American History X

American History X is a story unfolds by Danny the young brother of Derek who involves in neo-Nazi actions in late 1980s and early 1990s in Los Angles. Driving by his hate to minority groups, Derek kills two blacks and wounding another in brutal way while they are trying to steal his car. As result Derek sentenced to three years in the state prison where he undergoes a transformation in terms of thoughts and believes to leave as changed man.

The movie is trying to deal with racism and its distractive impact on the society. Derek's father racism thoughts and his violence death lead Derek to engage in hate crimes organization. The U.S Department of Justice defines hate crime as “the violence of intolerance and bigotry, intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.” Data from National Crime Prevention Council says people like Derek and his gang commit hate crimes for following reasons;

• They are ignorant about people who are different from themselves (and terrified of the difference).
• They need to be able to look down on others in order to compensate for their own low self-esteem.
• They have been brutalized themselves (though not by their victims) and therefore see brutalizing others as fair game.

We can say that Derek was committing hate crimes because of the third reason. Derek was seeking revenge for his father death. Moreover, Derek was overwhelmed by anger and he chose to direct it towards minorities. This anger was portrayed in more than a scene. For example; the dinnertime discussion about Rodney King incident ended up with dramatic violence when Derek started attacking his sister who share her mother and guest their liberal opinion.

Shallow values do not live for a long time and the mask has to fall down someday. Values and believes have built on frail foundation fall down at the first real test. IN the prison Derek saw how his neo-Nazi brotherhood dealing with eachother and how they are dealing with colors people. They are buying drugs from Mexican gang and deal it to their own white people. Derek was not happy about that and he walked away but, wasn't that simple. This action made the gang angry at him; the gang rape him on the shower room on the guard watch.

The movie's massage is calling people who are adapting or may adapt racism to rethink before they go farther and do something they will regret. The movie is represents Derek as example of how a man could change. In prison, as Derek is walking away from the gang brotherhood he is hooking up with black inmate, Lamont. Lamont, who was sentenced to six years because he stole a TV, has a big influence on Derek transformation. Thought at the beginning Derek scorn Lamont, but after while he realized that Lamont is his only true friend. Moreover, Derek was sure that his going to be attacked by blacks and it was just a matter of time before that happens. Yet, the only harm he got while he is in prison was not from blacks, it was from his neo-Nazi brotherhood.

Though Derek has changed forever, he could not just walk away from his past and take break. There are two issues he must take care of right after he got out of the prison. First issue his brother Danny, Danny was following his big brother steps. He become skin headed, adapting Nazi thoughts and have tendency to use violence against minorities. Second issue was his relationship with neo-Nazi organization. He tried to cut his relationship with all his old brotherhood and send clear massage to his organization mentor to say away from Denny.

Derek succeeded convincing his brother to get racism out of his mind and change his attitude, but he could not save him. In addition, he cut his relationship with everyone related to his dark past yet, they won't let him live in peace. The price that Derek has to pay to learn this lesson was not cheap. He lost his brother and causing troubles not only for himself, but also for his family members.

Motorcycle Diaries

Motorcycle Diaries taken place in 1952 when two young friends, Alberto Grando and Ernesto "Che" Guevara decide to go on trip to discover Latin America that they only know from books. "The mighty one" their motorcycle made the trip possible, starting from Argentina and going through Chile, Peru, and Columbia and end up in Venezuela. This movie is putting spotlight on an important period of Guevara's life and how this journey has changed his life for ever.

Traveling has so many benefits like enrich your experience, enhance your understanding for the world and people. There is nothing more beautiful than visiting new places and been introduced to a new culture. People who do not travel are missing a lot of pleasure in their lives. I have been in eight different countries and studying abroad is wonderful experience I whish everybody can have it. This is exactly what happened to Guevara. His traveling has opened his eyes on issues he wasn't aware of before hid trip. On other words, Guevara wouldn't be Guevara we know if he did not make this trip.

The movie was depicting the contrast among Latin America countries in terms of landscaping and weather. However, they were all shearing one thing, people suffering from Injustice. Guevara and Alberto were not just taking pictures in every city they pass by. Yet, they were interacting with the people and having talk with them. They confronted many distressing stories during their journey, people deprived from their basic rights and being under their system mercy.

Spending three weeks at leper colony along the Amazon River had the most influence on Guevara personality. Patients were segregated from doctors, nurses and nuns. In facts, patients were detached from the whole world by the river. By the time Guevara got in this colony he has reached a high level of certainty that something has to be done to take away all injustice against the people. Guevara preferred to continue celebrating his birthday on the other side of the Amazon River. Though his asthma sickness could strike him anytime, he swim to the people he thought they need him more than any medication.

Crossing the river in that way, Guevara announced himself a revolutionary. The river was a simple of inequality, injustice and schemes that Guevara tired to challenge and beat. At that time, his personality has totally shaped by the experience he had during this journey. His vision was cleared and his goal was big and he is changed forever.

Beat the Drum

Beat the drum is a movie took place in KwaZulu Natal region, South Africa and it was filmed in 2003. The movie follow Musa journey from his village to Johannesburg. Musa was living in a village stroked by mystery disease killing the village people including his parents. Musa the recent orphaned kid leaves his village to look for his uncle and get money to buy a cow for his grandmother.

This journey has changed Musa's life forever; there were several twist and turns in this journey. First turn in Musa's journey was meeting Nobe the trucker who was convinced to take Musa with him to Johannesburg. Second turn was discovering that the AIDS was the mystery disease was killing his village people. Third turn in Musa's Journey was when he called to live in a foster care where he can get education and time to enjoying his childhood.

Musa was shock by what Johannesburg has of streets, buildings and cars once he got there. He found himself among homeless kids forming a gang living on robbery. He tried to make his own living by washing cars. Dealing everyday life taught him so much about the life including what is ADIS.

South Africa currently is confronting the most severe ADIS epidemic in the world. Data from avert.org saying there are five and a half million people living with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day. Although, AIDS is attacking all society sectors however, it's sometimes seen as disease of the poor.

From the movie point view, there are two aspects are responsible for spreading of the disease. First aspect, people silence and ignorance, people are ignoring the wide spread disease and pretending there is nothing happening among them. Thought this killer is walking in their neighborhoods and entering their houses taking their beloved once. This ignorance made worse and contribute to the increment of HIV infected. In addition, feeling stigma and people refusing to talk about it prevent them to get a proper treatment. Second aspect, sexual behavior especially prostitution, the movie is depicting that the prostitution is number one responsible for HIV diffusion among the people. In the movie prostitutes were everywhere on highways, main streets, back streets. See this video for more information about prostitution in South Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I44mN810aiU

The way that Musa name was used, spelled and pronounced in the movie is exactly the same way that Arabic speakers are using. Musa is a popular Arabic name for the Jewish prophet – Moses in Hebrew and Moshe as standard. This made me think there was a connection between the main character (Musa) either to Islam or Arabic language. According to the official website of the movie, the movie took place in KwaZulu Natal region. Data from www.southafirca.info says KwaZulu Natal people are speaking isiZulu, followed by English and Afrikaans and none of these languages is closed to Arabic. At the same time, it was obvious from movie that the villages were not Muslims. So, the connection between the character and his name has not cleared yet.

The movie is a massage or an invitation for people to fight this extreme epidemic. The movie suggesting that the first step to fight this epidemic is by spreading awareness among the people and this is what the movie title comes from. In many cultures, the drum has been used to call people attention or for announcing. So, beating the drum figuratively means making announcement or calling people attention.