International Shorts at Documentary Series, 6:30 pm July 7

A series of short films produced by international filmmakers in Washington and New York City will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 7, in the conference rooms. A panel discussion on freedom of the press and expression with some of the producers and the Washington director of Reporters Without Borders follows.

The films are the opening set of the 2010 NPC summer documentary series. There is no admission charge.

The post-film panel will include international fellows brought to the U.S. by the State Department and George Washington University’s Documentary Center for professional development. Nina Gilden-Seavey, a founder of AFI’s SilverDocs, will participate.

The films are:

• "Ride to Life," a perspective on the story of Rolling Thunder, the veterans commemoration motorcycle parade on Memorial Day.


• "Skin of the City." graffiti and tattoos as art and expression.


• “Untitled” for a reason you will find out in the film.


• A grass-roots effort to help in the recent oil Gulf oil spill.

The other entries in the series are:

"Revealing Hate In America" by Mariah Wilson, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 14. The film examines the white supremacist movement in America today from the perspective of those in the movement, those working against it, victims of hate crime, Ku Klux Klan infiltrators, and former right wing group members.

"La Americana" by Nicholas Bruckman, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21 The film examines the case of a 9-year-old who suffers a life-threatening accident. Her mother must leave her behind and make the dangerous and illegal journey from Bolivia to the U.S., where she hopes to earn enough to save her daughter’s life.

"Chaplains Under Fire" by Lee Lawrence and Terry Nickelson, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 28. The documentary that examines the lives and work of military chaplains and the church-state tensions at the heart of the chaplaincy.

"Who Killed Chea Vichea" by Bradley Cox, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4. The film follows the investigation of the murder of Chea Vichea, leader of a Cambodian worker's rights union. A champion of justice and the humane treatment of laborers in Cambodia's extensive production industry, Chea Vichea was shot and killed on the Chinese New Year in 2004 in front of a newsstand on the street. Cambodian police arrested two men alleged to be the culprits despite considerable evidence to the contrary.

Popcorn will accompany each documentary, as well as a cash bar.

-- Rodrigo A. Valderrama, [email protected] and Michelle Kincaid, [email protected]