Videos on Science and the Environment

The Barcelona blueprint c2001

Once the industrial heart of the region of Catalonia in Spain, Barcelona was becoming a failed European city when a visionary local government decided to radically redevelop the city in the run for the 1992 Olympics. It is now considered a model 21st century city, combining historic buildings with modern architecture. This programs takes a tour of Barcelona's seafront and listens to a studio debate on the issues facing cities and those who live in them. This debate was part of the Special Session of the UN General Assembly held in New York in 2001. 1 videodisc (27 min.)

MEDIA 10-4328

 

Full moon lunch 2006

John Nathan and John Nathan Productions

Takes a look at a Tokyo family catering service. Reflects on life in Japan today. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-779

 

Growing cities a film about urban farming in America "From rooftop farmers to backyard beekeepers, Americans are growing food like never before. Growing Cities goes coast to coast to tell the inspiring stories of these intrepid urban farmers, activists, and everyday city-dwellers who are challenging the way this country feeds itself.  From those growing in backyards to make ends meet to educators teaching kids to eat healthier, viewers find that urban farming is about much more than simply good food"--Container. 1 videodisc (93 min.)

MEDIA 10-5038

 

Lagos/Koolhaas  2003

Follows Dutch architectural theorist Rem Koolhaas as he conducts research in the city of Lagos, one of the fastest-growing urban environments in the world. 1 videodisc (55 min.)

MEDIA 10-5423

 

Pavements of gold c2001

Urban poverty is one of the largest problems facing the world in the 21st century. Looking at Lima, Peru, this program examines the enduring magnetism of big cities and asks whether the migrants who have moved here now feel that city life is the answer to their dreams. 1 videodisc (27 min.)

MEDIA 10-4325

 

Arlit, deuxieme Paris Arlit, the second Paris 2005

Idrissou Mora Kpaď, Fonds Sud cinéma, MKJ Films (Firm), Noble Films (Firm), and California Newsreel (Firm)

Arlit, Deuxieme Paris is a case study in migration and environmental racism set in an uranium mining town in the Sahara desert of Niger. 1 videocassette (78 min.)

MEDIA 2-7353

 

The Barcelona blueprint 2001

Steve Bradshaw and Georgina Ochoa

Once the industrial heart of the region of Catalonia in Spain, Barcelona was becoming a failed European city when a visionary local government decided to radically redevelop the city in the run for the 1992 Olympics. It is now considered a model 21st century city, combining historic buildings with modern architecture. This program takes a tour of Barcelona's seafront and listens to a studio debate on the issues facing cities and those who live in them. This debate was part of the Special Session of the UN General Assembly held in New York in 2001. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5912

 

Berlin Siedlungen 1974

Tim Benton, Nick Levinson, and James Colina

Study of "housing estates" and "garden cities," in and around Berlin. Featuring the works of Paul Schmitthenner, Bruno Taut in Schiller Park, Gropius at Siemensstadt, Hugo Herring, and others. 1 videocassette (25 min.)

MEDIA 2-3065

 

Berlin, the symphony of a great city Berlin, die symphonie der Grossstadt 1985

Walter Ruttmann and Edmund Meisel

A film study of the rhythms of urban life in Berlin during the early 1920s. 1 videocassette (70 min.)

MEDIA 2-1386

 

Best practices an urban handbook 1996?

Herbert Girardet and  Maximillian Jacobson-Gonzalez

By the year 2000, experts predict that the majority of the world's population will live in towns and cities.  Within another 30 years, the world's urban population could be 5 billion people.  Many will seldom see the trees, fields, and grass of the countryside.  While it's possible to live comfortably in a city, most city dwellers don't, and suffer poverty, overcrowding, crime, and violence.  The UN believes that it's possible to create sustainable cities that nuture their citizens.  Cities worldwide are working on best practices encouraged by the Habitat II Conference.  Winners of the Best Practices Award are: Chattanooga, Tennesse, United States; Lublin, Poland; Fortaleza, Brazil; Ahmedabad, India; and Alexandra, South Africa. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-5159

 

Bombay, our city c1985

Anand Patwardhan and  First Run/Icarus Films

Four million people live in the slums of Bombay without water, sanitation or electricity and they face eviction as the city tries to "beautify" Bombay. 1 videocassette (82 min.)

