In an age of #resistance in the era of Trump and his cries of “fake news”, filmmakers, artists, storytellers and creatives have become a powerful vehicle for truth. However, these mediums have been a way of educating while simultaneously entertaining audiences since long before November 8, 2016. Documentaries especially have the potential to change legislature, shift culture, and challenge perspectives in a way politics cannot.
Bolivian filmmaker Violeta Ayala and her award-winning films are proof of this. Her documentaries ‘Cocaine Prison’ and ‘The Fight’ have exposed audiences to certain issues in a whole new way that might not have been possible through traditional news media outlets. Her production company United Notion Films as founded in 2005 with her filmmaking partner Dan Fallshaw with the intent to “challenge the status quo”. Watching any of their films, it’s easy to see how they are living up to this mantra.
‘Cocaine Prison’ was released in 2017 and offers a view into the lives of people in prison for transporting cocaine that governments and authorities probably wouldn’t readily offer up. While we watch shows like Netflix’s ‘Narcos’ and learn about the lives of Pablo Escobar and various Colombian and Mexican drug cartels, in Bolivia, the culture around the coca leaves is very different. In fact, it is a plant that has virtually no taboo surrounding it (it is as normal as growing coffee beans or drinking wine and is a very common plant that farmers harvest) and is legal to grow up to a certain amount.
However, transporting it is not, and people risk being thrown into prison by doing so. But in areas where poverty prevents the upward mobility of communities, cocaine transportation is a job that brings in money for even teenagers, who are the ultimate victims in a war in drugs that has been proven ineffective. It is a country where the coca crop by-product all but props up a “grey market” economy. Needing to pay lip service to the U.S. War on Drugs, the Bolivian government enforces drug laws, which allows it to charge powerless drug workers while often turning a blind eye to powerful “big fish.”
As a result, half of all prison inmates in Bolivia are in for minor drug offenses. In her film Violeta puts a human face on the vicious circle of life in and outside the notorious San Sebastian Prison. ‘Cocaine Prison’ follows Daisy a teenager who struggles to escape the lure to traffic cocaine, her brother Hernan arrested with two kilos of cocaine near the Argentinian border and his best friend Mario, a cocaine worker fighting for freedom. Not a stereotypical prison, San Sebastian is more of an overcrowded, government-run slum holding 700 people, most of them in legal limbo. Violeta and Dan managed to smuggle in cameras to various inmates. As a result, ‘Cocaine Prison’ is a rare case of a prison documentary partially shot by the inmates themselves.
“The universal truth of the War on Drugs is that it targets the most vulnerable everywhere: the drug workers at one end and the drug addicts on the other. They are the ones who are called criminals. But the world economy runs on drug money. And the key players, the big fish, live outside justice. The justice system is based on money, class and race,” said Violeta.
She spent four years making the film, which had a personal aspect to it because of her own Indigenous background.
“We, the indigenous people from the Andes, have lived with the coca leaf for millennia. It was a white man who in 1859, made cocaine and now is the powerful people in the West who profits the most while we risk our lives. Cocaine Prison is one of the stories told from our side,” she said.
Violeta explained to us how she was sick of seeing the stereotyped portrayal of cocaine traffickers and also wanted to show the stories of those in prison from an Indigenous lens.
“There is a difference between white people filming other cultures as they don’t often view them as equal,” she said.
Showing these prisoners as humans, not just tropes or characters was deliberate, and while the reception from young people has been mostly positive, Violeta says it has confused critics who are most likely used to seeing the ‘Narcos’ version of the cocaine trafficking trade on screen, because it doesn’t fit their pre-determined narrative. ‘Cocaine Prison’ is showing a side to the drug trafficking industry that doesn’t get enough attention, and Violeta is the one making sure more people see this.
But it’s not just the drug issue Violeta has tackled. After making ‘Cocaine Prison’, she came across the issue of a group of disabled activists who were protesting the Bolivian government and President Evo Morales’ oppressive tactics to try and silence them. After becoming intrigued by their mission, Violeta picked up her camera once again and decided to document their work. This ended up becoming the acclaimed short film ‘The Fight’, which was distributed by The Guardian.
