Zizek!

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The author of works on subjects as wide-ranging as Alfred Hitchcock, 9/11, opera, Christianity, Lenin and David Lynch, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek is one of the most important—and outrageous—cultural theorists working today. This captivating, erudite documentary explores the eccentric personality and esoteric work of this incomparable academic and writer who has been called everything from “the Elvis of cultural theory” to “a one person culture mulcher”.

“Zizek!” trails the eminent and intrepid thinker as he crisscrosses the globe—racing from New York City lecture halls, traversing the streets of Buenos Aires, pit-stopping at his home in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In transit, Zizek obsessively reveals the invisible workings of ideology through a unique blend of Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxism and pop culture critique. He is also unafraid to turn his critical gaze on himself, offering cutting commentary on his personality, private life and growing inter-national celebrity.

“Zizek!” is both an unforgettable lesson in philosophy and a compelling portrait of an intellectual maverick. Possessing the capacity to appeal to the uninitiated in a way no other philosopher before him could, Slavoj Zizek’s combination of high and low culture will fascinate even those who once believed philosophy to be a bore.

Persons of Interest

After the September 11th terrorist attacks, more than 5,000 Arab or Muslim immigrants were taken into custody by the U.S. Justice Department and held indefinitely on the grounds of national security. Detainees were subject to arbitrary arrest, secret detention, solitary confinement and deportation. Most were held on minor immigration charges and were frequently denied legal representation and communication with their families. The Justice Department has ensured the invisibility of these cases, by refusing to disclose the names and total number of people detained.

"Persons of Interest" consists of a series of intimate encounters with 12 detainees and family members, in a bare room that functions variously as interrogation room, prison cell and home. In these encounters, detainees share their stories, show photographs, read letters written in jail, re-enact their prison experience -- even sing.

This is a uniquely compelling film that gives voice to the human cost of the U.S. government's anti-terrorism campaign.

"Persons of Interest" was filmed during Ramadan 2002, at a gathering of September 11th detainees and their families. The film is 63-minutes long and was shot on PAL Digital Beta.

• Festivals
• ** 2005 National Women's Studies Association Film Festival
• ** 2004 Humanitarian Award, Amnesty International
• ** Women's Eye Award, 2004 RiverRun International Film Festival
• ** 2004 Sundance Film Festival
• ** 2004 Rotterdam International Film Festival
• ** 2004 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
• ** 2004 Seattle International Film Festival
• ** 2004 Middle East Studies Association FilmFest

Getting Through to the President

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For three days, at one Greenwich Village payphone, hundreds of New Yorkers tried to get through to the President.

From May 5th through the 8th The Documentary Campaign commandeered a payphone in Washington Square Park to record telephone calls made to the White House comment line for a new documentary about public opinion.

With both humor and sincerity, New Yorkers fed quarters into a payphone and braved busy signals and excessive hold times to get their voices heard on topics such as the environment, healthcare, gay marriage, the war in Iraq, and much more.

Whitehouse Comment Line:

202-456-1111

Ten Years of Freedom

April 27 - May 2, 2004
A week-long celebration of South African democracy
40 films, including North American and World Premieres
At Clearview's Lincoln Center cinema at Broadway & 62nd St.

“Ten Years of Freedom: Films from the new South Africa” highlighted the dynamism that characterized the liberation struggle and that is helping to build a vibrant society free of prejudice. The festival included special screenings, forums with South African filmmakers, panel discussions, concerts, parties, and an opening night gala.