Film for Transparency: Programme

Set against the glamorous backdrop of 1950's Los Angeles, Sid Hudgeons is the sleazy reporter for the tabloid "Hush-Hush" who has always helped ferret out a scandal that Sid can mine for a potential celebrity bust. Jack Vincennes is a celebrity cop who serves as the technical advisor for a TV show called "Badge of Honor." He becomes involved in a murder investigation that will link him to a web of corruption and scandal involving fellow detectives Ed Exley and Bud White. White and Exley are involved with Lynn Bracken, a woman who is the key to a murder investigation both men are trying to solve under the watchful eyes of the DA and the entire police department. This film about police corruption in the 1950s L.A. is seductive and beautiful, cynical and twisted and is one of the most exhilarating noir thrillers to reach the screen in recent memory.

Deveeri (India, 1999)

'Twelve-year old Kyatha lives in an urban slum with Deveeri who is more than a sister to him. She is a mother, father, friend, and enemy too. He lives amid the chaos and poverty, in a world of badly lit slum dwellings, drought-stricken water pumps and filthy streets. But it is his world, and as a child he is still able to see its beautiful side, the power and zest for life of the people around him. Slowly but surely, however, Kyatha also sees a different side and the world loses its innocence. He does not understand what his sister does when she goes out at night and he questions why donations are more important than teaching and why the elections are dominated by bribery. When Kyatha finds out that his sister works as a prostitute, he loses his only security.

As the film unfolds, so does the sordidness of the modern world where poverty has no place, and innocence is soon corrupted.

L'Histoire de Pen (Canada, 2002)

'Age 19, Claude is sentenced to a maximum-security penitentiary. His skills as a brawler quickly land him in the black books of the fearsome Tarzan, who controls all illicit activities in the pen. Leader of a rival gang of prisoners, Zizi Grenier seeks to usurp Tarzan's power. Recognizing Claude's talents as a boxer, Zizi takes the youngster under his wing and organises a series of boxing matches - with each gang's territory at stake. Although fighting for Zizi, Claude quickly becomes aware of the terrifying issues which characterize life within the prison walls. When prison wardens turn a blind eye and prefer to co-opt with illegal undertakings rather than impose justice, a horrific incident occurs to Claude which leaves him profoundly shaken. Will his love for Karine quench his thirst for revenge?

Jubaku (Japan, 1999)

'This story could be something straight out of a newspaper. In 1997, the State Prosecutor charges Asahi Central Bank of making illegal loan payments to the Sokaiya, gangsters and racketeers who have been riding high on Japan's swelling stock and land prices. Monitored by Japanese custom rather than by government policy or ethics, the executive bankers are accused of being "spellbound" by their Chairman and by the bubble economy that is just beginning to burst. Company higher-ups try to downplay the incident, but a vigorous press and prosecution prompt a raid of the bank and the first of several arrests. Jubaku professes to exorcise the curse ("jubaku") of corruption that has hampered corporate Japan.

Lek (Netherlands, 2000)

'Leak is a hard edged crime thriller that centres on police corruption and drugs. Based on the true story of former Dutch policeman Jan van Daalen 'Lek is the story of a young policeman forced from high quarters to run an old buddy-turned-drug dealer as informer. The film begins with an almost comic scene of Eddy and Ria at a fertility clinic. Eddy meets old friend Jack who has just become a father. Eddy is a uniform cop with aspirations for a higher rank. His aspirations are answered when he is approached to attend a meeting with Jack who is a member of the leading drugs gang. While Jack accepts the offer to become informer and get out of crime, it is soon apparent that there is a leak somewhere in the force as one operation after another goes wrong. In 2000, Lek won the Golden Calf for Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Actor.

I Cento Passi (Italy, 2000)

'Based on the true story of Peppino Impastato, a young Sicilian activist who spoke out against the crimes of Tano Badalamenti, a Mafia boss. Impastato was ultimately assassinated for his brave stance against organised corruption. As head of a local youth group rebelling against the Mafia's power, Peppino pitts himself against his own family, particularly his father, who is controlled by the mob and tortured by his son's dangerous attitude. This film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2001 Golden Globe Awards; it won the Best Film and Best Screenplay awards at the 2000 Venice Film Festival; it won Best European Feature and Best Screenplay at the 2001 Brussels International Film Festival; and it won the 2001 David di Donatello Awards for Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor.

