Short Films Against Global and Social Injustice
May 24, 2011 7:17 AM   Subscribe

In 2009, Ctrl.Alt.Shift, the "youth initiative of Christian Aid," held a national competition in the UK for aspiring filmmakers aged 18 to 25. Their mission: create a short film treatment based around three key issues: "War + Peace," "Gender + Power" and "HIV + Stigma." The results were then screened to an audience at the 2009 Raindance Film Festival. The films: 1000 Voices, HIV: The Musical, Man Made, No Way Through and War School. (All YouTube links. Vimeo links and descriptions of each film are inside this post.) These films deal with adult subject matter and may be disturbing for some viewers. Some may also be nsfw.

The Films
  • 1000 Voices: "A verbose and politically correct bureaucrat gives a lecture to a group of teenagers on the merits of the UK's efficient and humane asylum system, whilst meanwhile, in the same building, detainees, imprisoned indefinitely in different 'Removal Centres' across the UK, leave messages in vain on an abandoned telephone answering machine in the ministry basement. Their messages detail the horror of the life that they have escaped due to conflict."
  • HIV - The Musical: "The main aim of Patrick & Woodall's film is to expose the ridiculous attitudes towards HIV. A series of video blogs posted by a young playwright, James McKenzie (played by Martin Freeman from The Office), whose artistic integrity is being challenged by the ignorance of a film company determined to hijack his script, represented by a producer played by Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh)."
  • Man Made: "This two-minute short, based around gender + power, tackles the treatment of women as property and the lack of self worth and identity women feel due to the gender inequalities prevalent in many societies."
  • No Way Through: "No Way Through highlights mobility restrictions imposed in the West Bank, that are limiting its habitants’ access to health care, thus violating a fundamental human right."
  • War School: "Opting for a short based around war + peace, Ben Newman came up with one of the most popular entries, gaining praise across the board by re-creating a military training camp for child soldiers in a British school. The teacher at the beginning is played by Kate Ashfield from Shaun of the Dead."
Review of the screening from Little White Lies Magazine's blog.

Movie Posters

Wikipedia has more on Ctrl.Alt.Shift.
posted by zarq (3 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
Wow. Just watched Man Made and it is powerful. Sort of an unsettling way to start the morning; I'll have to come back to this later.

Thanks for sharing, zarq.
posted by too bad you're not me at 7:26 AM on May 24, 2011


You're very welcome. War School hit me much the same way.
posted by zarq at 7:46 AM on May 24, 2011


Good to see an old organization (around since WW2) willing to take such remarkable steps to move things forward. Helping young filmmakers who're willing to portray gritty reality is, to my mind, remarkable. Best wishes.
posted by Twang at 9:31 AM on May 24, 2011


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