Rebel Films

Toronto Socialist Action Presents REBEL FILMS

 

Friday, April 20 – 7 p.m. Capitalism Is the Crisis, 100 minutes, 2011  This documentary explains the nature of capitalist crisis, visits the protests against austerity measures, and recommends revolutionary paths for the future. Special attention is devoted to the crisis in Greece, the 2010 G20 Summit protest in Toronto, and the remarkable surge of solidarity in Madison, Wisconsin. It may be their crisis, but it's our problem. Yasin Kaya, a PhD student in political science at York U, and a supporter of Socialist Action, will open the discussion.

Friday, April 27 - 7 p.m. Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class, 62 minutes, 2005  Narrated by Ed Asner, and based on the forthcoming book by Pepi Leistyna, Class Dismissed navigates the steady stream of narrow working class representations from American television's beginnings to today's sitcoms, reality shows, police dramas, and daytime talk shows. Featuring interviews with media analysts and cultural historians, this documentary examines the patterns inherent in TV's disturbing depictions of working class people as either clowns or social deviants -- stereotypical portrayals that reinforce the myth of meritocracy. Jim Deutsch, a leading member of U of T Science for Peace, will comment on the film; discussion to follow.

Friday, May 4 – 7 p.m. How Cuba Survived Peak Oil  53 minutes, 2006.  When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. Imports of oil were cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the solidarity and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope. Jorge Soberon, Consul General of Cuba in Toronto, will lead off a discussion on the new economic reforms and the continuing commitment to socialism in Cuba today.

Friday, May 11 – 7 p.m. Haiti After the Quake 48 minutes, 2011  Al Jazeera's Sebastian Walker was sent to Haiti to cover the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that rocked the island nation in January 2010. He saw firsthand how Haitians dug up their dead from the rubble with their bare hands. He witnessed people struggling to recover from an earthquake, violent weather and disease. More than a year later, millions of Haitians are still living in makeshift camps, cholera has become an epidemic and the aid money has run out. Where have things gone wrong since the great powers promised to 'build Haiti back, better'? Why did the system that was supposed to help, actually make things worse? Ajamu Nangwaya, a member of the Network for Pan-Afrikan Solidarity, CUPE Local 3902, and a former Vice President of CUPE Ontario, and BC Holmes of the Toronto Haiti Action Committee, will lead off the discussion.

Friday, May 18 – 7 p.m. A River of Waste, 92 minutes, 2010  This documentary exposes a huge health and environmental scandal in the modern industrial system of meat and poultry production. In the U.S., the meat and poultry industry is dominated by dangerous uses of arsenic, antibiotics, growth hormones and by the dumping of massive amounts of sewage in fragile waterways and environments. The film documents the catastrophic impact on the environment and public health. Tom Baker, a former Ontario government food safety veterinarian, will lead off the discussion, looking at similarities and differences in the system in Canada compared to that in the USA.

Friday, May 25 – 7 p.m. A Multi-media introduction to the Communist Manifesto, 2011, 83 minutes  A video by Carl Davidson and Zachary Robinson, With graphic arts, cool video clips, moving songs and powerful speeches by Martin Luther King, Michael Moore, Florence Reece, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Mahalia Jackson, Paul Robeson, Joseito Fernandez and others, the presentation linked below sets the most famous tract on social change, the Communist Manifesto, in a cultural and historical context.  Barry Weisleder, federal secretary of Socialist Action / Ligue pour l'Action socialiste, will comment on the video, with discussion to follow.

Each of the films in this series will be preceded by a brief introduction,
and will be followed by a commentary, and an open floor discussion period.

OISE, 252 Bloor St. West, Room 2-212
at the St. George Subway Station. Everyone welcome. $4 donation requested.
Please visit: www.socialistaction-canada.blogspot.com or call 416 – 535-8779.