darfur Tagged Articles at Cinematical
First Trailer for Uwe Boll's Film About the Genocide in Darfur
Yes, you read that headline correctly. Dr. Uwe Boll, the notorious filmmaker behind the likes of House of the Dead, Bloodrayne, In the Name of the King: a Dungeon Siege Tale, Alone in the Dark, and Postal, has made a film - a serious one - about the ongoing conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan. I imagine you're as surprised as everyone else.I first heard about the film, titled simply Darfur, about a month ago at the Fantastic Fest Q&A for Boll's man-on-a-killing-spree movie Rampage. The director casually referred to the film as if it was no big deal, though it was obvious that everyone in the room was as stunned as I. When pressed for more information, Boll explained that he felt the world was turning a blind eye to the crimes against humanity that are committed daily in Darfur, and that as an artist, the only way he felt he could make a difference was if he made a film about it.
Now it would be easy to not take the film seriously given who is involved, but I can attest that there was genuine frustration in Boll's voice when he talked about tackling the material. However, the credibility he earned by showing a more noble side than one normally sees in his filmography quickly took a nose dive as Boll explained he used actual Darfur refugees in making the film. That sounds no alarms at first, but he further explained that he had actual rape victims in his cast, victims who were asked to re-enact their rape on camera; because that kind of 'honesty' was the only way he could capture how dire the situation is.
Does Mia Farrow's Stomach Grumble if No One is There to Hear It?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy »
In April, Dawn Taylor alerted us to the news that Mia Farrow was going to take Darfur's troubles into her own hands and go on a hunger strike. The 64-year-old actress and ex-wife of Woody Allen scheduled a 21-day strike, which would only be stopped if her health got too bad to continue -- a very possible result when someone who isn't in their youthful prime decides to stop eating for three weeks.May 6th marked her ninth day, and while Farrow is vlogging up a storm to raise awareness, Movieline points out that not too many people are watching. In fact, as of the wee hours of May 7, the Day 9 Vlog only has 131 views.
Could it be, perchance, because of the context? It's one thing when people like Bobby Sands (see the results in Hunger!), Pedro Luis Boitel, and the other names in the long history of hunger strikes strive to be heard. Putting your own life on the line says something. But while Farrow's motivation is certainly noble, an actress choosing not to eat for 3 weeks while resting in bed to conserve her energy just doesn't have any impact other than proving that she feels passionate about her cause.
Let's face it, a person has to face their mortality for the world-at-large to really stand up and actively take notice. I'd even go so far as to say that an actress is the worst person to try and attempt this, what with the boney landscape of actresses who do similar things to their bodies without a political cause, not to mention the popularity of body cleanses. So what is a passionate actress to do?
Poll: Should Celebs Take on Politcal Causes?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Politics », Polls »
Here's something interesting ... Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere posted a "salute" yesterday afternoon to Steven Spielberg, who announced yesterday that he's withdrawing as an artistic advisor to the Beijing Summer Olympics. Here's the kicker though ... Spielberg didn't pull out because of the Chinese government's continued human rights abuses within its own borders, or for its oppression in Tibet, but over Darfur. According to this piece over on Variety, which broke the story, "I have made repeated efforts to encourage the Chinese government to use its unique influence to bring safety and stability to the Darfur region of Sudan," Spielberg wrote. "Although some progress has been made ...the situation continues to worsen and the violence continues to accelerate."
As Wells noted, Spielberg's "enlightment" about China may be due, at least in part, to Mia Farrow's ripping him a new one over China's human rights issues (and bankrolling of the genocide in Darfur) back in March. So kudos to Spielberg for finally getting on the human rights bandwagon here, but geez, how about getting on China for all its human rights issues, while you're at it? And while we're on the subject, how do you feel about celebs and political issues?
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