William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe

Introducing you to one of the most inspiring documentary films I have ever seen.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is an important documentary about William Kunstler made by his two daughters, Emily and Sarah Kunstler. Throughout their lives, Kunstler's daughters were taught that every human being deserved a good lawyer no matter what the situation, but they always asked, "why does it have to be our dad?"

The film seems almost like a biopic of these two daughters digging through his desk (they do, in fact, rummage through his desk), trying to understand him as well as his choices. William Kunstler took on a vast array of cases throughout his life, and as a founder of the Center for Constitutional Rights, it seems only right that he would choose cases that fought against prejudice. Kunstler dedicated himself to every case he chose, so much so that he became an honorary member of the Native American tribe at Wounded Knee while he was working on a case that allowed them to stay on their native land.

Kunstler believed that we are all blind to the depth of our own prejudice. He told his daughters that all white people are racist, even them. One of the most famous cases Kunstler took on was the case of the Central Park Jogger Rape. A case where the entirety of New York City as well as the rest of the nation dubbed a group of local black teens as 100%, no chance guilty of the crime. The only person who believed in their innocence was Kunstler.

He was hated for standing up in defense for these people who supposedly attacked and raped an innocent jogger in Central Park, especially his closest client, 15-year-old Yusef Salaam. His family was attacked. His career was threatened. But Kunstler believed that if you are in the position where you can stand up to injustice in the world, you have no choice but to do so.

Kunstler lost the case 20 years ago. In 2002, Salaam was exonerated on behalf of being wrongfully accused of the crime after DNA evidence proved he was innocent, after being incarcerated for 7 years.

During the making of the film, Emily and Sarah became close with Salaam's family and learned about his struggles. Salaam promotes this film with Kunstler's daughters because he feels that it is important to show the world that change can be made, we need to stand up to the injustice.

The film is narrated by his daughters, inserting a personal feel to the man himself. Interviews vary from lawyers who worked with Kunstler on trials down to Kunstlers wife, incorporating many home videos and photos demonstrating the way he interracted with his daughters.

William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is now one of the 15 documentary films shortlisted for the Oscars.

Last night, Michael Moore celebrated the film at the Tribeca Grand creating a discussion of the state of civil rights. What would William Kunstler have said about the state of civil and human rights today?

BHUTTO Opens December 3rd

I've been working press screenings for this documentary about the life and heroic political career of Benazir Bhutto, entitled Bhutto. The other day I decided to sit in for the entire screening. What I didn't know is that I would walk out in tears.

It was quite embarrassing actually, in a room full of professional reporters and movie critics here I was, a nobody to them, completely emotionally attacked by two hours of an unveiling of a life that I didn't even know was lived.

This documentary features interviews with experts on the Bhutto family, family members, and friends including Azif Ali Zardari, current president of Pakistan; Condeleeza Rice and more as well as unheard interviews with Benazir herself.

If you want to be inspired, and aggravated to do more to help our world become democratically fair I recommend you go see this film. American Filmmaker Duane Baughman should be thanked by the world for reminding us of this persons incredible, world affecting life story. Bhutto was released on December 3rd.

Mike Hale wrote a really positive review about it for the New York Times.

127 Hours

OK so the new Danny Boyle film 127 Hours is neither a documentary or an independent film, but since it is aggressively based on a true story I decided it'd be OK if I wrote about it.
Mostly because I WANT to write about it. It's quite possible that this film changed my life. Changed my life in the smallest little, "gives me something to think about" way, but still created a change.

Boyle's last movie, Slumdog Millionaire, won eight Oscars, and he is at it again. The movie follows Aron Ralston (played by James Franco) through his 5-day struggle of being caught in between a ditch in a canyon in Utah. I also think its important to add that he was in shorts and a t-shirt in the desert which falls as low as 20 degrees at night, with one canteen of water (he drank his own pee), and the few items in his backpack.

(Ralston & Franco)

Ralston played a heavy part in directing the drift of the film film, making sure that the way he felt at each and every moment would be demonstrated correctly through Franco in the feature film. Oddly enough there is a comedic edge to him being trapped. When he had to drink his own pee he says, "That ain't no slurpee." Ralston/Franco documented all 5 days of his entrapment on his digital camera.

The most exhilarating part of the movie is when Ralston had the epiphany that the only way he would get free was to break his bones, and cut his own arm off with the dull swiss army knife he had in his backpack.

The tools he used to cut off his own arm and release himself. 

