Thursday, November 1, 2001
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Bartos
Theater
MIT Media Lab
20 Ames Street
Over the past several
decades, independent film and video makers have used local-access
television to spotlight and provide alternative perspectives on topics
of vital interest in their communities. Yet, there has also emerged
a national or even international network of local-access producers
who share tapes, collaborate on productions, and participate in larger
policy debates. Paper Tiger Television has been a leading force in
building up this community of video activists, and during the Gulf
War it demonstrated how such a network could provide alternative news
coverage of an international conflict. Big Noise's film about the
Seattle WTO protests, This Is What Democracy Looks Like, is
an important example of how lightweight digital cameras can give a
street-level perspective on activism. Now, the events of September
11 and their aftermath have once again focused attention on the limitations
of mainstream media coverage and led to fresh demands for alternative
news sources. In this Forum, we will examine how grassroots documentary
makers such as such as Paper Tiger Television and Big Noise Films
are responding to the attacks and the war against terrorism, and what
challenges they face in forming grassroots media organizations for
covering international developments.
Speakers
Dee Dee Halleck, Paper Tiger Television
Rick Rowley, Big Noise FIlms
|