People with disabilities are among the most discriminated against in Bolivia. Fed up with being ignored, a group of them march across the Andes to the seat of the government in La Paz, asking to speak to President Evo Morales. They are met with riot police, barricades, tear gas and water cannons. Headed by determined leaders, including Rose Mery, Marcelo, Feliza and Miguel, the protesters camp on the streets a block away from the main plaza near the government palace. For the first time in Bolivia’s history, police erect 3m-high barricades, station tanks and hundreds of riot officers to stop the protesters in wheelchairs from entering the plaza.
Violent confrontations flare up between police and the protesters, with officers using pepper spray and water cannon. The government refuses to discuss their request for a pension of $70 a month and the protesters suspend themselves from the city’s bridges in their wheelchairs. After following the protesters on the march, Violeta and Dan gain intimate access to their camp, including up-close scenes of regular violent reactions from the police. The film-makers and other journalists are also threatened. For three months the activists with disabilities attempt to speak to the president but face criticism from the state’s official news outlets.
Violeta tells us that President Morales, once seen as heralding the dawn of new political leadership as the first Indigenous president, has slowly gained control over many aspects of politics as well as the media, and it has become almost impossible to get a true sense of the issues disabled people are facing from local media which has essentially become a state-run medium. Violeta used the power of social media to write about what she was seeing and filming, writing articles on The Huffington Post to spread more awareness about what the newsmedia refused to show, and of course using her filmmaking skills as a weapon against political oppression.
“Bolivia used to be a lot freer in terms of expression, but that is being taken away by the government,” said Violeta.
In fact, the government is so afraid of the truth getting out, she has even been accused of being paid by the CIA for her work. But Violeta comes from a family of activists – her grandfather was a political prisoner for his views – and now she is using film to take on the establishment. As for what the government doesn’t want you to know, it is all about rights and better support system for disabled people.
The disabled activists have been raising awareness about children being abandoned by their parents for their disability, and those living in poverty because of their physical condition. The activists Violeta followed are asking for better government benefits, yet political leaders have accused them of devising a strategy to “destabilize the government”, according to The Guardian.
Both Dan and Violeta told us that the reason President Morales and his government are afraid that giving these activists what they want and allowing them to have any power will embolden other activist groups to rise up and potentially push back against government control. If the disabled people are empowered to protest for what they want, able-bodied people could do even more, is the thinking.
Proving that filmmaking is a powerful and effective weapon against political oppression, since ‘The Fight’ was released, there have been some major changes for the activists in Bolivia. Due to some shocking protests including one where the activists, hanging from rope, suspended themselves over a bridge to catch the attention of onlookers, more people started hearing about their mission.
So President Morales introduced a bill in Congress allowing a small monthly monetary benefit to people with severe and very serious disabilities. It was only half the amount the activists were asking for, and activists weren’t overjoyed with the gesture.
One of the leaders of the group, Rose Mery Guarita, said the more important achievement was to raise awareness and respect.
“With the protests, we have managed to make the general population more sensitive. I hope the new generation see us as people, not strange creatures,” she said.
The protests have gained worldwide attention thanks to Violeta’s film, as well as the increased social media attention the activists have been getting. Violeta also traveled to Geneva and stood before the United Nations assembly denouncing Bolivia’s treatment of the disabled people. Yet she gives all the praise to the group of activists who have worked tirelessly for their community, inspiring other similar protests around the world, most notably the ADAPT protest on Capitol Hill here in the United States, against the Republican-led healthcare bill which sought to strip away coverage for millions of Americans, including some of the most vulnerable people.
“These protestors are smart, they are political, and they know exactly what they are doing,” said the filmmaker.
‘The Fight’ has helped change the narrative about the disabled population as well as the government in Bolivia in a drastic manner. That is the power of film. Violeta says the ability to create change and shape public discourse, especially as an Indigenous woman, is why storytelling is important to her.
“The media is the most powerful tool in terms of controlling people, by telling the same narratives. But we have to change that by creating our own narratives and sharing our own stories. We need more women of color and Indigenous people telling their own stories in their own ways,” she said.
‘The Fight’ is available to watch in full via The Guardian, and you can learn more about upcoming screenings for ‘Cocaine Prison’ on the film’s website. Watch the trailer below.
