Cultures of Resistance

As one of the most powerful mediums of our time, film has been and continues to be a powerful tool for opposing war, promoting peace with justice, and building international understanding. Cultures of Resistance highly recommends the following films for their powerful narrative and verite treatments of pressing war and peace issues, past and present.

In January 2009 a Cultures of Resistance film crew danced the resistance at the Festival Au Desert in Mali--a music festival drawing on the Tuareg tradition of meeting seasonally to peacefully settle disputes, compare and exchange the bounty of their travels, and to party up with nonstop music, dancing, games, and other activities.

Cultures of Resistance's short film looks at the impact of cluster munitions—Cold-War weapons whose victims to this day are an estimated 98% civilian and which continue to be manufactured. Thanks to the tireless efforts of numerous advocacy groups, the Convention on Cluster Munitions became binding international law on August 1, 2010, outlawing the production, sale, or use of the weapons. However, the law only applies to countries that have committed themselves to its restrictions and many of the biggest offenders, including the United States and Russia, have not signed on. Watch this film about the progress these advocacy groups have made and the work that still remains.

The CONFLICT ZONE FILM FUND awards seed funding to forward-thinking filmmakers – both new and established – who possess a provocative, artistic, and culturally significant vision. The fund supports narrative and documentary film projects that explore a range of themes and ideas, from peace and disarmament to human rights to arts and culture around the globe.