Mosquito Blog: Light

3rd Annual
LIGHT IN THE DARK: FESTIVAL FOR PEACE

Dec 1 through Dec 23

Presented by The Tidewater Peace Alliance,
a coalition of peace and social justice organizations

Join us during the darkest part of the year to help usher in the new light. We'll present the regional premieres of 12 new movies that tell stories of both hope and terror from around the world. Cautionary tales that show how peace is destroyed by fear, poverty, and ideology. And heroic tales of peace achieved through conflict resolution, cross-cultural studies, respect for civil and human rights, and the nurturing of a just and tolerant society. Internationally known speakers, local musicians and performers complete the lineup, for the most inspiring Light in the Dark Peace Festival ever.

3rd ANNUAL LIGHT IN THE DARK: FESTIVAL FOR PEACE

FILM PREMIERES, SPEAKERS, DISCUSSIONS, SEMINARS AND PERFORMANCES

Films and events listed below held at either Naro Cinema or Studio for the Healing Arts (one block north of the Naro on the Second Floor) on Colley Avenue in Ghent, unless otherwise indicated.

Showtimes to be announced at http://www.narocinema.com or call 625-6275.

Saturday, Dec 1, 10a.m. - 10p.m.
Sunday, Dec 2, 10a.m. - 5p.m.
FAIR TRADE FESTIVAL
Downtown Farmer's Market site, on the Northwest side of
MacArthur Mall
300 Monticello Ave., Norfolk
(Note that region-famous Bear Baker will be cranking out the music from 10-10 on Saturday at the Festival.)

Also Sustainable Hampton Roads workshops at Sacred Heart Church10-4 Saturday. Shuttle Bus from Sacred Heart to the Festival.
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Tuesday, Dec 4, 7:30 p.m., and Fri-Sun, Dec 7-9
FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? Director Daniel Karslake's provocative and entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality with Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible. Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families-including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson-we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. (95 mins)
Equality Virginia will facilitate the discussion on Tuesday night.
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Wednesday, Dec 5, 7:30 p.m., Studio for the Healing Arts
An Evening with Dr. Yacob Hailemariam (cosponsored by Amnesty International Hampton Roads Group)
Dr. Hailemariam served as a professor of business law at Norfolk State University for 20 years, and worked for the United Nations as a Senior Legal adviser in West Africa. In 2004 he put his career on hold to travel to his homeland of Ethiopia to run for and win a seat in parliament. But he and other reformers were soon arrested and given life sentences by the corrupt ruling party. Declared prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, they were recently released from prison. Dr. Hailemariam has returned to his family in Hampton Roads, but intends to go back to Ethiopia in 2008.
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Thursday, Dec 6 (with discussion) at 7:30 p.m. and Sat & Sun, Dec 8 & 9
O JERUSALEM - The synopsis of this film proclaims that it depicts "the historic struggle surrounding the creation of the state of Israel in 1948...meticulously re-created" and "told from the alternating viewpoints of Jews, Arabs, and Brits." However, journalist Robert Fisk, in his review in the London Independent, calls the film a "deliberate distortion of history, the twisting of the narrative of events to present Jews as the victims of the Israeli war of independence (6,000 dead) when in fact they were the victors, and the Arabs of Palestine - or at least that part of Palestine that became Israel in 1948 - as the cause of this war and the apparent victors (because the Jews of East Jerusalem were forced from their homes after the ceasefire) rather than the principal victims." Fisk asserts that the film is built upon Hollywoodized cliches and sentimentality, while offering only racist stereotypes of Palestinians and Arabs and Zionist myths about the 1947-48 war which have been thoroughly discredited by both Israeli and international scholars. Based on the best-selling novel by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre (Is Paris Burning?). (R, 102 mins)

Thursday night discussion will be led by Dr. Ilan Avisar, visiting professor of Jewish Studies at ODU and professor at Tel Aviv University in the Department of Film and Television. An award-winning producer and script writer, he is also the author of several books.

