Please vote for six DVDS to be shown in the next film series!

Friends, The next socially-conscious DVD series on First Fridays will take place at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles Street, from January through June. Please look over the list below and select six of the films for possible screenings. Thanks. Kagiso, Max BLOODY SUNDAY (2002): A dramatization of the Irish civil rights protest march and subsequent massacre by British troops on January 30, 1972. (107 mins.) Director: Paul Greengrass Stars: James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Allan Gildea “ Irish Catholics led by an Irish member of Parliament (James Nesbitt) try to emulate Martin Luther King and have a peaceful march for civil rights in their own country. But the English riot police think there's no such thing as peaceful when any Irish march, be they IRA or otherwise, and so they plan for a riot. And the IRA warned the local Irish pol that the English would fire on them and that's just what happened. Although no one fired on the English police and no English police were killed, the Irish lost over 30 lives with many many more wounded. Children and seniors were among the victims. When the English couldn't find any weapons among the Irish, they just made stuff up to justify their murderous rampage. They were not only excused, they were honored by the Queen! A true story. And it goes to show you how things just never change when it comes to power and money and exploitation. Rights always have to be fought for--always.” GASLAND Part II: The Battle Continues in a Documentary Sequel on the Perils of Fracking. Muckraking documentaries don’t often spawn sequels, but a lot has happened in the world of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, since Josh Fox released “Gasland” in 2010. The message of Mr. Fox’s “Gasland Part II” is that while the battles over the investigation and regulation of fracking wax and wane — with the anti-regulatory forces currently on top — thousands of additional wells that use this controversial natural-gas drilling technique are being sunk. “Gasland Part II” paints a convincing picture: homeowners at the mercy of the oil and gas industry wait while government agencies make tentative moves toward regulation that eventually come to nothing or are reversed. Mr. Fox works in the first-person style of colorful mudslingers like Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock, but his tone is more sad and mordant, his blank face a melancholy emblem of the hopelessness of the situation. He is constantly present in the film, taking on a kind of minstrel’s or bard’s role that’s emphasized by shots of him strumming a banjo in the woods near his Pennsylvania home. At one point he celebrates his own doggedness by beginning to run the closing credits before announcing that no, the story isn’t over yet. GENETIC ROULETTE -The Gamble of Our Lives [2012]: This film by Jeffrey M. Smith is narrated by Lisa Oz and is a production of the Institute for Responsible Technology. Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the world’s bestselling book on GMOs, "Seeds of Deception," is a leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. Never-Before-Seen-Evidence points to genetically engineered foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates in the US population, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, and infertility are just some of the problems implicated in humans, pets, livestock, and lab animals that eat genetically modified soybeans and corn. Monsanto’s strong arm tactics, the FDA’s fraudulent policies, and how the USDA ignores a growing health emergency are also laid bare. This sometimes shocking film may change your diet, help you protect your family, and accelerate the consumer tipping point against genetically modified organisms (GMOs). HUNGER: Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike. (96 mins.) Director: Steve McQueen Stars: Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan, Liam McMahon “Director Steve McQueen creates an often shocking but beautiful film about the travails of the IRA, specifically the IRA members caught and sentenced to long prison terms under Margaret Thatcher's rule. Those prisoners continued their fight behind bars, for example going naked rather than wear criminal's garb in protest of their not being recognized as political prisoners. The state sanctioned savagery with which their protests were handled are both hard to watch and inspiring at the same time. Their ultimate protest--the hunger strike, led by Bobby Sands--is portrayed in a strikingly effective & original way by the director." IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER: A small time thief from Belfast, Gerry Conlon, is falsely implicated in the IRA bombing of a pub that kills several people while he is in London. Bullied by the British police, he and four of his friends are coerced into confessing their guilt. Gerry's father and other relatives in London are also implicated in the crime. He spends 15 years in prison with his father trying to prove his innocence with the help of a British attorney, Gareth Peirce. Based on a true story. PINK SMOKE OVER THE VATICAN [2011]: This documentary film, about the controversial movement of women seeking ordination in the Roman Catholic Church, is directed by Jules Hart. More and more women are answering a spiritual calling to take on the vestments of priesthood and seek equality in the religion they love. These daring women have risked banishment, loss of livelihood, and even excommunication to take part in what the Church calls illicit ordinations. The Vatican has vowed to end this threat to the male hierarchy, even forbidding the mere discussion of female priests. The papacy has reached a time of crisis and the controversy over women's role, and their place in the Church, must be addressed if the Vatican is to have any relevance in the 21st century. THE HEALTHCARE MOVIE: Produced by Canadian/American couple Laurie Simons and Terry Sterrenberg, this documentary reveals the public relations campaigns that have been prevalent in the United States since the early 1900's to dissuade the American public from supporting national health care. It also shows the personal and emotional impact on Canadians who now have access to health care because of the heroism of people who took a stand to bring universal health care to Canada over 50 years ago. The film reveals the real story of how the health care systems in Canada and the United States evolved to be so completely different, when at one point they were essentially the same. Most people under the age of 50, in both countries, are not aware of the intensity of the political struggle that led to the universal medical care system in Canada. Nor are they aware of the public relations campaigns, still active today, that have been prevalent in the United States since the early 1900’s to dissuade the public from supporting national health care. Every day people are dying or going bankrupt due to the ills of the United States system. Who are we in the face of this human tragedy? If you agree that people are more important than profits, then you must watch this film. Z (1969): Following the murder of a prominent leftist, an investigator tries to uncover the truth while government officials attempt to cover up their roles. (127 mins.) Director: Costa-Gavras Stars: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Perrin “this movie still resonates with suspense and intrigue and, of course, re-tells a familiar story of the extent to which the ruling class will go in order to protect its profitable existence. Why is it that with peaceful protesters the police are the ones out to inflict violence? ” Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/ "The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs