Ulla’s Amazing Wee Blog

December 31, 2004

last year -new year

Filed under: General — Ulla @ 4:26 pm

This blog has been updated, resulting in a whole load of error messages, and links partly not working. Though it has now a nice wysiwyg editor.

The nobordercamps are dead now, via Radio Z and political magazines it got announced that the organisers closed down their mobilisation and organising structure and distributed the rest of the funds. Reason was apparantly not the repression at the last noborder camp in Cologne, but also the lack of the movement to work together, resulting in a split of the noborder camp in an antirepression camp, a gender camp, a refugee solidarity camp, but also another reason given is the lack of response to the mainstream politics via the noborder camps.

Am still a bit shaken with this whole LARC and Dissent! thing. As far as I can see, there is a situation worse than Dublin here, so we should state that openly and close down the local organisation and international mobilisation about the G8 summit, and realise that we just can’t do it under these conditions.

December 28, 2004

Review of SPITZEL – a book about undercover police agents

Filed under: Reviews — Ulla @ 11:58 am

I have nearly finished the book Spitzel, which is a German book published by Assoziation A and researches police informants, snitches, narks, police spies, stoolies, and similar.
It is a very good book, particularly suitable for the London and British left revolutionary movements, which have the habit of accusing anybody they don’t like or who disagrees with their politics of being a police informer, without any evidence, any proof, and without any intrest of providing or discussing the accusations, just for ruining somebody’s elses reputation and to get critical people out of their way. In this book, there is a wide collection of most famous cases of informers, starting with Judas and Christ, the accusations in Karl Marx\’s paper versus Michail Bakunin of being a spying Russian police agent, of state agents and informers in the GDR, of the FBI’s COINTEL program against the Black Panther Party by killing Fred Hampton and George Jackson, Leo Trotzki’s writings and experiences to escape police surveillance, snitches in literature, such as Rosenkranz and Güldenstern in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The book is also interesting to introduce to different types of informants: undercover policemen, activists who are/were put under pressure and offered bribes if they pass on information, pollsters who overhear conversations e.g. in meeting places, particularly pubs, cafes and restaurants, police informants in prison, agent provocateurs, observers, and historical examples. However, there is very little on private agents spying for multinational firms, as e.g. it was revealed in the courtcase against the two protesters against McDonalds middle of the 90ies, that McDonalds employed quite some undercover agents to find out the motives and future behaviour of the group. Also, apart from the historical examples and some european overlap, there is very little about informers in other countries (except maybe the FBI\’s program on the Black Panther Party).

In these book, additionally to the more extensive articles, examples are given about recent examples of mainly undercover police agents in the left scene in Germany and their field of work. Such as one woman, nice, friendly, helpfull, very well liked and reliable, and leading in anti-nuclear activities as well as the anti-EXPO protests in 2000 (which failed miserably), living in a political flatshare, and participating in germanwide antifascist gatherings. She revealed herself to a friend after her boss moved her to a different city and different tasks.
Another police agent revealed himself and another in July 1992 after his political girlfriend got pregnant and after the demomstrations to the World Economic Forum in Munich finished. They seemed to be particularly interested in anti-repression work and participated also in the Nicaragua solidarity group.

The most famous recent case is “Manfred Schlickenrieder” alias “Camus” (pictured). A famous case, because of being transnational; he was discovered by a group in Switzerland “Kein Friede” , worked also for the British agency of ex-secret service men “Hakluyt” for Shell spying against Greenpeace, and organised translations of italian magazines, as well as distributing and making lefty films, such as a documentary film about human right violations and oil in Nigeria in 1996. The Nigerian human right activist Ken Saro was executed by the Nigerian government in 1995. There was a report about the agent in the “Sunday Times”. Anyway, because of making films, he had nearly every activists face on tape, and he was active from 1976-2000, the documentary film archive was named “Gruppe 2″ by this getting also lots of home adresses and access to nearly everything without having to reveal his own political position. He even made a film about the strike of the dockers in Britain. It is stated in the book, that Manfred Schlickenrieder alias Camus is the best documented undercover police informant and agent in the left scene in Germany.

However, it is astonishing and disappointing, that “Klaus Steinmetz” is missing as an example of a longterm (since 1982) police informer accepted by the political scene. He was discovered after the arrest of 1 and the murder of another underground Red Army Fraction member in Bad Kleinen in 1993. [Source 1 , Source 2 ]

So, in total, the book is very entertaining and gives a lot of revealing facts and examples , previously unknown or not yet paid attention to. The given URL’s should not have been included in the book, as most of these are unfortunately not working anymore. The style is quite dry, theoretical, educational and informative, as usual for the German left scene, but it is still worth reading as most chapters are short and precise, so to keep reading easy and straightforward. The book unfortunately does not give an easy recipe on how to protect against or to discover undercover police agents, and a word of warning is included in this book:

CAUTION: Reading this book can make you paranoid. Please do not read alone; talk and consult your mates when necessary.

