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Posted on 4-8-2004
Auckland
Indymedia Presents...
THE ANTIDOTE #8
An evening of alternative political docos. Sunday 15th August 2004 The
Classic Comedy Bar (321 Queen Street, CBD). 7.00pm start time for films,
$5
This month's Antidote #8 features a varied line up of documentaries on
topics such as culture-jamming, the attempted coup against left-wing
Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez and, back home, the proposed coal mine
at
Happy Valley near Westport.
"POPaganda: The Art & Subversion of Ron English" is a film about the
culture-jamming and billboard-liberation antics of Ron English, one of the
artists featured in Jill Sharpe's great documentary "Culture Jam" and
whose images appeared in the documentary, "Supersize Me" at the recent NZ
International Film Festival. The modern day Robin Hood of Madison Avenue,
Ron paints, perverts, infiltrates, reinvents and satirizes modern culture
on canvas, in songs, and directly on hundreds of pirated billboards. Shot
entirely guerrilla-style, the film chronicles the evolution of an artist
who offers an alternative universe where nothing is sacred, everything is
subverted and there's always room for a little good-natured fun. Directed
by Pedro Carvajal.
Documentary about the role of the media in the Venezuelan revolution. The
Venezuelan elite has already tried to stage several coups against the
government of President Chavez with US support. The defeat of the April
2002 coup was captured in gripping detail by a group of Irish film makers.
"The revolution will not be televised" takes its title from the fact that
most television stations in Venezuela are private and refuse to report on
the positive achievements of the revolution. The film makers were inside
the presidential palace when Chávez was ousted by a military-civilian
uprising. The resulting documentary - underwritten by the BBC, Ireland's
RTE, and other European broadcasters - is as thrilling a piece of
political drama as you're likely to see and has won armfuls of prizes,
including Britain's top documentary award, the Grierson. It has aired
repeatedly all around the world, has been shown in movie theatres and at
film festivals, arguably becoming the prevailing interpretation of the
continuing Venezuelan political crisis. Excellent website accompanies the
film.
Save Happy Valley. 8 mins. 2004
In June of this year, state-owned Solid Energy was granted resource
consents for a new opencast coal mine at Happy Valley, in the upper
Waimangaroa Valley, near Westport. Concerns about climate change, acid
mine drainage, river pollution and habitat destruction have resulted in
opposition to the mine by both local and national groups and the formation
of a national campaign against the mine following a campout protest at the
proposed minesite by student activists. These concerns are only magnified
by Solid Energy's atrocious environmental record. This video shows the
problems the locals have had with Solid Energy and their response to the
proposed mine. For further information, visit
The Anitidote is a regular forum for the exposure of alternative political
filmmaking and media art. This is the eighth screening presented by
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