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Famine, Drought and Other Disasters (5)
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Once ... AgadirJacques Bensimon 1971 27 minThis short-length documentary takes us to Agadir, a city in Morocco that was struck by an earthquake in 1960. The film, made by an expatriate Moroccan who lost family and friends in the disaster, is a memorial to that tragedy and to the past he left behind when he came to North America. Partly allegorical, it employs varying techniques to offset reality from fantasy sequences. -
René Dumont: Global EcologistRichard D. Lavoie 2001 25 minIn this short documentary, revisit the 20th century through the eyes of 97-year-old René Dumont, agricultural scientist and activist for peace, justice and the environment. Angered by enduring injustice, Dumont beseeches us to look to the future: "Open your eyes! The 21st century has had a rotten start!" This film brings us his outrage and activism, his love of humanity and hope for the future. In French with English subtitles.
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Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian DilemmaPatrick Reed 2007 52 minThe act of triage is the ultimate humanitarian nightmare. Racing against time with limited resources, relief workers make split-second decisions: who gets treatment; who gets food; who lives; who dies. This impossible dilemma understandably haunts humanitarians like Dr. James Orbinski, who accepted the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as their President, and was a field doctor during the Somali famine, the Rwandan genocide, among other catastrophes.
Having seen the best and worst of humanitarian assistance and of humanity itself, Orbinski embarks on his most difficult mission to date - writing a deeply personal and controversial book that struggles to make sense of it all.
Leaving his young family behind in Toronto, Canada - where he's a university professor and doctor - Orbinski returns to Africa, revisiting the past and engaging with the present. He hopes that here, in the place where he witnessed humanity literally torn apart, he can rediscover the true heart of humanitarianism. -
Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian DilemmaPatrick Reed 2007 1 h 28 minIn this vérité feature documentary, we travel with Dr. James Orbinski from Toronto where he is a father, doctor and teacher, back to Africa where he spent years as a field doctor, as he embarks on writing a personal and controversial book about his humanitarian experiences. Dr. Orbinski accepted the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as their President, and was a field doctor during the Somali famine and the Rwandan genocide, among other catastrophes. In this film, and through his personal perspective, we look at the act of triage. Racing against time with limited resources, relief workers make split-second decisions: who gets treatment; who gets food; who lives; who dies. By the creative team behind the award-winning documentary Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire.
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WaitingMarie-Claude Harvey 1996 32 minThis short documentary zooms in on the Dinka population of Alek, South Sudan, during a period of famine. The Dinkas are an extremely patient people. With empty stomachs, they await the next harvest. For the last 40 years, an intermittent state of civil war has divided the country in 2. This time, the population has requested aid. Sacks of grain are dropped from planes, but to prevent rioting, distribution is delayed until the arrival of reinforcements. During this week of waiting, we witness the true face of hunger.
