Chiapas Media Project, Fall Tour 2007

Chiapas Media Project (CMP)/Promedios seeks university, cultural and
community-based sponsors to host screenings on our Fall Tour 2007.

The tour will
feature videos produced by indigenous video makers from the states of Chiapas
and Guerrero, Mexico. Dates are scheduled on a first come, first-served basis
and fill up fast, so please contact us as soon as possible.

CMP/Promedios is an award winning, bi-national partnership that provides
video equipment, computers and training enabling marginalized indigenous and
campesino communities in Southern Mexico to create their own media.CMP/Promedios is currently distributing 26 indigenous produced videos
worldwide.
CMP/Promedios have presented their videos at numerous universities, museums,
and film and video festivals around the world.

CMP/Promedios have done
presentations at Yale University, MIT, Columbia University, Harvard
University,
La Trobe University, (Melbourne, Australia), National University (Bogotá,
Colombia), Sundance Film Festival, Smithsonian National Museum of the American
Indian, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival and
the Intl. Human Rights Film Fest in Buenos Aires among others.
Aasia Mohammad Castaneda, US Coordinator, will present the videos.

Presentations last between one-and-a-half and two hours, include
video screenings and
a discussion on the role of indigenous media and self-representation in the
context of the current socio-political situations in Mexico and Latin America.
A Q & A session follows the video screening. Presentations can be done in
either Spanish or English. Sponsors need to provide a video projector, a VCR
with audio system and comfortable seating.
CMP/Promedios asks for an honorarium based on the means of the host
organization to help continue the work of the CMP/Promedios. Press
kits are available
that include articles on CMP/Promedios, bios, photos etc. Please check our
web site: _www.chiapasmediaproject.org/presskit_
(http://www.chiapasmediaproject.org/presskit) for more information.

For further information, please call us at 773-504-4144 or e-mail us at
_cmp@chiapasmediaproject.org_ (mailto:cmp@chiapasmediaproject.org)

DATES CONFIRMED:
September 5-8, 2007 Latin American Studies Association, Montreal, Canada

"The Chiapas Media Project is remarkable! This project is a rare and powerful
example of how indigenous people are using the weapons of technology and
trans-nationalism to make their voices heard and advance their struggles. Not
only are their videos wonderful teaching resources, but their presentations
inspire students and faculty alike to rethink old ideas about indigenous
cultures, and forge new ties of solidarity." — Maria Elena Garcia, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Sarah Lawrence
College

"CMP videos inform and inspire--the videos are gems. CMP presentations are
lively and instructive, going beyond the background we need to understand the
videos to provide hard-to-get updates on contemporary rural Mexico. We hear
the wonderful stories behind the videos and learn about the process whereby
video makers and communities interact to shape video story and imagery." — William H. Fisher, Associate Professor of Anthropology, William and Mary
College

"The CMP presentation led our students to a place where idealism and courage
confront injustice. It is evident that the CMP videos and the discussions
that followed have had a long-term impact; students refer to the Zapatistas
repeatedly. In times when young people can be overwhelmed with feelings of
insignificance, we are grateful for the opportunity to challenge the
cynical world
fostered by commercial media." — Janice Windborne, Ph.D. Dept. Media, Journalism & Film, Southwest Missouri
State University

"The films have a powerful human component that you just can not get from
secondary sources about the injustices occurring in Chiapas and Guerrero.
Bringing the event to the Fresno State campus provided a setting for
exposure and
learning that otherwise would not be present. It's artistic and informative." — Maria Sofia Corona-Solyluna, Fresno State M.E.Ch.A/USAS

"CMP documentaries are an essential point of entry into the world of
indigenous resistance. CMP videos accomplish their goal of telling
the story from the
perspective of the indigenous by implementing the concept of autonomy in
their approach to video production. These documentaries are an irreplaceable
guide for understanding the autonomous movement and why it is a workable
alternative to corporate controlled globalization." —
Glen David Kuecker, Assistant Professor of Latin American History, DePauw
University

NEW VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR SCREENINGS:

"A Very Big Train Called the Other Campaign"
2006, 39:00, Spanish w/English
subtitles

In January 2006, Subcomandante Marcos began his tour of the Mexico, known as
La Otra (The Other Campaign), the Zapatista initiative launched in an effort
to evolve new forms of governance in Mexico and beyond. A Very Big Train
called the Other Campaign, follows preparatory meetings between indigenous
communities and Mexican civil society before launching La Otra. This production
was realized by indigenous video makers of 4 of the 5 Zapatista Caracoles in
Chiapas, Mexico.

*We will also be screening a new video on Zapatista Education: "Letters for
our Words"
OTHER VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR SCREENINGS:

***Videos can be purchased at _www.chiapasmediaproject.org***_

(http://www.chiapasmediaproject.org***/)

The Land Belongs to Those who Work It

(Tzeltal and Spanish with English Subtitles, 15 minutes, 2005)

The video discusses the situation in the town of Bolon Aja'aw, located in
the north of the state near the famous Agua Azul river system. The federal
government sold the land in Bolon aja'aw to a private company to create an
eco-tourism center without the permission of the community members. The video
documents a meeting between Zapatista authorities and Mexican Government
functionaries, and offers a critical look at the practical
implications of so-called
eco-tourism.

We are Equal: Zapatista Women Speak

(Spanish and Tzeltal with English subtitles, 18 minutes, 2004)

Zapatista women speak about what their lives were like before the uprising
in 1994 and how their lives have changed since. A very upfront and critical
look at gender relations within the Zapatista communities - how far women have
come and how far they still need to go.

Eyes on What's Inside: The Militarization of Guerrero

(Tlapaneco and Spanish with English subtitles, 2004)

Inez and Valentina, two indigenous women from the montaña region of Guerrero
were raped by Mexican soldiers. Eyes on What's Inside looks at the economic,
social and political factors that lead to these rapes. The Organization of
Indigenous People Me phaa (OIPM) share their story but it is really the story
of many indigenous communities in Guerrero. Discussed are the destabilizing
effects of the military presence on indigenous communities, and how the
increasing poverty/marginalization of the population has contributed to the
formation of armed guerilla groups and the presence of narcotrafficking. The
Mexican Constitution lays out the internal role of the military and Guerrero
presents a clear example of how the military acts outside of it's
constitutional
mandate.