VIDEO REVIEWS!

Blacks and Jews:
  A documentary Portrait of an Eroding Collaboration

Not in Our Town:
A Nation-wide campaign against intolerance

Psychotherapy with Gay & Lesbian Clients
Understanding the challenges of being gay and lesbia n

Blacks and Jews: A Documentary Portrait of an Eroding Collaboration
CAHRONews August / September 1997 issue

Anyone interested in exploring tensions between the African-American and Jewish communities in America needs to view this film.  The first documentary to explore the tensions and collaborations of these two groups, Blacks and Jews lets those involved in the controversies between the communities speak their views without editorial interpretation.

Made collaboratively by Jewish and Black filmmakers, the film presents the portrait of a problematic relationship from New York to California and forces the viewer to determine what it all means, and more importantly, what needs to be done.  Not only is it an historical tool for education; human relations organizations concerned with intergroup relations will find the film an important stimulus for dialogue.  Screenings of Blacks and Jews can cut through the anger and emotion on both sides, demonstrating that dialogue and cooperation can only be based in a serious effort to understand and value the experience of others.

For information on how to get a copy of the film contact California Newsreel, 149 9^th Street, #420, San Francisco, CA, 94103.  Their phone number is (415) 621-6196; e-mail is newsreel@ix.netcom.com

Look for a review of Blue-Eyed, a documentary on Jane Elliot and her Blue-Eyed, Brown-Eyed experiment dealing with racism, in the next CAHRO News.

Not in Our Town :  A Nation-Wide Campaign Against Intolerance
CAHRONews April / May 1997 issue

Not in Our Town is a 27-minute video that tells the inspiring story of how the residents of Billings, Montana joined together to put an end to hate violence in their community.  Since the national broadcast of Not in Our Town II (a 58-minute video in a segmented format, which allows the flexibility to use the video as a whole or in parts to target specific issues) on PBS, many communities have joined the Not in Our Town 1996-97 campaign against hate violence and racial/ethnic intolerance.

Along with the Institute for Alternative Journalism and the National Anti-Extremism Coalition, the California Working Group is sponsoring the campaign, working so that communities across the country can expand the message "Not in our town" into "Not in our nation!".

The Not in Our Town programs are excellent discussion starters used successfully by groups dedicated to improving human relations, from religious organizations to public schools to training and mentoring seminars.  The campaign offers a variety of ways to get started as an organizer in your community.  Some of the main components are:

 Public screenings:  Human rights groups, religious and civic organizations, schools, and labor unions are hosting public screenings of Not in Our Town or segments of the hour-long follow-up, Not in Our Town II.  In many communities, a panel discussion or town hall meeting follows the screening.

 Education:  Not in Our Town and Not in Our Town II are used in classrooms across the country to promote discussion among young people about racism and intolerance.  Community groups in many towns are donating the programs to their local schools and libraries.

 Conference workshops:  Not in Our Town materials are presented as effective resources at conferences on human rights and social justice.

 Online:  The Not in Our Town logo can be placed on Web sites to provide a link to the campaign Web page, where updated campaign information can be found ( http:www.igc.org/an/NIOT.html).

For more information, please contact Dana Saunders at the California Working Group, (510) 547-8484, or E-MAIL wedothework@igc.org.  Their address is 5867 Ocean View Drive; Oakland, CA; 94618.

Understanding the Challenges of Being Gay or Lesbian
CAHRONews February / March 1998

A first rate series of videotapes aimed at helping psychotherapists work with gay and lesbian clients; it also provides the lay person with penetrating insights into the personal travails facing gays and lesbians in an often hostile family and societal environment. Each of the five videotapes in the series entitled, Psychotherapy With Gay & Lesbian Clients provides a well-crafted exploration of a range of critical issues from a personal standpoint. 

The objectively presented introductory tape on the history, theory, and research of psychotherapy with gay and lesbian clients would be funny if it was not so tragic.  One can only wonder in awe at the serious mode in which the psychotherapist father of a gay son who serves as President Clinton's liaison to the gay and lesbian community seeks to validate his efforts to "cure" homosexuals.

The series of tapes, which run from about a half hour to forty-five minutes each, cover issues of relationships, coming out, diversity and gay teens.  Each tape includes clips of  research experts, practitioners and gays and lesbians exploring the various facets of the topic.  Some of the tapes include the portrayal of sessions between a therapist and client and offer some unique insight into the issue from both perspectives.

For further information contact Buendia Productions, PO Box 1869, Santa Ana  92702 or call 1 (800) 513-1092.  E-Mail: buendiapro@aol.com.

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