In one review it is critisised, that the article about the STASI agent has just been copied unchanged out of a museum like documentary centre about the GDR, which has been set up and maintained most likely by the German state, however, personally I find it interesting to see how different undercover state agents for surveillance did their job, some enthusiastically, greedy and personally motivated, some writing rarely any report and if then with more “everybody in the office was totally pissed off for having to work overtime at the weekend” kind of style.

One particular faszinating example of being a police informant is Adolf Hitler. I did not know that so far, but I always wondered how a former soldier in times of great unemployment becomes a dictator, being voted to power by the public. Anyways, in this book it is explained, that when the Bavarian Council Government was declared by the communists in 1919 and the government by the socialists has been moving north. The president of the government Kurt Eisner is killed. And Hitler is worried of being thrown out of the army, as he hasn’t learned any job or skills, so he tries to stay on by becoming a military agent in the role of undercover informant, infiltrating political meetings to prevent another take-over of the government by any other political group. As the police informer also got the task to politically agitate in the meetings, they went on political training courses. Hitler’s boss Karl Mayr, will later have to flee to France in 1933 and be caught by the German army again in 1940 and killed in the concentration camp KZ Buchenwald in 1945.
And the political education course, which took place from 5th-12th of June 1919 at the University in Munich for the police agents, offered lectures and seminars on the “political history of war” , “socialism in theory and practise”, “the connection between foreign and domestic politics”, “our economical situation and the conditions for peace”.
One particular talk will be one of the sources for Hitler’s antisemitism. The antisemitism has been used by Hitler’s boss as a tool against revolutionary propaganda. So he also uses antisemitic pamphlets for the education of his agents, the writer(s) of these pamphlets often later hold leading posts in the NSDAP. The course also encourages the participants to hold talks and to argue about the presentations given.
And Hitler got the job to infiltrate the DAP, which he later transforms in the NSDAP.

Another example is the snitch Ernst Rambow, who passed on details of the Communist Party of Germany and the Socialist Party of Germany, when they were illegal during World War II, and members of both parties met up on 22nd of june 1944 to bring down and destroy the nazi regime. They were all executed before the second meeting. Through Ernst Rambow alone over 280 resistance fighters in Hambourg, Berlin, Landsberg and Hannover were arrested and imprisoned. More than 90 antifascists have been executed.

The article about the FBI’s counter intelligence program named “COINTELPRO” is particularly interesting to look at some of the methods used. It was a secret program to eliminate the Black Panther Party. They tried to divide and build fractions to stop confederations between groups. 2 maoist organisations were found by the FBI to divide unions and other left wing organisations. Death threats and burglary was used, runmour spread to dennounce certain people as bi- or homosexual, or to suggest they would have embezzled money, letters were sent telling members of the BPP that other members would be police agents, a fake informer report was placed in someone’s cars, people arrested but one released at once to suggest he would testify extensively, and the FBI had a police informer in the BPP, who tried to persuade the Panthers to become more militant and who gave vital information to kill Fred Hampton, for whom he was acting as security.

As an informative film, it is recommended to watch “Le Cousin” by Alain Corneau.
For books focussing on political detective stories, following titles seem to be recommended for reading to have an entertaining insight into the psychological and historical set-up for police agents.

  • “Das Fahrrad von Leonardo Da Vinci” by Paco Ignacio Taibo II.
  • “La position du tireur couche” by Jean-Patrick Manchette .
  • “Le secret des Andrones” by Pierre Magnan,
  • “La theorie du 1%” by Frederic H. Fajardie.
  • “Les lendemains enchanteurs” by Frederic H. Fajardie.
  • “Le fils du vent” by Jean-Paul Demure.
  • “Die Augen des Moerders” by Antonio Munoz Molina.
  • “Bastille Tango” by Jean-Francois Vilar.
  • “Djemila” by Jean-Francois Vilar.
  • “Sombre Sentier” by Dominique Manotti.
  • “La maniere douce” by Frederic H. Fajardie.

December 26, 2004

New rumour: LARC to expell refugee(s)?

Filed under: General — Ulla @ 3:37 pm

Have been in London last Thursday, and heard that the newest rumour is, that manipulation, mobbing and backstabbing is now extended against the refugee(s), previously meeting in LARC, the London Action Resource Centre, as The Refugee Forum The Voice.
This really needs to stop, somebody – but who? – should put a stop to these expulsion based on exagerated prejudices and manipulations, backstabbing and rumours and agreements rising before the meetings. It is disgusting.

I have decided to translate the magazine: “Power Writers – Discovering and Celebrating Five African Writers who came to London in the Eighteenth Century” into German, and asked a friendly local left newspaper to publish the articles, which they seem happy to do. The magazine, originally published by the Tower Hamlets African Caribbean Mental Health Organisation, is mainly about the beginning of resistance to slavery, and about five writers, previously slaves, who wrote about their lives.
It has been edited, printed and published by one of my friends, who got expelled from LARC in an unfair, manipulative, backstabbing meeting and in a way of pre-arranged results.
On X-mas, I got a vegetarian cookery book and some pottery for oven dishes, and also am allowed to longterm borrow the “Foreign Film Guide”, edition 1992, so to extend my research on films suitable for screenings.

