|
2007-2008 Leadership Micro-Grant awardee
Rebulding Broken Lives My Story With PRAYAS
Written by Priya Agarwal-Harding
Directed by Melissa Mergner
(9 minutes, 30 seconds)
Summary: This short documentary discusses the issue of child trafficking and explores the relationship between Priya Agarwal-Harding, a young woman from Baltimore, Maryland, and PRAYAS, an organization based in New Delhi, India that helps children who are victims of human trafficking. With the support of the Fund for the Future of Our Children, Priya has been raising funds and working with PRAYAS to develop a special program Girl Power to provide young women with long-term opportunities for growth and development.
Woody Guthrie Voice of the Common Man
Written and Directed by Melissa Mergner
(10 minutes)
Summary: Written and produced by a 14-year-old high school student, Woody Guthrie Voice of the Common Man is a short documentary about how the folk singer-songwriter overcame personal hardship and tragedy to become a spokesman for those Americans affected by the Great Depression and the dust storms. Although neither a politician nor activist, Guthrie brought attention to the plight of Okies, migrant workers and other disenfranchised people. He gave music a social conscience and influenced several generations of singer-songwriters, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, John Mellencamp, Ani DiFranco and Jeff Tweedy. The film uses Guthrie's own voice from Library of Congress recordings, as well as archival footage from the '30s. Soundtrack by Richard Drueding.
Speaking Truth to Power The Story of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee
Written and Directed by Melissa Mergner
(10 minutes)
Summary: Written and produced by a 15-year-old high school student, Speaking Truth to Power The Story of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, is a short documentary about labor rights activist Baldemar Velasquez and the organization he founded in Ohio in the 1970s. The son of migrant farm workers and influenced by mentors Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez, Velasquez has devoted his life to changing wages and working conditions for farm workers. His organization FLOC represented farm workers in the labor actions against large corporations such as Campbells, Heinz, and Mt. Olive Pickles. The film intersperses interviews with Velasquez with archival footage as well as photos of farm workers and working conditions in Ohio and North Carolina. Soundtrack by Richard Drueding.
Forgotten War, Unforgettable Aftermath The Legacy of Conflict and Compromise in the Korean War
Written and Directed by Elena Gooray & Melissa Mergner
(10 minutes)
Summary: This short documentary discusses how the conflict of the Korean War was born out of a compromise the division of the country in the wake of WWII. Including interviews with noted Korean War historians and authors Dr. Bruce Cumings, Dr. Palu Edwards and Dr. Michael Devine as well as archival footage, this film exposes the devastating consequences of a scorched earth policy that contributed to the deaths of millions of Koreans and sowed the seeds of a conflict that has still not been resolved. Music by Floratone.
|
