The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival 2007 (Johannesburg Nu Metro Hyde Park 13 – 22 July and Cape Town Nu Metro V&A Waterfront 20 July – 5 August) has teamed up with its sponsor to create the Jameson Environment Focus.
Four documentaries will be screened to broaden the debate about the state of the environment and to introduce audiences to some of the most pressing challenges the world is facing today.
Directed by Michael Stenberg, Johan Soderberg and Linus Torell and co-presented with the Best of INPUT, “The Planet’ contemplates the considerable damage we cause to our natural environment. This film is screened courtesy of the Swedish Film Institute. (JHB Sun 15 / 5.45pm, Fri 20 / 10.30pm and CT Fri 27 / 10.30pm, Tue 31 / 45pm, Sat 4 / 4.15pm)
“Manufactured Landscapes’ won the Best Documentary – Genie Award and the Jury Prize at the 2007 River Run International Film Festival. Goodbye Little Red Book, hello to “recycled’ Western notebooks. E-waste is piling up in Chinese villages nowadays, causing a meagre income and considerable pollution of the environment. China’s blossoming economy, just like the scale of environmental destruction, is unprecedented and quite simply mind-blowing. Photographer Edward Burtynsky, captures the aesthetics of rapid change and the scars inflicted onto natural landscapes. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and co-presented with the best of INPUT. (JHB Sat 14 / 4pm, Wed 18 / 6.30pm)
“Everything’s Cool’ – everything’s an argument, especially when the facts are inconvenient. Directed by Judith Helfand and Daniel B Gold, this American documentary is a must see for all those concerned about global warming and interested in finding out why it took America so long to wake up to it. (JHB Fri 13 / 8.45pm, Thu 19 / 6.45pm, CT Sat 21 / 5.45pm, Tue 24 / 6.30pm, Sat 28 / 6pm)
“Sharkwater’ – could the ocean without sharks possibly be scarier than with these feared predators? Rob Stewart has gathered some astounding footage about the widely reviled and desired predator of the seas. Sharkwater was awarded Best of the Fest at that 2006 Palm Springs International Film Festival and Canada’s Top Ten at the Toronto 2006 Film Festival. (JHB Tue 17 / 8.45pm, Sun 22 / 6.15pm and CT Fri 20 / 9pm, Tue 24 / 8.45pm, Sun 29 / 3.45pm, Sun 5 / 5.45pm)
Visit www.encounters.co.za for further information and booking details.
This Festival and its projects are supported by: SABC, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Jameson Irish Whiskey, the Cape Film Commission (CFC), the Western Cape Provincial Government, the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), IDFA’s Jan Vrijman Fund, Africalia Belgium, Nu Metro, Tempest Sixt, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), Input, Exclusive Books, the British Council, MNet, the French Embassy, the Danish Film Institute, the Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, the Italian Institute of Culture in Pretoria and Holland Film.