There are several film festivals coming up as advertised on Indymedia UK. There is at the moment an Indian Film Festival at Ramparts. Much more interesting look The Frontline Screenings, with lots of activist films not seen before but sounding interesting.

December 22, 2004

ESF 2004 – WOMBLES statement out

Filed under: General — Ulla @ 3:32 pm

The WOMBLES have now published their “Reflections & analysis: the WOMBLES, the ESF & beyond” on their website and on Indymedia UK.

http://www.wombles.org.uk/auto/reflections.php

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/303051.html

I have still not finished my write-up of the ESF, will post it here when ready and summarised.

Personally, i find the declaration disappointing. It does not answer the questions I have now, concerning the ESF and to the anti-capitalist and “anti-authoritarian” groups in London.

Most declarations just seem to state the obvious, but hardly anything new, relevant or “revolutionary” compared to the mainstream or even compared to the dominating thoughts and philosophies within the social movements.

Anyway, am still disillusioned and am just wondering if it is, and was, all worth it!

December 20, 2004

Subversive films and Cinema 16

Filed under: General — Ulla @ 11:39 pm

Have been away for the weekend. It was brilliant getting away from politics and to have a bit of a family weekend. My partners family is incredibly nice and friendly and very warm. We also went out of our way to adapt and get some Christmas presents.

Looking around, in the shops “Outfoxed” is sold as a mainstream film and video, which is astonishing me, because documentaries rarely make their way into the mainstream, and though “Outfoxed” is a good political documentary, it is also very dry, lots of talking heads and interviews, and not much action at all.

To my total astonishment “The Battle of Algiers” is sold even cheaper than “Amelie”, and “The Bee Hive” is also up for grap, as well as some other old revolutionary, communist subversive films (as defined in Amos Vogel: “Film as subversive Art” book – except Amelie, of course).

Will try to list the films in the body of text tomorrow as recommended by him in the book, and then will try to organise public screenings of these.
Also have watched in the meantime biographic films about “Che”, “Michael Collins” and “Gerard Winstanley” as well as “Young Adam”, based on a novel by a Scottish situationist. Over the weekend we watched a rather disappointing documentary about the Poll Tax, disappointing, because there was hardly any riot in there, but mostly politicians who seemed to diminish the people’s resistance by focussing on then made political mistakes, out of the perspective of 25 years later though.

Subversive films, international left and communist cinema:

as described in “Amos Vogel: Film as subversive Art”, first edition 1974, London. Today limited availability, on amazon cheapest priced as 76,95 english pounds! Luckily enough I got it in Germany for only 5 Euros.
But anyway, for left purposes, only one chapter is interesting anyway, the one about political cinema, rest is stuff like various forms of sex, birth, death, use of language, time and space, surrealism, DADA, expressionism, truth and illusion,….

FILM AS SUBVERSIVE ART

International left and revolutionary cinema

a) western cinema
b) third world cinema
c) eastern europe
d) GDR

a) western cinema
1. Das Unheil
Peter Fleischmann, BRD, 1972

2. Black Panthers
Agnès Varda, USA, 1969

3. The Cry of Jazz
Edward Bland, USA, 1959

4. Deadline for Action
Union Films, USA, 1948

5. Delaware
Newsreel film collective, USA, 1968/69

6. An Evil Hour
Peter Wolff, USA, 1970

7. The Battle of Algiers
Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy, 1965

8. Stadtführer für Bonn und Umgebung
Manfred Vosz, BRD, 1969

9. Hail
Fred Levinson, USA, 1971

10. Der Hamburger Aufstand
Rainer Etz, Gisela Tuchtenhagen, Klaus Wildenhahn BRD, 1972

11. Hog Calling Blues
Neal Pace, USA, 1969

12. The Murder of Fred Hampton
Mike Gray, USA, 1971

13. The Great Society
Fred Mogubgub, USA, 1967

14. Las Hurdes
Luis Buñuel, Spain, 1932

15. Ice
Robert Kramer, USA, 1970

16. I’m a Man
Peter Rosen, USA, 1969

17. I’m going to give you all my love
Jerrold Peil, USA, 1971

18. O Dreamland
Lindsay Anderson, England, 1953

19. Mickey Mouse in Vietnam
Lee Savage, USA, 1968

20. Palestine
Nick Macdonald, USA 1971

21. Le Peuple et ses Fusils (Das Volk und seine Gewehre)
Joris Ivens and film collective, France, 1967

22. Pravda
Jean-Luc Godard and Dsiga-Wertow-group, France, 1969

23. Punishment Park
Peter Watkins, England, 1971

24. The Revolutionary was a cop
Marc Weiss, USA, 1971

25. Robert Walle, Ex-FBI-Agent
Michael Anderson, Paul Jacobs, Saul Landau, Bill Yahrans, USA, 1972

26. Pioniere in Ingolstadt
Rainer Werner Fassbinder, BRD, 1971

27. The Spanish Earth
Joris Ivens, USA, 1937

28. British Sounds
Jean-Luc Godard and Dsiga-Wertow-Group, France/England, 1969

29. Wholly Communion
Peter Whitehead, England, 1965

30. Yippie
Yippie Film Collective, USA, 1968

31. 12-12-46
Bernard Stone, USA, 1966

32. San Michele aveva un Gallo (San Michele hat einen Hahn)
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Italy, 1971

