Weapons and terror

Shifting Sands: The Disarming of Iraq
Madman Films
Reviewer: PTE Simone Heyer

What happened in Iraq between the first Gulf war and the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime?

Shifting Sands is the documentary of UN weapons inspectors and the work done to destroy chemical weapons and other weaponry.

The documentary offers some new information that interestingly shows how US indecisiveness in 1992 allowed important documents proving the presence of weapons of mass destruction to remain concealed by the Iraqis.

It also presents information from various intelligence agencies around the world and how UNSCOM conducted inspections using this intelligence – and their findings.

This doco offers interesting background information to the latest war in Iraq and the role of the US.

Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times
Madman Films.
Reviewer: PTE Simone Heyer

Noam Chomsky is an academic known for his controversial views. This documentary, produced by a Japanese team, shows a series of his lectures after the September 11, 2001, terrorism strikes in the US.

Chomsky puts the attacks in the context of the past 50 years of attacks against civilians.

Because of the production team, Chomsky makes all sort of references to Japan which at times seem odd, but reminds us that not just the US is affected by acts of terrorism. A bit long-winded, it’s only worth watching if you’re interested in Chomsky’s diatribes.

Chase scene is starkly chilling

Atanarjuat
Stars Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu, Peter-Henry Arnatsiaq, Lucy Tulugariuk. Rated MA. 168 mins. The AV Channel.
Reviewer: PTE Simone Heyer

This ground-breaking film is the first created by the Inuit Indians from Alaska.

It depicts a folk story of Atanarjuat – the fast runner – and his brother Amaqjuaq – the strong one – and their lives in a small community in a desolate part of the world.

A witch doctor is a guest in the community and releases some sort of curse on the families. Superstitious, the community takes what he says on board, and 20 years later the children have grown up and remain divided.

Atanarjuat and his brother are constantly in competition with the son of the clan’s leader to the extent where Atanarjuat wins the hand of the most beautiful girl in the community from under the nose of Oki.

Oki’s a nasty piece of work and hangs around with a gang of fur-skin-wearing boys who cause problems for Atanarjuat’s family.

The most memorable scene is where the gang chase Atanarjuat for kilometres through a frozen world. Atarnarjuat is stark naked – you feel chilly just watching the chase.

This movie is a bit long and loses your attention at times, but aside from this it’s a masterful, almost delicate, look into the lives of the Inuits more than 100 years ago.

Keep a look out for the unusual sunglasses the guys are sporting. Is there nothing you can’t do with an old bone?