Shanece’s Compass Festival of The Worlds

Four films and four different perspectives on dealing with the hardships of life: “History Matters,” “The Devil Within,” “A Day in the Life of a Street Sweeper,” and “Every Child is Our Child.”

Huda Abdul-Razzak’s “History Matters” is short, sweet and to the point. The film spotlights how the dissemination of controlled information influences the news, knowledge, truth, and perspectives. The film is based on a U.S. news report about the “war” in Gaza. It switches between interview footage and a mock news report. The central question is whether the “war” in Gaza can really be identified as a war? “History Matters” is a powerful eye opener, and yet, the filmmaker never shows footage from the tragic incidents in Gaza. The film stands on its visual storytelling merits.

Jac Ash’s short animation “The Devil Within” would be perfect for the Cartoon Network channel’s Adult Swim. Think “Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil” and “Moral Orel.” The film is witty and risqué, with a dash of controversial. It is a comical look at judgmental people who lash out and try to spread their poisonous hatred onto others. The film positions “the hater” as a hypocrite, thus illustrating how haters are not so perfect either. It also associates judgmental people to devilish and evil ways.

Steven Flor filmed “A Day in the Life of a Street Sweeper,” because he was inspired by “the unnoticed heroism of the street sweepers in the Philippines and the sacrifices that they live with each day.” The documentary is fascinating and interesting as it follows Angela Navecilla, a woman trying to support her four daughters and five grandchildren. Despite Angela’s struggle and hard-stricken life, she remains optimistic and proud of her job; her tone even hints at honor. She insists that her only wish before she dies is to be able to afford her own burial! Flor hopes “the audience will learn that even in a life of poverty, values such as love, compassion, honesty, and integrity are present in their [street sweepers'] lives.”

In “Every Child is Our Child,” Andrew Kornhaber documents a community’s response to the challenge of HIV and the actions it takes to save its orphaned children from a lack of an education and the absence of parents. The people of Manya Krobo, Ghana believe that “education is a powerful weapon against AIDS.” Every Child is Our Child is a program created by the Unitarian Universalist United Nations office and the Queen Mothers Association in the Manya Krobo region of Eastern Ghana. The film’s message, the dedication of the Manya Krobo people and the children’s aspirations are moving, inspirational, and beautiful.

Exciting news! I am introducing a new element to our chashama viewing experience: the perspective of the filmmaker. While my commentaries and interpretations remain the central driving force behind the blog, the opportunity to learn the filmmaker’s intentions will enhance our understanding of the film’s purpose and provide background to the creative process. Today, I’m looking at the historically educational documentary “Virtual JFK” and the disturbingly comedic “Le Chat Noir.”

Koji Masutani’s “Virtual JFK” provides a new angle on history in a look back to John F. Kennedy’s presidency: the “what if” angle. The film stimulates an onslaught of alternative possibilities to widely held historical interpretations. It’s a smart documentary that could be used as a supplemental learning tool for educational purposes, with the potential to encourage and excite discussions in and outside the classroom. Masutani hopes the audience will “consider the possibility that a devastating war in Vietnam could have been avoided had Kennedy not died in 1963 and had been re-elected in 1964.”

“Virtual JFK” is Koji Masutani’s first non-student film. It took him three years to gather never-before-seen footage and never-before-heard audio from the Kennedy administration. His documentary will get history buffs all tingly and eager to speculate over “what if.”

Tristan Convert’s “Le chat noir” is a lot of fun to watch. It has an Edgar Allan Poe-meets-Twilight Zone edge to it. It is filmed well and incorporates various shots that entices the audiences to voyeuristic activities. The lack of a dialogue is not unnerving since it’s not needed to convey the plot. Not to mention the music soundtrack. The Savage Resurrection’s psychedelic rhythms and lyrics add to the film’s heightened tension. The best part, though, is the actor. He’s hilarious with his obsession with his toy train set, a psycho and annoying black cat. This film will remind people why a dog is a man’s best friend and how it is bad luck for a black cat to cross your path.

Convert explains the genius—and perhaps madness—behind the creation of his film, “Le Chat Noir:” it was his first time experimenting with a “dysnarrative story based on images, feelings and ambiance, in a thriller/funny/horror genre.” His style involves jumpy continuums and psychologically induced horror. He wants it to be an interactive movie where the audience “feels more than just sitting in the front of a show.”