33. Der plötzliche Reichtum der armen Leute von Kombach
Volker Schlöndorff, BRD, 1971

34. The Woman´s Film
Judy Smith, Louise Alaimo, Ellen Sorrin (San Fransisco Newsreel Film Collective), USA, 1971

35. Sunday
Dan Drasin, USA, 1961

36. Susan After the Sugar Harvest
Peter Robinson, USA, 1971,

37. Three Lives
Kate Millett, USA, 1971

38. Troublemakers
Robert Machover, Norman Fruchter, USA, 1966

39. Lovejoy’s Nuclear War
Dan Keller, USA, 1976,

40. The California Reich
Walter Parkes, Keith Critchlow, USA 1976

41. More Nuclear Stations
Per Mannstadt, Denmark, 1976,

42. The Battle of Chile,
Patricio Guzmán, Chile (exile), 1977

43. Zéro de conduite (Betragen ungenügend)
Jean Vigo, France, 1933,

44. Modern Times,
Charlie Chaplin, USA, 1936,

45. Misère au Borinage
Joris Ivens, Henri Storck, Belgium, 1933,

46. Los Olvidados (Die Vergessenen)
Luis Buñuel, Mexico, 1950,

47. Roma, Città aperta (Rom, offene Stadt)
Roberto Rosselini, Italy, 1945,

48. Ladri di Bicicletta (Fahrraddiebe)
Vittorio de Sica, Italy, 1948,

49. Le Mani sulla Città (Hände über der Stadt)
Francesco Rosi, Italy, 1963,

50. Le Chagrin et la Pitié (Das Haus nebenan)
Marcel Ophüls, France, Switzerland, 1971,

51. It happened here
Kevin Brownlow, Andrew Mollo, Great Britain, 1964,

52. Mr Freedom
William Klein, France, 1970

53. La Chinoise (Die Chinesin)
Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1967,

54. Loin du Vietnam (Fern von Vietnam)
Godard, Lelouch, Resnais, France, 1967,

55. Winter Soldier Winter Film Collective, USA, 1972,

56. The Brig
Jonas Mekas, USA, 1964,

57. L’Idée (Der Einfall)
Berthold Bartosch, France, 1934

58. Red Squad
Howard Blatt, Steve Fishler, USA, 1972,

59. À propos de Nice (Apropos Nizza)
Jean Vigo, France, 1930,

b) third world cinema

1. O Alienista (Das Irrenhaus)
Nelson Pereira Dos Santos, Brasil, 1970

2. Antonio das Mortes
Glauber Rocha, Brasil, 1969

3. Yawar Mallku (Das Blut des Kondors)
Jorge Sanjines, Bolivia, 1969

4. Acerca de un Personaje que unos llaman San Lázaro y otros llaman Babalu (In Sachen einer gewissen Person, von den einen Lazarus, von den anderen Babalu genannt)
Octavio Cortázar, Cuba, 1968

5. Desnutrición infantil (Unterernährung bei Kindern)
Alvaro Ramírez, Chile, 1969

6. Culebra
Diego de la Texera, Puerto Rico, 1971

7. Emitai (Gott des Donners)
Ousmane Sembene, Senegal, 1972

8. La Primera Carga al Machete (Die erste Schlacht mit der Machete)
Manuel Octavio Gómez, Cuba, 1969

9. Os Herdeiros (Die Erben der Macht)
Carlos Diegues, Brasil, 1968/69

10. La Formula secreta (Die Geheimformel)
Ruben Gómez, Mexico, 1966

11. 79 Primaveras (79 Frühlinge)
Santiago Alvárez, Cuba, 1969

12. La Hora de los Hornos (Die Stunde der Hochöfen)
Fernando Solanas, Argentina, 1969

13. Tiempo de Violencia (Zeit der Gewalt)
Anonym, Argentina, 1970

14, Os Deuses e os Mortos (Die Götter und die Toten)
Ruy Guerra, Brasil, 1970

15. Macunaima
Pedro de Andrade, Brasil, 1969

16. Mandabi
Ousmane Sembene, Senegal, 1968

17. Prato Palomares
André Faria, Brasil, 1970

18. Qué haçer? (Was tun?)
Saul Landau, James Becket, Raul Ruiz, Nina Serrano, Chile/USA, 1970

19. Reed: Mexico Insurgente (Mexico in Aufruhr)
Paul Leduc, Mexico, 1971

20. La Muerte de un Burocrata (Der Tod eines Bürokraten)
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1966

21. Now
Santiago Alvárez, Cuba, 1965

22. A report on torture
Saul Landau, Haskell Wexler, Brazil, 1971

23. LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson)
Santiago Alvárez, Cuba, 1968

24. Memorias del Subdesarrollo (Erinnerungen an die Unterentwicklung)
Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968