Grammy Nominated artist @cherimoon has been at the forefront of the music scene for most of her life and is not slowing down anytime soon. She celebrated her first-ever Grammy nomination under her children’s performer alias @mysnooknuk for her work with the band All One Tribe and their nominated global kids anthem “We’re All The Same”. On March 8th, 2021 in honor of International Women’s Day, Cheri released a female pop anthem entitled “Ain’t I A Woman” which was inspired by the Sojourner Truth speech of the same name, which Cheri was introduced to in high school.
Born and raised in the music capital of Memphis, TN, Cheri began singing Gospel with her family choir at just 8-years old. Her musical ambitions eventually drove her New York for 10 years, where her songwriting skills earned her a publishing contract with Producers Timbaland and Jimmy Douglass. Since then, songs from her catalog have been licensed for numerous national commercials and TV shows – including popular soap operas like ‘All My Children’, ‘The Young and the Restless’, and many HBO shows.
Cheri is also an actress and has a number of projects in the pipeline, including a scripted audio series, ‘Sonic Leap’, featuring Anthony Anderson, Julie Pacino’s docu-drama, ‘Brainstorms’, which address the challenges families of Veterans endure when faced with traumatic brain injuries, and she is one of the actors in the first-ever film and art series completely financed by NFT’s called “I Live Here Now.
We had the chance to ask Cheri about her global kids anthem and what message she hopes to spread with it:
"The song breaks down the differences that people may have coming from a mix of cultures or backgrounds. It’s a celebration of those differences. There’s still a lot of discrimination in the world, so if children can be taught at a young age that our differences are what makes us unique and gives us individuality, but we are all of the human race, this would help future generations."
Read our full interview via the link in our bio! 🎵🌎
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#cherimoon #aintiawoman #grammys #snooknuk #weareallthesame #actress #musician #songwriter #singer #diversity #culture #NFT
During may we celebrate Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and if you are looking for some great children's book recommendations to share with the young ones in your life to introduce them to a diverse array of AAPI themes, then @peachtreepublishing and @holidayhousebks have you covered!
Perfect for ages 4 through to 12, check out 8 books we're featuring on the blog today that we've already added to our collection, and you should too.
1️⃣‘Lali’s Feather‘ by Farhana Zia, Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. A vivacious and endearing story of identification, values, and the rewards in looking closely and thinking imaginatively.
2️⃣‘Boy Who Met a Whale‘ by Nizrana Farook. Set against a vibrant, authentic landscape inspired by Sri Lanka, a fisherboy is swept up in a thrilling seafaring adventure, complete with a kidnapping, missing treasure, and a huge blue whale!
3️⃣‘Chinese Kite Festival‘ by Rich Lo. Animal names and their significance in Chinese culture is beautifully explored for young readers in this book.
4️⃣‘All You Need‘ by Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Jasu Hu
Follow a Chinese girl from her first steps, all the way to the moment she realizes a lifelong dream in an exciting new land.
5️⃣ 'Let’s Go to Taekwondo!' by Aram Kim. Yoomi discovers how, with persistence, focus, and deep breathing even the toughest challenges can be overcome.
6️⃣ ‘My Dadima Wears a Sari‘ by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi. An Indian grandmother and her American granddaughter explore culture, imagination, and individuality through a sari.
7️⃣‘Sona and the Wedding Game‘ by Kashmira Sheth, illustrated by Yoshiko Jaeggi
Experience the magic of an Indian wedding in this story of a girl playing a fun, traditional game on her sister’s big day.
8️⃣'Luli and the Language of Tea‘ by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. This book tells a touching story about children from many countries finding a common bond - tea!
Head to the link in our bio to learn more about each book! 📚
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#AAPIheritagemonth #culture #heritage #childrensbooks #story #diversity #asianamerican #southasian #chinese #inspire #kids #instagood #author #explorepage #reading
As the world tentatively begins to open up again, one of the most exciting things many of us have been looking forward to is in-person events. If you are lucky enough to live in NYC, you are in for a treat because the team behind @batsunyc, a unique entertainment experience hailing from Japan originally, is bringing people back together using food, humor and physical comedy.
