SCREENINGS
There will be a public screening on 10th Feb, 7pm at the CCA of Jan Nimmo’s films ‘Bonita’ & ‘Ugly bananas’ along with ‘Salud y solidaridad’ followed by a Q&A with Jan and a member of Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group.
Jan Nimmo had been visiting Latin America for 10 years before making her moving film Bonita : Ugly Bananas (2004 – 25min) in co-operation with FENACLE, a local trade union. It follows workers living on a banana plantation in Ecuador beginning to organise against great odds to improve their lot. Then in 2006 she completed Pura Vida? (29min – Winner of best environmental documentary at Cinestat International Film Festival) in co-operation with SITRAP, a local trade union, which shows something of the reality behind Costa Rica’s ”tourist friendly” image. Local people passionately speak out and organise to expose and end the pollution and damage to their health and environment caused by the pineapple and banana industries.
Salud y Solidaridad (2008 – 21min) is set in Mexico, Chiapas region in the 16th February municipality which is twinned with the Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group(ECSG). It is one of 38 Autonomous Municipalities where the Zapatista indigeneous people are creating a new world. Local people have taken control of the land, schools and health care, and run things though a system of grass-roots democracy. In many communities state officials and private businesses are unable to set foot. An ECSG member who has spent time there and found it profoundly inspiring will be present to answer questions.