25. L’Aube des Damnés (Die Morgendämmerung der Verdammten)
Ahmed Rachedi, Algeria, 1970

c)Eastern European

1.) Ljubavni slucajili tragedija sluzbenice PTT (Ein Liebesfall)
Dusan Makavejev, Yugoslavia, 1967

2. Magany (Allein)
Vince Lakatos, Hungary, 1969

3. Wuearod Ludzi (Unter Menschen)
Wladyslaw Slesicki, Poland, 1962

4. A pátý jezdec je strach (Der fünfte Reiter ist die Angst)
Zbynek Brynych, Czechoslovakia

5. Byt (Die Wohnung)
Jan Svankmajer, Czechoslovakia, 1968,

6. Vtáckovia, siroty a blázni (Vögel, Waisen und Narren)
Juraj Jakubisko, France, 1969

7. Sedmikrásky (Tausendschoenchen-kein Maerchen/Kleine Margeriten)
Vera Chytilová, Czechoslovakia, 1966,

8. Fotel (Der Sitz)
Daniel Szechura, Poland, 1963,

9. Rani Radovi (Frühe Werke)
Zelimir Zilnik, Yugoslavia, 1969

10. Hori, má panenko (Anuschka – es brennt, mein Schatz/ Der Feuerwehrball)
Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia, 1967,

11. Muha (Die Fliege)
Aleksandar Marks, Vladimir Jutrisa, Yugoslavia, 1967

12. Rysopis (Besondere Kennzeichen: keine)
Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland, 1964,

13. Zbehovia a pútníci (Deserteure und Nomaden)
Juraj Jakubisko, Czechoslovakia, 1968,

14. Dom (Das Haus)
Walerian Borowczyk, Jan Lenica, Poland, 1958,

15. Maszyna (Die Maschine)
Daniel Szczechura, Poland, 1963,

16. Nejvetsi prání (Mein innigster Wunsch)
Jan Spata, Czechoslovakia, 1965,

17. Per aspera ad astra (Durch die Nacht zum Licht)
Nedelko Dragic, Yugoslavia, 1969,

18. Strahov (Demonstrationen)
Anonym, Czechoslovakia, 1967,

19. Labirynt (Labyrinth)
Jan Lenica, Poland, 1962,

20. Don Kihote (Don Quijote)
Vlado Kristl, Yugoslavia, 1961,

21. Nije ptica sve sto leti (Der Mensch ist kein Vogel)
Borislav Sajtinac, Yugoslavia, 1970,

22. Lipanjska gibanja (Streiks der Studenten)
Zelimir Zilnik, Yugoslavia, 1968,

23. Jan Palach
Anonymous, Czechoslovakia, 1969,

24. La Tecnica e il Rito (Die Technik und der Ritus)
Miklós Jancsó, Italy, 1971,

25. Bez naslova (ohne Titel)
Borivoj Dovnikovic, Yugoslavia, 1965,

26. Zid (Die Mauer)
Ante Zaninovic, Yugoslavia, 1966,

27. Kazdý den odvahu (Mut fuer den Alltag)
Ewald Schorm, Czechoslovakia, 1964,

28. Andrej Rubljow (Andrej Rublev)
Andrej Tarkowskij, UdSSR, 1962 – 67,

29. O slavnosti a hostech (Vom Fest und den Gaesten)
Jan Nemec, Czechoslovakia, 1966,

30. Boudení (Irrwege)
Jan Curik, Antonín Mása, Czechoslovakia, 1966,

31. WR- Misterije organizma (WR – Die Mysterien des Organismus)
Dusan Makavejev, Yugoslavia, 1971,

32. Szegénylegények (Die Hoffnungslosen)
Miklos Jancso, Hungary, 1965,

33. Dwaj ludzie z szafa (Zwei Mann und ein Schrank)
Roman Polanski, Poland, 1958

34. Teni zabytech predkov (Feuerpferde)
Sergej Paradschanow, UdSSR, 1965,

35. Warzawa 1956 (Warschau 1965)
Jerzy Bossak, Waclaw Kazimierczak, Poland, 1956,

36. Zezowate szczescie (Das schielende Glueck)
Andrzej Munk, Poland, 1960,

37. Josef Killian,
Pavel Juracek, Jan Schmidt, Czechoslovakia, 1963

38. Kristove roky (Die Christus Jahre)
Juraj Jakubisko, Czechoslovakia, 1967

39. Die Tage gehen vorueber
Nedelko Dragic, Yugoslavia, 1969,

40. Uloga moje porodice u svetskoj revolucii (Die Rolle meiner Familie in der Weltrevolution)
Bata Cengic, Yugoslavia, 1971,

41. Walkover
Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland, 1965,

42. Alles ist eine Zahl
Stefan Schabeneck, Poland, 1960

43. Die Hand
Jiri Trnka, Czechoslovakia, 1966

44. Niewinni czarodzieje (Die unschuldigen Zauberer)
Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1960,

d) GDR

1. Urlaub auf Sylt
Annelie und Andrew Thorndike, GDR, 1959

2. O.K.
Walter Heynowski, GDR, 1964

3. Der lachende Mann
Walter Heynowski, GDR, 1967

4. Piloten in Pyjama
Walter Heynowski, Gerhard Scheumann, GDR, 1968

5. Feine Speilwaren – made in USA
Günter Rätz, GDR, 1969

6.Aktion J.
Walter Heynowski, GDR, 1961

anyway, will continue tomorrow and in the following days, as too tired and there are still a lot of pages to go as well as the content to translate.

