Videos on Communication, Religion, and Global Institutions

Digital dark age help, we're disappearing! 2004, c2003

Jörg Daniel Hissen, Peter Moers, Park Films, and NDR International

"Compact and portable, digitized information is an attractive alternative to bulky books, analog media, and emulsion-based photographs-- but can it stand the test of time? In this program, Stewart Brand, co-inventor of the TCP/IP Internet protocol, and others in the know assess the rapid proliferation of digitization; confront the alarming risk of massive data loss through technology obsolescence, platform incompatibilities, and storage media degradation; explore the potentially catastrophic impace of data loss on cultural identity; and outline some of the efforts being made to stave off a digital dark age"--Container. 1 videodisc (53 min.) sd., col

MEDIA 10-311

 

Digital divides and learning divides challenges and opportunities in Africa 2012

"With ubiquitous access to the Internet and the proliferation of cellphones, particularly in Africa, many ask: Is there still a digital divide? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Not all of Africa is equal. There are many poor countries with inadequate electricity, water, and food, particularly in rural communities, that also lack access to basic education, have high rates of illiteracy and have poor information resources on agriculture, health, and social services. A panel of faculty and experts in the field, hosted by Rutgers librarian Marty Kesselman, will discuss the current situation in Africa and how Rutgers is collaborating with the University of Liberia and Cuttington University to advance libraries and education in agriculture and engineering and foster opportunities for sustainability. These programs will serve as models that can be replicated in other developing countries around the world.''--Panel discussion pamphlet. 1 videodisc (75 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3777

 

Fragments of a revolution c2011

Goes beyond the headlines and the tweets to tell the story of the protests that swept Iran in the aftermath of the disputed 2009 presidential election. Directed by an anonymous Iranian living in exile, the film brings together clandestinely sent emails, online videos and footage shot by protesters in the midst of demonstrations. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-4272

 

Life 2.0 c2010

Jason Spingarn-Koff,  Andrew Lauren, Stephan Paternot, Jonathan Shukat, Andrew Lauren Productions,  PalmStar Entertainment (Firm), Oprah Winfrey Network, and Ro*co Films International

Second Life is a virtual online world which is played by hundreds of thousands of users across the world assuming new identities in the form of avatars. This film explores the lure of made up identities and online addiction. 1 videodisc (99 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3167

 

New media, religion, and their impact on elections December 7, 2007 2008

Bill D Moyers, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Melissa Rogers, Gail Ablow, Ken Diego, Michael Bacon, Public Affairs Television (Firm), WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), and Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

No one can dispute the importance of new media in the battle to win the White House in 2008. But what does it all mean for American democracy? Bill Moyers gets perspective on the impact of blogs, YouTube, and social networking on the election process from Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Then, with evangelical pastor Mike Huckabee surging in the polls and Mitt Romney giving a widely anticipated speech on his Mormon faith, Moyers and Jamieson are joined by scholar Melissa Rogers for a discussion of religion in politics. 1 videodisc (58 min.)

MEDIA 10-1664

 

Page one inside the New York times c2011

Josh Braun, Kate Novack, Andrew Rossi, Paul Brill, Magnolia Pictures (Firm), Participant Media, History Channel (Television network), and Magnolia Home Entertainment (Firm)

This documentary chronicles the transformation of The New York Times newsroom and the inner workings of the Media Desk, as the Internet redefines the media industry by surpassing print as the main source of news. At the heart of the film is the burning question on the minds of everyone who cares about a rigorous American press, Times lover or not: what will happen if the fast-moving future of media leaves behind the fact-based, original reporting that helps to define our society? This up-close look at factors and actors that produce the "daily miracle" of a great news organization is a nuanced portrait of journalists continuing to produce extraordinary work under increasingly difficult circumstances. 1 videodisc (92 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3300

 

Play again c2010

Tonje Hessen Schei, Meg Merrill, Ground Productions, and Bullfrog Films

"One generation from now most people in the U.S. will have spent more time in the virtual world than in nature ... At a time when children play more behind screens than outside, Play Again explores the changing balance between the virtual and natural worlds ... This moving and humorous documentary follows six teenagers who, like the average American child, spend five to fifteen hours a day behind screens. Play Again unplugs these teens and takes them on their first wilderness adventure -- no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no virtual reality"--Ground Productions web site. 1 videodisc (80 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2377

 

Searching 4 Sandeep 2008?

Poppy Stockell, Sandeep Virdi, Laughingwave Productions, Australian Film Commission, and Women Make Movies (Firm)

"Single, frustrated and lonely in the middle of Sydney's thriving gay community, director Poppy Stockell decides to 'research' a light-hearted look at the lesbian Internet-dating scene. To her surprise and delight, she forges a deep online connection with an English woman, Sandeep Virdi. When their innocent flirtation turns into true attachment, Poppy sends Sandeep a camcorder and viewers watch as Poppy and Sandeep's virtual relationship blooms into a poignant love --  complicated by the reality that Sandeep is Sikh, lives at home with her conservative family, and has kept her sexuality a secret ... Follows the couple's tumultuous relationship across two years and three continents, in a touching examination of sexuality, religion, globalization, and culture seen through the lens of this uniquely modern love story" -- http://www.wmm.com/filmCatalog/pages/c733.shtml. 1 videodisc (55 min.)

