Caroline Hunter comments on the struggle for African liberation. Guests Caroline Hunter, Dinizulu Ceitou (both of Boston's African Liberation Day Committee), and Christopher Nteta (of the Pan African Liberation Committee) discuss the liberation struggle in Mozambique with host Topper Carew. Topics include Frelimo (the African freedom fighters in Mozambique), the influence of African American support on the cause, the relationship between corporations and the seizure of African land, the need for violence to achieve liberation, the relationship between racism and colonization, and the need for African Americans to recognize that the African struggle is their own. Program includes a 30-minute film titled 'The Struggle Continues (A Luta Continua),' which documents the work of the resistance. Produced by Topper Carew. Directed by Conrad White.

'As if Memories Could Deceive Me,' 1986, documents a performance or rehearsal of the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, through close-ups, split-screen effects, and collage techniques. Instruments are filmed close-up and appear in boxed-off portions of the screen. As the music rises, archival film images begin to creep in. Many times they are superimposed over the instruments. Film footage includes the interior of a colorful palace, Hitler propaganda and Nuremberg trials, and a men's clothing store. The original footage produced for this work was shot at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Goethe Institute, and a Louis clothing store. Robert Schumann's 'Manfred' and 'Drum and Gong Sounds' by F. Marschall and U. Timmermann are the musical works performed by New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. 'As if Memories Could Deceive Me' was created by Marcel Odenbach for The Contemporary Art Television (CAT) Fund and was co-produced by the Goethe Institute in Boston. It was later broadcast as a segment of Episode 304 of the 1987 season of 'New Television.'

Employees of the Two O'Clock, a Boston strip joint, talk about their lives and work. George, a bartender, talks about what it takes to be a bartender in a place like the Two O'Clock.

Childhood is a source of fascination in most Western cultures. It is both a major inspiration for artistic creation and a political ideal, which aims at protecting future generations. Which role does it play in French society and in other francophone areas? Why is the French national anthem (La Marseillaise) addressed to its 'children'? This course will study the transformation of childhood since the 18th century and the development of sentimentality within the family. We will examine various representations of childhood in literature (e.g. Pagnol, Proust, Sarraute, Laye, Morgivre), movies (e.g. Truffaut), and songs (e.g. Brel, Barbara). Course taught in French.

Bill Viola's 30-second portraits were about portraiture and the idea of a person staring at the viewer (as the viewer stares at the TV screen). This short excerpt shows a man seated on his couch, the only sounds heard being the load ticking of a clock, and the man's breathing.

Black Solidarity Day 1972. Program addresses a variety of topics via a magazine-format presentation. Host John Slade introduces the following segments: 'Performance' with rock/jazz musicians Compost, 'Community Events' with Black Solidarity Day organizers Joseph Nkunta, Marie Firman, Karim Atiba Bayete, and Arnold Scott, 'Speak Out!' with Jack E. Robinson, President of the Boston Chapter of the NAACP (who talks about the need for adequate police protection in African American neighborhoods and a responsive police force), 'man on the street' interviews, in which Slade asks people whether or not they would like an African American officer to command their neighborhood's police district, a 'Save Our Cities Expo' review with Melvin Penn (a university student who interviews organizer Reverend Dr. Virgil Wood, Area Chairman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference), and 'African Notes,' in which the building of the Volta Dam in Ghana is discussed. Program ushers in a new format that incorporates the interviews and expertise of community members. Produced by John Slade. Directed by Russell Tillman.

'A contemporary interpretation of the Bizet opera, this late twentieth century story of ill-fated romance set on New York's Lower East Side features Carmen as a rock-and-roll singer and Don Jose as a record producer. The drama is interrupted and examined through a series of audiovisual asides that serve as commentary, with images of fire and ice poetically illuminating the romantic and tragic elements. Carmen is played by New York musician Emily XYZ...." In this piece written, directed, and produced by Ann-Sargent Wooster, a man and a woman reflect on their roles in an obsessive relationship. The work assumes a mock documentary style, as the story unfolds through interviews and confessions juxtaposed with the events depicted. Music includes 'Cloud' and 'Fire and Water' by Brook Williams and Ann-Sargent Wooster, excerpts of Andrew Nadelman's 'Tapestry' and 'Rhapsody,' clarinet solo by Michael Isenberg, and opera singing by Janeal Sugars, Meth Genies, and Clay Steward. The work was broadcast as a segment of episode 612 (1990) of 'New Television.'

'Collisions' was written by Jane Wagner and is an unusual comedy/drama. It stars Lily Tomlin and other well known performers, such as Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner. The work attempts to integrate short video works by Stephen Beck, Ed Emshwiller, Louis Falco, Ron Hays, Stan Vanderbeek, and William Wegman. 'Collisions' tells the story of Eartha, a creature from the planet of Zymus, who agrees to take a human form and to observe the planet earth. Eartha inhabits Beth Barber (Lily Tomlin), a news reporter. At one point, Beth visits her family in Kentucky, who are played by Tomlin's actual family. Meanwhile, a panel of experts on a television program on Zymus monitor Eartha's impressions and contemplate whether or not to blow up the earth. Eventually, Eartha, who has come to respect the humans' vulnerability and depth of feeling, has a falling out with the panel. The fate of earth remains uncertain. Produced by Fred Barzyk and David Loxton. A coproduction of the WNET Television Laboratory and the WGBH New Television Workshop. This work was considered a 'failure' by Fred Barzyk and was never broadcast.

