Africa Women in film: Yaba Badoe on The Witches of Gambaga

Yaba Badoe, an Africa woman took five years made her first documentary film “the witches of Gambaga”. She says, “I wanted Ghanaians and other Africans, to hear what has happened to women who have lived to tell their tales.””

The Witches of Gambaga is the extraordinary story of a community of women condemned to live as witches in Northern Ghana. Painful experience and insight come together to create an intimate portrait of the lives of women ostracized by their communities.

Geoff Andrew, who is from film critic British Film Institute criticized, “An admirably unsensational but powerfully affecting reminder of the terrible influence still wrought by superstition on the lives of so many women.”

During the process of filming, Yaba met difficulties on getting permission of shotting. And she also says that as a woman to do a filmmaker or even working in Africa is dangerous, but many people help her to finish this film and special thanks to the actresses telling her story.

Egyptians fight again

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi promised to accept the resignations on Television. He also said presidential elections will be held by June. The conflict between Egyptian street demonstrators and the military-led government  is likely to escalate because the parliamentary elections  are so close.

Despite the military council's pledge  yesterday to speed up the transition to civilian rule, there are still angry demonstrations in Cairo and Fresh clashes  have broken out. The violence has already left 35 people dead and  nearly 2,000 have been injured.

Egyptians have been angered by human rights violations. Since the fall of president  Hosni Mubarak , protesters believe nothing has been changed and the military still keeps their power.

some angry protesters in Tahrir Square would prefer next week's election to be called off. Most of them would not trust the military and dissatisfield with what council promised on Tuesday.

On the other side, the Muslim brotherhood are happy with the election, some egyptians think that's because they probably will win. Anmor Noman, member from Muslim brotherhood,'we need the election, but we do not care who win.'

protesters vowed not to leave until the military council steps down. Clashes between police and demonstrators erupted in several other cities after Tantawi's speech on TV.

Two Primary Students Suicide for arresting teacher

Two schoolgirls, who attempted to suicide by drinking poison and wrote the last words on classroom’s blackboard for asking police to arrest their math teacher, Metropolis Express reported.

On October 24^th, Xiao Meng, 12 and Zhou Zhou 11, two sixth grade students at Funan Second Elementary School in Funan County, Anhui Province. They left last messages on their classroom’s blackboard. Zhou Zhou wrote, “If I am dead, blame math teacher, police uncle, please arrest her.” Xiao Meng wrote, “I am so tired, they don’t understand me, I don’t want to live.”

10 minutes after, they were sent to hospital and in November 11th they have already back home although Zhou Zhou’s condition is still not good, because her family could not offered treatment money.

Zhou Zhou’s father says that his daughter afraid of math teacher, Xiao Meng’s parents also tell the reporter that Xiao Meng fears to see Math teacher after she woke up at hospital.

Their classmate Ying Ying also planned to suicide, but when she saw Xiao Meng and Zhou Zhou felt painful after drunk poison, so she gave up to drink and rush to call teacher to save them.

Xiao Meng says, Math Teacher treats them bad and asks them to seat back of the classroom. They could not see blackboard clearly at all. Teachers always criticize their homework, and ask Zhou Zhou to pay the extra class fee several times.

Zhou Zhou told that she would not like to go the extra class, but Math Teacher ordered her to go since her scores cannot satisfy the teacher. Zhou Zhou’s family’s condition is hard, so she also afraid of asking father to give money. Then, Math Teacher several times ask her to hand in money in front of classmates which make her very shame.

Chinese Entertainment Program is changing

Chinese entertainment program has changed a lot. After the wave of Korean Pop Culture, it has started to follow Japan’s way of making idols and program. A program named ‘tian tian xiang shang’ which produced by Hunan TV attracted my attention when I were searching video at tudou which is a Chinese ‘youtube’.

Four fashion teenagers, who are wearing white suit and standing at the stage to sing a pop song. This scene makes me remind a Japanese pop teenage group that named ‘NYC’. It is quite famous in Japanese entertainment field. Their company is also well known because of producing idols in Japan.

Producers of Chinese entertainment program are struggling to find a more interesting and quick way to sell their ‘production’, but during following others, how to keep their own style which seems difficult.