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Friday, Dec 7 "False-Flag Day"
66th Anniversary of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
7p.m. at the Studio for the Healing Arts $5 donation
ZEITGEIST The underground cult Internet hit will have its first local audience screening. Part I: The Greatest Story Ever Told; Part II: All the World's a Stage; Part III: Don't Mind the Men Behind the Curtain. Seeing this film is to understand that "The Revolution is Now".
Hosted by Veterans for Peace, Drinking Liberally, We Are Change Virginia - VA 9/11 Truth, Gaiacircle and Meetup.com

ZEITGEIST the movie "Spirit of the Age" DVD Door Prize
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Fri-Sun, Dec 7-9 at 5 p.m.
PETE SEEGER: THE POWER OF SONG Pete Seeger is now 92 years young. One of the greatest American singer-songwriters of the last century, he wrote some of folk music's best known songs, including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "If I Had a Hammer." Largely misunderstood by his critics, including the U.S. government, for his views on peace, unionism, civil rights, and ecology, Seeger was targeted by the communist witch-hunt of the 1950s and, in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from American television for more than 17 years. Directed by Jim Brown (The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time) and includes appearances by Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Maines, Tom Paxton, and Peter, Paul and Mary. (93 mins)

A Live Hootenanny on Sunday, Dec 9 with film showing and performance by recording artist and local legend Bob Zentz who will tell personal stories about Pete and perform some Pete inspired music along with his daughter Skye Zentz and other guests.
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Saturday, Dec 8
7:00pm at A.R.E.(Association for Research and Enlightenment)
64th Street, Virginia Beach
WE ARE ONE PEOPLE -- A Concert
A concert to benefit the Lost Boys of Sudan in Hampton Roads and their families in Africa.
Performers include The Lost Boys Singers, B.J. Leiderman, Chris Van Cleave and others.
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Saturday, Dec 8
8p.m. Studio for the Healing Arts
SECOND SATURDAY SALON
free and open to the public

"Stories That Pick Us"
If we ask ourselves, what is our story? chances are we will come up
empty handed. But if we ask, what story has picked me? we will get a response right away from our unconscious psyche. For this salon, we'll talk about stories that pick us, about journaling to explore that story, and about
action that we can take once our attention to story and journaling
ferrets out a palpable clue to act on.

Facilitated by associate professor of English at CNU, Terry Lee, who specializes in Jungian approaches to literature, as well as narrative journalism. He is the author of A New Path at Midlife: Transformative Relationship and Story for Men" (Men's Studies Press, 2006)
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Tuesday, Dec 11 (with discussion) at 7:30 p.m. and Sat & Sun, Dec 15 & 16
JIMMY CARTER MAN FROM PLAINS From director Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Silence of the Lambs) comes an intimate and surprising encounter with President Jimmy Carter. Following the path of Mr. Carter's recent controversial book tour for "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid", the Academy Award-winning filmmaker reveals a complex individual who, with the gusto and determination of a youngster, crisscrosses the country to get his message across. Man From Plains explores both the private and public sides of Jimmy Carter, whose intense sense of justice compels him to pursue his lifelong and deeply spiritual vision of reconciliation and peace. (PG, 120 mins)

