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Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow

Gaukur lfarsson's documentary Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow (part of Toronto's Hot Docs festival), raises questions about art, politics in censorship as it chronicles the creation of artist Ragnar Kjartansson retrospective in a Moscow museum.

Back in 2021, Kjartansson was given the opportunity to open a massive retrospective at the GES-2 House of Culture in Moscow, a renovated power plant owned by a Russian oligarch.

The retrospective included recreations of episodes of the U.S. soap opera Santa Barbara, which had been a massive hit in Russia.

We've known of each other for a long time and we have a group of friends that are the same group of friends, filmmaker lfarsson told Yahoo Canada about creating a documentary around Kjartansson's work. A very good friend of mine told me about what Ragnar was going to do in Moscow.

I didn't really understand the scope of what he was going to be doing and later, maybe a week later, I spoke to him on the phone. ... Then he started talking to me about [Santa Barbara], and what he was going to be doing in Russia. Even then, after a long conversation on the phone, I didn't really understand, he just told me that he was going to recreate 99 episodes of Santa Barbara.

While it ended up being the basis of his film, lfarsson had an interesting initial response to this retrospective.

My first reaction was, this is completely ridiculous, lfarsson said. But this is also completely brilliant.

I didn't understand the politics about it firsthand. He kind of gave me many of the layers and I asked him if we could come and do a documentary on this. He was very willing to let us do it.

Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow

Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow shows individuals, and Kjartansson himself, questioning the ethics around showing this work in a Russian museum. Even equating the move to people going to consume art in museums funded by the Sackler family.

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My parents were also socialists so I completely identify with being passionate about Russia, lfarsson said. As a young man reading a lot of Russian literature, I always wanted to go and going there, I was completely amazed by how amazing Moscow is, and the people there are also beautiful people.

He really wanted to go there. This was a part of him as an artist. The music and the literature from Russia is, I think there's no country that compares. So that's part of it I really understand.

But lfarsson identifies that the "heartbreaking" thing is how beautiful the city was, but had so much political turmoil.

When I started with this, I had a hunch that because of where he was going, things could happen, lfarsson said. After the invasion, obviously just completely took a U-turn, in a sense.

Kjartansson quickly had to face the reality that Putin's power will impact his art, including a visit from Putin himself. When Putin invaded Ukraine, that's when the reality sets in that Kjartansson art can't exist in what he calls a "full-blown fascist state."

For lfarsson, he hopes that Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow, provides an opportunity for people to think more about the threat of censorship.

I was reading in the Canadian newspapers yesterday about this Canadian poet, [Rupi Kaur who wrote 'Milk and Honey,'] lfarsson recalled. She's been banned [in the] United States. There are so many levels of censorship.

Continue reading here:
'Soviet Barbara, the Story of Ragnar Kjartansson in Moscow': Art, censorship and Russia's war on Ukraine - Yahoo News Canada

On the Freedom to Learn movements National Day of Action, May 3, Candlewick Press will discount the ebook editions of Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrator Yas Imamuras picture book Love in the Library and married pair Frederick Joseph and Porsche Josephs YA collection, Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World.

Love in the Library tells the story of Tokuda-Halls Japanese American grandparents, who met in Idahos Minidoka incarceration camp during World War II. Better Than We Found It offers perspectives on social justice action from more than 20 activists, celebrities, and political thinkers. Readers can download the ebooks for 99 cents apiece on May 3 only.

Both books provide anti-racist and equity-oriented information to young readers, reinforcing the goals of the Freedom to Learn National Day of Action. Freedom to Learn was launched by the African American Policy Forum, whose co-founder and executive director is Columbia Law School professor Kimberl Crenshaw, who coined the terms intersectionality and critical race theory. AAPF and Freedom to Learn aim to gather a coalition to resist book bans and other threats to inclusive education.

In an open letter, Freedom to Learn opposed the attacks being waged on educational curricula in the United States and elsewhere against intersectionality, critical race theory, Black feminism, queer theory, and other frameworks that address structural inequality. In particular, they called out the College Boards watering down of its Advanced Placement African American Studies curriculum.

As AAPF and Freedom to Learn organized for May 3, Tokuda-Hall faced her own curriculum-related challenge related to Love in the Library. In mid-April, she wrote on her blog that Scholastic had invited her to publish Love in the Library as part of a Rising Voices Libraries school materials collection, Amplifying AANHPI, on the condition that she remove a paragraph about racism from her authors note. Tokuda-Hall refused, her blog post went viral, and hundreds of authors signed an online anti-censorship petition to support her. Scholastic soon apologized, and CEO Peter Warwick expressed a sincere hope that we can start this conversation over and still be able to share this important story with the authors note unchanged. (Tokuda-Hall still has not decided whether to accept Scholastics offer.)

After the controversy arose, AAPF reached out to Tokuda-Hall. I was really honored, Tokuda-Hall said. AAPF doesnt mince words about what theyre fighting for and against, something I find both absolutely necessary and deeply refreshing. Theres no call from them to cede ground to those whod demand we rewrite or erase history, no neutrality about the rise of fascism. The organizations firm stance, she said, encompasses why I stood up publicly to Scholastic. Their visiona multiracial democracyis my dearest hope.

