Things that make me happy... Gideon's Army (HBO Documentary)
There are heroes among us. They don't wear capes or tights. The don't fly or turn invisible. They wake up every morning and battle injustice. And the reasons that they are heroes is that they serve the part of humanity they we often forget. Nope... They are not the Avengers or the Xmen. They are the Defenders... the Public Defenders.
This HBO documentary airing in the summer of 2013 shows the trails and tribulations of people that work as public defenders. This wonderful film shows how hard it is to be trapped in the criminal court system and the hurdles and barriers that poor people face getting their fair say in court. The public defenders are like teachers in many ways. Underpaid and under appreciated for the important work that perform on behalf of society. And those that follow this calling... yes it is a calling....do it out of sense of justice and a passion to help defend the constitutional rights of the innocent and sometimes the guilty when they don't have the resources to defend themselves.
Pros
1. Good film that show real people doing real work for those in need. Heroes!
2. Based in Atlanta...
3. Young people making a difference... inspiring.
Cons
1. This is a complex issue. No easy answers.
2. It's about lawyers... just saying.
Harry Belafonte, singer, actor, activist, statesman...
Things that make me happy this week... Sing Your Song, an HBO documentary featuring the life and times of Harry Belafonte.
I first saw Sing Your Song at the TriBeCa Film festival and was fascinated to learn more about the living legend known as Harry Belafonte. This documentary tells the story of his life which began as a young singer, next transitioned into acting on stage and screen, then transcended into activist for poor and oppressed people around the world.
My first memories of Harry Belafonte was on the Muppet Show in the late 1970s. I remember my father telling me that this man was born in NY and had some family from Jamaica. I was certainly too young to know about all of the film, theater, TV work he did in the past. And boy was I surprised to find out that he was an even bigger singer and recording artist. His 1956 Calypso album was at the time the first LP (long play for those youngins out there) album to sell over 1 million copies. On this album he made famous "The Banana Boat Song" with the iconic "Day-O" chant similar to an old folk chant from the Caribbean. Belafonte broke many barriers in his years as an entertainer including guest hosting The Tonight Show many times, winning an Tony, an Emmy, a Grammy lifetime achievement award, along with many other honors in his prolific career.
Harry made an equal contribution to the world with his work as an activist and humanitarian. His work in raising awareness of the injustice in South Africa during Apartheid, and his work during the US Civil right movement are just a few highlights of his work to help the oppressed and disenfranchised. Today he continues to work in the street with youth to get them more politically active and to end gang violence.
Sing your Song is a personal telling of his story that gives the audience a glimpse of history through the lens of his eyes. You might also get appreciation of what one man with a platform can do when willing to rise to the challenge. Makes you wonder where are those black leaders in entertainment today? God knows we have way more with his type of popularity today. Makes you go hmmmmm...
Best part of the film
-The history lesson from his perspective
-Honest discussion about his personal life... even his failings
-Good stories about his work in Civil Rights movement
-A few lesson for the next generations..
Cons
-Not a big focus on his career as an entertainer and the struggles of being a black entertainer although it does get a decent mention
Who is your top 5 triple threat entertainers of all time? Harry would have to be one of mine. He has the stats and accomplishments that are hard to beat.
Things that make me happy... HBO Documentary - The Latino List
I remember when I was growing up that Sept/Oct was Hispanic Heritage Month. February (the shortest month - hmmm what's up with that) was Black history and always featured specials on TV about black heritage. March was Woman History and did the same with women history and issues. Likewise, the beginning of fall was time to learn and focus on Latino culture. Growing up in a vibrant Hispanic neighborhood might have peaked my interest in Latin culture and started my lifelong love of Latin inspired cultures. So with that in that in mind, I was so pleased to watch another installment of one of my favorite HBO documentary series... The Latino List. This documentary is the latest project of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders who gave us the Black List Vol 1-3 (if you haven't seen check it out netflix and youtube), and the tastefully produced Thinking XXX (a portrait of stars of adult films that was also featured on HBO).
Like his previous works, Greenfield feature profiles of several prominent Latinos as they discuss various topics from a Latino perspective. They explore everything from the meaning of being Latino in the 21st century to lessons learned growing up Latino in America. The people come from different professions and backgrounds but all have insightful tidbits of wisdom on their lives as Latinos.
What I like the most about this documentary it gives many a glimpse of the life's, struggles, and hopes of people. We see the similarities that we all share and some subtle differences that make us interesting and better Americans. There are teachers, writers, actors, politicians and yes... even an astronaut. But most of all this documentary is meant to inspire all of us, but especially young people to see people who look like them that have succeeded in some aspect of life. Maybe the Latino List II may feature our first Latino president... its just a matter of time.
People featured:
Gloria Estefen
Emilio Estefen
America Ferrera
Sandra Cisneros
Jose Moreno Hernandez
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch
John Leguizamo
Eva Longoria
Robert Menendez
Armando Christian Perez
Juan Antonio "Chi-Chi" Rodriquez
Anthony D. Romero
Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Julie Stav
Dr Marta Moreno Vega
If you like Latino List you should check out the exhibit at Brooklyn Museum of Art that features 25 large photographs of the accomplished Latino people featured in the film until December 11th 2011. There is also an IPhone app that has stories of people on the street (in Spanish) speaking about people that inspire them.
Most impressive interviews
America Ferrera
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
