Democracy Now! June 14 , 2002

Duplication cost + Shipping: $17.95
Program Title:
Democracy Now! June 14 , 2002
Series Title:
PRA Archive #: 
PZ0450.185
Description: 

AS HAMID KARZAI IS ELECTED HEAD OF STATE AND THE LOYA JIRGA COMES TO A CLOSE, AFGHAN WOMEN SEEK A VOICE

9:00-9:01 Billboard: The Human Rights Watch Film Festival opens in New York: we'll talk to two filmmakers. The director of "Missing Young Woman" discusses the terrible secret of a small Mexican town hundreds of young women murdered...And, "Justifiable Homicide:" a conversation with filmmaker Jon Osman about police brutality and cover-ups at the highest levels. But first, as US-backed Hamid Karzai is selected head of state at the loya jirga, Afghan women still seek a voice. We'll talk to an Afghan-American reporter in Kabul. 9:01-9:06 Headlines: 9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break 6: THE LUCKY ONES - James Alanston 20: LA NINA - Lila Downs Border (www.narada.com) 40: BATTLE CRY - Akbar No More Prisons (www.raptivism.com) End: WRONG IS WRONG - Garrett Silk 9:07-9:20 US-backed interim leader of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai was selected last night to serve as Afghanistan's President for the next two years. He won the position after delegates at the traditional loya jirga council handed him an overwhelming majority of votes, largely ignoring two last-minute challengers. One of these challengers was World Food Program employee Masooda Jalal. She was the first Afghan woman to run for president in the country's history--a milestone that has yet to be reached in many western countries, including the United States. Karzai's victory at the loya jirga comes as little surprise. Former King Mohammed Zahir Shah withdrew his candidacy under US pressure. Karzai then declared himself the chosen leader before a vote had even taken place. Dozens of Afghan delegates walked out of the Loya Jirga assembly on Wednesday, furious at the lack of a free vote to choose the next leader of their country. Delegates also report being intimidated and coerced by warlords, and surveilled by agents of the Afghan intelligence service. One female delegate told Human Rights Watch, "We are hostages of the people who destroyed Afghanistan. [The warlords] are trying to hold us hostage to their power." Fariba Nawa is an Afghan born journalist who lives in the US. She is in Kabul to cover the loya jirga for Free Speech Radio News and several Western papers. Guest: Fariba Nawa, Free Speech Radio News reporter in Kabul Lower Third: reporter in Kabul 9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break 9:21-9:40 THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL OPENS IN NEW YORK: THE FILMMAKER OF "MISSING YOUNG WOMAN" DISCUSSES THE TERRIBLE SECRET OF A SMALL MEXICAN TOWN The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival gets underway in New York this week. The festival opened Wednesday night with the US premier of "Amen," a film made by Costa Gravas about the complicity of the Vatican during the Holocaust. The films come from all over the world, and include a range of styles. Today we are going to talk to some of the filmmakers in town for the festival. Across the border from El Paso, a Mexican town called Ciudad Juarez has a dirty secret: since 1994 almost 300 young women have disappeared from its streets. Most of them are discovered weeks or months later, abused and murdered, their bodies dumped in the desert. In "Missing Young Woman," filmmaker Lourdes Portillo reveals a legacy of disinformation, incompetence, and corruption. Everyone, and everything, is suspect--including a gang called "the rebels," bus drivers, narco-traffickers, he police, the military, U.S. nationals, and the multinational factories where the women worked. And while rumors swirl and officials dally, the women continue to disappear. During the 18 months that Portillo spent filming, over 50 women were killed. Today we are joined by writer, director and filmmaker Lourdes Portillo. She describes herself as "Mexico-born and Chicana identified," and many of her films focus on the search for Latino identity. Portillo's film "The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo," a collaboration with writer Susan Munoz, won twenty awards and was nominated for the Academy's Best Documentary in 1985. In 1993, Portillo commemorated the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus "discovery" of America with the film, "Columbus on Trial." In 1994 she was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship for her contributions to filmmaking. Tape: "Missing Young Woman," clip Guest: Lourdes Portillo, director and filmmaker, "Missing Young Woman," and winner of the 2002 Nestor Almendros Prize for courage in filmmaking. The film appeared in Sundance this year. IN STUDIO ontact: www.hrw.org/iff/2002 www.lourdesportillo.com 9:40-9:41 One Minute Music Break 9:41-9:58 "JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE:" A CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER JON OSMAN ABOUT THE FACE OF POLICE BRUTALITY In 1995, two Puerto Rican teenagers were murdered by New York police department detectives in a stakeout in the Bronx. The documentary "Justifiable Homicide" investigates the killings.Forensic evidence and testimony from witnesses reveals that Bronx teenagers Anthony Rosario and his cousin Hilton Vega were shot repeatedly while lying facedown. They had weapons in their possession, but they never fired a shot. One of the detectives involved was the former bodyguard of then-Mayor Rudolph Guiliani. Immediately after the killings, Giuliani visited him in the hospital. The police closed the case. When the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board asked the police department to reopen the case, the police department rejected the recommendation. The film builds a terrifying portrait of police brutality and cover up at the highest levels. But the film is also the story of Anthony's mother, Margarita Rosario, as she seeks justice for her son and other victims of human rights abuses by police. The film follows Margarita Rosario as she is transformed from a mourning mother and aunt to a powerful community activist. The filmmakers are Jonathan Stack and Jon Osman. Jonathan Stack directed the Oscar-nominated documentaries The Farm' and The Wildest Show in the South: The Angola Prison Rodeo'. Osman is graduate of the NYU film school, and makes his feature debut with Homicide. He joins us today in our studio. Guest: Jon Osmon, co-director and filmmaker of "Justifiable Homicide." It is the US premiere of this film. IN STUDIO Contact: www.hrw.org/iff/2002/ny/justifiable.html Tape: "Justifiable Homicide" clip Guest: John Anderson, co-director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival IN STUDIO 9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits

Date Recorded on: 
June 14, 2002
Date Broadcast on: 
June 14 , 2002
Item duration: 
59 min.
Keywords: 
These terms will not bring up a complete list of all items in our catalog associated with this subject. Click here to search our entire catalog.
Distributor: 
WPFW; Amy Goodman, host. June 14 , 2002
PRA metadata viewPRA metadata view