The batsu game is a Japanese style of comedy that features a series of challenges, where losers face hilarious punishments. The BATSU! NYC experience is a cultural fusion that merges this Japanese game with American comedy when four warriors face off in comedic challenges to avoid painful, humiliating, and ridiculous punishments.
BATSU! NYC is a majority AAPI-owned business, and a proud collaboration between @faceoffunlimited and Kogame. The New York City-based comedy group and Japanese restaurant are using their platforms to promote positive international fellowship through the fusion of food, comedy, and culture.
Since May is Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we had the chance to speak with Noriko Sato, founding member and co-host of BATSU! NYC about her role within the game, her journey from NCAA basketball to NYC comedy, and how this unique entertainment experience amplifies Japanese culture and fosters community through comedy:
"It really does bring people together. We want people to forget all the negative stuff at least while they’re there, so they’re just in the moment with us instead of worrying about, you know, paying the rent or getting groceries. We just want to focus on the comedy and the laughter. While audiences get to experience BATSU! with their eyes, ears, mouths, and beyond – we are also focused on increasing accessibility for folks living with disabilities. We believe that laughter is a universal language. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, laughing is universal."
To learn more about BATSU! NYC, head to the link in our bio! 🐔👘
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#AAPIheritagemonth #batsu #batsunyc #norikosato #comedy #japanese #american #fusion #laughter #community #cometogether #food #entertainment #game #culture
Today on the blog we have a special guest post from Hayley Mundeva, writing about how Rwandan journalist Yvonne Nkaka Uwicyeza is redefining what is possible for people with disabilities in her country.
Yvonne was born with a visual impairment, and works as a journalist for @GirlEffect Rwanda.
In Rwanda, according to the World Health Organization, approx. 400,000 people are living with visual impairments, and 1 out of every 100 children are born with visual impairments. To ensure equal and fair opportunities, the government has worked to promote the rights of people living with disabilities, including visual impairments.
Because of the special measures and programs put in place by the government, Yvonne's parents were able to take her to specialist doctors that helped her go from a complete visual impairment at birth to now having limited visibility. She was also able to attend a school designed for visually impaired students. With all of this support growing up, Yvonne was able to realize her dream of becoming a journalist, and today is the the first employee living with a physical disability–at Girl Effect Rwanda.
She has experienced her share of setbacks and skeptics, but Yvonne is prepared to tackle those head on.
She’s been asked questions before like, “How are you a journalist?” or “How are you going to ask me questions if you’re visually impaired?”
She’s quick to respond, “Oh…eyes can’t talk and ask. So I’m going to use my mouth.” 🗣
Yvonne has some advice for others living with disabilities and/or visual impairments, who look up to her inspiring career achievements:
"Ask yourself, ‘Why not you?’ You can do that. You can even do better than me.”
Read the full piece via the link in our bio! 🎧📝
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@ninyampinga #girleffect #disability #visuallyimpaired #rwanda #journalist #inspiration #youth
You may be familiar with @Sukhmanimusic’s work if you are a GTHQ avid reader, as we recently featured a track she collaborated on with ‘Ash + Bone’, confronting gender inequality in the music industry. Now, she has tapped into the whimsical world of self-reflection on her debut EP ‘Here’, released on April 1.
As one of first female tabla players to emerge from the U.K, she has toured and recorded as a percussionist for years, playing on stage at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Sukhmani was born into a Punjabi immigrant family in the United Kingdom, and grew up in Leeds where she was surrounded by the sounds of her Punjabi Sikh family, the Afro Caribbean community, and the city’s thriving music scene. She now brings her rare understanding of rhythm and percussion to her own music, delivering sultry vocals over deep, driving beats.
Her latest project gave her the opportunity to “say the things we might be afraid of voicing out loud in the hopes it might speak to someone and encourage them to do the same.” We had the chance to talk with Sukhmani about her debut, and the meaning behind some of the tracks such as "Not Your Exotic":
"I have been called “exotic” in my life more times than I can count, and although I understand that the intention can be complementary, I wanted to point out that by calling someone exotic you are measuring them against a standard that is white. I wanted to offer an alternative to otherizing, and instead call for us to appreciate and celebrate ourselves as well as each other, honoring diversity whilst acknowledging our inherent oneness."
