2007 CounterCorp Film Festival

2007 CounterCorp Official Selection Seal


Before the Music Dies — An unsettling yet inspiring look at corporate control of what has become know as the pop music "industry", in which a few companies determine what people can hear on the radio and buy in stores — even as there are more new bands and more ways to discover, see, and hear them than ever. Will corporate greed commodify our culture and silence creativity and diversity? 


Includes interviews and performances by Erykah Badu, Calexico, Elvis Costello, Branford Marsalis, Dave Matthews Band, My Morning Jacket, Questlove, Bonnie Raitt, Widespread Panic, and other artists. Narrated by Forrest Whittaker. Directed by Andrew Shapter (USA, 2006, 95 minutes)


Freedom of Expression — World premiere! A provocative and often hilarious exploration of the battle being waged in the courts, in the media industry, in academia, and on the Internet between people and corporations for control over the cultural commons.

 

 
Directed by Jeremy Smith (USA, 2007, 60 minutes) "[S]martly made and seriously funny ... ."


The Method (El Metodo) — A narrative (fictional) film that explores a dog-eat-dog struggle in a large Spanish multinational corporation, where seven people are competing against each other for a senior position. The catch is that one of the candidates is secretly conducting the Survivor-like "interview" process, in which the competitors effectively eliminate each other until only one is left to get the job.

 

 
Written by Mateo Gil (Vanilla SkyThe Sea Inside). Directed by Marcelo Piñeyro. In Spanish with English subtitles (Spain, 2007, 115 minutes)


Overdrawn! — In the tradition of Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me and Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story comes this chronicle of one man's valiant struggle against the exploitative practices of the modern banking industry. Does citizen David have any hope to defeat Goliath, Inc? 

 

 
Directed by and starring first-time filmmaker Karney Hatch (USA, 2007, 77 minutes)


This Land Is Your LandSan Francisco premiere! A startling, often hilarious exploration of the corporate takeover of American life. Over the course of three years, the filmmakers traveled across the United States interviewing award-winning authors, historians, media pundits, and ordinary citizens about the impact of corporate power on nearly every aspect of people’s daily lives, our social fabric, and the principles of democracy. The film celebrates small acts of resistance by everyday citizens in unique, funny, and inspiring ways. Directed by Lori Cheatle and Daisy Wright (USA, 2006, 82 minutes) "A must-see documentary" — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 
We Feed the World — Traces the flow of food and cash in the vast, interconnected, and yet surprisingly compartmentalized international food system, ranging from farmers and fishers to agronomists and corporate executives. Captures the irrationality of scarcity amid excess in unforgettable images.

 



"The absurdities of a globalized food industry ... illustrated with jaw-dropping efficacy"

Directed by Erwin Wagenhofer (Austria, 2007, 96 minutes). In French, German, and Portugese with English subtitles. Preceded by narrative shorts A Drop of Life (17:00) and A Little Musical Day (13:30)

 
Documentary Shorts Programs
 

"Citizen Film: Putting the 'Me' in Media"

 

20 Years Without Justice (16:00)

Eramet Marietta Neighbors Speak Out (25:00)

Fuera (26:00)

Gassing the Big Sky (34:00)
 

"No Boss, No Loss"

Civilizing the Economy: The Co-op Alternative (27:00)

Made in the USA: American Worker Cooperatives (35:00)

Democracy in the Workplace (27:00)