Summer means sun and brightness and fun - which is great. However it’s always a good idea to step out of that every once in awhile to think about things that are a bit darker. This weekend I would recommend making that step into a movie theater to see Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River, a film that deals with immigration and poverty - two issues everyone should think about more often. The film goes to the darker places in life and forces you to consider choices you might never have to deal with otherwise.

It also features a great performance from Melissa Leo, who up to this point has always made her mark with supporting roles.

The trailer is after the jump and be sure to takepart with the National Immigrant Justice Center.

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Man on Wire, a documentary that tells the story of Frenchman Philippe Petit and his walk on a wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, opens today in select cities and is garnering lot’s of praise. For years people have focused on why Petit did what he did, whereas director James Marsh asks how - a question that seems to make the film all the more interesting

It’s always interesting to me how we place so much value on the question of why and likewise what does it mean. For me, that questions like that always come up when 1) I’ve made a film and showed it to folks or 2) when people see my tattoo. With films, people ask why/what does it mean when they don’t get it or have nothing else to say. When it comes to my tattoos, I’m fairly certain the asking of these questions is simply masking most folks desire to say “why the hell did you put that on your arm?”

Man on Wire is a refreshing change and I can’t help but appreciate Petit’s point of view:

“I did something magnificent and mysterious, and I got a ‘why?’” Petit says, “and the beauty of it is that I don’t have a ‘why.’” [NPR]

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Karina over at Spout posted an interesting piece about the importance of a film being released theatrically when it comes to success and reputation:

Since the conversation about internet and day-and-date distribution really started to heat up in 2005, the alternatives to theatrical distribution have seemed to only multiply and evolve, while the general perception of public exhibition has remained about the same: filmmakers like it, but in terms of bottom line, it’s only useful as an extended commercial for ancillaries such as DVD. But is that perception changing?

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The contradiction of American “Independent” cinema has always perplexed me. How can something be independent if at the end of the day somebody buys it and the creative folks behind the project (mostly the director) give up their ownership rights to a studio or distribution company? It’s a question I often ask myself as the popular model of independent cinema for the past 15+ years has been for the filmmakers to actively seek out dependence. When Miramax and Sundance hit the media, the model of independent filmmaking switched from one where directors maintained creative control to one where they easily give up their rights in hopes of distribution and the ability to make new films.

I was thus extremely excited to wake up today and read about Lance Hammer’s decision to self distribute his film Ballast.

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  Based on a real event… It’s a phrase we often hear but never really think about and with a surge in documentary filmmaking, reality television and the always evolving line between fiction and non-fiction it easy to wonder what “based on a real event” even means. If you live in New York City however, you might be able to find out tonight.

The Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective is celebrating the end of their second season by screening a series of 2 minute short films all on that theme. The event starts at 830pm and takes place in Williamsburg at UnionDocs. More info here >>

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“The Green” on Sundance Channel is the first regularly scheduled television programming dedicated entirely to the environment. Presented by actor and Sundance founder Robert Redford and hosted by Simran Sethi and Majora Carter, “The Green”, now in its 2nd season, provides Prime Time environmental news, tips, ideas and knowledge every Tuesday evening at 9PM Eastern. Slated for this season are 13 new episodes of the award winning “Big Ideas for a Small Planet”, environmentally conscious documentaries, and the new episodes of the series “Eco-Biz” and “Ecoists”.

This week on “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” the subject is Food, as the series explores how businesses and individuals are trying to nourish us in an environmentally friendly way. Next up on “Eco-Documentaries”, the episode “All in this Tea” is an adventure into the remote world of Chinese fair trade tea production. Then “The Sierra Club Chronicles: Episode 5 - Breathless in LA” delves into the unhealthy air that plagues Los Angeles.

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“Garbage Warrior“ is a new film about controversial architect Michael Reynolds, who has been building radically sustainable architecture and off-the-grid energy communities for 35 years. Our trash is his muse ““ everything from old tires to plastic bottles to beer cans ““ all transformed into energy independent eco-homes he calls “earthships.”

The walls absorb heat from sunlight in the winter, and insulate against the heat of summer. Windows are strategically placed and adjustable modulate sunlight; solar panels and wind turbines generate electricity. Rainwater is captured; wastewater is filtered and reused. Greenhouse areas are used to grow food. The aim is to make the people who live in these houses self-sufficient.

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Since the premiere of “Brother Outsider” at the Sundance Film Festival, millions of people have been introduced to Bayard Rustin, who until now has remained somewhat of an unsung hero of the civil rights movement.

“Brother Outsider” is a film about the life of Bayard Rustin, a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and one of the major architects of the 1963 March on Washington. His pioneering activist spirit penetrated his personal life as well, as he was an openly gay man in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The film takes a many-sided approach to Rustin’s life, recreating a chronological and thematic portrait of his 60-year activist career through the use of traditional documentary and interview techniques. Historical research for the film was done by examining Rustin’s personal correspondence, papers, letters, archival footage, government propaganda films, stills, and paintings.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. This week we celebrated some of our own favorite top 10 bloggers who work night and day to provide us up-to-date info on films, literature, and feminist news. Don’t miss these exciting and informative blogs, as well as some of our most popular stories of the week.

Katie:

“La Misma Luna Under the Same Moon,” Not the Same Old Movie

Top 5 Eco-Friendly Gadgets for Under $50

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Nicole:

Top 10 Literary and Book Blogs

NBC11 First Wind Powered TV Station

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Giulia:

Top 10 Feminist Blogs

Horton: The New Mascot for Pro-Life

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Gina:

Top 10 Film Blogs

Top 10 Films I Would See If I Was At SXSW

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Kerry:

Our Pharmaceutically Fouled Water Supply

Top 7 New Sins Against God’s Green Earth

La misma luna (Under the Same Moon) is the story of Rosario and her 9 year old son, Carlito, who are separated by the U.S.-Mexico border, but united by love. The film, directed by Patricia Riggen and starring America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, Real Women Have Curves), Eugenio Derbez (Padre Nuestro), Adrian Alonso (The Legend of Zorro) as Carlito, Kate del Castillo (Bordertown) as Rosario, and featuring music by the Golden Globe-winning Los Tigres del Norte comes out on March 19th, but has already met critical acclaim at advanced screenings. It kicked off the 25th Miami International Film Festival, The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), The San Diego Latino Film Festival, and received a standing ovation at Sundance. In the film, Rosario leaves her son in Mexico and moves to the United States to work as a maid and to raise enough money to bring her son to The States. As Rosario searches for a better life, Carlito begins a voyage from Mexico to LA, searching for his mother. The story, in which a mother must leave her son in her native Mexico to try to build him a better life in the United States, is not mere fantasy, but is based on the countless true stories in which people risk their lives to cross a border that not only separates Mexico from the U.S., but, poverty from prosperity.

Check out the trailer below.

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