Millions of people from around the world have already been displaced by the devastating effects of climactic disaster, their lives forever disrupted, their homes, communities and livelihoods lost. Their story, a story millions more are facing, is told in Climate Refugees—this month’s Conscientious Projector presentation on Thursday, December 8, 7:00 p.m. at The Armory Center for the Arts. Writer-director Michael Nash set out to make a film about the human face of climate change, and the result is both moving and alarming, portending further grand scale challenges for every society on every continent on Earth in this new era of planetary transformation.
A community discussion follows the film. The Armory is located at 145 N. Raymond in Old Pasadena. Admission is free and the facility is accessible to disabled persons.
Tag Archives: sustainability
What Can We Do About Plastic? Bag It!
This month’s Conscientious Projector feature, Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?, is showing on Thursday, September 8, 7:00 p.m. at The Armory Center for the Arts. Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes and discard them just as quickly. How does that affect our planet? “Everyman” Jeb Barrier embarks on a global tour to answer that question and more in this film. Producer-director Suzan Beraza’s probing yet entertaining film starts out as an exposé about disposable bags, but evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic, our cultural love affair with the stuff, and its effect on our waterways, oceans, and even our own bodies. For a preview of the film, click here.
Grassroots sustainability organizer Andy Shrader of L.A. Green Machine will facilitate a community discussion following the film, which is co-sponsored by the Clean Seas Coalition and EDEN (Environmental Defense of the Earth Now), a ministry of All Saints Church. Andy has spearheaded plastic bag ban campaigns in several Southern California cities, including Pasadena.
The Armory is located at 145 North Raymond in Old Pasadena. Admission is free and the facility is accessible to disabled persons.
180° South: Conquerors of the Useless – This Thursday
On Thursday, August 11 at 7:00 p.m., Conscientious Projector will screen 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless, a 2010 documentary directed by Chris Malloy. In 2008, Jeff Johnson travels from Ventura, California to Patagonia, Chile, retracing the 1968 trip of Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, in honor of their lifetimes of environmental activism and their contributions to wilderness ethics. Chouinard and Tompkins played a leading role in the worldwide movement to preserve the South American wilderness, and Chouinard founded the eco-conscious outdoor gear and clothing company, Patagonia, a model for innovative, sustainable business practices.
Johnson travels by sea from Mexico and south along the west coast of Chile, surfing, sailing and climbing as he goes. Upon reaching Patagonia, Johnson meets with Chouinard and Tompkins. They join him for the extremely challenging ascent of Cerro Corcovado, imparting wisdom along the way, sharing their philosophies, life experiences and thoughts on the future of the world. This exciting yet reflective film includes documentary footage from Chouinard and Tomkins’ original 1968 trek. The subtitle of the film comes from Lionel Terray’s mountaineering autobiography, Les Conquérants de l’inutile (1961).
A Patagonia spokesperson will join us for a community discussion following the film.
Wake Up: The Environmental and Economic Links Between Coffee Farmers, Coffee Drinkers, and Birds
Our friends at Fair Trade LA invite you to a special screening of Birdsong & Coffee: A Wake Up Call this weekend:
The screening is co-sponsored by All Saints Church, Ten Thousand Villages, Fair Trade LA, Fair Trade Pasadena and Fair Trade USA.
The film, by Old Dog Documentaries, “lays out the background of the ‘coffee crisis,’ a situation that Seth Petchers of Oxfam International describes as a ‘humanitarian catastrophe.’ We meet the coffee growers of Agua Buena in the rainforest of southern Costa Rica, who welcome us into their homes and describe the labor-intensive process of shade-grown coffee production.” The film also “offers simple but effective solutions based on what Robert Rice of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center calls the ‘natural organic connection that exists between farmers, coffee drinkers, and birds.’”
There will also be a presentation by Gilberto Ramirez, from CoopeAgri, R.L., San Ysidro, Costa Rica, who is a visionary innovator and a leader in his community, the first Fair Trade Town in Latin America.
For more information about this event visit Fair Trade LA’s website or call Joan Harper at 818.406.9296.
180° South – August 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Please join us on Thursday, August 11 at 7:00 p.m. for 180° South. In 1968, famed explorers Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins led an expedition into the wilds of Patagonia, then proceeded to take leading roles in a worldwide movement to preserve the South American wilderness. Chouinard went on to found the eco-conscious outdoor gear and clothing company, Patagonia, a model for innovative, sustainable business practices. In 2008, surfer-mountain climber Jeff Johnson set out to follow in his heroes’ footsteps in honor of their lifetimes of environmental activism and their contributions to wilderness ethics. Filmmaker Chris Malloy documented Johnson’s adventure-filled journey to Chile to climb Patagonia’s Corcovado Volcano. Along the way, Johnson meets Chouinard and Tomkins on the mountain. They join him for the extremely challenging ascent, imparting wisdom along the way, sharing their philosophies, life experiences and thoughts on the future of the world. This exciting yet reflective film includes documentary footage from Chouinard and Tomkins’ original 1968 trek.
A Patagonia spokesperson will join us for a community discussion following the film.
