Documentary film festival in town!

Documentary film festival! Yes! Finally I have the chance to actually go and see some great documentaries here at the festival of RIDM. Also I will attend two master classes given by Fernand Melgar and then one with Stan Neumann. That's going to be quite amazing!
By now I'm able to follow a film in French too, as long as it's subtitled in French that is. And since it's an international festival with many languages involved, it often is the case.
So, today I saw an excellent documentary named Water, People and Yellow Cans. It was a frightening experience to see the global problems connected with the theme of water. Sometimes it's just way to much, sometimes it's all gone and sometimes it's a struggle just to get water to drink every day. I really liked the film, and feel that the environmental issues has in documentaries a great medium. If you get the chance, watch this film. It gives a visual, a voice and a face to the water related catastrophes our world are facing, new and old.

Tomorrow I'm watching this one: Une morte insencée. I have high hopes for that one.

Immigrant life

When you go to the bank in Montreal, they don't ask for an identity card - they ask for TWO! It's normal here. - What?? Passport only? No, how will we be sure it's really you? You could have faked it!
So, today I went there with both my passport and my official Canadian resident card (which shows I have an status as permanent resident). The lady looked at it, very suspicious, then she said she had to verify with someone in the bank, which she did. Then she wanted to verify with immigration of Canada that the check they had sent me was REALLY sent by them. Which she did. Then she spoke to a supervisor about it. Then she came back and looked at me really suspicious and asked if I had any immigration documents to show, which I didn't have. Finally she asked - Where do you come from? Sweden, I squeezed out, trembling by now, feeling like a thief who belonged on Guantanamo! - Aha! Sweden!! Why didn't you just say so, here's your money!
Fuck, we Do have a good reputation here. Next time I'm gonna wrap myself in a Swedish flag with a Viking-helmet with the two horns and all, maybe THAT will satisfy these hopelessly crèpes-eating, plu-plu-pluuuu-speaking, overly suspicious Montrealers. My God! Should I sing the anthem too??

Well, sorry, yes, I know, it's ridiculous... but it's just so funny pictures!
Check out more here.

A big gap is imploding!

I woke up with a smile today... Obama, Obama, OBAMA!
He actually, really, f***ing made it to the White House! Man! As a Swede, do I really, fully realize how smashing, crazy, unbelievably unlikely this election was? I mean, in Sweden, we already have a socio-political and left leaning context to place our prime minister in, but in the USA? Yes, they do have a social agenda, of course, but the American Dream are very excluding for the majority. And from my reading, listening and discussing all the official politics of Obama for months now, and to hear his vibrant election speech yesterday night, there is no doubt that this new president will come with a socio, leftist change big time! I'm so happy for the people of the states - and the rest of the world! - that this overwhelming election of Obama could take place. Me and M was glued to the computer and TV yesterday evening, and when Obama finally entered the stage as an elected president, we were both smiling and listening intensely, it felt somewhat surreal. It's true, they did it! The white population finally showed something graceful about themselves here, that despite the history of racism, they now got together with there fellow Americans and actually elected the first black president of USA, which is not any tiny country among the small ones in the world.
I heard a black guy say, that this means crazy much for the young black community, just the small but oh so important words in the USA to a child - "You too can become the president one day!", now the black community can actually say this to their children and feel that it's possible for real. When I heard this, I started to realize what a gap there is that are now starting to implode. It's mind blowing - and for real!

Citizen.org

New link in my list of links.

For all of you who seeks facts, check it out! Very interesting is the facts about the Bush governments secrecy policies and politics around homeland security after September 11.

www.citizen.org

Word of the day:

"I guess Obama was named after Saddam Hussein."

- John A. Mitten, 64, the inventor of the new McCain-Palin rally-chant: “John McCain! Not Hussein!”, talks with reporter about Obama's middle name, at rally in Florida yesterday.