Now, later on, the good thing about the english edition is, that there is no need for translation into english. But the price! Will try to find it in a library, as especially when it comes to films of the global south, the Czechoslowakia and other foreign language films, it would be good to get the exact english title.

Also have found on Amazon another book about “cinema 16″:
Anyway here is the review:
As the most successful and influential film society in American history, Cinema 16 was a crucial organization for the creation of a public space for the full range of cinema achievement in the years following World War II. A precursor of the New York Film Festival, Cinema 16 screenings became a gathering place for New Yorkers interested not only in cinema, but in the use of media in the development of a more complete, effective democracy. For 17 years, many of the leading intellectuals and artists of the time came together as part of a membership society of thousands to experience the creative programming of Cinema 16 director, Amos Vogel. What audiences saw at Cinema 16 changed their lives and had an enduring impact not only on the New York City cultural scene, but nationwide. Vogel\’s distribution of landmark documentary and avant-garde films helped make a place for many films that could never have had commercial release, given the pressures of commercialism and censorship during the postwar era. Vogel’s commitment to the broadest range of cinema practice led him to develop a programming strategy, inherited from the European cine-club movement, that involved confronting audiences with such a wide range of cinematic forms that viewers left the theatre considering not only the often remarkable films Vogel showed, but the place of cinema itself in modern life. “Cinema 16: Documents Towards a History of the Film Society” is the first book on Cinema 16. Scott MacDonald provides a sense of the life and work of the society, using the complete Cinema 16 programme announcements; selected letters between Vogel and the filmmakers whose films he showed; selections from the programme notes that accompanied Cinema 16 screenings, including theoretical essays by Vogel on curating independent cinema; conversations between MacDonald and Cinema 16 members; photographs and stills; and a variety of other documents.

December 17, 2004

Something positive about my community

Filed under: General — @ 1:46 pm

[ from the dept. ]

Today I got a letter from our community activist group. Very happy to see that next year, a lot of courses and groups will be offered; such as "campaigning skills" and "Social Research" and even an "anti-G8 summit" course. The campainging skills will be of practical use, such as getting the activists of tenants groups to paint banners, make leaflets, videos and similar.
I am extremely happy about the "anti-G8 summit" course, it is going to be independent of either Dissent! nor G8 Alternatives nor any other group.
At the moments I am sick of both mobilisation groups, maybe it is the time of year, to be apathetic, grumpy and pissed off with everything.

It is horribly dark here, sun seems to rise at 9am and sink between 3 and 4 pm, apart from that, there is no snow here, unlike in Germany, when it gets winter the snow starts falling, softening and lightening up the darkness and coldness of the pre-Christmas times. Here, a lot of people start to have coloured lights outside their houses, I don’t like it, it looks too commerical and artificial. Though they probably just want to make the environment look more happy and bright.

December 16, 2004

Blog statistics

Filed under: General — @ 2:29 pm

[ from the dept. ]

Today I saw for the first time the blog statistic for this blog. It gets about 10 – 15000 hits a month, not that good compared with Indymedia, but probably excellent for subjective
musings. What is even more astonishing is, that it has a readership from all over the world – the numbers per hour are usually about the same 24 hours a day, that means it is not only
limited to Europe, but also North America and all over the world. The main referals are from protest.net of course; but also from bloglines, which I should have a look how that is coming about. I might put some excerpts of the stats in the body of the text.

On a different note, Gustavo and his companion have arrived in Edinburgh now. Today will be the first meeting to discuss some of the murals we want to paint. Gustavo is a Zapatista mural painter. We are all very excited about having him here, but language is limited to Spanish, so that poses some problems.

I have finished the excellent book about the famous squat in Hambourg hafenstrasse, and it was excellent. And the pensioner got more and more into the alternative scene, participated at meetings and in collective cooking, and in the end even squatted a hospital with them.
Quite funny to read, though he never really writes about politics or anticapitalism, but he seems to love the tolerance and acceptance of the people towards each other.

Also I started researching my films again, now have watched "Belleville Rendez-Vous", and "Dr.Strangelove or: How i learned stop worrying and love the atomic bomb". This film is pretty famous in Germany for being played open-air at anti-nuke demonstrations or in the parks at night in summer.
I managed to watch "La Haine" finally, one of the best films ever seen. It is a film about 3 youth in a suburb in France during days of riot, fighting neonazis, getting arrested and beaten up by undercover cops, getting treated like shit and criminals and then them behaving as such. This film is great. I should have watched in several years ago, when it just came out.

