ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT Hiphop vs. War Palestinian resistance picks up the microphone By Nicole Burton, OP Contributor In June 2005, Vancouver hosted the world’s first ever anti-war hip-hop festi- val. Over 40 performers—all Vancouver- based MCs, DJs, breakers, and graffiti artists—brought packed venues from the all-ages Edmonds Community Centre in Burnaby to Sonar Club in Downtown Vancouver, leading crowds into rhyming anti-war choruses, and chanting “US Out of Iraq! Canada Out of Afghanistan!” After five days and more than 1,200 peo- ple attending, the major question being asked was, “Where did all of this come from? Whose idea was this?” local anti- Organizers of the festival war coalition Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)—pointed to common motivations for their actions, “Just look to occupied territories.” Take, for instance, the festival’s driving inspiration: DAM (Da Arab MCs), Arapeyat, No Fear, and ZilZal—the gen- esis, development, and expansion of Palestinian hip-hop, expressing the day- to-day brutality of life for Palestinians under the occupation of Israel. PR, or the Palestinian Rappers, relate this in their lyrics: “I am Palestinian...I live like a prisoner, estranged in my own land dur- ing this time / for your sake Palestine, our screams have been silenced / our words have been denied / our movement has been paralyzed.” Due to strict curfews, roadblocks, and checkpoints, many MCs have never met one another, and most of their material has been assembled and produced over the Internet. Despite physical barriers, Palestinian voices are now reaching audi- ences globally online. Many young peo- ple in North America are learning about the struggle against Israeli occupation through this medium, now dubbed by some as the “CNN of Palestine.” The world is now seeing the rise to a new rap renaissance, where hip-hop and other expressions of culture are escaping national and ethnic boundaries to become a universal voice among youth. People are struggling against the greatest threat to the lives, rights, and securities of the vast majority of the people in the world: war and occupation. Hip-hop is yet only one sign of how resistance can be expressed, and it is growing fast in Palestine, Iraq, Haiti, and perhaps most notably, among the Indigenous youth of reservations and inner city ghettos here in Canada. From Palestinian hip-hoppers to Indigenous rappers in Canada, the music once con- stricted to the ghettos of Black and Latino US communities is a growing sign of dissatisfaction among young people in the world. It’s becoming a sign of soli- darity between oppressed people worldwide. This must be the reason that Hip- Hop seems to be the obvious choice for anti-war organizers in Vancouver as the protest music of the 21st century. | The anti-war organizers who brought | you this year’s hip-hop festival will be coming out again next year for the Hip- hop Festival Against War and Occupation (2006), but before then, MAWO will be bringing similar events to BC campuses this fall, through the Student Week Against War and Occupation (2005). This year will bring events like hip-hop shows, movie festi- vals, forums, and information tables for a total of more than 40 events on campus- es across the province. Students are encouraged to join up with groups already on campuses and get involved. For more information about Palestinian hip-hop, go to wwwslingshothiphop.com. For a full report on the Hip-hop Festival Against War and Occupation, or for more info about upcoming events on campuses for the Student Week Against War and Occupation this fall, go to www.mawovancouver.org. The Constant Gardene Vince Yim, OP Contributor While spending time in Kenya, British diplomat Justin Quayle (played by Ralph Feinnes) kisses his activist wife Tessa (played by Rachel Weisz), not realizing that they'll never see each other again. Days later, reports surface of her grue- some murder with very few clues left behind. While initially fearing that her death may be due to his wife’s infidelity, Justin’s fears are quickly replaced by a newfound paranoia as he realizes what his wife was involved in. As Justin seeks to uncover the truth about his wife’s death, he realizes what she was really doing, uncovering a conspiracy regarding new medical treatments and their testing, But as he retraces his wife’s steps, he starts to realize that some stones are left best unturned. Based on the novel by John Le Carré, The Constant Gardener is a paranoid politi- cal thriller, rife with beautiful looking landscapes and thought-provoking social commentary to make it a thinking per- son’s date movie. Fernando Meirelles, Brazilian director of the Academy award nominated Cidade de Deus (City of God), makes his English-language debut with this film and handles the situations and characters with veteran’s expertise. The film works on several levels, mostly through the strong performances by Ralph Feinnes and Rachel Weisz. Weisz moves further away from the pop- corn fare that she has been known for into something much more cerebral, pos- sibly one of her strongest performances to date. Ralph Feinnes puts in an emo- tional performance that will hopefully make you forget about his lamentable turn in The Avengers. The multilayered plot will ensure that you'll be talking about the film long after you leave the theatre. Well-paced throughout, the film patiently allows the plot to unfold piece by piece. Utilizing a fair amount of flashbacks, we get a good feel for the characters in the process, while building towards a truly satisfying climax. The film is also notable for its lush visuals. In the vast multicoloured landscape, the lens captures the world embodied by impoverished people with- out trivializing their plight. Thankfully eschewing most of the saccharine-tinged rhetoric of World Vision commercials, The Constant Gardener avoids guilting the audience into siding with its viewpoint. Note the operative use of the word “most,” though. While certainly thought provoking in its criticism against corpo- rations valuing profit over life, the social commentary gets a little heavy-handed at times. This becomes most apparent in the film’s introduction when Justin and Tessa first meet, where Tessa delivers a tirade against UK support of the American invasion of Iraq. By picking such an easy target, it runs the risk of derailing the rest of the film. Past that, the film moves smoothly. As films do have the power to influ- ence public opinion, this film does it welll and subtly. In a summer beset by lacklustre releases and mediocre remakes, The Constant Gardener stands out. Definitely worth a look and possibly even warranti- ng several viewings, the film is satisfying and a guaranteed award winner.