hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Alan Grossman was recorded 10/7/14 (via Skype) and aired 10/10/14.  

Program guest is poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner (jkijiner@gmail.com) who was selected from 544 nominees submitted from 115 countries to speak on behalf of civil society at the opening ceremony of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City on September 23, 2014.  Kathy, age 26, is a writer, journalist, educator, environmental activist, and spoken word artist born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawaii. While in New York City, she also joined over 300,000 for the historic People’s Climate March which was remarkable in its scale, diversity and leadership. 

In the first half of this episode we re-broadcast my first interview with Jetnil-Kijiner earlier this year,  Ep. 177 “Nuclear Remembrance Day- Remember, Recommit, Resist” which aired 2/28/14.  This commemoration of Nuclear Remembrance Day includes her performance of two poems The History Project and Tell Them, as well as commentary on her essay “Reflections on Nuclear Survivors Day”.  [For these and other works, see Iep Jeltok, a basket of poetry and writing from Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner [http://jkijiner.wordpress.com]

The second half is introduced through the narration by Morgan Freeman of the U.N Climate Summit opening film of inspiration and hope entitled, What is Possible. In the 10/7/14 interview conducted via Skype with Kathy in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, she provides the backstory to her selection and her  decision to speak as a mother, the preparations, the performance, and audience response.  She also comments on the People’s Climate March and the efficacy of the U.N. Climate Summit and shares her hopes for regional and global action.  This interview includes her presentation and performance of her poem, Dear Matafele Peinem (the name of her baby daughter).  Kathy also comments on a video posted on YouTube by the Republic of the Marshall Islands President, Christopher Loeak,  making a plea to world leaders ahead of the UN Climate Summit, which we also include.  President Loeak was reportedly the first among world leaders to confirm his attendance at this Summit.

(hosted by Tali Ariav with production assistance by Alan Grossman was recorded on 8/8/14 and 9/19/14 and aired 10/3/14.  

Program guest in the first segment is David Iglinsk, a musician who first came to Guam in 1979 during his military service; he ended up making Guam his home and became a key  contributor to developing the island’s rock scene in the 1980s and 1990s.  His service in the US Navy allowed him the opportunity to hone his musical talents in the Pacific.  David’s children grew up in Guam; his daughter Sirena Rose, our second guest, is continuing in her father’s footsteps as a musician. Her maturing vocal, songwriting and musical talents are solidly grounded in the rhythms and instruments of the Pacific islands.  We’ll hear songs from David’s days as a performer in the 1980s, as well as Sirena Rose’s more contemporary musical compositions.

Following our discussions with David and Sirena Rose, we talk with Raphael “Raph” Unpingco, a local artist who served with the Guam Army National Guard for a number of years.  Raph’s encounters with the military stimulated a return to his Chamorro roots and language, as well as bringing him opportunities to explore his artistic skills and interests.


Musical selections:  “Tropical Girl” by David Iglinski; an original song by Sirena Rose; and “One” by Metallica.

(hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Samantha Marquez- Dauglash and Alan Grossman) was recorded 9/11/14 and aired 9/26/14. 

Program guest is Sylvia C. Frain (Sylviacfrain@gmail.com), a California native and researcher in Visual Studies & Peace and Conflict Resolution, specializing in how local photography projects and visual story-telling contribute to peace building processes.  She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies.  This interview was recorded in Guam on 9-11-14.  This day in 2001 was a pivotal moment in Frain’s decision to study peace building and continues to mark significant moments in her journey.  She was on Guam, her fourth visit since 2012,  planning research on the use of visual images by Guam youth within the context of increased militarization of the island as part of the US Asia-Pacific Pivot.  

In this interview she talks about the roots of her environmental activism, her freshman year at Hawaii Pacific University, the impact of the 9-11 attacks on her as a young American, her decision to pursue global studies the University of California-Santa Barbara, and participation in the Semester at Sea program.  This segment includes several clips from a 15 minute documentary film The Recruiting Practices of the U. S. Military after 9/11 which she produced and directed while an undergraduate student.  In the second half, she discusses her thesis, Peace Photography in Post-Conflict Settings: Focusing on Peace Building in Timor-Leste which she completed in 2012 as part of her Master’s of International Studies (Advanced) in the field of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, and her current interest in the use of visual images by Guam youth engaged in resistance and peace building.  She plans to return to Guam in June 2015 for further resistance research.    

Music selection:  Ba Futuru/For the Future Peace Song.  This song is from a music album and video produced by the NGO Ba Futuru, Timor-Leste's preeminent local child protection and peace building organization, to promote the music and culture of Timor-Leste and to raise funds to support Ba Futuru's various activities to improve people's lives, especially those most vulnerable to violence, In Timor-Leste.

(hosted by Dr. Vivian Dames with production assistance of Alan Grossman) was recorded 9/7-9/16/14  and aired 9/19/14.  

The Guam International Film Festival (GIFF) is scheduled to run its 4th annual Fall event starting Tuesday, September 23, through Sunday, September 28, 2014 at the Agaña Center Stadium Theatres. For 2014, GIFF will showcase over 50 films, including films from 2014 Festival de Cannes, Sundance, Busan, Toronto, SXSW and more. 

Program guest in the first half  is Kel Muna (kel@guamfilmfestival.org) who, together with brother Don Muna, are the Executive Producers and Founders of the Guam International Film Festival (GIFF).  They are the producers/directors of Shiro’s Head, Guam’s first locally produced and internationally acclaimed full length feature film and the  2014 feature length documentary Talent Town which examines the “current motivational landscape” for artists on island. Mr. Muna is an independent producer, writer and director with over 14 years in the multimedia trenches. 

Muna talks about the relevance to this program of  Talent Town and three GIFF 2014 offerings: (For God’s Sake)- Every Drop Matters!, filmed in Mumbai; Conscription, another short narrative, from Japan; and the epic underwater adventure Revolution from Canada, which is the featured film on the closing night, Sunday, September 28.  Muna also discusses several of the 11 Made in the Marianas category, which sets a GIFF record for the most Guam-produced films in one year.  

In the second half of this episode, we talk with two new local filmmakers whose films were selected for the Made in the Marianas category: 

Jillette Leon-Guerrero is a former Executive Director of the Guam Humanities Council, now a freelance writer and researcher focusing on the history and culture of the Marianas.  Her three online sites [Guamology.com, Guamhistorybuff.com and acrossthewaterintime.com] contain information on the island of Guahan and its people.  She is currently working on a historical novel of island life through the eyes of the Leon-Guerrero clan.  You may view her first film, a documentary entitled Across the Water In Time on opening night, Tuesday, September 23 at 6:15 p.m.  

Kent Velesrubio is a 17 year old senior at St. John’s School, who loves photography and is an avid stage actor, director and president of the St. John’s Drama Department.  He is a self-described  ‘movie geek’  who began filming on Youtube when he was 12.  He is the writer, director, producer and lead actor in his narrative film, The Psyche of Manson which was nominated for Best in the Marianas.  It premieres on Saturday, September 27 at 8:30 p.m. 

Talent Town will be showing for exhibition only from September 23-October  7, also at the Agaña Center Stadium Theatres.  [For a complete listing and show times for Talent Town and GIFF, go to www.guamfilmfestival.org ]