Christie Boyes from the Carter Center at Emory University in Atlanta will be in attendance on Tuesday to introduce the film and lead discussion.
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Wednesday, Dec 12, 7:15 p.m., Studio for the Healing Arts
Presented by Norfolk Catholic Worker
CONVICTION Acts of nonviolent civil disobedience against the industrial military complex are not taken lightly in this country. This is the very personal story of three Dominican Sisters affiliated with the Plowshares and Jonah House in Baltimore, MD who risk all in living their lives true to their convictions of equality, peace, and social justice. (50 mins)
Two of the Dominicans, Sister Carol Gilbert and Sister Ardeth Platte will be in attendance to dialogue with the audience.
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Thursday, Dec 13(with discussion) at 7:30 p.m. and Fri - Sun, Dec 14-16
MILAREPA In the 11th century, in the Year of the Water Dragon, on a high barren plain in the shadow of Mount Tisi, a child is born. Destined to become one of the most revered figures in Tibetan history, Milarepa's epic life story ultimately moves into the realm of the mythic and legendary, inspiring millions. Nine hundred years after his death, the visionary wizard, saint, and poet (played by Jamyang Lodro as an adult) remains Tibet's greatest mystic. Yet his youthful rage and black magic brought death and destruction upon his own family. This is his story: a tale of revenge, demons, murder, and redemption. In Tibetan with subtitles. (PG, 90 mins)

The executive producer of the film, Greg Kruglak, will be in attendance on Thursday to introduce and then speak after the screening.
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Friday, December 14 - CAROLING
Norfolk Court Building plaza/ 6:30 p.m.
Sponsored by The Sowers of Justice
Open to all
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Starts Friday, Dec 14
DARFUR NOW A story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours, writer/director Ted Braun's documentary is a call to action. The struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show how one person can make a difference to millions. The conflict is explored through the firsthand experiences of Don Cheadle, Hejewa Adam, Pablo Recalde, Ahmed Mohammed Abakar, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and Adam Sterling. (PG, 99 mins)
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Monday, Dec 17 at 7:15pm
AN EVENING WITH AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST KATHY KELLY
The founder of Voices in the Wilderness and executive director of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Kathy Kelly has traveled twenty-four times to Iraq to give aid, bear witness, and then report her findings in her book: Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison. She served three months at Pekin federal prison for crossing the line as part of the ongoing effort to close the army military training school at Fort Benning, Georgia. In summer 2006 she was in southern Lebanon during and after the Israel-Hezbollah war. Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Kathy will speak and have film clips from In a Time of Siege.

Reception for Kathy Kelly at Azar's (20th & Colley Ave) at 5:30pm.
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Tuesday, Dec 18, 7:15 p.m.
REDACTED A fictional story inspired by true events, writer-director Brian De Palma's unique cinematic experience is centered on a small group of American soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in Iraq. Alternating points of view, this searing drama balances the experiences of these young men under duress with those of the local Iraqi people. A profound meditation on the way information is packaged, distributed and received, Redacted utilizes a variety of created source material-video diaries, produced documentary, surveillance footage, online testimonials, and news pieces-to comment on the extreme disconnect between the surface of an image and the reality of ideas and the truth, especially in times of strife. (R, 90 mins)
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Thursday, Dec 20 at 7:15pm
WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? The charismatic Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir take us on a cross-country crusade to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse! From preaching at the Mall of America, to exorcising the demons from Wal-Mart Headquarters-Reverend Billy takes his gospel to the Promised Land. Changelujah! Produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and directed by Rob VanAlkemade, this new doc is both very funny and profound! (93 mins)
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Fri, Dec 21, 7:00pm at the Studio for the Healing Arts $10
(space limited so come early, bring your drum, and bring a treat to share)

DRUM DANCE AND DREAM FOR PEACE: A SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Join Maiyah Olivas, members of Beleza, Elizabeth Gay, and local members of The World Dreams Peace Bridge for drumming, dancing and a celebration of solstice.

