’s war against the oil industry is inadvertently a war against his neighbours. By setting up hundreds of oil & gas wells in the surrounding area, the oil industry creates more jobs in the area until the majority of town is working for them.
Although York may not necessarily agree with Ludwig’s beliefs or methods of action, Wiebo’s War offers a surprisingly human take on Ludwig and his clan. In one of the toughest scenes to watch, York not only includes homemade footage of the family grieving over the loss of a stillborn child, but also includes footage of the child to emphasize the devastation that the sour gas is causing. The sad part is that with all the documented evidence of the effects of sour gas, Ludwig is painted as the villain at every corner. When he tries to draw attention to the issue through the proper channels, he is ignored. When he takes matters into his own hands, he is labelled a terrorist.
Wiebo’s War does not justify or condone Ludwig’s actions but it does make an interesting statement about others lack of action. The film is arriving at a time when gas prices are skyrocketing based purely on speculation of “possible disruptions” to oil supplies overseas; completely ignoring the fact that Alberta is one of the largest suppliers of oil to North America. People are finding it hard to feed their families, let alone pay for gas, yet no one bothers to speak up against the shameless pillaging. Wiebo’s War is a film that reminds us that sometimes you need to stand up for what you believe in regardless of the consequences.
Royal newlyweds share first public kiss
Prince William & Kate balcony kisses complete wedding
If you looked away from the screen for a moment, you probably missed it. It was a quick smooch. Kate turned to her groom, said something with a smile, and the prince reached over, rather hurriedly, and gave her a very quick kiss.
Maybe that's why he kissed her again.The second kiss came just before the Royal Air Force flyover. Another first on a historic day: two kisses on the Buckingham Palace balcony by a newly married royal couple.
All eyes were on Prince William and Kate as they emerged from the palace onto the balcony. Many among the boisterous gathered crowd and those watching around the world surely had one defining image in their minds: Princess Diana and Prince Charles' memorable wedding kiss.
It wasn’t traditional for royal couples to kiss in public following their weddings before the summer of 1981. And Prince Charles reportedly resisted breaking tradition when the crowds outside Buckingham Palace that historic July morning called out for them to kiss.
“I am not going to do that caper. They are trying to get us to kiss,” he said to Diana.
Diana’s reported response: “Well, how about it?” The prince hesitated, then said “Why ever not?”
And this image lives on as proof.
Sadly, the marriage did not live up to the sweetness of that first public kiss. And because of that, there is a lifetime of hope wrapped up in today’s royal smooch. The world wishes so much better for this young couple. They have come to marriage older, wiser, and by all accounts, truly in love.
The grand balcony has been the stage for vaulted royal appearances since 1851, when Queen Victoria stepped out onto it during celebrations for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. The Great Exhibition was the first in a series of World’s Fair displays of culture and industry and attended by the likes of Charles Darwin and Charlotte Brontë.
Princess Anne was the first of Queen Elizabeth’s newly wed children to appear on the balcony with her new spouse, Captain Mark Phillips, in 1973. But they did not kiss.
Neither did Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex on their 1999 wedding day, though Prince Andrew did follow his elder brother’s lead when he kissed the Duchess of York on the balcony on their wedding day in 1986.
A new iconic royal kiss image is born. Long live the marriage.
Source: Yahoo
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