MEDIA 2-7529

 

The Building of Bath 1995

Mike Dornan, Keith Jacques, and Duncan Marshall

"This program traces the development of the English city of Bath, which is famous for its imposing Georgian buidings.  Among the architecture examined in the program is the Royal Crescent, which was begun by John Wood the Younger in 1767.  The program explains the architectural principles that influenced the design of Bath's buildings and describes the nature and form of their construction."--Container. 1 videocassette (ca. 26 min.)

MEDIA 2-3203

 

Calcutta 199-?

Louis Malle and Elliott Kastner

Documentary film of the minute details of individual lives and situations of poverty in the overpopulated and impoverished city of Calcutta. 1 videocassette (99 min.)

MEDIA 2-2735

 

Changing Berlin : changing Europe 1996

Dane Hahn, Andrew Sachs, Vic Lockwood, and Jack Leathem

Many of the issues that Germany and eastern Europe now confront are seen in microcosm in Berlin. Film examines the history of the city of Berlin, including the social, economic and political changes which have resulted since the fall of the Berlin Wall. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-5760

 

The City and the self 1973

Stanley Milgram and Harry From

Presents a study of human relations in the city based on psychological concepts formulated by Professor Stanley Milgram. Examines the city dwellers' perception of their city and their behavior in created situations. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

MEDIA D-2

 

City life 2001

Steve Bradshaw

Follows Marta Suplicy, the mayor of S~ao Paulo, Brazil, as she visits schools, hospitals, favelas, and a shelter for battered women, in her quest to improve the living conditions of the city. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5904

 

Common table in Bolivia 1989

Michael Lavery, Rosemary McCormack, and Don Doherty

Taped entirely on location in Bolivia, the program looks at the traditional rite of passage ceremony of the Aymara people, and at the struggle of Aymara women who have migrated to the capital city of La Paz.  Two missionaries who work with the Aymara join hosts Don Doherty and Rosemary McCormack to discuss the life and culture of this important ethnic group. 1 videocassette (28 min., 30 sec.)

DANA 404

 

Community-based environmental management information system CEMIS : improving living environments/initiatives by communities 1996

Ursula Löw, Jennifer Okungu, Sri Purwaningsih, Eleanor Cody, Sharad Shankardass, Paul Sullivan, and André Dzikus

Community-based environmental management information system: With 12 million inhabitants, Jakarta is one of the largest cities in the world.  The population explosion is immense, with 350,000 newcomers yearly.  CEMIS was started in 1994 to enable communities to improve their environmental infrastructure using information created by the community itself. Step by step: La is an indigenous coastal community in Accra, the capital of Ghana.  Families in the community traditionally lived off the sea.  The community is facing drastic changes as more and more people are crowded into a limited area.  Local residents founded La Mansaamo Kpee, a community-based organization and were chosen to do a pilot project for CEMIS. Cities in common: With more than half of the world's population living in cities, it's important to understand consumption patterns.  This program examines the impact of urban sprawl on water, transport, energy, and waste, and offers solutions. Malindi : Mji safi: Malindi is a thriving center of African/Arab/Swahili culture in Kenya famous for a relaxed pace, friendly people, monumental Muslim architecture, and delicious food.  Tourism is now the main source of income for the majority of people in Malindi.  Pollution has impacted on the beaches and water supply, and waste disposal is a problem.  Government officials and residents joined forces in a workshop iniated by GreenTowns, a joint project between the Kenyan and Dutch governments.  The objective is to increase awareness of the environment and to enhance community participation. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-5158

 

