Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

| posted Feb 9, 2010

An ultimatum issued by Kofi Annan that goes back to 2000 and two thirds of the way in it is looking somewhat desperate. Which is why eight directors, amongst which Gus Van Sant and Jane Campion, have come to the rescue.

A cast of directors that reads like a hall of fame of contemporary film; although one could almost feel shame at looking at the celebrity factor when much more important issues are at stake. The starting point wasn't another vague effort to become the latest A-list philantropists and save the world through song or film but a very tagible reality: The Millenium Development Goals as issued identified by former UN Secretary Kofi Annan 10 years ago; eight themes that taclke most aspects of under-development amongst Third World countries, including education, hunger, health and AIDS, gender equality etc.

Spurred on by Madonna's "4 minutes to save the world" (possibly?), our lovely directors realised they had no more than a few years to somewhat help change the world and so they got filming; all eight of them, each addressing a specific theme and the result were eight short films, shot between 2000 and 2009 which last year came together to form "8" who then went on to Cannes and enjoyed a certain amount of success.

But why mention it now? Well that would be because, in an effort of visibility, all eight films are now available online, via YouTube, and for another few weeks one can appreciate the sometimes unusual, often quite intense, works of Wim, Jane, Gus, Gaspar et les autres.

 

Gus Van Sant's "Mansion on the hill"

 

Wim Wenders' "Person to person"

 

Jane Campion's "The Water diary"

 

The best thing one can do at this point is get informed and perhaps then, maybe, get working (cameras and microphones strictly optional)... No Time Left's website gives plenty of pointers.

The YouTube channel with all 8 films.

 

Aurelie Bellavigna

 

Source and credits: No Time Left

TAGS: no time left millenium development goals kofi anan gus van sant wim wenders jane campion gaspar noe jan kounen gender poverty hunger; health