New Releases - October 2009 - Learningemall.com

SHARK CALLERS OFKONTU, THEBy Dennis O'Rourkedance as an international language and abridge between cultures. At the same time,the corps delights in its first experiencewith contemporary western dance.Audience : Grade 7 or aboveCopyright : 2009StdBkNo : 9781559748049Price : USD 133.00For centuries, the villagers of Kontu, inPapua New Guinea, have gone to sea infrail outrigger canoes to call, trap, and killsharks by hand. Now, after a hundredyears of colonization and missionaryactivity, only a few men still understand themagic rituals of shark calling.The SharkCallers of Kontu illustrates the effects ofcultural contact on the shark callingtraditions.The people of Kontu associate the sharkswith spiritual forces and believe men cancontrol these spiritual forces to their ownadvantage, or, through correct ritual,protect themselves from harm if they comein contact with the sharks. Now the base oftheir culture has shifted. The influence ofWestern culture and Christian beliefs hasbrought many changes to the islands.Some of the more complex ritualsassociated with shark calling have beenlost over the years. When the men whonow practice shark calling die, this uniqueand dangerous practice will probably diewith them.Reviews• "O'Rourke's sympathies for hissubjects are deeply political, althoughSharkcallers is no dry manifesto.Rather, by allowing the villagers tospeak for themselves and the camerasimply to reveal the remarkablenature of the mens' work, he relatesthe spiritual world of 'magic' to morecomprehensible forces with admirablelucidity." - Geoff Andrew, Time Out• "O'Rourke's film carries us through awhole revolution, or devolution, ofvalues, and I for one found it anexperience that was sometimesbeautiful, and sometimes shamingand painful … O'Rourke is one of thegreat Australian documentarists." -John Hinde, ABC Radio (Sydney)Item no. : AT08880114Format : DVD (Color)Duration : 54 minutesAudience : Grade 7 or aboveCopyright : 2009StdBkNo : 9781559747998Price : USD 350.00DANCE & DANCERSON THE MOVE: THECENTRAL BALLET OFCHINABy Merrill BrockwayChinese art and culture has hadthousands of years to develop, but ballet isthe youngest of the "100 flowers" inChinese art. On the Move captures dancehistory in-the-making as the Central Balletof China makes its American premiere. Asthese spirited dancers travel to New YorkCity, their magical performances re-defineFor the superb Central Ballet of Chinadancers, their American debut means notonly an opportunity to perform, but alsothe chance to create an interculturalexchange with other dancers. On TheMove documents their journey as theyintroduce Chinese ballet to Americanaudiences and, in turn, experience for thefirst time the rich diversity of Americandance - jazz, modern, African and evenbreak dancing. The dancers approach thestrange new dance forms with thediscipline of professionals and thecuriosity of children. In this beautiful film,their tour becomes an overview ofcontemporary American dance as theyvisit and rehearse in the studios of AlvinAiley, Paul Taylor and George Ballanchineand learn the straw hat and canechoreography of Broadway's GracielaDaniele.The fascinating history of Chinese danceunfolds through interviews with danceinstructors, teachers and the dancersthemselves. Traditional Chinese folkdance tells stories, reflecting the history ofthe country's one billion people. This folktradition, the formal styles of Russian,French and American ballet and theCultural Revolution are all sightedinfluences in today's Chinese ballet. Thepioneer of Chinese dance, Madame Dai AiLian, reveals the reaction which balletreceived when she first introduced it inChina: "People laughed at arabesque."Today the Central Ballet is revered as acultural treasure. And unlike Americanballet companies where stars and rivalriesare the norm, the Central Ballet is aclose-knit extended family. At a very youngage children leave their families and travelto Beijing to study dance. From that timeon the dancers will live, train and performtogether, building the spirit and dedicationwhich crosses all international boundaries.On the Move is a remarkable film offeringa fresh view of Chinese dance and culture.A classic addition to classes in dance,dance history, cultural history and Chinesestudies, it is also perfect for generalaudiences of all ages.Reviews• "East and West captured in instantquintessential contrast." - WashingtonPost"Watching On the Move is like taking acram course in the art of dance." - SanshaAnawalt, Los Angeles Times"As a showcase for the young Chinesecompany, the documentary is charming." -John O'Connor, New York TimesAwards• Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival;• Crystal Apple Award, NationalEducational Film FestivalItem no.FormatDuration: YG08880106: DVD (Color): 60 minutesDOCUMENTARYIRAN, HOT TEA, COOLCONVERSATIONSA revealing documentary chronicling anAmerican college student's eye-openingjourney to Iran. A testament to CitizenDiplomacy, the film highlights unscripted,touching interviews with a number ofindividuals the filmmaker encounters fromall walks of life during this once in alifetime adventure. The human scale ofIran: Hot Tea, Cool Conversations cutsthrough the political rhetoric of the dayunveiling a country full of warm andcompassionate people who desire peaceand friendship with America and the West.Item no. : AB10740220Format : DVDDuration : 78 minutesCopyright : 2009Price : USD 56.00ECONOMYASCENT OF MONEY, THE:THE FINANCIAL HISTORYOF THE WORLDIn The Ascent of Money, Niall Fergusonseeks to explain the financial history of theworld, exploring how our complex systemof global finance evolved, how money hasshaped the course of human affairs andhow the mechanics of this economicsystem work to create seemingly unlimitedwealth or catastrophic loss. Viewers learneconomic fundamentals and anunderstanding how the Chinese economyhas risen to dominate the world.Item no.Format: NH06581601: DVD (Color, ClosedCaptioned): 240 minutesDurationCopyright : 2009Price : USD 70.00FRONTLINE: BREAKINGTHE BANKThe bets were huge and risky, billions ofdollars on the housing market.Superbanks reaped billions of dollars, andgobbled up competitors. Then the bottomdropped out, massive losses on WallStreet nearly broke the banks and manyare on the brink of failure. As the federalgovernment contemplates what couldbecome a massive nationalization of theindustry, watch as FRONTLINE tells theinside story.Item no.Format: MZ06581672: DVD (Color, ClosedCaptioned)________________________________________________________________________________________________________Email: inquiry@learningemall.comLearning Rendezvous LimitedWebsites: http://www.learningemall.com & http://www.learningemall.com.hk12