This is a benefit event for the Peace Bridge work with the children of Iraq. Nobody will be turned away, but please give generously if you can.
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Fri & Sat, Dec 21 & 22
JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN As the front man of The Clash from 1977 onwards, Joe Strummer changed people's lives and their politics forever. Four years after his death, his influence continues to reach out around the world. In director Julien Temple's new documentary, Strummer is revealed not just as a legend or a musician, but as a true communicator of our times. Drawing on both a shared punk history and their close personal friendship, Temple's film is a celebration of Strummer before, during and after The Clash. Includes appearances by Bono, Terry Chimes, John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Matt Dillon, Topper Headon, Jim Jarmusch, Mick Jones and more. (124 mins)
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Sunday, Dec 23 at 5:00pm at the A.R.E.
THE CONCISE DICKENS' CHRISTMAS CAROL
Performed by DD Delaney
Back for its second year, The Concise Dickens' Christmas Carol is a 50-minute, one-person mainline injection of holiday spirit for busy people, faithfully adapted from the original and brilliantly performed by multi-talented D.D. Delaney.
Opening music by harpist Elisa Dickon performing beautiful Celtic Christmas carols.

Plus, At the 40th Street Stage, 809 w. 40th Street in Norfolk
$10
Back by popular demand, poet-playwright-actor D.D. Delaney returns to the 40th Street Stage with his condensed, one hour version of the Charles Dickens Christmas classic. Utterly theatrical, this one man tour-de-force presents the beloved story with sincerity and clarity - simply the essentials and essence of this timeless story of redemption.

Opens Friday, December 14 and closes Saturday, December 22
Performances Dec 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22.
All performances at 8 pm except Sunday, Dec 16 at 2 pm

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TIDEWATER PEACE ALLIANCE
Participating Organizations:

NARO Expanded Cinema http://www.narocinema.com/
Studio for the Healing Arts http://www.studioforthehealingarts.org/
The iMAGE Project http://www.imageproject.org/
The World Dreams Peace Bridge http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org/
Hampton Roads Network for Nonviolence/A Season for Nonviolence http://www.hamptonroadsnetworkfornonviolence.org/
RegimeChanger.com http://www.regimechanger.com/
Crawford Peace House http://www.crawfordpeacehouse.org/
Norfolk Catholic Worker House http://www.catholicworker.org/communities/volunteers.cfm
Playback Theater
Drinking Liberally
Virginia Beach Friends, Committee for Peace and Social Justice
Gaia Circle http://www.studioforthehealingarts.org/
Hampton Roads Independent Media Coalition http://www.hrimc.org/
Wordminder Press http://www.wordminderpress.com/
Veterans for Peace http://www.veteransforpeace.org/
Iraq Veterans Against the War http://www.ivaw.net/
Jewish Voice for Peace http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace/
Hampton Roads Peace and Justice Center http://www.hrpjc.org/
Virginia Organizing Project http://www.virginia-organizing.org/
Amnesty International ( Hampton Roads Local Group #633)
Military Families Speak Out
Appeal For Redress http://www.appealforredress.org/
Tapestry, Inc. tapestrynorfolk@yahoo.com
40th Street Theater

An Open Letter to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House

By Mac McKinney

Dear Congresswoman Pelosi,

Being a native of San Francisco myself who frequented the 8th District for years, even though I now live on the East Coast, I am very happy to see a fellow San Franciscan elevated to such a lofty position as Speaker of the House. Congratulations. I think it is more than happenstance that at this critical juncture in world and national history, you have arrived on the scene in such a pivotal position, pivotal in respect to the progression or regression of humanity.

You are fully aware that the country is beset with glaring problems, the worst of which are the festering wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have already taken a horrific toll in human lives, resources and wealth, wars that are manifestations of deep fear and hatred between large sections of the human race, emotions that are being exacerbated daily by the ongoing carnage. Fear and hatred have also degraded our national character as we have watched, shocked and outraged, while torture and cruelty have been openly embraced as acceptable, if not legal practices, by our government abroad. Even worse, the politics of confrontation and preemption that the White House espouses threaten to widen warfare in the Middle East and Southwest Asia into regional conflagrations of devastating global consequence. We are now being drawn into a downward spiraling cycle of death and destruction that is quite aptly symbolized by the whirlpools of the sea monster Charybdis that nearly consumed Odysseus (Ulysses) in the Greek legends.