Community participation 1991

K. A Jayaratne, Sharni Jayawardena, Peter Swan, and John Ravi

Working together : supporting community action planning:  Colombo is the major center of trade and capitol in Sri Lanka.  Like most growing cities in developing countries, it's struggling to keep up its infrastructural development with its growing population.  Municipal health wardens are organizing communities to develop their own community development councils to bridge the gap between householders' healthcare needs and health services. Blocking out : a community approach to land regularisation: Many of Colombo's most populous settlements are in low-lying areas along canals and swamps.  Since 1984, the government has been committed to improving their environmental conditions and providing the basic amenities which they lack. Building houses : community construction guidelines: The Gajabapura community of Colombo met and agreed upon mutually acceptable building guidelines without inconveniencing each other or encroaching on common land. Making amenities : community construction contracts: The success of community-based approaches to land tenure regularization and house construction in Sri Lanka is reflected in the quality of low-income housing settlements.  The next stage is provision of common amenities and infrastructure provided by the National Housing Development Authority of Sri Lanka. Women's thrift : a community credit system: Shows a low-income community in which each of its 400 residents obtained legal tenure to a 250 metre square lot through the National Housing Authority's Urban Housing Development Program.  The first 150 householders to receive their loans from the Housing Authority were able to rebuild their homes using permanent materials.  In almost one-fourth of the community's households, women are the main providers for their families.  Women's mutual help groups were formed, and provide small loans to women. Assisting people : working with communities: The success of community-based approach to shelter development depends on the quality and commitment of field staff.  Project officers provide a vital link between communities and authorities. 1 videocassette (120 min.)

MEDIA 2-5148

 

Cuba 111 c1995

Dirk Vandersypen, Stev van Thielen, Peter Suetens, Jan van Bilsen, Radiodiffusion télévision belge, IKON (Association), European Commission, and Latin American Video Archives

Residents of a rundown apartment building in Old Havana describe their economic hardships. 1 videocassette (52 min.)

MEDIA 2-7040

 

Dimanche a Pekin 1968?

Chris Marker, Gilles Quéant, Argos Films, Films Incorporated, and Contemporary Films/McGraw-Hill

Contrasts the new culture of China with the old in the city of Peking. 1 videocassette (19 min.)

MEDIA D-439

 

Doing the right thing 2001

Hilary Sandison and Rachel Atkins

Porto Alegre  was once an ordinary, dirty, Brazilian port city. Through a direct democracy program transformation has taken place. This program traces the experiences of two women, both born in poor slum areas, who have risen through this program as neighborhood leaders. "S0024"--Pasted label on container. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5910

 

Escaping from history c1994

Marrin Canell, Catherine Mullins, Josh Freed, Gwynne Dyer, National Film Board of Canada, Green Lion Productions Inc, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Bullfrog Films, inc

Mexico City, the most polluted and fastest growing city on the planet, is a sobering foretaste of what may await us all. Looking at the effects of industrialization on Mexico, and the impact of its development on the rest of the world, this program finds reasons for optimism. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

MEDIA 2-6443

 

Full moon lunch 2006

John Nathan and John Nathan Productions

Takes a look at a Tokyo family catering service. Reflects on life in Japan today. 1 videodisc (57 min.)

MEDIA 10-779

 

Hardwick Hall power and architecture  1989

Nick Rowling and Nick Levinson

Hardwick Hall's architecture is both innovative and yet typical of the Elizabethan period.  The video discusses factors influencing its design as well as the personality of its owner-builder, Elizabeth, Countess of Hardwick and its brilliant architect, Robert Smythson. 1 videocassette (24 min.)

MEDIA 2-2541

 

Hatra 1980

Antti Kaskia

Profiles the art, architecture, and history of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Hatra in present-day northern Iraq.  Located along a major silk trade route, the city was a meeting ground for the cultures of Mesopotamia and Greece.  The dual influence of these cultures is demonstrated using footage of the city's barely excavated ruins and works of art. 1 videocassette (25 min.)

MEDIA 2-2534

 

The health protestors 2001

Ashley Bruce and Rachel Atkins

Frustrated doctors, health professionals, and civil rights activists from around the world met in Dhaka in December 2000 at the People's Health Assembly to draw up their demands for health care in a new People's Health Charter. This program follows the process, from a 50,000-person rally in Calcutta, to late-night drafting sessions, to the final publication of the charter on the last day of the Assembly. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-5906

 

Imagining new worlds 1996

Eleanor Morris and Dane Hahn

Examines contrasting ways of viewing the city of Cancun, Mexico and Mayan ruins as seen through the eyes of tourists, Mayan descendants, and business investors. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-5752

 

The Islamic city 1988

Michael Bakewell, Ian Holm, and Michèle Arnaud

In the middle of deserts or steppes, towns assume vast religous, cultural, economic and political influence. Cairo, Damascus and Sanaa exemplify the Islamic city, centered around the traditional medina, mosques and souks, beset by the modern problems of industrialization and overpopulation. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-1808