Creative activity (isn't) the icing on the cake. Human creativity is the cake. (Jerry Hirschberg) Creativity - "The mastery of information and skills in the service of dreams" (Hirschberg) - is much prized in the arts, science, business and the classroom. What does the creative process look like? Under what conditions does it flourish - what ignites the creative spark? Attempting to answer these questions, this class explores ways creativity has been understood in Western culture: what we prize and fear about creativity and its wellsprings; how writers, artists, scientists and inventors have described their own creative processes; how psychologists and philosophers have theorized it; ways in which creativity has been represented in Western culture, particularly in 20th century films; and creativity in everyday life, including our own lives. Readings include portions of psychologist Rollo May's The Courage To Create, and essays by Joan Didion, John Updike, Alice Walker, Oliver Sacks, and others. In addition, we'll watch video profiles of choreographer Paul Taylor, architect Maya Lin, and jazz musician Dave Brubeck. We'll keep journals in which we note our own observations and reflections on creative process. We will also watch a film together as a class one evening early in the term.

'Charming Landscape,' the conclusion to Dara Birnbaum's 'Damnation of Faust' trilogy, shows the debris of a demolished city playground. The self-exploratory narration of two teenage girls is played over images of crowd scenes (often violent) from the civil rights movement, student protests, and the Tianenmen Square demonstrations. The work, which is approximately six and one-half minutes long, is dedicated to Pam Hysinger and Georgeann Ditelli, the teenagers whose words serve as narration. Music is by Keith James and Mike Nolan as The Picassos. The work was broadcast as a segment of episode 313 (1987), and was also shown with the entire 'Damnation of Faust' trilogy, as part of episode 106 (1991), of 'New Television.' Produced and directed by Dara Birnbaum.

Edin Velez's study of Butoh includes archival footage of early Butoh pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata, who is credited as the form's originator. Kazuo Ohno, another early Butoh performer, is shown performing his famous 'Admiring La Argentina,' and other works. Other companies whose works are shown include Akaji Mori's Dai Rakuda Kan, Isamu Ohsuga's Byakko Sha, and Yoko Ashikawa's Hakutoboh. These examples reveal the depth and diversity of Butoh as it has evolved. Many of these dancers worked directly with Hijikata at some point and all speak to his influence, as they are interviewed about the art form. One performer, Akiko Motofuji, explains, 'Ballet and modern dance spring from the earth...Hijikata created a dance, which crawls on the earth.'

Christopher Lydon reports on the release of the film Cry Freedom, based on the life of Steve Biko (martyred black South African leader). Lydon notes that the film is told from the perspective of Donald Woods (white newspaper editor). Lydon interviews Woods about apartheid and his relationship with Biko. Woods says that the black opposition in South Africa was forced to become violent in response to the brutal tactics of the white regime. Woods talks about his early opposition to Biko and the black movement; he says that he changed his opinion when he realized that Biko's positive message of black self-reliance was not anti-white. Lydon notes that Biko was killed in prison while Woods was exiled from South Africa. Lydon's report is accompanied by footage from the film and from the trailer of the film Cry Freedom. This tape includes additional footage from the film and the trailer of the film Cry Freedom.

This class explores the interrelationship between humans and natural environments. It does so by focusing on conflict over access to and use of the environment as well as ideas about "nature" in various parts of the world.

Excerpt from a British film on the Eritrea People's Liberation Front showing the tough training regime, and physical labor, expected of all soldiers.

Excerpts from a filmed interview with the African-American singer, composer, choral director and actress Eva Jessye as she reminisces about her early career.

Filmed in extreme desert conditions 'Event Horizon' looks at a landscape interrupted and transformed by visible signs of heat. The waviness blurs objects and figures, creating a mirage effect and rendering familiar objects unrecognizable. The work takes place in near silence, with the sound of wind dominating the score. The work is approximately seven and one-half minutes in length. Produced and directed by Bil Viola.

Civilization is mostly the story of how seeds, meats, and ways to cook them travel from place to place. - Adam Gopnik, "What's Cooking" "A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes." - Wendell Berry, "The Pleasures of Eating" If you are what you eat, what are you? Food is at once the stuff of life and a potent symbol; it binds us to the earth, to our families, and to our cultures. The aroma of turkey roasting or the taste of green tea can be a portal to memories, while too many Big Macs can clog our arteries. The chef is an artist, yet those who pick oranges or process meat may be little more than slaves. In this class, we will explore many of the fascinating issues that surround food as both material fact and personal and cultural symbol. We will read essays by Chang-Rae Lee, Francine du Plessix Gray, M. F. K. Fisher, Anthony Bourdain, and others on such topics as family meals, the art and science of cooking, fair trade, eating disorders, and food's ability to awaken us to "our own powers of enjoyment" (M. F. K. Fisher). We will also read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and view one or more films or videos as a class. Assigned essays will grow out of memories and the texts we read, and will include personal narratives and essays that depend on research. Workshop review of writing in progress and revision of essays will be an important part of the course.

Documentary containing interview footage with the composer George Rochberg, and narrated overview of his life and music. Includes performances of his music recorded for this program. Rochberg compositions are performed for the piece. They include: 'Between Two Worlds,' with Sue Ann Kahn on flute and Andrew Willis on piano 'Rehearsal,' with Joseph Robinson on Oboe 'Soundings' was a music documentary program affiliated with the Workshop and produced by Bernice 'Bunny' Olenick.

'The Going Away Party,' by Dan Boord and Greg Durbin, is a dramatic work about corruption among Oklahoma county officials. It is based on the true stories of incidents of corruption amongst Oklahoma's elected county commissioners. This segment is from the dramatic 'reenactment,' showing friends and supporters of Burrows, a commissioner sentenced to serve a jail term, at a going-away party.