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<DIV dir=ltr>looks fascinating .. does anyone know of any screenings
happening?</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr>x<BR></DIV>
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<DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B>
alt-media-res-bounces@lists.aktivix.org on behalf of zoe<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tue
25/07/2006 23:22<BR><B>To:</B> alt-MEDIA-RES@lists.aktivix.org<BR><B>Cc:</B>
Maria Laura Garcia<BR><B>Subject:</B> [alt-media-res] review of new indymedia
film<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>Review of New Indymedia Film, "i"<BR>Chris Anderson | 25.07.2006
18:39 | Analysis | Indymedia | Technology |<BR>World<BR><BR>"i," the powerful
and occasionally frustrating new film by independent<BR>directors Raphael Lyon
and Andres Ingoglia, tells of one such democratic<BR>moment, the Argentinean
economic collapse of 2001 and the social uprisings<BR>that accompanied it. Along
the way it also functions as one of the first, if<BR>not the very first, feature
length films about the Independent Media Center<BR>(IMC, or Indymedia) movement,
which chronicled the Argentine struggle as it<BR>unfolded.<BR><BR>Anyway. Here's
an advance review of the Indymedia film "i" that I did for<BR>the upcoming issue
of the Indypendent.<BR><BR><BR>i<BR><BR><BR><BR>Political theorist Sheldon Wolin
has written movingly of what he calls<BR>"fugitive democracy": the pure
democratic moment, unencumbered by<BR>institutionalized hierarchy and vibrating
with the strength of the<BR>revolutionary multitude. "i," the powerful and
occasionally frustrating new<BR>film by independent directors Raphael Lyon and
Andres Ingoglia, tells of one<BR>such democratic moment, the Argentinean
economic collapse of 2001 and the<BR>social uprisings that accompanied it. Along
the way it also functions as one<BR>of the first, if not the very first, feature
length films about the<BR>Independent Media Center (IMC, or Indymedia) movement,
which chronicled the<BR>Argentine struggle as it unfolded.<BR><BR>"i" is divided
into three parts. The first, "Microscope," examines the<BR>Argentinean uprising
and the birth-or rather the rebirth-- of the Argentina<BR>IMC; the second,
"Telescope," continues to ground its narrative in Argentina<BR>but expands the
conversation to include more general ruminations and debates<BR>about the
meaning and purpose of the Indymedia movements; the third,<BR>"Mirror," briefly
shifts its focus to New York City during the massive<BR>February 15th anti-war
protests and then returns to Buenos Aires and the<BR>Plaza Mayo for the first
anniversary of the December 19 uprising against<BR>President De la
Rúa.<BR><BR>It is the focus on Indymedia activity in Argentina that is one of
the<BR>strongest aspects to this beautifully shot, often profoundly moving film.
In<BR>Western Europe and North America, even within the Indymedia movement,
the<BR>activities, organization, and struggles of radical media of the global
south<BR>are often overlooked or misunderstood. "i" is a galloping,
careening,<BR>tornado of a film, often pausing briefly to listen in on one
collective<BR>debate about the nature of Indymedia before moving on to the next
crisis.<BR>One senses that the film's directors are straining mightily to
remove<BR>themselves and their own perspective from the narrative, letting
members of<BR>various social movements and IMC collectives speak for themselves,
even when<BR>their viewpoints conflict or seem contradictory.<BR><BR>It is this
barely controlled chaos, this sense of being dropped into history<BR>in medias
res, that, paradoxically, is also "i"'s greatest weakness. Its<BR>hard to
imagine that anyone not already familiar with the history,<BR>structure, and
background of the Indymedia movement will learn much about<BR>the network or
what makes it tick-there is simply too much information for<BR>anyone not
schooled in radical media history and leftist politics to absorb<BR>easily. In
this way, of course, "i" resembles the websites of the media<BR>movement that it
chronicles: intuitively understandable for many, a<BR>collection of sprawling,
disorganized, headache-inducing data for some.<BR><BR>The film ends on an odd,
ambiguous note. Back at the Plaza de Mayo in<BR>December of 2002, the
insurrection largely over, one IMC member complains<BR>that the "ideologues have
returned," and one suspects that he is referring<BR>less to right-wing
ideologues than their leftist counterparts. Many of the<BR>Argentina IMC members
speak about their disillusionment with concepts such<BR>as "journalism" and
"news," the dangers of media consumerism, and the need<BR>to dissolve the
Indymedia Argentina into social movements themselves. What<BR>this means in
practice, of course, is not entirely clear. "What may be<BR>needed is a new
communication paradigm," the film's voice-over narrator<BR>concludes. "What may
be needed is a leap of
faith."<BR><BR><BR>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>----<BR><BR>"i"
was Produced and directed by independent filmmakers Raphael Lyon and<BR>Andres
Ingoglia, and has its community premiere at Bluestockings Bookstore<BR>on July
20. For press inquiries, contact Amy Dalton at 267-974-0624. To book<BR>a
screening of "i" and/or a speaking engagement, contact Jen Angel
at<BR>jenangel@riseup.net<BR><BR>For some good background history on the
complicated birth of Argentina IMC,<BR>see anarchogeek.<BR><BR>Chris
Anderson<BR> Homepage: <A
href="http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/07/73436.html">http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2006/07/73436.html</A><BR><BR>
a.. Download this article in pdf format<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>"It is easier to
imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end
of<BR>capitalism." Fredric
Jameson<BR><BR>******************************************************************<BR>Films
about International Financial Institutions: <A
href="http://www.ifiwatch.tv">http://www.ifiwatch.tv</A><BR>Writing on the
Global Environment Facility: <A
href="http://www.newgreenorder.info">http://www.newgreenorder.info</A><BR><A
href="http://shootingpeople.org/cards/zoe">http://shootingpeople.org/cards/zoe</A>
skype name: zoeyou<BR>tel: +44 (0) 20 7723 2875 mobile: +44 (0) 7931
316 970<BR>zoe@esemplastic.net, eyes@ifiwatchnet.org,
zoeontheroad@hotmail.com<BR>**************************************************************<BR></FONT></P></DIV>
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