 

Katowice a programme about the UNCHS (Habitat) Project on sustainable cities in the industrial heartland of the Upper Silesia, Poland ; A tale of four cities : a documentary about the Sustainable Cities Programme 1993-1998

Paul Sullivan, Eleanor Cody, and Sharad Shankardass

Katowice: Children born into industrial centers of the world are confronted by environmental hazards.  With participatory planning, it's possible to improve the industrial environments of the world.  Focuses on the Upper Silesia region in Poland. A tale of four cities: Explores the daily consequences of a deteriorating urban environment.  Examines how environmental degradation obstructs a city's contribution to development.  Focuses on four cities that are very diverse and different from each other. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-5135

 

Khlebnyi den' Bread day 1998

S Dvortsevoi, Higher Course for Script Writers and Film Directors, and First Run/Icarus Films

Film shows the poverty faced by a small group of elderly people living in an almost abandoned village 50 miles north of St. Petersburg, Russia. Once a week a train unloads bread, and the elderly people push it in an uncoupled freight car back to their village through deep snow. Residents must fight one another for the small amount of bread available. 1 videocassette (55 min.)

MEDIA 2-6446

 

King for a day c2001

R Joshi, Alex Gabbay, Bullfrog Films, inc, and Barefoot Films

A satire on globalization and its implications for the citizens of developing nations. Presented as the diary of a cynical Bangladeshi journalist who follows the arrangements for the arrival of President Bill Clinton in March 2000. 1 videocassette (34 min.)

MEDIA 2-6464

 

Lagos/Koolhaas 2003

Bregtje Van der Haak, Pieter van Huystee, Harvard Project on the City, VPRO, and First Run/Icarus Films

A film that follows architect/city planner Rem Koolhaas during his research in Lagos over a period of two years as he wonders through the city, talking with people and recognizing the problems of urban life. 1 videocassette (55 min.)

MEDIA 2-6899

 

Life support  PBS Video 1993

Stefan Moore

As the number of elderly people continues to climb dramatically around the world, modern medicine increasingly struggles with the realities of chronic diseases and death.  As bioscience looks for improved treatments for the debilitating diseases of old age and even attempts to find the genetic markers for old age itself, how can medicine respond to the need for care and the ethical issues involved in extending life?  "Life Support" looks at how the role of medicine at the end of life is being tested in three cultures: Sun City, Arizona; Clifton, Ireland; and Benares, India. 1 videocassette (57 min.)

MEDIA 2-3970

 

Lines in the dust 2001

Lucinda Broadbent, Cassandra McGrogan, and Annie George

Discusses revolutionary programs in Northern Ghana and India, where gender roles are challenged and illiterate adults are educated. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5923

 

The long march 2001

John D Liu and Rachel Atkins

This program tells the story of Chengdu: In 256 B.C., the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built, channeling the Min River through Chengdu in what is still seen as a triumph of hydraulic engineering. The irrigation system was neglected and abused during the industrial development of the 1970's, resulting in massive pollution and floods. Today, Chengdu's government has succeeded in reversing the damage, turning an urban nightmare into a model of modern-day planning. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-5905

 

Mexico City 1991

Rafael Castanedo and Robert Lanchester

From Tenochtitlan to the development of what is probably the world's largest and most polluted city, this program tells the story of Mexico City and of Mexico itself--its people and its politics. 1 videocassette (40 min.)

MEDIA 2-1793

 

My Hanoi personal reflections by Thuy Linh 2001

Thu Nguy ên, Thuy Linh Tran, and Eleanor David

This program tours rapidly urbanizing Hanoi, and looks at the effect on citizens and culture. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5922

 

My mother built this house 2001

Toni Strasburg, Steven Markovitz, and Malefane Mosuhli

Government programs are building houses for these homeless, but it is a slow process. This program looks at the difference the South African Homeless People's Federation is making. 1 videocassette (28 min.)

MEDIA 2-5911

 

Nanjing nightmares 2000

Murray MacDonald, Gerald B Sperling, Junjun Chi, Fangfang Guo, and Maggie Siggins

This documentary recounts the historical events leading up to the terrifying occupation: the growth of China's capital city, Nanjing; the expansionist ambitions resistance by the Chinese army in the defense of Shanghai. 1 videocassette (45 min.)