Good news: our server is saved for some more months. We were running so much out of money, that we had expected it to be cut off every day from now, as we weren’t able to pay the bill. Saved just in time. Puh!

Web server statistics:

month: reqs: pages:

——–: —–: —–:

Aug 2003: 746: 35:

Sep 2003: 525: 101:

Nov 2003: 2181: 196:

Jan 2004: 4517: 169:

Feb 2004: 2923: 157:

Mar 2004: 3747: 187:

Apr 2004: 8001: 652:

Jun 2004: 8414: 531:

Jul 2004: 6462: 396:

Aug 2004: 9705: 398:

Sep 2004: 11761: 529:

Oct 2004: 14086: 904:

Nov 2004: 13762: 875:

I have absolutely no clue what happened in July, that it went down again. Probably everybody was on holidays.

——-

Daily Summary:

day: reqs: pages:

—: —–: —–:

Sun: 15041: 1021:

Mon: 15643: 1035:

Tue: 16569: 1016:

Wed: 15551: 902:

Thu: 15609: 869:

Fri: 15708: 1007:

Sat: 13122: 843:

______________

Hourly Summary

hour: reqs: pages:

—-: —-: —–:

0: 4668: 295:

1: 3961: 235:

2: 4555: 360:

3: 3629: 373:

4: 3395: 255:

5: 3209: 260:

6: 3365: 212:

7: 3047: 215:

8: 3243: 238:

9: 4202: 291:

10: 4408: 262:

11: 4724: 280:

12: 4911: 293:

13: 4848: 235:

14: 4852: 264:

15: 5441: 320:

16: 4954: 277:

17: 4992: 260:

18: 5210: 285:

19: 4811: 260:

20: 5726: 328:

21: 5049: 325:

22: 5192: 298:

23: 4851: 272:

___________________

Domain report (countries)

26214: 38.06%: [unresolved numerical addresses]

33320: 34.75%: .com (Commercial)

24799: 10.42%: .net (Networks)

12433: 9.24%: .uk (United Kingdom)

1558: 1.50%: .ca (Canada)

1487: 0.94%: .edu (USA Higher Education)

793: 0.49%: .de (Germany)

618: 0.44%: .nl (Netherlands)

521: 0.43%: .it (Italy)

590: 0.42%: .be (Belgium)

572: 0.38%: .au (Australia)

267: 0.20%: .at (Austria)
301:
0.20%: .fr (France)
173:
0.15%: .jp (Japan)

235: 0.15%: .se (Sweden)

239: 0.14%: .ie (Ireland)

196: 0.12%: .no (Norway)

178: 0.12%: .org (Non Profit Making Organisations)

208: 0.11%: .sg (Singapore)

169: 0.11%: .pl (Poland)

153: 0.11%: .br (Brazil)

112: 0.09%: .cl (Chile)

127: 0.07%: .gr (Greece)

120: 0.07%: .nz (New Zealand)

145: 0.07%: .fi (Finland)

105: 0.07%: .us (United States)

119: 0.07%: .ch (Switzerland)

83: 0.06%: .dk (Denmark)

67: 0.06%: .hu (Hungary)

72: 0.05%: .ar (Argentina)

37: 0.05%: [domain not given]

37: 0.05%: .il (Israel)

60: 0.05%: .om (Oman)

80: 0.05%: .uy (Uruguay)

32: 0.04%: .biz (Businesses)

44: 0.04%: .hr (Croatia)

68: 0.04%: .mil (USA Military)

72: 0.04%: .pt (Portugal)

66: 0.04%: .es (Spain)

54: 0.04%: .mx (Mexico)

9: 0.04%: .sa (Saudi Arabia)

47: 0.03%: .gov (USA Government)

41: 0.03%: .in (India)

37: 0.03%: .tr (Turkey)

57: 0.03%: .my (Malaysia)

48: 0.02%: .ph (Philippines)

47: 0.02%: .lt (Lithuania)

8: 0.02%: .tw (Taiwan)

25: 0.02%: .za (South Africa)

14: 0.02%: .hk (Hong Kong)

33: 0.01%: .pe (Peru)

23: 0.01%: .sk (Slovakia)

24: 0.01%: .th (Thailand)

14: 0.01%: .do (Dominican Republic)

22: 0.01%: .lv (Latvia)

23: 0.01%: .cz (Czech Republic)

22: 0.01%: .ro (Romania)

14: 0.01%: .mu (Mauritius)

23: 0.01%: .si (Slovenia)

22: 0.01%: .is (Iceland)

16: 0.01%: .mk (Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic))

22: 0.01%: .ee (Estonia)

14: 0.01%: .cy (Cyprus)

11: 0.01%: .eg (Egypt)

11: 0.01%: .bn (Brunei Darussalam)

9: 0.01%: .lb (Lebanon)

11: 0.01%: .mz (Mozambique)

11: 0.01%: .ru (Russia)

11: 0.01%: .arpa (Arpanet)

