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In the film The Cost of War, the occupation of Iraq, and its cost to American soldiers is described in personal and poignant terms by those who have returned home. Joined by veterans of other wars, including many members of Veterans For Peace whose convention is in Dallas this weekend, these thoughtful soldiers question the wisdom and ethics of war, and muse on how experience has changed their own attitudes about patriotism and duty.
The Cost of War is one of eight films that comprise the Dallas Peace Film Festival, to be held in conjunction with the Dallas Video Festival at the Dallas Theater Center, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., from noon to 5:15 p.m. Other films at the festival address peace and justice issues such as nuclear weapons, freedom of speech, Palestinian rights, labor, poverty, power of corporations and racism.
Dallas Peace Film Festival goers can buy tickets from the Dallas Peace Center, 4301 Bryan St. #202, 214-823-7793; Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr.; and Good Records, 617 N. Good Latimer. A ticket for all eight films costs only $15. For more information on the film festival, go to www.dpcfilmfestival.org.
Please see the following Dallas Peace Film Festival schedule:
2005 Peace Film Festival Schedule
Noon
Arms Race Within – This film premiered in Dallas on August 6, 1985, thanks to the efforts of this city’s peace & justice community. It tells the story of a Christian/Gandhian community in Bangor, Wash., engaging in a non-violent protest of a train traveling through their community. The “white train,” traveling from the Pantex plant in Amarillo, Tex., contains the nuclear potential of 1,500 Hiroshima bombs. These citizens make a powerful statement about the value for human life and the environment. 55 min. Directed by Kell Kearns.
12:58 p.m.
Qita Ghazza – Qita Ghazza is about two sets of eyes seeing as one. It is a collaborative project by Laray Polk and Gaza native Reem Abu Jaber. When the project began, the two had not met. The video images featured in Qita Ghazza were captured by Reem and sent to Texas to be edited. The journey of the dvd images intended for a destination outside of Gaza Strip is one story, the other, the most enduring, is the journey of mind through intimate emails exchanged between the two while waiting for the dvd to arrive. The soundtrack features music from the Archetribe CD, "Earthtones." 20 mins. Directed by Laray Polk.
1:21 p.m.
Cost of War – Veterans of the Iraq war offer a glimpse of its psychological, social and physical costs as they compare their views of the war before and after their tours of duty. Their experiences are verified by the veterans of previous wars, who explain why supporting the troops is not the same as supporting a war. The organization Veterans for Peace contributed heavily to this film. 50 min. Directed by Patrick Phillips.
2:14 p.m.
Shadow of Liberty – Filmmaker Geoff Adams asks if history is repeating itself. In 1773 the East India Tea Co. was throwing its weight around the same way multinational corporations are today. The Boston Tea Party triggered a revolution that started a whole new country. Adams dons breeches and a tricorn hat as a “reenactivist” to get his point across. 14 min. Directed by Geoff Adams.
2:31 p.m.
After Twilight – This cautionary tale of a future government dominated by the religious right is delivered in the form of a classic film noir thriller. An unlikely contraband courier, Jen evades the police, and is drawn into the underground interfaith resistance network. 34 min. Directed by Gary Watson
3:08 p.m.
Ezekiel’s Dream – This visual prayer invokes the words of Psalm 69, in which David implores God to punish those who have accused him wrongly. This psychedelic journey is one part of the trilogy For Colored Boys Who’ve Considered Homicide, a study of the circumstances, consequences and beauty of the American black man. 10 min. Directed by Narcel G. Reedus.
3:26 p.m.
Machinist Strike at Lockheed Martin – Stefan Wray’s film documents the views of union leaders and members who went on strike against Lockheed Martin for two weeks in April 2003. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 776 rejected the company’s original contract offer that attempted to push more healthcare costs onto the workers, at a time when the company was making record profits on its defense contracts. 27 min. Directed by Stefan Wray.
3:56 p.m.
Favela Rising – The Vigario Geral favela of Rio de Janeiro is the staging ground of battles between ruthless drug armies, corrupt police, and children trying to find their way through life. Throw into the mix the inception of AfroReggae, a program of non-violence celebrating Afro-Brazilian culture through dance, theater and percussion-fueled reggae bands, conceived by Vigario Geral native Anderson Sa, and the results are miraculous. 78 min. Directed by Jeff Zimbalist, Matt Mochary.
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