“Everything is Linked. Nothing is Self-Sufficient.”
It took billions of years to form the living organism that is planet Earth, our unique island home. Renowned aerial photographer and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand chronicles the story of Earth’s ecosphere–and humanity’s place in it–in his spectacular documentary Home, this month’s Conscientious Projector selection showing on Thursday, July 14, 7:00 p.m. at The Armory Center for the Arts. Arthus-Bertrand takes us on an enthralling flight over 54 countries and 120 locations to illustrate in awe-inspiring visual imagery both the beauty and vulnerability of the life system in which we live. The film’s theme is perhaps best expressed by narrator Glenn Close, “The engine of life is linkage. Everything is linked. Nothing is self-sufficient.” Join us for an experience of filmic art that evokes a dual sense of wonder and urgency.
A community discussion follows the film. Admission is free and the facility is accessible to disabled persons. For more information regarding the film, visit www.goodplanet.org/en.
RESOURCES – The World According to Monsanto
If you’d like more information regarding the issues raised in tonight’s Conscientious Projector film, The World According to Monsanto, check out the following:
- Dangerous Toxins From Genetically Modified Plants Found in Women and Fetuses, by Jeffrey M. Smith (May 25, 2011) (includes the short video “Chips. Double Dipping Danger” about the toxic Bt gene (bacillus thuringiensis) in corn chips remaining in human body)
- Non-GMO Shopping Guide (includes downloadable pdf file)
- Film Review of The World According to Monsanto, by Jeffrey M. Smith (excellent overview of film)
- Contamination from GMO Alfalfa Certain, Experts Say
- White House pressured Vilsack to approve GMO alfalfa, media reports suggest
- FAQS regarding genetically modified organisms
- More on DVD! – The GMO Trilogy
- Watch The World According to Monsanto online for free at: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto
- Purchase DVD and other related resources at: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/Products/DVDsCDs/index.cfm
TAKE ACTION!
- Stop GMO Alfalfa
- Ask Your Representative and Senators to Co-sponsor the Bill to Ban GE Salmon
- Join The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America
The World According to Monsanto
Owning the Food Chain
On Thursday, June 9, 7:00 p.m., Conscientious Projector will screen the acclaimed documentary The World According to Monsanto, in which French journalist/filmmaker Marie-Monique Rubin investigates the chemical/biotech giant that brought us Agent Orange, PCB’s, Bovine Growth Hormones and GMO’s. The thoroughly researched film zeroes in on the company’s global crusade to patent seeds, outlaw the saving of seeds, and take punitive action against farmers who resist. Featuring Seeds of Deception author Jeffrey M. Smith, global sustainability champions Jeremy Rifkin and Vandana Shiva, and many more. For anyone concerned about biodiversity and the monopolization of the world’s food supply, this is a must-see.
A community discussion follows the film, which is presented with the assistance of Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Theaters program. The film will be shown at the Armory Center for the Arts, located at 145 North Raymond in Old Pasadena. Admission is free. For more information, contact Marty Coleman at 626.792.4291 or visit www.seedsofdeception.com.
The Documentary Film: An Outpost for Truth-Telling
For the last seven years, Sustainable World, one of the vital Peace & Justice ministries of All Saints Church in Pasadena, California, has expanded its outreach beyond our parish campus by presenting Conscientious Projector, a free monthly documentary film series, in partnership with the Armory Center for the Arts. We spotlight bold independent filmmakers, who, through their craft, research and reporting skills, are able to expose injustice, human suffering and earthly blight, and point to hopeful alternatives and solutions. Our goal is to foster awareness of the social consequences of public policy and also of our own personal choices, so we can become more empowered and better equipped to join in transforming our communities and expanding the role of civil society in bringing about meaningful change both locally and globally.
