New Releases May 2009 - Learningemall.com

Duration : 25 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2008Price : USD 195.00CULTURALSTUDIESBETRAYAL, THEDirected by Ellen Kuras and ThavisoukPhrasavathThe collateral impact of America's secretwar in Laos is reflected in theextraordinary story of one family's strugglefor survival – in Laos and later in the U.S.Filmed over the course of 23 years, TheBetrayal is the directorial debut of famedcinematographer Ellen Kuras incollaboration with the film's subject andco-director Thavisouk Phrasavath.During the Vietnam War, the U.S.clandestinely operated in the neighboringcountry of Laos. By 1973 a secret aircampaign had dropped more bombs onLaos than were used during WWI andWWII combined. Recruited by the CIA towork intelligence along the Ho Chi MinhTrail, Thavisouk's father is exposed afterAmerica's retreat and is imprisoned by theruling Communist government. The entirefamily comes under suspicion and theirmother is forced to raise Thavi and hisnine younger siblings alone. At the agethirteen, Thavi escapes across theMekong River to Thailand, and is joinedtwo years later by his mother and seven ofhis siblings. After living in a refugee campthe family seeks asylum in America, and issoon deposited in a crowded tenement inBrooklyn. Left to their own means by thegovernment, the family struggles tosurvive and stay together, pulled by twodifferent cultures, terrorized by local gangs,and haunted by memories.A lyrical melding of memoir, cinema veriteand historical inquiry, The Betrayal is anexquisitely crafted tale of a country and afamily torn asunder, and the long andpainful process of repair.Reviews• "Lyrical, expansive, unbearablybeautiful." – David Edelstein, NewYork Magazine• "A moving, lyrical,23-years-in-the-making epic. Packsan emotional wallop." – David Ansen,Newsweek• "Exquisitely beautiful and emotionallycompelling." – Kenneth Turan, LATimes• "Stunning. Life-affirming in the bestpossible way." – Jonathan Curiel, SanFrancisco Chronicle• "Resolutely gripping! Brings anaffecting personal dimension to asprawling sociopolitical narrative,intimately detailing how the agendasdesigned to advance the interests ofnations can destroy individual lives." –Scott Foundas, Variety• "A shimmering, absorbing experiencethat's both specific and general, bothconcrete and abstract. It's about oneLaotian family in Brooklyn and aboutalmost every immigrant familyeverywhere in the country, about theallure of America and its often uglyreality." – Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com• "A powerful documentary. Ellen Kurasdocuments one man's – and onenation's – tragedy." – MelissaAnderson, Time Out New York• "The Betrayal is a powerful work ofanthropology." – David D'Arcy, ScreenDailyNotes• Official Selection, Berlin InternationalFilm Festival, 2008• Official Selection, Hot Docs FilmFestival, 2008• Official Selection, Silverdocs FilmFestival, 2008• Academy Award nominee, BestDocumentary Feature, 2009Awards• World Premiere, Sundance FilmFestival, 2008• Winner, Cinereach award, HumanRights Watch International FilmFestival, 2008• Winner, Spectrum award, Full FrameDocumentary Film Festival, 2008Item no. : ZN05970295Format : DVDDuration : 96 minutesCopyright : 2008Price : USD 395.00BIRD'S NEST, THEExperience the birth of the "Bird's Nest,"Beijing's iconic National Stadium whichplayed host to the 2008 Summer Olympics.Swedish designer, Thomas Herzog,conceptualized this marvel, which is notonly functional, but architectural andcultural. Explore the creation of thismagnificent structure from the beginningstages through the construction andcompletion. You'll hear from the designers,architects and welders who each played apart. The Bird's Nest stands apart fromany other stadium as a one of a kindstructure unique in its design and socialsignificance. Like humans, buildings havelife. The Bird's Nest will forever be a pieceof Beijing's history and Chinese culture.Item no. : CJ00161100Format : DVDDuration : 51 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2009Price : USD 195.00DESTINATION ART- BERLINThe spotlight falls on Berlin, an epicenter,of European contemporary art. When theBerlin wall came down in 1989, artistsmoved in attracted by the city's bohemianimage and liberalism. Frank Thiel hasdocumented the rapid rebirth andarchitectural changes in the reunifiedBerlin and Norbert Bisky's violent, butpastel scenes deal with disillusion in theutopia of a western world.Item no. : ER00161106Format : DVDDuration : 26 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2009Price : USD 195.00DESTINATION ART- CAPETOWNA visit to Cape Town reveals artists whoare working in post-Apartheid South Africa.Sculptor and painter, Willie Bester, revealswhy he trawls the city’s junkyards forinspiration and materials and sound artistJames Webb takes us on a tour of CapeTown. Also featured: Nandipha Mntambo,Mustafa MalukaItem no. : LC00161107Format : DVDDuration : 26 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2009Price : USD 195.00DESTINATION ART- ITALYTravel to Italy to discover more about itsburgeoning contemporary art scene. Wemeet rising star Patrick Tuttofuoco, whouses architecture as inspiration for hisdynamic sculptures and we meet ilPadre of contemporary Italian art,Michelangelo Pistoletto.Item no. : DH00161108Format : DVDDuration : 26 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2009Price : USD 195.00DESTINATION ART-MUMBAIDestination Art travels to Mumbai, thefastest moving, most affluent andindustrialized city in India. We take a lookat its ever changing landscape through theeyes of two very different artists, HemaUpadhyay and Sudhir Patwardhan.Item no. : ZY00161109Format : DVDDuration : 26 minutesAudience : Senior High - CollegeCopyright : 2009Price : USD 195.00DESTINATION ART- TOKYOIn the vibrant city of Tokyo where Asianand Western art styles meet,________________________________________________________________________________________________________Email: inquiry@learningemall.comLearning Rendezvous LimitedWebsites: http://www.learningemall.com & http://www.learningemall.com.hk21