Power Trip (Georgia/USA, 2002)

This is a film full of energy, about energy and about what happens when there is a lack of energy, or when it doesn't flow. In an environment of pervasive corruption, assassination, and street rioting, the story of post-Soviet transition is one of culture clash, electricity disconnections and blackouts. AES Corp., an American "global power company," purchases the privatised electric utility in the former Georgian capital. AES must convey to the Georgians that energy, which was once free under communist rule, must now be paid for. However, the wily Georgian consumers, devise ever more clever ways to steal it. Amidst hot tempers and high drama, a journalist and an executive are gunned down, and people are left to perish when their power fails. This film offers a rare window into the lives of Georgians, and a complex, frustrating, and penetrating look at a nation struggling to rebuild from the rubble of the Soviet collapse. Paul Devlin's Power Trip was an official selection of the 53rd International Forum of the Berlin Film Festival and received two awards at the Berlinale. Power Trip was also honoured with a Special Mention by the International Confederation of Art Cinemas.

Power of the People (Republic of Korea, 2001)

The 2000 Korean general election was a study in boycotting. Four hundred and twelve civic organisations united to prevent corrupt and incompetent candidates from being re-elected. Power of People is a documentary that records the civil action they undertook. Korean independent filmmakers, who have long participated in social movements, made the film in conjunction with the coalition of civic groups.

Seeing is Believing: handicams, human rights and the news (Canada, 2002)

'Handicams aren't just for weddings and family vacations. Seeing is Believing is an unprecedented exploration into the political and social uses of handicams and new communications technologies, a look at the way in which the proliferation of personal video cameras has changed the nature of broadcast journalism and human rights work for ever. By allowing individuals the opportunity to document their own lives and struggles, personal video cameras have empowered grassroots activists around the world. This documentary won the prestigious Abraham Prize at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October 2002.

Diario di una Siciliana Ribelle (Italy, 2002)

'Stripping away the false glamour generated by pop culture's undying fascination with the Mafia, this film tells the tragic but inspiring story of a 17-year old Sicilian woman who risked =97 and ultimately lost 97 her life. Raised in a mafia family, this is a story of resistance to oppression, the story of one girl's fight against destiny. Director Marco Amenta powerfully draws from the diary that Rita kept in the nine months before her death in 1991. This documentary is a tribute to Rita and an inspiration to all.

The Timber Mafia (Australia/Indonesia, 2002)

In the worldwide timber racket, swathes of "protected" forests are being illegally cut and exported for use in building materials, furniture and sundry items like billiard cues and picture frames. This award winning documentary highlights how illegal timber baron Abdul Rasyid has used bribery, violence and intimidation to expand his empire but remains above the law. It's a $20 billion a year trade, a highly organised crime that destroys entire eco-systems and increases global warming but also deals ruthlessly with anyone standing in its way. In the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, kidnapping, bribery and stand over tactics are simply ways of doing business. The wood comes cheaply and, for the time being anyway, plentifully enough. The complexity of international legal jurisdictions and trading rules means the illegal trade can flourish unabated. Only co-ordinated international and local action can defeat the timber mafia - unless the timber runs out first. The Timber Mafia has won several awards including the Gold Medal (Environment & Ecology) and the Silver Medal (UNESCO Award for Television Programming) at the New York Festivals Awards.

The Great Olympic Illusion (France/Germany/UK 2000)

'Based on a best-selling book of the same name, this documentary is about corruption within the International Olympic Committee, particularly with regards to Salt Lake City's winning bid for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The scandal erupted when a confidential document revealing that the bidding team had spent more than US$100,000 on a college scholarship for the daughter of a senior IOC member was leaked to a local TV station. Within days, more evidence emerged that scholarships, cash bribes, gifts and vacations worth around a million dollars had been solicited - and accepted.

Sacrifice (USA/Thailand, 1998)

'Each year thousands of young girls are recruited from rural Burmese villages to work in the sex industry as child prostitutes in neighbouring Thailand. Held for years in debt bondage in illegal Thai brothels, they suffer extreme abuse by pimps, clients, and the police. The trafficking of Burmese girls has soared in recent years as a direct result of political repression in Burma. This is the story of the valuation and sale of human beings, and the efforts of teenage girls to survive a personal crisis born of economic and political repression. Sacrifice has won several awards: the Golden Spire Award (San Francisco International Film Festival) and was featured in Documentary Film Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

"SACRIFICE illuminates a difficult subject of major social consequence with integrity and objective attachment. Told with delicate simplicity, SACRIFICE paints a picture of an unfamiliar reality that is, by turns, unbelievably ugly and startlingly beautiful."