"Lesson learned, don't buy the cheap Swiss Army Knives" - Ralston

I actually felt like I was induced with a nervous breakdown for 2 hours, for absolutely no reason that included myself, from start to finish my hands were in fists and I was chewing on my sweater. And I wasn't the only one, someone actually fainted from watching this film! The importance of this movie is evident, Ralston believes that the wilderness not only gave him the gift of life, but the gift of this story to share with other people. The movie portrays him walking into his hike, alone, selfish enough to not tell one person where he was going with a goal to find himself and break records - walking out of the canyon grateful for everything around him, life especially.

I recommend this movie because it will make you think. You can literally see the pain in Franco's eyes. Don't watch it alone though, you do see graphic details of bleeding muscle and hear the bones crack. The enthusiasm Ralston had and Franco had when cutting off his arm is quite frightening, like a beast who just noticed his hunger. Franco will get an Oscar for this role. He will!

You can watch the trailor here:




AND GO SEE IT NOW! BE GRATEFUL. Also, I mean, who wouldn't want to spend 127 hours with James Franco? Just sayin'.

Changing it up - Independent Films!

A film that the New York Post claimed was "as powerful as anything Hollywood could throw at us," has hit the airwaves and made it to a 2010 Acadamy Award Nomination. The Most Dangerous Man in America,a film distributed by First Run Features, focuses on Daniel Ellsberg, the man who is famous for releasing the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
Check out the trailer, here:



There has been a lot of recent buzz about this film, even though it has been around for a while. Ellsberg and his wife attended the Academy Awards in March, something that would seem so out of character for a political hero (or enemy, to each his own). Wiki-Leaks, the release of 91,000 hidden documents regarding America's involvement in Afghanistan is being called the "new Pentagon Papers." Sure enough, Ellsberg states that he sees a lot of similiarities in the two, despite the fact that his expose happened before the internet. He has been on the news constantly recently as the wise owl providing knowledge on a young man's media betrayal toward our government. You can check out one of his interviews here, but there are just so many others since he is in high demand as a source to put in word and clarify America's public about what is going on. At the same time, this new newsworthy outbreak has brought Ellsberg back in the political spectrum at 79 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxdYJzXd-PM

Daniel Ellsberg has stated that he admires the Wiki-Leaker for challenging governments.It is easy to judge Ellsberg as a "dangerous man," after all he holds the title of The Most Dangerous Man in America. It couldn't be clearer. But after watching the documentary on him, narrated by him himself, he is revealed to be one of the bravest politicians we have. He is placed in the light of a hero. It takes a lot of balls to do what he did in the middle of one of the biggest wars in our history, and in my opinion it doesn't even compare to Assange, the Wiki-Leaker who used the internet to personally reveal mass secrets. Ellsberg once had to do it completely on his own, under the radar.
Ellsberg is no longer a wanted civilian, Assange has taken his place of being the governments #1 enemy. But time will have to pass before anyone can take Ellsbergs title as The Most Dangerous Man.

West to East

Right now I'm sitting in L.A. dreading having to go back to New York and get back in the groove! It's so lovely and sunny here and my family are the best people in the world!
The L.A. youth are notorious for having fake ID's that look identical to legitimate ones, that also sucessfully scan and black-light whenever they're questioned. I've noticed a bunch of Arizona and even Nevada fakes, but California decided to step their game up when it comes to avoid teen-drinking and under age clubbing.
The L.A. times announced that this Wednesday there will be a new card issued that is "designed to thwart counterfeiters." Although the ones of us who still carry and use the old-modelled fakes around with confidence won't have to worry until the expiration date is reached, the new generation of teens who can't get in places will probably struggle with the new concept of the hidden bear that is seen with a flashlight.

On another note, last week my room mate and I went to a talk by Brent Kessel, who spoke about the relationship between yoga and money. We were the only people under 30 at the talk, which took place at a yoga studio and each participant was in a lounge chair, but we got so much out of the talk. Kessel gave each person a "quiz" which informed us about our money personalities. Let's just call this reality check number 500,000. Both Leah and I were "pleasure-seekers," our description includes spending every cent that we see is available in order to grasp every pleasure that life offers, with a price.

It is a dangerous slope for students to go down, and although we weren't the "savers" we picked up some great tips on how to save and feel as though there is a comfort of being able to support ourselves.

From now on we will take 10% out of every paycheck or money that comes our way and put it into a bank account that we don't have access to, or will never even see until necessary.