Listen to the EP "Here" and read our full Q&A via the link in our bio!🕶💓⛓
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#Sukhmani #punjabi #sikh #southasian #indian #tabla #musician #percussion #here #notyourexotic #immigrant #community #british
Aussie Plus size clothing brand @TakingShapestyle recently launched an exciting new collection with award-winning Indigenous designer, Elverina Johnson, whose mission it is to preserve the Indigenous Spirit through the arts.
A highly respected Gungganji Gurugulu woman from Yarrabah in Far North Queensland, Elverina is one of the Nation’s most recognizable and accomplished artists who was awarded the 2017 Nation NAIDOC Artist of the Year. Her belief is that arts can empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and restore a genuine sense of pride in their culture and communities.
Like Taking Shape, Elverina takes her role of empowering women seriously. Her family name – Bunya Badjil – means ‘good woman’. Elverina is passionate about making her unique prints available for all women to enjoy.
Elverina spoke with us about the Taking Shape partnership and what it means to her personally:
"Representation is extremely important for me as First Nations woman in Australia. The diversity that Taking Shape is already projecting in terms of catering to plus size women of all shapes and sizes and ethnicity has now become more inclusive of First Nations women who will identify and feel extra valued," she told us.
"I love this partnership with Taking Shape because of their openness to learn and understanding what the stories are about. Their willingness to be agents of changes and inclusiveness in a society where First Nations people have to work extra harder to even get a little recognition, is great."
Read the full piece and peep the brilliant Elverina X Taking Shape collection via the link in our bio.👚🌊🇦🇺
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@yarrabah #takingshape #clothing #style #fashion #indigenous #designer #australia #firstnations #collection #queensland #yarrabah #artist #reconciliation #plussize #diversity #inclusion #change #empowerment #women
#TBT to that time you did that BADASS thing ⚡️🙅🏽♀️
Check out this quote from our founder @ashadahya, shared recently on @the.storyofwoman podcast.
Posted @withregram • @theknow.media We had to share these words of wisdom from @girltalkhq founder @ashadahya on the @the.storyofwoman podcast! We recommend tuning into the episode 'Woman and Those Changing the World: Asha Dahya, Today's Wonder Women' for all things empowerment on this Wednesday 💛
#badass #beyourownhero #shero #inspire #podcast #ashadahya #todayswonderwomen #rolemodel #hero
If you aren't following @themcleodfamily, what are you even doing on this app?? The McLeod Family have become social media viral sensations, with proud single foster mom Eeka McLeod sharing content about what life is like raising 3 children and tackling issues like autism and cerebral palsy, as well as celebrating one of them being LGBTQ+.
After becoming a licensed foster parent while in graduate school, Eeka started welcoming children into her home. Throughout her time fostering, Eeka cared for 18 children and eventually adopted three: Eli, Evan and Ella. Eli has Cerebral Palsy while Evan and Ella are on the Autism Spectrum, so she has dedicated her life to meeting their unique needs while helping them find ways to express their individuality.
The self-described “family of misfits” has made a name for themselves on social media during the pandemic with unapologetically real, hilarious content that showcases the triumphs and challenges of their daily life. Their devoted fanbase includes 116 million likes and 2.4 million followers on TikTok, over 100,000 followers on Instagram, as well as over 2.6 million views and over 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. Eeka, who has two Master’s Degrees in Professional Counseling as well as Marriage and Family Therapy, is passionate about using the family’s platform to advocate for acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities.
We had the chance to speak with Eeka about her beautiful kids and using their social media platform as a way to connect with the world. Here's what she told us:
"I think a lot of people know what it’s like to be “different.” Seeing a family like ours enjoying our lives, thriving, and experiencing the world in the midst of facing criticism, judgment, and hate shows people they are not alone in any of this and they have the right to live their most authentic lives as joyfully as they choose.It is my hope that by sharing our story, we can educate others and improve circumstances for these communities."
Read the full piece via the link in our bio! 🤳🏽📹
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#family #foster #adopt #LGBTQIA #disability #content #influencer #singlemom #parenting #viral #wearefamily #autism