Iran’s Nation of Bloggers: A Means of Revolution

Political dissent in Iran in the aftermath of last week’s national election has spread not only to the streets of Tehran, but also online, where protesters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and election observers have battled to get news out of the country for three days. Cellphone service was restored on Sunday after it had been down since Saturday, but Iranians could still not send text messages. Government filters have also cracked down on opposition party websites and social networking websites. Satellite internet connections have also been disrupted.

Foreign media outlets have found themselves coming under attack as they attempt to report on the protests ever since the official announcement that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won a resounding victory in Friday’s poll. However, the government’s crackdown hasn’t prevented Iran’s young bloggers and activists from reporting by using proxy servers to get around the censors in a game of cat and mouse. Iran’s youthful and Web-savvy population has proven adept at using Twitter, blogs, mobile phones and social networks to spread the word about the post-election discord. Technology has proven to be extremely important in bypassing the government’s attempts to crackdown on dissent.

Millions of young bloggers are challenging the conservative government of Iran, at great personal risk. Iran: A Nation of Bloggers is an “infographic” video from the Vancouver Film School that powerfully tells this story in just 2 minutes. It explores how the digital world allows many Iranians access to ideas and freedom of expression they haven’t had for close to thirty years. Iran: A Nation of Bloggers is a visual essay that illustrates how blogging is a major cultural outlet for thousands of Iranians, despite it being a sometimes dangerous practice. Blogging is, in essence, a means of revolution.

Iran: A Nation of Bloggers

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Two Too Sad Doggy Bloggers

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Inspiration: Vanquishing the Patron Demon of the Blank Page

Inspiration is an animated short film that was produced and animated by Carlos Lascano. This artistically unusual film is about…well, I know you must know…because I don’t know quite what to write here about it, uh, let’s see. I can’t think of what the exact words could be…oh well, they’re right on the tip of my tongue. Oh yes…it’s about…Writer’s Block! Yes, it’s about Writer’s Block, the Patron Saint of the Blank Page.

Inspiration is an animation that was produced without the use of a video camera. The film was composed entirely from a number of still photographs. The photo shots were then split into layers; then pieces were drawn and pasted like a collage or patchwork composition, with 3-D effects added later.

Inspiration: Vanquishing the Patron Demon of the Blank Page

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Little Dinosaurs: A Fight Against Tyranny

The Little Dinosaurs: A Fight Against Tyranny

Little Dinosaurs is an acclaimed one-minute animated short-film that was a Regional Winner in the 2008 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). In addition, the film is presently a Short-Listed Finalist in The 2008 National Virgin Media Shorts (UK) film competition, with the winning short-film to be announced at a gala awards ceremony to be held in London on September 29th, 2008.

In Little Dinosaurs, a five-year-old boy discusses how a group of small dinosaurs can stop a big dinosaur from picking on them. The film captures the boy’s excitement and involvement as it presents a view of bullying through the eyes of a child. Technically, the film engages the narrative in a creatively original way. The little dinosaurs in the film are not talking, but rather they’re reacting to what the boy says. It’s as though the viewer can literally see what the young boy is imagining. The little dinosaurs actually look to the camera from time to time, as if they are waiting to hear what the boy says next so that they can know what to do.

Little Dinosaurs is an elegantly simple animated film, which within a time-frame of 60-seconds addresses important contemporary social issues at both practical and global levels. First, it speaks to the issue of bullying, which is currently a major concern for schools and communities in many countries. Secondly, it evokes thoughts about children being able to work together and and about unity. Finally, Little Dinosaurs’ narrative can be abstracted to a global level, in particular to thoughts about the daunting present-day struggles to confront terrorism and tyranny, declaring that, “If we don’t unite against tyranny, we will all be slaves to fear.”

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Little Dinosaurs: A Fight Against Tyranny

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