I would recommend checking out his book, and work on changing your relationship with money in a healthy and intimite way.

I now carry the words of advice that, Compassion and generosity are the cornerstones of a healthy, fulfilling relationship to money.

Reading Journal Tres

An aspiring photographer uses his daughters as his adorable muses, who taught him to learn from Disney characters and, "just keep swimming." MyModernMet.com wrote a profile on Jason Lee, a man who didn't have to look far for photographic inspiration. He takes pictures that expose his daughters personalities as well as maturity stages in insanely creative ways, such as photoshopping them into their christmas stockings, or placing them into a cappuccino machine. Lee uses Flickr to share his photos of his kids, but it has helped him promote his business as well. Those two adorable daughters are bound to have the greatest childhood photos to look back on!

I like the way MyModernMet writes profiles on artists like Lee because they place the emphasis on the art and inspiration and less on the entirety of the artists life (how they live etc). In the couple profiles I read, I got short but sweet insight into creative peoples lives, enough to feel as though any one is capable of art.

In fact, I stumbled upon this website and their profiles from boingboing.net, a fascinating blog that I've come to love/be addicted to. I am so interested as to how the writers find the new grasping topics that they write about, and I couldn't help but notice the bloggers writing posts as early at 7 am, only clarifying that blogging is not solely a hobby.

Staying on the technology wagon, I decided to check out MIT's technologyreview.com, a site complete with over 50 blogs. It's interesting that such a science geared base has the same journalistic styles as the other mainstream newspapers and news websites. An article covering GM and Nissans new ventures into the field of electric and hybrid vehicles interested me and I re-re read it only to find out it was PERFECTLY structured in terms of the inverted triangle method. Scientists will be scientists!

Nobel Prize Winners Announced, Changing the World Commences

FACT: Swearing Relieves Pain
FACT: Wearing socks OUTSIDE of your shoes during icy season is more productive.
FACT: Rollercoasters can cure asthma!
FACT: Bats love blow jobs.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/01/ig-nobel-awards-mould-bats

Let's Go.

This weekend was such a good one. The entire weekend my friends and I were saying, "Let's GOOOO!" ...with a very intense emphasis on the "GO."

I stayed home on Friday night despite all the events going on in the city, and managed to find some information on the New York T.V. Festival that had been going on the entire week. I found out that Andrew Jenks was talking at a free panel so I promised myself that I would go hear what the 24 year old had to say about his thriving career and his new MTV show.

Media makes life so easy. You can check out the entire NYTVF panel, streamed and recorded live, here:
http://www.livestream.com/nytvf
You may even see a little blonde ponytail bobbing in the audience. Let's GO!

I am so happy I went. He made his first movie at 19 years old, a documentary about assisted living homes inspired by his grandfather who was staying at a home similar to the one Andrew decided to live in for 8 days called Room 335. Later, Jenks created a series in collaboration with MTV where he gets to know and lives with people to reveal their true story. His show isn't your typical 30-minutes of reality that we usually see on the network, it is real and solid. You can tell that this guy really has the goal of wanting to understand these people and their lives.
Andrew wasn't the only person there to talk about his work, the producers, editors and even the camera man who witness all that Jenks goes through were present and casually placed their input in the discussion. The NY TV Festival was such a great thing for locals, especially film students to go to. I hope some of you made it out!

Check out a full episode of "World of Jenks" here. Inspiring.
http://www.mtv.com/shows/world_of_jenks/series.jhtml

ALSO, this weekend was FREE MUSEUM DAY IN NEW YORK! Agh, I wish I could have spread the word earlier. New Yorkers and tourists got the joy of celebrating the annual Smithsonian Museum Day where you could literally go to any of the 40 museums in NY, for free!

Mayham!

