new college cinema: Trees, Toilets, and Transformation: Inspirations from El Sal

Monday, 12/17 Trees, Toilets, and Transformation: Inspirations from El Salvador Sometimes small-scale, environmentally friendly solutions rather than complex technical ones solve what seems to be so insolvable. This is the story of a Recycling Specialist who expects to hare his expertise with the citizens of El Salvador, the second most environmentally devastated country in the western hemisphere. Instead he is deeply impressed with the many practical and ingenious methods which the common people are using to reclaim their land, their water, and their forests. A massive planting or 75,000 trees is now taking place called the Forest of Reconciliation in memory of each one of the soldiers an civilians who fought on opposing sides. This new forest will help to control erosion, develop wildlife, and clarify the rivers. Communities are visited where bicycles are being used for pumping water, grinding grain, and corn, and compressing air; solar ovens are being used to save firewood; natural local materials are being used to build housed and compost toilets. He talks with Dr. Ricardo Navarro, Director of these projects, who states that the only education of the populace can change habits and attitudes while still giving hope to the children that they are part of the solution. Their ideas, insights, and beautiful spirit of hope can be applied anywhere. 28 minutes. 1996. Video. Saviors of the Forest This is not your typical rainforest film. Tired of filming TV commercials, two well-intentioned Los Angeles "camera guys" decide to do their part for the environment by exposing villains responsible for destroying the rainforests. So, they innocently pack up their video camera and head to South America looking for the bad guys. along the way they meet a range of paradoxical characters including the poor people who cut down forests to survive, environmentalists trying to import an "ecological" sawmill, timber companies campaigning for reforestation, and Hollywood producers who use rainforest plywood to build their sets. They eveb find themselves paying someone to cut down a tree so that they can get needed footage. Through their humorous adventures and irreverent style, the filmmakers illuminate a serious subject in an entertaining way: that it is often a complicated set of circumstances driving rainforest destruction. 90 minutes. Video. New College Cultural Center, 766 Valencia Street. 8:00 pm. A $3-5 donation is requested. For a complete list of New College events, see www.newcollege.edu/events