MEDIA 10-1781

 

Truth in numbers? c2010

Scott Glosserman, Michael Ferris Gibson, Nic Hill, Glen Echo Entertainment (Firm), and Underdog Pictures (Firm)

"After viewing this provocative documentary, you will never look at Wikipedia the same way. Filmmakers Scott Glosserman and Nic Hill engagingly explore the history and cultural implications of one of the most traveled and referenced sites on the Internet. A whole range of opinion is expressed about the impact of Wikipedia on the archiving of learning, from interviews with founder Jimmy Wales to commentators suspicious of the site's supposed neutrality. The documentary delves into the EssJay controversy in which a Wikipedian made false claims about his academic credentials and the battle over journalist John Seigenthaler's inaccurate entry. Evenhandedly weaving multiple perspectives about the impact of Wikipedia, the film provokes a deeper conversation on how knowledge is formed and what future generations will learn about history and the world."--Container. 1 videodisc (85 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3395

 

Warnings from a small town 2003

Forrest Sawyer, Mike McLeod, Gordon Platt, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Discovery Channel (Firm), and Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

"There's something new about hatred and racism-- its approach.  This program exposes the new face of hate through detailed case studies that show how neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have targeted America's youth via mass media, particularly the internet, so readily available in schools and homes. The grim example of Lancaster, California, demonstrates how "edge" communities--small towns outside cities--can become recruiting grounds for gangs such as the Nazi Low Riders and the scenes of brutal crimes. Interviews with convicted NLR members at Pelican Bay prison drive home another outcome of hate crime"--Container. 1 videodisc (50 min.)

MEDIA 10-254

 

We live in public 2010

Reveals the complicated effects the web is having on our society as seen through the eyes of artist, futurist, and visionary, Josh Harris. Director Ondi Timoner documented more than a decade of Harris' increasingly tumultuous life and experiments, including one that involved living under 24-hour electronic surveillance, which led to his mental collapse. 1 videodisc (89 min.)

MEDIA 10-4081

 

Afro@digital c2003

Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda, N'Diagna Adéchoubou, Akangbe Productions, TV10 (Television station : Angers, France), Dipanda Yo! (Firm), and California Newsreel (Firm)

Looks as the information technology revolution which has become a daily reality in many African countries where the Internet, mobile telephones and digital video cameras are being used with extraordinary creativity. Visits a marabout who explains he no longer replies by letter to questions but uses his mobile phone and email to transmit his advice. Another illustration of the digital revolution in Africa is the rise of internet cafes and cyber teahouses. In some towns in Senegal and the Congo, increasing numbers are connecting to internet using a laptop computer with a mobile phone. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

DANA 1978

 

Connecting the suits 1998

Stephen Segaller and Robert X Cringely

Part two of a three-part series in which Bob Cringely, a self- proclaimed nerd and industry gossip columnist, leads viewers in an examination of the exciting industry known as the Internet. This episode deals with the advent of personal computers and the need to develop them into a network, and with the person who was the first to do that, Bob Metcalfe, founder of 3Com. Following shortly after, a number of other companies, including Microsoft, entered the picture, and a volatile competitive market was created. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-3966

 

The hyperlinked world of learning HTML  1999

Sam Genovese, Jon Reich, and Katie Lewis

This video discusses basic HTML coding, including topics such as text editors, tags, formatting, adding links, mailto commands, jpg and gif extensions, scanners, graphics, tables, servers, FTP programs, Internet service providers, design issues, etc. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

DANA 1384

 

Internet for baby boomers & beyond 1997

A step-by-step guide to using the internet demonstrating using World Wide Web, email, FTP and other internet tools; plus interviews with users illustrating how to locate senior resources, research investment opportunities, plan your retirement, research your family's genealogy and more. 1 videocassette (43 min.)

DANA 1241

 

The net @ risk c2006

Bill D Moyers, Rick Karr, Peter Bull, Public Affairs Television (Firm), WNET (Television station : New York, N.Y.), and Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)

A boon to computer users, broadband has meant fast Internet services for millions. But as the phone and cable giants that operate these networks conside the profits to be made by controlling the content and delivery of the Internet, Net Neutrality - and the easy sharing of ideas and opinions that goes with it - may soon become a thinking of the past in America. In this program, Bill Moyers and journalist Rick Karr report on the struggle for the soul of the Internet as lobbyists and legislators reshape the telecom laws for the broadband era. Will democracy's high-tech forum for the exchange of ideas be destroyed by regulations that favor online entities with deep pockets? 1 videodisc (90 min.)

DANA 381

 

Networking the nerds 1998

Stephen Segaller and Robert X Cringely

Part one of a three-part series in which Bob Cringely, a self- proclaimed nerd and industry gossip columnist, leads viewers in an examination of the exciting industry known as the Internet. This episode tells of the beginning of the industry, which was in large part a reaction to the Russian leap of technology resulting in Sputnik. The new agency ARPA was created to link computers at universities across the nation, and was operational in only nine months. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-3965

 

News war: What's happening to the news? 2007

Stephen Talbot, Lowell Bergman, Will Lyman, PBS Video, Cam Bay Productions, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), WGBH Educational Foundation, University of California, Berkeley, and Graduate School of Journalism

A look inside the battle over the future of the Los Angeles Times, pitting editors and reporters against corporate owners; explores the future of news with TV executives from ABC to The Daily Show; and how the internet is changing the face of the news. 1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.)

DANA 374

 

Startup.com 2001

D. A Pennebaker, Jehane Noujaim, Chris Hegedus, Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, and Tom Herman

A riviting story about how friendship can be devoured in an effort to storm the e-business world. Two boyhood friends, one is a gentle soul with a daughter and the other is an ambitious business-school graduate, launch an internet company. It's a test between loyalty or success. 1 videocassette (103 min.)

DANA 1555