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CHIAPAS MEDIA PROJECT/Promedios 10 Year Anniversary Tour 2008
Visit our new website!! http://www.chiapasmediaproject.org (with
Complete Press kit information, Articles, Radio Interviews, and more!)
Chiapas Media Project (CMP)/Promedios is proud to announce our 10
Year Anniversary tour! It’s hard to believe that we have now reached
the 10-year mark, but none of this would have been possible without
the tremendous support and on-going collaborations we have received
by generous individuals and institutions over the past 10 years. For
us as staff of CMP/Promedios it has been an honor and a privilege to
work with our indigenous community partners in Chiapas and Guerrero
and we will continue with our mission to present and distribute their
work world-wide.
We hope this tour will be the most successful ever! The tour will
feature videos produced by indigenous video makers from the states of
Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico - we have five new videos in
distribution (see partial list below) and are seeking university,
cultural and community-based sponsors to host the screenings. Dates
are scheduled on a first come, first-served basis and fill up fast,
so please contact us as soon as possible.
CMP/Promedios is an award winning, bi-national partnership that
provides video equipment, computers and training enabling
marginalized indigenous and campesino communities in Southern Mexico
to create their own media. CMP/Promedios is currently distributing 28
indigenous produced videos worldwide.
CMP/Promedios have presented their videos at numerous universities,
museums, and film and video festivals around the world. CMP/Promedios
have done presentations at the Newberry Library, Yale University,
MIT, Columbia University, Harvard University, La Trobe University,
(Melbourne, Australia), National University (Bogotá, Colombia),
Sundance Film Festival, Smithsonian National Museum of the American
Indian, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Margaret Mead Film and Video
Festival and the Intl. Human Rights Film Fest in Buenos Aires among
others.
Aasia Mohammad Castaneda, US Coordinator, will present the videos.
Presentations last between 1 1/2 to 2 hours, include video screenings
and a discussion on the role of indigenous media and self-
representation in the context of the current socio-political
situations in Mexico and Latin America. A Q & A session follows the
video screening. Presentations can be done in either Spanish or
English. Sponsors need to provide a video projector, a VCR with audio
system and comfortable seating.
CMP/Promedios asks for an honorarium based on the means of the host
organization to help continue the work of the CMP/Promedios. Press
kits are available that include articles on CMP/Promedios, bios,
photos etc. Please check our web site: www.chiapasmediaproject.org/
presskit for more information.
For further information, please call us at 312-504-4144 or e-mail us
at [log in to unmask]
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The Chiapas Media Project is remarkable! This project is a rare and
powerful example of how indigenous people are using the weapons of
technology and trans-nationalism to make their voices heard and
advance their struggles. Not only are their videos wonderful teaching
resources, but their presentations inspire students and faculty alike
to rethink old ideas about indigenous cultures, and forge new ties of
solidarity.
Maria Elena Garcia, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Sarah
Lawrence College
CMP videos inform and inspire--the videos are gems. CMP presentations
are lively and instructive, going beyond the background we need to
understand the videos to provide hard-to-get updates on contemporary
rural Mexico. We hear the wonderful stories behind the videos and
learn about the process whereby video makers and communities interact
to shape video story and imagery.
William H. Fisher, Associate Professor of Anthropology, William and
Mary College
The CMP presentation led our students to a place where idealism and
courage confront injustice. It is evident that the CMP videos and the
discussions that followed have had a long-term impact; students refer
to the Zapatistas repeatedly. In times when young people can be
overwhelmed with feelings of insignificance, we are grateful for the
opportunity to challenge the cynical world fostered by commercial media.
Janice Windborne, Ph.D. Dept. Media, Journalism & Film, Southwest
Missouri State University
The films have a powerful human component that you just ca not get
from secondary sources about the injustices occurring in Chiapas and
Guerrero. Bringing the event to the Fresno State campus provided a
setting for exposure and learning that otherwise would not be
present. It’s artistic and informative.
Maria Sofia Corona-Solyluna, Fresno State M.E.Ch.A/USAS
CMP documentaries are an essential point of entry into the world of
indigenous resistance. CMP videos accomplish their goal of telling
the story from the perspective of the indigenous by implementing the
concept of autonomy in their approach to video production. These
documentaries are an irreplaceable guide for understanding the
autonomous movement and why it is a workable alternative to corporate
controlled globalization.
Glen David Kuecker, Assistant Professor of Latin American History,
DePauw University
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NEW VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR SCREENINGS:
**Check out all our videos at www.chiapasmediaproject.org**
A Very Big Train Called the Other Campaign 2006, 39:00, Spanish w/
English subtitles
In January 2006, Subcomandante Marcos began his tour of the Mexico,
known as La Otra (The Other Campaign), the Zapatista initiative
launched in an effort to evolve new forms of governance in Mexico and
beyond. A Very Big Train called the Other Campaign, follows
preparatory meetings between indigenous communities and Mexican civil
society before launching La Otra. This video was produced by
indigenous video makers of 4 of the 5 Zapatista Caracoles in Chiapas,
Mexico.
Letters for Our Words: Steps Toward Autonomy 2006, 13:00 Tzeltal &
Spanish w/English subtitles
The right to education was one of the basic demands of the Zapatistas
since the uprising in 1994. These communities have created thru
collective work an autonomous educational project that is independent
from the governments educational programs and responds directly to
the communities needs. One of the results of this educational project
has been the production of a textbook in indigenous languages. This
textbook covers themes such as collective organizing, and respect for
the environment. This textbook was produced within the context of
continued repression by the Federal government and is a testament to
the communities continued strength and commitment in deciding their
own future.
The Other Campaign: Indigenous Voices of the North “Toxic Waste in
Papago Territory” 2007, 17:10 Spanish w/English subtitles (1 of 4
videos in the compilation)
When the Other Campaign delegation visited Northern Mexico they met
with various indigenous communities in Sonora state. In a Papago
Indigenous community located in Quitovac, near the border with
Arizona people discuss their fight against the construction of a
toxic waste dump that will be a repository of waste from both the US
and Mexico. Elders speak about the extinction of certain trees,
birds, how toxins will become air-born and the serious health
consequences for all.
Eyes on What’s Inside: The Militarization of Guerrero (Tlapaneco and
Spanish with English subtitles, 2004)
Inez and Valentina, two indigenous women from the montaña region of
Guerrero were raped by Mexican soldiers. Eyes on What’s Inside looks
at the economic, social and political factors that lead to these
rapes. The Organization of Indigenous People Me phaa (OIPM) share
their story but it is really the story of many indigenous communities
in Guerrero. Discussed are the destabilizing effects of the military
presence on indigenous communities, and how the increasing poverty/
marginalization of the population has contributed to the formation of
armed guerilla groups and the presence of narco-trafficking. The
Mexican Constitution lays out the internal role of the military and
Guerrero presents a clear example of how the military acts outside of
it’s constitutional mandate.
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