Dialogic Cinephilia - October 1, 2019

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but we must take it because our conscience tells us that it is right.” — Martin Luther King, Jr., "A Proper Sense of Priorities" (1968)

Bonifaz, John and Chris Hedges. "To Impeach or Not to Impeach: What Should Congress Do Next?" Democracy Now (October 1, 2019) ["House Democrats subpoenaed President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani Monday, seeking documents related to his work in Ukraine. Last week, Guliani admitted on television that he had urged the Ukrainian government to investigate Trump’s political rival and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. This comes as House Democrats continue to build their case for impeaching the president, following a whistleblower complaint focused on a phone call in which Trump asked the Ukranian president to do him a “favor” investigating the actions of Democrats, including Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Meanwhile, Trump is continuing to threaten lawmakers who are pushing impeachment, and publicly admitted he is trying to find out the identity of the anonymous whistleblower, in possible violation of whistleblower protection laws. We host a debate on impeachment with John Bonifaz, co-founder and president of Free Speech for People, one of the organizations demanding Trump’s impeachment, and Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, award-winning author and activist."]

Gan, Bi.  "Long Day's Journey Into Night." Film at Lincoln Center Podcast #222 (April 11, 2019) ["Writer-director Bi Gan discusses his acclaimed follow up to Kaili Blue, Long Day's Journey Into Night, an immersive art-house sensation that broke box office records in China."]




Klayman, Alison. "How Steve Bannon Operates." On the Media (April 12, 2019) ["During Trump's rise to the presidency and early months in leadership, Steve Bannon was often presented as the man behind the scenes: pulling the strings, making big strategic decisions — until he was swiftly ousted. It may not have been a wholly accurate portrayal, but it did help build Bannon's reputation as a modern day Rasputin. The Brink is a new documentary that follows Steve Bannon through the various battles he waged after getting the heave-ho from the Trump White House. The viewer sees him at a low point, as his candidate Judge Roy Moore is upset in the Alabama senate special election, as he grooms hard right congressional candidates in the midterms, and as he builds coalitions among right-wing extremists in advance of the upcoming EU elections. Filmmaker Alison Klayman captures him mingling comfortably with the Washington press corps, dining with fascists, and uncomfortably charming audiences from coast to coast. Bob and Klayman talk about Bannon's symbiotic relationship with the press — and whether her documentary gives him the publicity he craves."]

Levine, James. "The Dangers of Inactivity." Radio West (July 4, 2019)  ["Chances are good you’re sitting down as you read these words. After hearing what Dr. James Levine, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic, has to say about sitting, you might find yourself standing a lot more. That’s because Dr. Levine’s research suggests that spending most of your day sitting and physically inactive -- at work, at home and everywhere else -- won’t just give you a sore back: there’s a good chance it could lead you to an early grave. Dr. Levine joins us Wednesday to explain the dangers of inactivity."]

Natasha Lennard: Journalist/Political Theory Dialogic Cinephilia (Ongoing Archive)

Read, Max. "How The Matrix Fed Our Conspiracy-Laden World." On the Media (April 12, 2019) ["When it comes to nourishing paranoiac beliefs through pop culture, one of the most iconic works is the 1999 sci-fi political parable The Matrix. A computer hacker, Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, journeys into a reality he didn’t know existed and must battle the system of machines controlling all of humanity. The plot of the movie hinges around a choice Neo makes to take a red pill and to wake up from his blissful ignorance. Bob talks with Max Read, a writer and editor at New York Magazine, about what red-pilling has come to signify on the internet and in American politics, and how different groups use the potent metaphor."]

Salzberg, Sharon. "Dan in Real Life." This Movie Changed Me (April 17, 2018) ["Love is an ability, not just a feeling. That’s the lesson Dan in Real Life brought home for meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg. The story of Steve Carell’s flawed but loveable character echoed Sharon’s own work — to realize love as a capacity within ourselves."]

"Three Arrows Down: How Soccer Supporters Built An Antifascist Space Within The Sport." It's Going Down (September 26, 2019)