The following is a complete list of the films we have shown to date:
- THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS (PASADENA EARTH & ARTS FESTIVAL EVENT APRIL 2011)
- LIVING WITHOUT MONEY (APRIL 2011)
- WIKIREBELS: THE DOCUMENTARY (MARCH 2011)
- THIS LAND IS OUR LAND (FEBRUARY 2011)
- LET’S MAKE MONEY (JANUARY 2011)
- FATHER G AND THE HOMEBOYS (DECEMBER 2010)
- BULLIED (NOVERMBER 2010)
- PLUNDER: THE CRIME OF OUR TIME (OCTOBER 2010)
- BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS (SEPTEMBER 2010)
- FIERCE LIGHT: WHEN SPIRIT MEETS ACTION (AUGUST 2010)
- JUVIES (JULY 2010)
- THE 800 MILE WALL (JUNE 2010)
- A POWERFUL NOISE (MAY 2010)
- DIRT! (SPECIAL GREENING THE EARTH DAY EVENT APRIL 2010)
- FOOD MATTERS (APRIL 2010)
- DIVE: LIVING OFF AMERICA’S WASTE (MARCH 2010)
- CHEMERICAL: REDEFINING CLEAN FOR A NEW GENERATION (FEBRUARY 2010)
- A SEA CHANGE (JANUARY 2010)
- WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY (DECEMBER 2009)
- RETHINK AFGHANISTAN (NOVEMBER 2009)
- SICKO (OCTOBER 2009)
- CONSUMING KIDS: THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF CHILDHOOD (SEPTEMBER 2009)
- WEATHER REPORT (AUGUST 2009)
- ADDICTED TO PLASTIC (JULY 2009)
- FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER (JUNE 2009)
- BURNING THE FUTURE: COAL IN AMERICA (MAY 2009)
- CAPITALISM HITS THE FAN (APRIL 2009)
- CONSUME THIS MOVIE! (MARCH 2009)
- MARDI GRAS: MADE IN CHINA (FEBRUARY 2009)
- CONSIDERING DEMOCRACY (JANUARY 2009)
- THE FAIR TRADE (DECEMBER 2008)
- THIS BRAVE NATION (NOVEMBER 2008)
- HACKING DEMOCRACY (OCTOBER 2008)
- 9/11: PRESS FOR TRUTH (SEPTEMBER 2008)
- SKID ROW (AUGUST 2008)
- THE AMERICAN RULING CLASS (JULY 2008)
- UNDER THE SURFACE: A COLLECTION OF SHORT FILMS ON IMMIGRATION (JUNE 2008) (This Is What Free Trade Looks Like; Matamoros: The Human Face of Globalization; The Invisible Chapel)
- CROSSING ARIZONA (MAY 2008)
- EVERYTHING’S COOL (APRIL 2008)
- SUSTAINABLE TABLE (MARCH 2008)
- GARBAGE: THE REVOLUTION STARTS AT HOME (FEBRUARY 2008)
- MADE IN L.A. (JANUARY 2008)
- TOCAR 7 LUCHAR (TO PLAY AND TO FIGHT) (DECEMBER 2007)
- A CRUDE AWAKENING: THE OIL CRASH (NOVEMBER 2007)
- THE WAR TAPES (OCTOBER 2007)
- WAR MADE EASY: HOW PRESIDENTS AND PUNDITS ARE SPINNING US TO DEATH (SEPTEMBER 2007)
- ORIGINAL CHILD BOMB (AUGUST 2007)
- IN DEBT WE TRUST: AMERICA BEFORE THE BUBBLE BURSTS (JULY 2007)
- HOLY LAND: COMMON GROUND (JUNE 2007)
- THE IRON WALL (MAY 2007)
- THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: HOW CUBA SURVIVED PEAK OIL (APRIL 2007)
- MAQUILAPOLIS (MARCH 2007)
- AMERICAN BLACKOUT (FEBRUARY 2007)
- SIR! NO SIR! (JANUARY 2007)
- OIL ON ICE (DECEMBER 2006)
- WAGING A LIVING (NOVEMBER 2006)
- IRAQ FOR SALE: THE WAR PROFITEERS (OCTOBER 2006)
- FARMINGVILLE (SEPTEMBER 2006)
- SEEDS (AUGUST 2006)
- DYING TO LIVE: A MIGRANT’S JOURNEY & RIGHTS ON THE LINE: VIGILANTES AT THE BORDER(JULY 2006)
- THIRST (JUNE 2006)
- BUYER BE FAIR: THE PROMISE OF FAIR TRADE CERTIFICATION (MAY 2006)
- BRANDING & PR DOUBLE FEATURE: NO LOGO & TOXIC SLUDGE IS GOOD FOR YOU (APRIL 2006)
- DEADLINE (MARCH 2006)
- AN IRAQ TRILOGY: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF FALLUJA; SOLDIERS SPEAK OUT; CAMP CASEY (FEBRUARY 2006)
- BEYOND TREASON (JANUARY 2006)
- BUSH’S BRAIN (DECEMBER 2005)
- RWANDA: DO SCARS EVER FADE? (NOVEMBER 2005)
- HOWARD ZINN: YOU CAN’T BE NEUTRAL ON A MOVING TRAIN (OCTOBER 2005)
- RUSH TO WAR: BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE (SEPTEMBER 2005)
- UNCONSTITUTIONAL: The War on Our Civil Liberties (AUGUST 2005)
- PEACE, PROPAGANDA & THE PROMISED LAND (JULY 2005)
- JUVIES (JUNE 2005)
- ORWELL ROLLS IN HIS GRAVE (MAY 2005)
- THE FUTURE OF FOOD (APRIL 2005)
- ARGENTINA: HOPE IN HARD TIMES (MARCH 2005)
- BEYOND GOOD & EVIL: Children, Media & Violent Times (FEBRUARY 2005)
- HIJACKING CATASTROPHE: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire (JANUARY 2005)
- FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS (DECEMBER 2004)
- THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED (NOVEMBER 2004)
- UNPRECEDENTED: The 2002 Presidential Election (OCTOBER 2004)
- OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism (SEPTEMBER 2004)
- THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion And The Collapse Of The American Dream (AUGUST 2004)
- HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT (JULY 2004)
- STORE WARS: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town (JUNE 2004)
- STORM FROM THE MOUNTAIN (MAY 2004)
- LIFE AND DEBT (APRIL 2004)
- THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE (MARCH 2004)