Cultures of Resistance

The sprawling slums of Brazil—known as favelas—are often portrayed as lawless havens populated by violent criminals. Armed with only his camera, Andre Cypriano reveals the humanity of those who have made their lives in these unforgiving neighborhoods. This short film follows the photographer into the favelas and shows his faith in the power of his medium.

Peaceful cultural exchange, particularly when intended to cultivate understanding and healing, can help bring together members of a society torn apart by violent conflict. Check out CoR's two short films about festivals designed to heal the wounds of decades of war.

The “military-industrial complex” of the United States spends more on its military and defense than the 46 next highest spending countries combined. Here is our short film that takes a brief look at the current state of military spending both in the U.S. and around the world.

Mainstream media coverage of the war in Afghanistan has overlooked both grassroots efforts for a more peaceful society and many of the coalition forces' misguided tactics. Check out these three short films on some lesser-known developments in the war-torn country.

In one image, the cartoonist can capture the absurdity and corruption of the political landscape. These two shorts films highlight courageous cartoonists who deliver their blistering critiques through a simple, succinct image.

Cultures of Resistance supports WITNESS, a cutting-edge video advocacy group that shares our commitment to making films that effect positive change. Founded by Peter Gabriel in 1992, today they collaborate directly with grassroots organizations around the world and offer a video production toolkit to many other groups looking to harness the power of film.

As one of the most powerful mediums of our time, film has been and continues to be a powerful tool for opposing war, promoting peace with justice, and building international understanding. Cultures of Resistance highly recommends the following films for their powerful narrative and verite treatments of pressing war and peace issues, past and present.