There is a real untold story here, and the voice of that child and the voice of her mother need to be heard. They need to be heard because it is our silence on issues of sexual abuse and systemic violence that allows the space for the empire’s story about us to be the only one told. We do not control our media and cultural systems or the institutions of civil society, and therefore the narrative of black female citizenship has been used in so many ways as the lynchpin to justify the most brutal democracy in the world. The lies that our citizenship is somehow a gift and not a right, that our mothers are responsible for the socialization of black children and therefore the cause of their incarceration, and that our daughters have drained and massacred the economy, have justified mass incarceration, war, the privatization of social services and health care, and the defunding of public education. The same has been done to black men, using different stereotypes. But this, right here, is about black women.

…

All this being said, the Hollywood version of the book absolutely invisibilized patriarchy, cast the system as a hero and not an actor responsible for the conditions of oppression in which Precious lived and survived, and over-simplified Precious’ mother as an animal who fed her child to the wolves. The movie’s flaws are real, and knowing that the film was being viewed by white middle class audiences whose ability to discern the notes in this song was minimal, was painful to experience.

Whether you’ve read the book (Push) or not, seen the movie (Precious) or not, this is something you absolutely should read.

This November, IN THE LIFE presents the introductory excerpt of the film Preacher’s Sons a provocative, real-life story about The Stewarts: five troubled boys who move from foster care to a loving home with the two men who are now their fathers. This intimate look at a loving family transcends all political convictions, revealing the struggles, humor and love that unite all families. Filmmaker, C Roebuck Reed shares her experience making this film about a non-traditional family and gay adoption. To watch a preview, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=S85d7SoNXoA.

IN THE LIFE’s Special Presentation of Preacher’s Sons will begin airing November 1st and be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from the IN THE LIFE website on November 2nd. To find out when it will air in your local area, to stream or download it, go to www.inthelifetv.org.

Free video streaming and downloadable podcasts! Using alternative distribution channels means more people see it.

The Arab-Muslim world is the most embattled region in the world and its peoples are the most scrutinized – even vilified – people on the planet. How do Arab films reflect this situation? How is cinematographic production affected by the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Lebanon? How do Arab filmmakers deal with the issues of immigration, gender equality, terrorism, political prisoners and other burning issues? Does cinema provide a refuge from the painful reality, or does it provide a safe ground to confront it? Mizna’s Twin Cities Fifth Arab Film Festival might not provide the answers for these questions, but it hopes to initiate the discussion.

Mizna’s Arab Film Festival was designed to meet two basic needs: to introduce authentic Arab and Muslim culture to the American public, and to offer the Arab-Muslim communities in the US a genuine forum where complex, even sensitive issues can be freely and safely discussed.

Lydia Howell previewed the festival for the TC Daily Planet.

Having grown up in Detroit, I had a fair amount of exposure to Arabic culture. But I was in grade school at the point in which I spent the most time in the company of Arabic people; proximity didn’t necessarily go a long way to understanding then. My mom’s reaction when I told her one of my friend’s had a life-sized portrait of Saddam Hussein in her living room was to grimace. She did show restraint and certainly never kept me from going over there. But I was not of an age where I was inspired to inquire further.

Art is always a wonderful mirror into a culture. That’s how we know what we know about ancient cultures that no longer exist. The statement of purpose above could be the same for any minority group. Don’t we all just want to be understood and feel free to discuss our issues?

I’m putting this one on the calendar for next year.

(via @ArtsOrbit)

Apparently there were “prizes, celebrity appearances and a Hollywood Fashion Show with
MN Vikings Darren Sharper and Adrian Peterson As our Special Guest Models!” I’m not sure what any of that has to do with watching films, but whatever.

Speaking of films, I would have actually liked to see Joanna Kohler’s I Approve This Message since it has local relevance. This is Joanna Kohler’s submission for The UnConvention’s “I Approve This Message” project.

What happens when filmmaker Joanna Kohler teams up with Christopher “Shakademic” Johnson to hit the streets and ask Minnesotans about Presidential Elections? Between Downtown Minneapolis, the collapsed 35W Bridge and The Green Way, politics get personal.

The Green Way? You mean the Midtown Greenway? *sigh* Enh, I’ll just watch it on YouTube instead. [part 1] [part 2]

Sadly, the schedule of events practically buries the screening information.

So maybe I won’t check it out next year, unless one of the films looks particularly compelling.