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The REEL Culture Film and Speaker Series (Wednesdays)

Presented by Houston Community College - Northwest at Houston Community College - NW (Spring Branch/Town & Country Campus)

February 17-April 7, 2010

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HCC Northwest presents The REEL Culture Film and Speaker Series.  This series headlines with prominent speakers and intriguing films meant to inform and motivate people to think more critically about their surroundings. 

HCC Northwest presents The REEL Culture Film & Speaker Series at the Spring Branch Campus. All programs are on Wednesday and begin at 12:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Faculty members will introduce films and lead critical evaluation/discussion. Guest speakers will be available for questions and answers following presentations. Book-signing opportunities are provided as appropriate.

The Spring 2010 Series runs from February 17 through April 7, 2010.

Schedule of Events:

Opens with a DOUBLE-FEATURE!
Wednesday February 17th at 11 a.m.
You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train [Film - 2004] [78 min.]
A TRIBUTE TO HOWARD ZINN (1922-2010) – “THE PEOPLE’S HISTORIAN”: Howard Zinn, author of “A People’s History of the United States” which “sold more than a million copies and redefined the historical role of working-class people as agents of political change”, died January 27th of this year. This film looks at the amazing life of the renowned historian, activist and author. http://howardzinn.org/default/.  Introduced by NWC Anthropology Club.

Wednesday February 17 at 12:30 p.m
Botany of Desire [Film -2009] [120 min.]
“Featuring Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this film takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world — seen from the plants’ point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species — the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato — evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control.” http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/. Introduced by Dr. Tineke Berends, NWC Genetics Faculty.

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Wednesday, February 24th at 12:30 p.m
Archaeology, History, and Plantation Slavery in the French Caribbean
Dr. Kenneth G. Kelly Department of Anthropology University of South Carolina [speaker]
The history of plantation slavery in the Caribbean tends to overlook the strength of the people who overcame the horrors of the sugar plantation, and survived, creating the forerunner of the vibrant Creole culture of the French West Indies. In this talk Professor Kelly demonstrates how archaeology is well placed to shed light on the otherwise obscure history of slavery on plantations on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

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Wednesday, March 3rd at 12:30 p.m
Becoming Human [Film -2009] [90 min.]
NOVA’s groundbreaking investigation explores how new discoveries are transforming views of our earliest ancestors. Featuring interviews with world-renowned scientists, footage shot in the trenches as fossils were unearthed, and stunning computer-generated animation, Becoming Human brings early hominids to life, examining how they lived and how we became the creative and adaptable modern humans of today http://www.becominghuman.org/.   Introduced by Dr. Ann Bragdon, NWC Anthropology/Sociology Faculty.

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Wednesday, March 10th at 12:30 p.m
Departures [Film -2009] [120 min.]
A cellist named Diago (Masahiro Motoki) comes to the rueful conclusion that he’s not talented enough to make a career as a musician. Returning to his hometown with his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue, Wasabi), he answers a job ad for what he thinks must be a travel agency… only to discover that company prepares bodies to be placed in coffins. Japanese subtitles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/dec/06/departures-japan-funeral-oscars. Introduced by Professor Melissa Miller-Waters, NWC English Faculty.

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Wednesday, March 24th at 12:30 p.m
Crude [Film -2009] [108 min.]
Can 30,000 plaintiffs from five Indigenous Ecuadoran tribes find justice from one of the world’s largest oil producers? Who is responsible for the unconscionable dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste in the Ecuadoran Amazon, poisoning the most biodiverse place on the planet? An inside look at the infamous $27 billion “Amazon Chernobyl” legal case from multiple viewpoints. http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/crude.  Introduced by Professor Donna Rhea, NWC Government Faculty.

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Wednesday, March 31st at 12:30 p.m
Chefs and Slaves: the Cooks in Jefferson’s Kitchens
Dr. Leni Sorenson, Research Historian, Monticello [speaker]
Leni Sorensen is African-American Research Historian at Monticello. She is particularly interested in the material culture, culinary history, and agricultural lives of whites and blacks in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. This lecture will focus the well-trained chefs in the kitchen at Monticello; their lives as enslaved workers, and the community of which they were part. It is a story of the world of slavery and fine dining in the Jefferson era.

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Wednesday, April 7th at 12:30 p.m
Capitalism: A Love Story [Film -2009] [80 min.]
Building on the context of a complex history of the last century, Michael Moore describes recent events in the U.S. including the housing crisis and the collapse of banks. He provokes hard but essential questions about capitalism and its compatibility with democracy. Several lawyers, senators, and bankers offer intelligent assessments of situations that many American viewers still struggle to comprehend. http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/.  Introduced by Dr. Veronica Reyna, NWC Government Faculty.

For further INFORMATION: Dr.Ann Bragdon, NWC Anthropology/ Sociology Faculty,  ann.bragdon@hccs.edu  713-718-5642.