- Laurence Vittes, The Hollywood Reporter

The Golf War (USA/Philippines, 1998)

'When Filipino peasants resist converting their ancestral farmland into a golf resort, they face a bloody struggle against developers and their government. Tracking down both armed guerrillas and golf boosters, including Tiger Woods, the filmmakers reveal a larger, national battle over land and revolution. Peasants in a beachfront community called Hacienda Looc have been tilling their land for generations. But, the Filipino government decided to follow a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded report that recommended the area instead be used for tourism. The government illegally sold the peasants' land for less than it's worth to the Manila South coast Development Corporation (MSDC). To cover itself, the government later claimed that this fertile mountainous area and tropical paradise was not suited for agriculture. Fil-Estate Land, Inc. is working with the MSDC to develop the Hacienda Looc land into a four-course golf and tourist resort. When the peasants who live on the land learned of this takeover, they formed an organization called Umalpas-Ka, a chapter of the larger national peasant federation KMP. The developers are working in collusion with the military, as well as with national and local politicians. Meanwhile, three peasant opponents of the golf course construction have been killed. Consequently, many peasants have supported the New People's Army's offer to protect their families and their land.

A Hazy Transparency (USA/Peru, 2001)

'Directed by Shaun McCanna and produced by Flamingo Productions of Missouri, this is an examination of Peru's presidential 2000 and 2001 elections that looks at the shift of election observers from their more traditional passive roles to more proactive defenders of democracy.

It's Nice to Have a Friend (South Africa, 2002)

'This damning video secretly made by four prisoners at a jail in Bloemfontein, South Africa over a five-months, caused a huge controversy when it was released. Using miniature spy cameras, the four - two murderers, an armed robber and a cattle rustler - showed prison warders selling prisoners alcohol, drugs, a loaded gun and even sex slaves. The most sensational footage captured a prisoner performing sexual acts with a juvenile offender brought to his cell by one of the warders. Bloemfontein's Grootvlei Prison is home to 2 000 medium and maximum security prisoners.

Wasiat Slamet (Slamet's Testament

Secarik Kertas di Persimpangan Jalan (A Piece of Paper at the Crossroads)

Pahitnya Kopi Tanpa Gula" (the Bitterness of Sugar without Coffee)

'Prompted by concerns over corruption in their societies a local children's playgroup and theatrical troupe, Anak Wayang Indonesia produced three films made by junior and senior high school students. The films describe corruption through a child's eyes, illustrating how corruption manifests itself anywhere and in every form, even amongst friends. In these films the young filmmakers attempt to show the audience that through what may appear to be trivial matters, these could later degenerate into corruption.

Wasiat Slamet (Indonesia, 2002)

'Waisat Slamet centers on Salmet, a newspaper boy. Slamet reads daily stories in the newspapers he sells and he he also hears complaints from the pedicab drivers as they describe the sham trials of corruptors. He begins to despair. One morning he has a horrible accident. Near death, a passer-by reads a note written by Slamet, a note that poignantly describes the boy's fears about corruption.

Secarik Kertas di Persimpangan Jalan (Indonesia, 2002)

With the theme of betrayal, this film weaves a story about the relationship between poor Wawan and rich Gilang. They are friends but their friendship and the life of Wawan are broken bt their affection for a girl called Ria. At one point Gilang pays Wawan, a skilled writer, to write a love poem to Ria. Wawan writes the poem but is then betrayed by his friend who ends up signing the letters as if Gilang was the composer.

Pahitnya Kopi Tanpa Gula (Indonesia, 2002)

'This film describes the devious ways Eko abuses the love of his parents to buy games instead of attending school. He skips school and cheats on his exams. After being exposed he reforms his life and become a model citizen.