MEDIA 2-6014

 

Paradise precarious a programme about the small island state of Mauritius 1994

Paul Sullivan, Sharad Shankardass, Peter Swan, Graham Alabaster, Eva Atterlof, James Ward, and Josephine Mbeo-Oduoul

Paradise precarious deals with the implications of colonization on the island state of Mauritius.  The presumption of paradise still affects how small island states are perceived.  It's presumed that life in island communities is idyllic, while reefs and lagoons on the island are being destroyed, seventy percent of the forests have been cut down, and making a livelihood is becoming increasingly difficult for fishermen. Waste not, want not: The teeming streets of their cities reflect the phenomenal rate of urbanization in the developing countries of Asia.  Urbanization is both a symptom and a cause of other dramatic transformations that these countries are experiencing.  Cities are the driving force of modernization. Seeing is believing: As the world's population increases, the search for cultivatable land forces people to put themselves at greater and greater risk. Some settle wherever they can, including in the shadow of an active volcano.  Natural disasters typically harm poor people in poor countries.  Cities in developing countries are unable to provide the basic infrastructure for a healthy and hazard-free environment.  A Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, a new tool is being developed to cope with disaster relief and city planning. A livelihood from waste: Examines the rapid expansion of Nairobi, the largest city in East Africa.  The city is divided into different areas, which puts stress on basic services, such as collection of waste.  Only about thirty percent of waste can be collected, and people in poorer neighborhoods often find it dumped near their homes.  People have found that one man's garbage is another's income. 1 videocassette (94 min.)

MEDIA 2-5144

 

Pavements of gold 2001

Steve Bradshaw and Steve Bradshaw

Urban poverty is one of the largest problems facing the world in the 21st century. Looking at Lima, Peru, this program examines the enduring magnetism of big cities and asks whether the migrants who have moved here now feel that city life is the answer to their dreams. 1 videocassette (30 min.)

MEDIA 2-5909

 

The Petrodollar coast 1983

Jo Franklin-Trout

Looks at two cities along the "Petrodollar Coast," a mysterious, spectacular world created by a sea of oil wealth along the Persian Arabian Gulf.  Explores the bonanza and the problems that oil wealth has brought about. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.)

MEDIA 2-1424

 

Poor urban children in Accra Growing smart : Nairobi's street children 1997?

Ursula Loew and Jennifer Okungo

Poor urban children in Accra looks at the problem of children living in poverty in Accra, Ghana.  Many children in Accra lack basic rights such as protection and education. Growing smart examines Nairobi, one of African's fastest growing cities.  It also is one of the first cities to have street children.  The number is estimated to be about 40,000. 1 videocassette (38 min.)

MEDIA 2-5125

 

Portrait of Genésia's family c1995

Carlos Alberto Vicalvi, Márcia Cunha, Rádio e Televisăo Cultura de Săo Paulo, Film Australia Pty Limited, TVOntario, and Insight Media (Firm)

Looks at Genésia's extended family along with other internal migrants from the north, who live in the favelas of Săo Paolo in conditions of poverty and high unemployment. 1 videocassette (53 min.)

MEDIA 2-6548

 

San Juan ciudad de todos 2000

Rafael J Rivera Viruet, Miguel Zayas Garcia, Cordelia Gonzalez, and Tropical Vision Entertainment Group

A visual journey through the capital city of Puerto Rico, San Juan featuring its parks, avenues, schools, monuments, commercial buildings and picturesque places of the city including gothic and neo-classical architecture from the past and social representations of the Puerto Ricans through their music, songs, dance, paintings and sculptures. 1 videorecording (35 min)

MEDIA 2-6619

 

Seńorita extraviada 2001

Lourdes Portillo, Olivia Crawford, Julie Mackaman, and Sharon Wood

Over 250 young women were kidnapped, raped and murdered from the city of Juárez, Mexico. The perpetuators of these crimes have not been apprehended, even though these crimes have been occurring regularly since 1993. 1 videocassette (76 min.)

MEDIA 2-5442

 

Shropshire in the sixteenth century 1989

Nick Levinson and Nick Rowling