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The debate over filesharing continues with news of the UK government’s new proposals to crack down on downloaders. The campaign against the digital pirates has been lead by the largest and most powerful media companies and content producers. Up until recently, not only did these companies hold a monopoly on what we saw and heard - they also generated huge profits. It’s not hard to see why so many people object to the status quo in the entertainment industry.

And yet music and musicians are finding new and innovative ways to get heard in the digital arena. Live music is undergoing a renaissance, providing musicians with income from ticket sales, while sites like myspace enable small groups to reach out to new audiences. Meanwhile streaming services like Spotify are growing in popularity. The internet hasn’t killed the music industry at all, but it is changing it - rapidly.

Video streaming and on-demand tv services promise a similar revolution in the world of broadcasting. What isn’t clear yet is how filmmakers will benefit from the changes, challenges and opportunities that come with the new technologies. What we do know is that independent filmmakers play a vital role in a free society by providing alternative viewpoints and giving voice to those so often ignored by conventional media - and those efforts must be supported.

Want to sponsor a filmmaker? Buy a film! High quality streaming - no advertising - on joiningthedocs.tv.

The Ashes 2009 series is approaching it’s climatic finale. Will Australia triumph once more? Or will England regain the tiny urn? (Seriously, it’s only six inches high, nothing like butch trophies such as the Stanley Cup, which measures almost a metre and weighs nearly 35 pounds.) Either way, the 5th test is sure to be an epic battle with much anxiety, cheering and drinking of Pimm’s.

The series has a long history, and while there is much rivalry, the relationship between Australia and England has always been close and friendly. Not so the fractious relationship between India and Pakistan, one of the most volatile and potentially dangerous conflicts in the world today. And yet, somehow ‘cricket diplomacy‘ is bringing the two sides together. It may be some time before we see the resolution of that clash, but for those looking for a more immediate result, the 5th Ashes test starts on Thursday.

Falun Gong Followers

As I sit and view Plum Blossom in Snow, I feel both saddened and shocked that I had been previously unaware of the destruction that Falun Gong followers have to face. This horrific maltreatment of innocent victims due to their spiritual practise is not expressed enough in the media. Perhaps if it was discussed more publicly, increasingly more people and in particular, young people such as myself, would be aware of the devastation followers have to face repeatedly. Perhaps more awareness could lead to more support for Falun Gong followers and practitioners.

Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa as it is also known, originated in China in 1992 when it was founded by Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong is currently practised across the globe, in more than 60 countries. Its key message is ‘Truth, Compassion and Forbearance’, however, even though Falun Gong’s message is peaceful, it has become increasingly persecuted against by the extremely controlling Chinese government as the government seek to end all practise of the spiritual movement by any means necessary. As mentioned in the undoubtedly moving documentary Plum Blossom in Snow, it is believed that Jiang Zemin’s dictatorship see Falun Gong practitioners as a threat because the movement is made up of more practitioners than the Communist Party of China is made up of in members.

In Plum Blossom in Snow, we witness the emotional journey of Zhizhen Dai who found purpose in the practice of Falun Gong when she didn’t know where her life was taking her. Horrifyingly, the practice of Falun Gong by both her and her husband led to his kidnapping, torture and eventual murder, along with many more Falun Gong practitioners since the movement first began. Zhizhen Dai, along with her young daughter, travel around the world with other participators campaigning for better human rights for Falun Gong practitioners, trying to get the message across that the Chinese government need to be stopped and hoping that justice will be served for the torture and murder of so many people.

The documentary isn’t easy viewing as Zhizhen Dai recalls the horror she witnessed at the hands of the Chinese government. There are also stories of extreme violence, including severe torture to try and stop Falun Gong practitioners from practising altogether. There have also been revelations that followers have been forced to go with no sleep for an entire week as they are made to watch propaganda films to try and suppress their beliefs in Falun Gong. Followers views are not expressed through the Chinese media because of the control the Chinese government have over the media and therefore only one side can be viewed publicly. Falun Gong practitioners are also prevented from speaking in public and to make sure they don’t, Chinese police are always on the lookout for people expressing free speech. Terry Marsh, an attorney, who speaks in Plum Blossom in Snow, discusses the destruction faced by Falun Gong practitioners. Marsh notes that a Human Rights Watch report showed that there are psychiatric facilities to hospitalise Falun Gong followers and that these hospitals use illegal drugs, chain detainees to beds, force feed and brainwash practitioners to prevent them from following Falun Gong.

Despite the fact that Plum Blossom in Snow is hard viewing, the moral message of the documentary is important to acknowledge. Innocent people’s human rights are constantly being violated and something really needs to be done about it to try and prevent exploitation of people’s human rights in the future.

To find out more about Falun Gong, visit this website or visit the official film website.

Zeme

I just had one of my best ever experiences watching a documentary in a cinema. Burma VJ is simply a stunning film; amazing footage taken at huge personal risk by young people trying to get the story out to the world about life in Burma. It’s been brilliantly orchestrated by Anders Ostergaard, who has crafted a thriller from the raw material. I’m often resistant to reconstruction, but Ostergaard uses it sparingly and compellingly.

Filmmaking at its most immediate

The film gives the best ever feeling of what it’s like to be at the centre of a demonstration, and how badly it can quickly go wrong. What made it a memorable night out was the co-ordinated campaign behind it; multiple screenings in more than 30 cinemas simultaneously, with a live intro and live discussion mounted around it.

You could text your questions to the panel and get engaged immediately.

Apart from an ill-judged and embarrassing introduction by Vivienne Westwood, who claimed to know nothing about Burma,  the event was a great way to galvanise support. I signed up for the campaign on the spot and handed over a donation. This kind of direct action documentary is flavour of the month in the UK, and it’s making a big impact – Age of Stupid and End of the Line are two other films following a similar approach to event-based film distribution.