11: 0.01%: .cx (Christmas Island)

11: 0.01%: .yu (Yugoslavia)

11: : .id (Indonesia)

11: : .ua (Ukraine)

2: : .cr (Costa Rica)

2: : .info (Informational)

1: : .by (Belarus)

1: : .bz (Belize)

What a pity I can’t promote my blog a bit more to the Christmas Islands, Saudi Arabia and Arpanet…what is Arpanet? Aeh is it a country? Where is Arpanet…? Anyway my mate tells me it is the original internet, and it doesn’t really exist anymore. Some kind of weird military pre-internet existance, which seemed to have been limited to 16 computers or something. But it does not seem to be a historical machine – the past trying to get in touch with my blog, because the domain name might still be around and used. And Brunei Darussalam? No clue?
Quick consultation with my neighbour… apparantly its an island which is property of one rich guy who sits on a lot of oil and is friend of the Queen. Not quite sure where it is, but maybe there is a possibility to learn a bit more geography via the Stats.

December 15, 2004

Boring!

Filed under: General — @ 1:25 pm

[ from the dept. ]

Have just finished another book by Kurt Tucholsky, a famous pacifist. One of his most famous quotes: “All soldiers are murders” got an antimilitarist in Germany into court, as the government considered it to be slander. Anyway, the governement lost, but that does not hinder the German government to stop being keen to be involved in wars. But thanks to the constitution, there are a lot of hurdles, so it will take at least a decade till German soldiers are involved in militarist, especially fighting actions around the world (where they clearly should stay at home!)
Anyway Kurt Tucholsky killed himself in 1935, and many of his writings are famous,but neglected, so when the Tucholsky book was bought in October, the bookshop owner told this is the first Tucholsky book in the year 2004 to be sold. And unfortunately it wasn’t a critical book, it was a superficial love novel: “Schloss Gripsholm”, because I asked somebody else to get me a book by Tucholsky, and so unfortunately none of his political texts arrived here in Scotland.
Now I have started with a book about the famous squat in Hambourg Hafenstrasse, written by a pensioner, formerly a school teacher, being curious about the squat and the people living in there.

Apart from that, I am listening to the 2 bands being hot at the moment in the German left, “Karamelo Santo” and “Panteon Rococo”, from Argentina and Mexico, mixing Punk with Ska, Salsa and South American traditional rhythms.
Really undescriptive music, but good fun.

I haven’t been out volunteering for ages, as I should do. My boss is going a bit on my nerves with his constant “we need money” repetition, and the work I expect is boring, too. I am not very interested in some historical celebrations, I want to do something practical and usefull and not only write letters begging for grants to big Banks and Shell and stuff, which makes me wonder if charities are any ethical or moral solution remotely free of the forces of capitalism.
Not that it is that bad, because everybody is nice, and I seriously wonder when the first self-help group “victims of Anarchobabe’s blog” appear, because of me writing mainly when I am pissed off and down and complaining, too rarely writing funny stuff, e.g. when I am in a good mood or drunk.

December 13, 2004

my community

Filed under: General — @ 1:41 pm

[ from the dept. ]

My community is consulting about re-structuring local self-organisation. There are 3 choices: either community councils, neighbourhood groups or no structures. I am unsure which structural option would be the best for the local community, but it seems that, whatever, the momentarily exsisting structures will be abolished; all three models don’t have a local councillor anymore and the "quengo" which distributed money, funds and grants will be apparantly abolished, too.
On the other hand our local community is in various parts, and each part seems to be divided of the other by high fences or walls. The kids go to seperate schools, and the posher parts keep themselves together, as well as do the poorer parts, there is not much interaction.
The local council houses are in debates to be privatised into housing associations, whatever decision, the circumstances for the people renting the spaces will worsen.
And our neighbour seems to be a junkie. We had a bit of a discussion how far this might become a problem in future, but with no result so far.

December 12, 2004

Anticapitalist films

Filed under: General — Ulla @ 7:14 pm

Today. I have watched some of the new films I got at the London Anarchist Bookfair and in Germany. The German video CD- which after some trials and begging finally was played on the DVD player was surprisingly good for a historical film about Anarchosyndicalism. Not too dry, quite informative and with a little bit of fun. I’ll try to make a copy and send it on to Projectile, the anarchist film festival in Newcastle, which will be running in February.
Afterwards I watched the “This is what democracy looks like” video made by Big Noise Tactical and Seattle Indymedia about the Seattle anti-WTO protests in 1999. Naff title, the film has, but good editing, similar to the “Fourth World War”.
Now I am chewing on a video “Outfoxed- Rupert Murdoch’s war on journalism”, produced again by famous Robert Greenwald. Later to be followed by a documentary about Fidel Castro.
have finished now the book on Che Guevera’s travel in South America, but the end was so prophetic, that it could be suspected it has been added much later on…as well as the whole book was as such pretty much unpolitical, and then on the last page, there is the full dosage, in a different style altogether.
So I started with “The Dispossessed” by Ursula LeGuin as recommended by the Edinburgh Anarchist Studies Group.

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