And also, it makes me to worry about the problem of copyright. I sometimes hear many Japanese, Korean and American songs are used by Chinese program. They sometimes even directly translate foreign lyrics into Chinese then performance in the program.

I don’t know whether they get permission to use and Chinese law about copyrights. But when foreign audiences watch it, most of them are surprised.

On the other hand, I would like to see more Chinese TV producers to follow foreign ways of making program and producing idols. It shows the changing of China’s entertainment area. It also supplies more chances for young group to work and challenge the society.

In fact, Chinese entertainment has more potential in market. Recently more artists from Korea, Japan and Taiwan go to China to work. But the entertainment in China is a new market, laws and other institutions are not robust. Chinese media is still under control by the government. The prospect of Chinese entertainment is still not optimistic.

occupy london or occupy st. paul?

Occupy London gets into problem due to the deadline of using the land next to St. Paul. Two people from City of London ‘visited’ Occupy London’s house and gently post final notification to ask them move away and clean up all tents and living goods in St. Paul.

It happened very suddenly; when I interviewed one of member from occupy London, a lady shouted to everyone, “go outside, police with two strange men are coming.” Then, I went outside of tent together, and saw several policemen with two old men who were from City of London are taking an action to inform people move away.

It looks quite silence, without any fighting. But some people screaming to those two men and asked them who they were. Two men keep silence and to stick notice paper to each tent, during pasting papers they still kept smiling with the public even occupy London members shouted to them.

No fighting as NY, just like one member said, “we are legal citizen, and we do not use violence.” But Do they really ‘legal’? The guardian wrote that, one of occupied land belongs to another company, yet when I asked them, “don’t you think your action is also infringing others.”” They spoke that this land belongs to St. Paul but not city of London. And another young man said, “we need someone stands up even if we might face to go the jail.”

Occupy London does not like Occupy Wall Street, they are trying to use a peaceful way to protest. Tent University, AIDS office, café and food shops are set-up around occupy London’s tents. At night, somebody dancing, playing ball and chatting, it looks like another nation in London. After police informed them to move away, they still say， “we won't move away, we will celebrate xmas, new year and next year we will still be here.”

US plans to sent 500 FBI egents to protect London Olympic security

UK rejected the reports of US fears and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond says on Monday,” LONDON (AFP) - Britain may deploy surface-to-air missiles to protect London during the 2012 Olympics”.

US worries about security at London 2012 Olympic, and plans to set up 1000 of security guards including 500 FBI agents, for protecting the safety of America’s contestants and diplomats.

American officials worried security of 2012 London Olympic since UK government has had cut the scope of anti-terrorism "stop and search" powers, and has had reduced the number of British police and other security personnel.

But Mr. Hammond adds, “I can assure you that all necessary measures to ensure the security and safety of the London Olympic Games will be taken including, if the advice of the military is that it is required, appropriate ground-to-air defences”.

Meanwhile, not only US officials could not trust security system in London, other countries also in succession to show worry since London had been attacked several times after it got the hosting for 2012 Olympic. 

who made poverty?

 

When people focus on eurozone crisis, when US PM Obama still dissatisfied with Yuan, when scientists argue whether people should give up saving the panda, one photo that a Chinese little girl wearing a broken shoes and sitting on a mountain’s stone is moving my heart.

On main page People Dairy and phoenix, one article named “walking into Daliang Mountain’s poverty primary school” has been post as head line topic. Some photos with short describable sentences to show children have to walk more than 6 hours one day from school and home by wearing broken shoes that could see their feet, some of them need to bring their little sisters/brothers to go school since their parents need them to help take care.

“In China, if you were told that situation happened at fifty years ago, it is common; if you were told at 30 years ago, maybe you have the same situation with them; but if you still were told at present, it is a problem that need our government and people to take consideration on why the poverty still does not change since BMW, CUCCI and Tiffany are seen everywhere at Beijing.” One people from internet comment it.

Daliang Mountain is located in west of China, Sichuan Provence. It is ‘famous’ from drug,crime and poverty. Now government is going on develop this place and some funds are spent on helping children go to school and having enough food to eat. But It might take a long time to help all of them.

maybe you can't read chinese, but words even dont work in front of those pictures:
http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/free/1/2271231.shtml