The oil may have stopped pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. Yet the devastation continues as hundreds of people begin to suffer the medical consequences of the toxic dispersant used to clear it up.
Gary Burris was one of the many fishermen who volunteered to clean up his home after the spill. However, what many people don't know is that he and many others were forced to sign a compensation waiver. Renowned environmental scientist Wilma Supra is not only taking BP to court for this compensation waiver but has also collected over 600 medical complaints so far. BP's oil dispersant of choice Corexit 9500 is the most toxic in the market and is banned in the UK. Gary was sprayed by Corexit - "the next day I was burned in the back of my throat", things went from bad to worse "I could not breathe, I couldn't get up". Wilma says the BP compensation fund will not fix these long-term - "What about all the people who are being made sick?" she demands. "This is not something that goes away."
SBS
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Holland - Mr Controversial
- 16' min 48'' sec [3 September 2010]
September 11th ground zero march to launch global anti-Islam party
Geert Wilders has gone from right-wing loony to kingmaker of Holland's new coalition government. Not content with this meteoric rise, the man who wants to ban the Koran is now taking his message global.
"Less crime, less immigration, less Islam, that's what Holland has voted for." The coiffed blonde politician, once easily mocked for his plans to tax burqas, ban Korans, and to refuse entry to anyone from a 'Muslim' country, now holds a captivated crowd. It's the June elections, and Geert Wilders' Freedom Party has just won 25 seats in a hung parliament. The other parties may have vowed not to team up with him, but as coalition discussions fail, Wilder has become a key player in Holland's political future. The liberals and the Christian Democrats now look set to form a coalition government with his party. Fear rather than anger has been the response of the large Muslim community in Holland's bigger cities: "I feel like I did everything to become a Dutch citizen, and now I have to leave". But death threats and a criminal trial for 'Hate Speech' haven't deterred Wilders. He's planning to take his unapologetic message that "our culture is better than the retarded Islamic culture", to a global audience. With a march on September 11th on the Ground Zero site set to launch the international 'Freedom Party', it seems that Wilder's time has come.
SBS
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Israel/Palestine - Unveiling the Future
- 4' min 55'' sec [6 September 2010]
World's press guarded as Middle East peace talks begin
The political context of Israel may be set to change forever. Yet as a growing number of Jewish women reject the age-old tradition of the headscarf, a local battle tests Israel’s capacity to change.
The headscarf is a defining Jewish tradition, symbolising a woman's marital status. As times move forward, more women are turning to an alternate way of covering their hair without covering themselves - the wig. The controversial issue, "This is a very divisive issue, because women want to be beautiful and look good", has been challenged by Orthodox Jews. The wig in itself has also caused more conflict, "The wig shows quite clearly who you are and what social class you belong to". This argument goes deeper than just a hairstyle - as the women of Israel stand up against tradition and social expectations.
ORF
(Ref: 4922)
USA - Never Enough
- 43' min 00'' sec [6 September 2010]
We live in a materialistic world where consumerism has well and truly taken over. So what happens when the over-collecting begins to outweigh the pleasure and extreme hoarding disorders take the reigns?
Never Enough is a fascinating look at the social fabric of our lives. Ron 'Disaster Master' Alford, is trying to help his 'clients' learn how to let go of their materialistic ways and embrace life once again. "Disposaphobics are generally very smart people who basically can't, don't or won't make fast value judgments about their stuff". Can he ever stop these people from burying themselves in junk?
Anderson Gold Films