Journal 1

I love when I can take something I learned in school and actually use it in my every day life. Excitement from such a seemingly usual idea probably branches from the lack of being able to do so during my high school years.
Now that I know all about the concept of the "lede," I find myself simply reading the first sentence of an article to see whether or not it sparked my interest instead of stopping at the mere headline. A drawn-on and uninteresting article can catch my attention with a great lede, and that technique is something that I'm determined to master.
The music section of The Guardian included an article on the Mercury Prize and talk about the live-music industry and how the internet is not ruining the live music genre that is usually broadcasted on television, James McMahon believes the internet is saving it. The way he started his article, titled "Forget Television - The Gig Scene is Live and Kicking Online," caught my attention because although it is clearly more of an opinion piece, he did start it off with a question, "What was the most exciting thing about the Mercury Prize?" And although McMahon's lede was not a typical who, what, where, when, why sentence, it did make me as a reader want to know the answer of the question! Or his, at least.
Continuing with my lede interest, I saw an article in the New York Times called, "Recession May be Over but Joblessness Remains," and this lede took me by surprise as well. It simply stated the fact that "The U.S. economy has lost more jobs than it had added since the recovery began over a year ago." This way of beginning an article made me realize that when there is a simple shocking fact that needs to be boldly put, it is enough to spark the readers interest. Catherine Rampell continues her seemingly unprofessional article by insisting, "Yes, you read that correctly." A sentence placed directly after her lede, and in its own paragraph. Rampell is making it clear that it is a sentence that needs to be read over again, her article is not something to over look and assume as an event going on somewhere else in the world, it is something that is affecting all of U.S. citizens and it is happening right now. Her situation as a journalist is rare, but it is a perfect situation where professionalism does not count and realization of the public is more important. I got the message and I'm sure every one else did. She ended the article just as strongly as she started it with a quote from an economics professor, also in its own paragraph, where he stated "we have a long way to go."
Another article that caught my eye in the New York times was one about the bleaching of coral reefs, but you don't have to be an environmental science enthusiast to read this one with interest. Justin Gillan used phrases such as "From Texas to Thailand" to simply announce how widespread the problem of Coral Bleaching is. I thought it was ironic as well as interesting when he said the bleaching was "linked to climate change," with a hyper link to climate change. But maybe that was just me thinking too much about the idea of blogging and links. If some one wanted to know how it was linked with climate changed they could just click on the link and find out all about it! When I did so, it led me to a page explaining Global Warming, with a description similar to one that would be found on Wikipedia. Simple as that.
Gillan also placed historic references to past coral problems with explanations as to why it is newsworthy right now, and scientific explanations as to how it is happening, making it readable to all sorts of people.
I love reading ledes now, I've read so many ledes and knit-picked the full articles. And I know that blogging is a sort of extension of the blogger so the variety of ledes that make me read the entire article are all personal to me in some way. That's the importance of journalism, to make it important to the individual and their lives.

FIRST POST-oh yeah!

OK, so despite the fact that this blog is an assignment from my Journalism class... I am planning on enjoying every minute of it! I happened to create this blog on September 11th, conveniently providing me with a lot of material to talk about on my very first day!
Especially since last night was New York's "Fashion's Night Out," Anna Wintours' genius creation that probably pulls in more money in one night then the men working their asses off in the Forbes building, which, consequently, was being completely ignored yesterday. I wonder how the shoppers and celebrity-seekers feel when they wake up from their highly materialistic ventures to a day of mourning from an event that shows you how precious and short life is. Not that I'm judging almost all the New Yorkers who enjoyed the festivities, fashion, and free booze last night, that would be hypocritical on so many levels.
I myself was in Brooklyn trying to escape the frenzy, AKA trying not to make it obvious that there was no way I could go spend money at every high-end store in the Meatpacking district, but despite my efforts Brooklyn too caught the fashion bug and had stores open all night! My friend and I window shopped and copped some vodka tonics on the way. Our homie is a local rapper so we supported him at his show. Check him out.
http://same.bandcamp.com/track/swim-in-the-road-technicolor-lenses-with-the-aposoul
[He's so interesting I've decided to make a short film about him! Coming soon.]

The Village Voice pronounced Fashion's Night Out as, "Halloween, with a little more fabric." It blows my mind how influential the editor of the largest fashion magazine is. She comes up with an idea that allows the public to be a part of the fashion world for a single night, and it seems as though there is a new national holiday.

As fashion week continues I'm sure there will be a lot of great events and star-sightings around town. I wish I was a little more into the goings-ons of this week, but, I'll likely be playing the role of a nanny or doing homework during the bumpin' fashion shows of designers such as Alexander Wang and Prada. Good thing I'm young and healthy and theres fashion week twice a year!

I hope you can take a moment of your day to remember the loss that we all encountered, some more than others, exactly 9 years ago today. Remember that through the ashes of tragedy rises a new symbol of Freedom. The New "One World Trade Center" is said to be finished construction in 2013, and will be the tallest building in the USA.
LIVE IT, go HAM! Because life is priceless and talk is cheap.

Here is a video of the Freedom Tower. I love the name.