All of this is set against the backdrop of the looming threat of global warming, which, depending upon which scientist you interview, will either regress humanity, devastate humanity or destroy humanity, three very poor options indeed. It will take vast global resources to deal with this challenge successfully, resources that will never be available if the world is consumed with war. This then is our Scylla, global warming, the second monster that beset Odysseus in the Strait of Medina off the coast of Sicily.

The Ship of State is now sailing erratically, so to speak, between Scylla's rock and the whirlpool, with a helmsman more reminiscent of Captain Ahab in obsessive search for the White Whale, then of resourceful Odysseus, who eventually reached safety. It is not an exaggeration to say that the White House is consumed with a vision of permanent warfare against a perceived enemy whose presence half exists, specter-like in the realms of imagination and mythology, the worlds of nightmares and the Arabian Nights. It is ludicrous in the extreme to hear government and Pentagon officials seriously envisioning a one hundred year war against a phantom Caliphate of Hydra-like proportions extending across the continents. It all too easily flows into a fratricidal "clash of civilizations" with the Moslem world that protagonists such as Newt Gingrich are presently lobbying for. This is the stuff of psychosis.

Against this paranoid, dualistic vision of humanity at war with itself that the White House so fervently embraces, this dark vision and violent paradigm that paralyzes all progress toward resolving the world's real problems, enters the new Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives this January, led by you, fortunately led by you, because you have the perfect background to present the country, and the world, with a far more enlightened vision for all to embrace. It is the vision presented by Saint Francis, the patron saint of San Francisco, who said simply:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy."

This timeless quote lies at the core of the collective soul of San Francisco and is what has made San Francisco what it is, a beacon of light and a Mecca of love and tolerance for all of humanity. In San Francisco, as in few places in this country, there is an evolved sense of community between Asian and African, Latino and Irishman, Italian and Pakistani, Buddhist and Catholic, Moslem and Jew, and Gay and Straight that you, Congresswoman, have certainly witnessed in the 8th District. And a tour of Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill brings it all home when one gazes upon the historical mural on the nave wall depicting the founding of the United Nations in 1945 in our city. So, even that preeminent organization of world unity is in our city's heritage. San Francisco's spirit is not about division and hostility between nations, but rather about their opposite, the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind.

San Francisco has also had a proud intellectual tradition of breaking down intellectual and social barriers, of confronting the Establishment, of speaking outside the box, graced with such shooting stars as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, to name a few, who always seemed to return to that Buddhist theme of Enlightenment, of seeing beyond dualism, of grasping the oneness of Being. That is a part of San Francisco too. What America and the world need right now, Congresswoman Pelosi, is a vision of that oneness, a vision that you are now in a position to give them.

Finally, San Francisco has a progressive tradition of promoting equal rights for women and listening to their voices and perspectives. Senator Feinstein and you are both living proof of that. And the feminine perspective is sorely needed in the world today, a world catering all too much to the male ego and its proclivities. The brilliant author of The Color Purple, Alice Walker, recently wrote an article based on her newest book, We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness. In it she tells the story of the Swa people of the Amazon, who, although they consider men and women equals, have a traditional division of labor between them in one respect. The men are considered to be a destroying principle, the women a conserving principle, and when the men throw the world out of balance, the women are expected to step in and tell them to stop. To quote Alice Walker:

"It is the woman who says: Stop. We have enough firewood and canoes, don't cut down any more trees. Stop. We have enough meat; don't kill any more animals. Stop. This war is stupid and using up too many of our resources. Stop."
(http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2906/ )

So I humbly ask you, Congresswoman, to walk in the spirit of Saint Francis and with the soul of the Charter of the United Nations in your heart as you approach the Speaker's podium in the Capitol in January. Please speak and legislate from the core of your being for the good of humanity and the planet as you confront the mammoth challenges awaiting us all. Please uplift us with a positive vision of world peace and unity. We will strongly support you in such an endeavor.