Unprecedented: the 2000 Presidential Election (USA, 2002)

This is a riveting story about the battle for the Presidency in Florida, USA. Unprecedented examines a suspicious pattern of irregularities, injustices and voter purges - all in a state governed by the winning candidate's brother. According to co-directors Joan Sekler and Richard Perez, from the moment the polls opened in Florida, it was painfully clear that something was wrong. While the US media examined the controversy over ballots, much larger civil rights abuses were overlooked. One of the first indications of this came on election day. Thousands of African Americans who had voted in previous elections discovered their names were missing from the voter rolls. Investigators later uncovered an elaborate strategy that purged thousands of Democratic voters from the rolls. In an election that was determined by 537 votes, these purged voters would have reversed the outcome. Unprecedented has received a number of awards including the Grand Festival Award at the Berkeley Film and Video Festival, the Audience Documentary Award at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival and the Route 66 Award Winner Award at the Winslow Film Festival. It was also officially selected for the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericana and for the American Film Institute (AFI) Film Festival.

HLAS 98 (Slovakia, 1999)

No matter in what period of time you are, every political system can gradually turn around, against its founders. Any system that generates an atmosphere of fear, a system that frightens, is wrong. Let's not be frightened-

Ni Uno Solo (Argentina, 2002)

According to the latest official figures, 57,8% of Argentina's population is under poverty level - this is almost 21.000.000 people. 'Ni Uno Solo is a documentary about the present economic, social and political crisis in Argentina from a local Argentine's perspective. Bringing on board the opinions of ordinary citizens and expert analysrs, the documentary examines the factors behind the collapse of December 2001 and depicts the immediate and long-term impact on the Argentinean society.

Rettet Berlin! (Germany, 2003)

Berlin's Bank Crisis, brought about by the company "Bankgesellschaft Berlin", is the biggest economic scandal in the history of the Federal Republic - it is also a lesson in the fraudulent manipulation of trade regulations. By reciting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem, the Treasure Hunter, which includes the lines: "Poverty is the greatest plague/Wealth the greatest good!, a group of peaceful, largely academic demonstrators known as the "Berlin Bank Scandal Initiative" sought to draw attention to the desolate state of affairs in Germany's capital. At the same time they put forward their demands for the rectification of the scandal.

The Green Rose (Taiwan, 2002)

Based on a true story, GREEN ROSE examines the death of a political dissident, who wanted nothing more than his own native Taiwanese to have a voice. Beautifully filmed, Green Rose succeeds in protesting the silencing of this man by emphasizing its own silence. Completely without dialogue, the story is told through poetic visuals accompanied by an enchanting score.

Triomfeer (South Africa, 2001)

A moving, post-1994 South African story. An exiled cadre returns to collect the remains of his father that are buried in the backyard of the policeman who shot him during the forced removals from Sophiatown in the 1950s. This film proves that the need for redemption goes beyond cultures. Winner of the Ibdaa Media City, Dubai 2001

Cause for Murder (USA, 2002)

Mexico was recently startled by the murders of two young women lawyers. They had different political inclinations, one came from the political right and the other from the left. Both had fought to support human rights and to destroy the official and institutional corruption that has plagued Mexico for years. This includes a system of bribes, debts and favors that has prevented the world's tenth-largest country from reaching its political and economic potential. The election of President Vicente Fox in 2000 ended more than 70 years of single-party rule. This film examines the hopes that a new dawn has come in Mexico's history but also the fear that graft and corruption are unsolvable.

Choosing the President of Our Class (Mongolia, 2001)

This video, made for a national television programme in Mongolia, shows the ingenious ways young students select and elect their class leader. From bribery to peer pressure, the methods used by these children to gain influence and position are stirring since they may determine one's decision-making pattern later on in life.

Rumänien: Kinderkauf statt Adoption (Germany/Romania, 2002)

The story takes us straight into the car of Guiseppe Canale, as we accompany him on a 1600 km drive through Eastern Europe to see his wife Gabriele and a child Oliviano, who live far way in Romania. The Canales have tried to adopt Oliviano for more than a year now, but in the final stages of adoption they were faced with a 25.000 bribe for processing the adoption. Gabriele moved to Bucharest, to live with the child and fight for the clearance of her case with the local authorities. In a country where adoption is often a source of income for poor families, corruption can spread its ugly face within all political arenas. When the camera follows the married couple into the office of the Ministry of Adoption and Child Protection, we clearly see how corruption can flourish and bring pain into the lives of a family.