Indymedia from Oaxaca and Cameroon: Two Film Makers at Rice Cinema (Houston)

This week, Houston Indymedia is proud to present two screenings of indymedia documentary films about social justice movements in Latin America and Africa, and host the filmmakers to facilitate disscusion around the issues of media production to protect and promote human rights and dignity.

Both Screenings will take place at Rice Cinema (directions below) as part of our Monthly Filmseries.

LISTEN UP to the Houston Indymedia radio show tonight at 7:30pm on KPFT 90.1fm to hear interviews with these visiting film makers.

Houston Indymedia Proudly Presents screenings of:

EL MACHETE: La Lucha por el Poder Popular
Produced by: Proyecto Autogestion (2007 : 55 mins, Mexico)
Presented by: Simon Sedillo
Wednesday, September 26th : 8 p.m.
At Rice Cinema

AND

STANDING WITH THE STUDENTS: Resisting for Basic Rights
Produced by: Ambazonia Indymedia (2006 : 60 mins, Cameroon/Ambazonia)
Presented by: Valentine Eben
Friday, September 28th: 8 p.m.
At Rice Cinema

EL MACHETE: La Lucha por el Poder Popular
Discussion with filmmaker Simón Sedillo on neoliberalism and resistance in Oaxaca, Mexico at the screening.

"El Machete: La Lucha por El Poder Popular" is Proyecto Autogestion's debut film project. All the camera persons are indigenous community members, mostly women and youth, organizing under the auspices of the Committee Organized in Defense of the People's Rights (CODEP). The editing was completed through collective media arts workshops, which now, along with donated equipment, have contributed to the ability of CODEP to edit its own film projects. Proyecto Autogestion is the fusion of www.elenemigocomun.net and Palenque Urbana in an attempt to challenge models of international solidarity.

Simón Sedillo is a community based human rights film-maker whose work has centered on placing skills, cameras and editing equipment in the hands of communities in resistance so that they may be able to document their own histories and human rights situation. Sedillo has spent the last 6 years documenting and teaching community based video documentation in indigenous communities in Oaxaca, in immigrant communities in the US, and with youth of color across the US.

In Oaxaca, Sedillo has been working with The Committee Organized in Defense of the People's Rights (CODEP), and The Oaxacan Popular Magonista Antineoliberal Coordination (COMPA), both predecessors of APPO (the Oaxacan People's Popular Assembly). Sedillo collaborated with the Austin Independent Media Center and COMPA on the 2005 production of "El Enemigo Comun", which documents the birth of COMPA and its resistance to paramilitary activity in Oaxaca from 2001 - 2005.

In March of 2007, Sedillo facilitated the co-production of "El Machete- La Lucha por el Poder Popular" a documentary showing the day to day struggles for land, water, crops and transportation, filmed and edited by indigenous women and youth from Oaxaca. Sedillo's work in Oaxaca has contributed to the liberation of 21 political prisoners, and has continued to support several international human rights campaigns.

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STANDING WITH THE STUDENTS: Resisting for Basic Rights
Standing with the Students tells the story of the struggle of students in the University of Buea in the Central African Republic of Cameroon. In response to a proposed 100% hike in tuition in the 2005 academic year, the students went on strike, with the demands to stop the tuition raise; the construction of toilets and water fountains, and new books for the library. The government responded with repression, and to date six students have been killed by government forces during peaceful protests.

The documentary uses the student movement as a jumping off point to examine the legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism in Africa, the impact of economic globalization and the subjugation of the English speaking Ambazonia region by the French neocolonial Cameroon Regime.

This documentary is the first film of director Valentine Eben, a member of the Ambazonia Independent Media Center, who will be joining us to present his film and facilitate a discussion afterwards. standingwiththestudents.org has more information about the campaign for justice in Ambazonia.

The screening is one in an ongoing series of progressive films presented by Houston Independent Media Center on a monthly basis, designed to raise awareness on a variety of important social and political issues. The Houston Independent Media Center is a community-based organization committed to using media production and distribution as a tool for promoting social and economic justice.

Rice Cinema is located on the Rice University Campus at entrance #8:
Univeristy Blvd. and Stockton Dr.
www.ricecinema.rice.edu

For more information see houston.indymedia.org
Or email houston@indymedia.org

Fiscal sponsorship for Houston indymedia provided by the SouthWest Alternate Media Project www.swamp.org.