January 1, 2005


 

The Assassination of Richard NixonNOMINATIONS CLOSE FOR BEST POLITICAL FILMS OF 2004
December 31 was the last day to nominate films for Political Film Society awards for 2004. Political Film Society rules require the number of nominated films to be reduced to five in each category. Accordingly, there is a ballot below for two of the four categories for awards.

Four films were nominated for the category DEMOCRACY for promoting increasing consciousness of the need for more political decisionmaking by the people rather than by elites:  The Assassination of Richard Nixon, The Motorcycle Diaries, Moolaadé, and Silver City.  Accordingly, there is no need to reduce the number now.  On February 1, members will vote to select the best film of the four.

For the category EXPOSÉ, which recognizes the importance of raising political consciousness by bringing to light little-known facts, twelve films were nominated, so select the best five:

FILM TITLE ACCEPT DROP UNDECIDED CONTENT
Blind Shaft (    ) (    ) (    ) unsafe mines run by Communist Party of China
Carandiru (    ) (    ) (    ) 1992 massacre at a prison in São Paulo
The Day After Tomorrow (    ) (    ) (    ) possible consequences of global warming
The Gatekeeper (    ) (    ) (    ) depiction of border smuggling into the USA
Hotel Rwanda (    ) (    ) (    ) the UN abandons Rwanda to genocide
Imagining Argentina (    ) (    ) (    ) how the Dirty War/Operation Condor were waged
Kinsey (    ) (    ) (    ) repression of politically incorrect scientific research
The Motorcycle Diaries (    ) (    ) (    ) poverty in South America opens Che Guevara's eyes
Osama (    ) (    ) (    ) how the Taliban governed Afghanistan
Rosenstrasse (    ) (    ) (    ) German women protest arrest of Jewish husbands
Tae Guk Ki (    ) (    ) (    ) mistreatment of Koreans in the civil war, 1950-1953
The Yes Men (    ) (    ) (    ) educated people believe globalization balderdash

Vote for the top five films out of eleven nominated for raising consciousness of the need for improvements in HUMAN RIGHTS:

FILM TITLE ACCEPT DROP UNDECIDED CONTENT
Carandiru (    ) (    ) (    ) how the poor are wrongly convicted & incarcerated
The Gatekeeper (    ) (    ) (    ) how illegal aliens work as slaves in the USA
Hotel Rwanda (    ) (    ) (    ) Rwanda's genocidal mania
Imagining Argentina (    ) (    ) (    ) how thousands disappeared, even for minor matters
Moolaadé (    ) (    ) (    ) harmful consequences of female circumcision
The Motorcycle Diaries (    ) (    ) (    ) how governments create poverty in SouthAmerica
Osama (    ) (    ) (    ) repression of women by the Taliban
The Sea Inside (    ) (    ) (    ) legal battle to establish the right to die
Two Brothers (    ) (    ) (    ) human need to protect endangered species
Vera Drake (    ) (    ) (    ) legal abortions as safer than backroom abortions
The Yes Men (    ) (    ) (    ) how aid agencies create poverty to promote profits

Four films were nominated for raising consciousness of the need for greater use of PEACE as a preferred method for conflict resolution--Carandiru, Hotel Rwanda, Tae Guk Ki, and A Very Long Engagement.  Accordingly, there is no need for a ballot now.

HOW TO VOTE IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ALL THE FILMS
The three voting choices have special meanings. If you mark ACCEPT, you are saying that you agree, after seeing the film, that the content merits a possible award. If you mark DROP, you have seen the film and believe that the content is unworthy of consideration for an award. If you mark UNDECIDED, you have not seen the film or just have no opinion regarding the merits. The deadline for all e-mail ballots is January 31. Return to polfilms@aol.com.