Tokuda-Hall informed Candlewick about the impending Day of Action, suggesting it could be a great opportunity to popularize their invaluable work. Candlewick president and publisher Karen Lotz was listening. We have been in close conversation with Maggie for the past several weeks about how best to amplify her message and her powerful indictment of the historic and present reach of racism, especially during Mays AAPI Heritage Month, Lotz said. It made perfect sense to plan the promotion for May 3, and to add Better Than We Found It, another title that encourages us to interrogate the failures of the past and present and to pursue a more equitable future.

Candlewick already works with organizations including the National Coalition Against Censorship, Unite Against Book Bans, and PEN America. In addition to these channels, were always looking for new and creative ways to ensure that readers can access challenged books, Lotz said.

The flurry around Tokuda-Halls afterword also sent Love in the Library back to press. Weve been thrilled to see increased demand for this book, and have expedited a reprint, Lotz said. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our production department, we were able to rush domestic printing and anticipate well have more stock available in just a few weeks. In the meantime, the book is still available from some retailers, and we hope many people will use this opportunity to read the ebook and to preorder the reprint. Although learning isnt entirely free in this case, its a bit more affordable, and the promotion uplifts the Freedom to Learn project.

Continued here:
Turning a Censorship Controversy into a Learning Opportunity - Publishers Weekly

Every year, the American Library Association unveils its list of the top 10 most-challenged books for the previous year. And this year, Number One is the same as last years Number One: the book Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe. Other books that achieved this distinction were Toni Morrisons classic The Bluest Eye, All Boys Arent Blue by George M. Johnson, and other titles dealing with race, gender identity, sexuality and coming of age in other words, real life.

This years list also follows the Associations announcement that demands to censor library books reached 1,269 last year nearly doubling demands from the previous year. Thats a record high in all the years since ALA began compiling data more than 20 years ago. And because censorship demands now often include numerous books, a record-high number of individual titles made the list of targeted books last year: 2,571. The ALA says of those, the vast majority were written by or about people of color or the LGBTQ community.

This is a tragedy for students, and not just students who come from the communities the censors want to silence. Those students lose the sometimes life-saving experience of seeing themselves in a story and knowing they are neither abnormal nor alone. Meanwhile all students grow up knowing less about the world. Censorship stunts their intellectual growth.

Art Spiegelman is the creator of Maus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel that depicts his familys experience of the Holocaust and is frequently targeted by censors. His experience as a target of censors has made him a leading activist against book banning, and he believes the answer to the book-banning craze is to get involved in local politics including school board elections, where the battles over censorship are waged. Spiegelman made it clear in a recent CBS News interview that he recognizes the right of a parent to say their own child can or cant read a book, but to make that decision for other parents kids is suppression and authoritarianism.

Spiegelmans position seems entirely reasonable to me. We can honor the rights of individual parents to make decisions about their kids exposure to books, art and other cultural materials without mandating decisions for everybody else. That seems like rational ground we should all be able to occupy.

But rationality left the room a while ago when it comes to the Far Rights attacks on the freedom to learn. The main group leading the charge on banning books, Moms for Liberty, has become something akin to a terrorist organization. Reports now abound of group members carrying out harassment campaigns in their communities, calling for librarians to be shot and making unfounded public accusations of child abuse and pedophilia against their perceived enemies. The group has also become a significant force in Republican politics. And its growing.

All of which makes it intimidating to think about getting involved in school board politics if you want to fight censorship. And thats exactly the point.

What we need now are not just brave and principled people on school boards, but also bigger, more powerful organizations that are willing to support them. The organization I lead, People For the American Way, has a cadre of school board members in our Young Elected Officials network. We are engaged in outreach to these folks, especially in states that are hotbeds for book banning like Florida and Virginia. Were asking them what they need, including on the security front. We want to empower them to stay in their roles because we need them more than ever to stand up to the onslaught of groups like Moms for Liberty.

If the American Library Associations findings are any indication, this is just the start of a new struggle for the freedom to learn, one that hasnt yet reached its peak. We owe it to the next generation not to stand on the sidelines; please think about how you can help.

Svante Myrick is president of People For the American Way.

Read more:
MYRICK: Time to Fight Back Against Censorship - The Washington Informer

Kohn said in the first week TikTok removed one of the videos for violent and graphic content. He said the video showsHong Kong police teargassing and beating protestors in the streets.

We appealed that decision, noting that this content had been shared on numerous other social media platforms without any problems, Kohn wrote, adding that the video was restored in a few hours.

Then on Tuesday Actons account was abruptly shut down, he said.

No notice was given to us. No warning was given. No explanation was given. But we know why, Kohn tweeted. TikToks paymasters in the Chinese Communist Party dont want people to hear the truth about #Jimmylai and #HongKong.

Kohn tweeted Wednesday night that Actons account was partially restored but noted that two of its videos had been removed for violating community guidelines.

Lai is a 75-year-old media tycoon, Catholic convert, and outspoken pro-democracy activist. He is in prison in Hong Kong for participating in a vigil there marking the 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, as well as for a fraud conviction in December 2022. Lai is scheduled to go on trial in September on additional national security charges and could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

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Shutdown of Jimmy Lai filmmakers TikTok account reversed after censorship outcry - Catholic News Agency

Deniz starts his daily commute by opening the Youtube app to understand whats happening in the country around him. Apart from a brief newsletter that provides the top headlines, the 25-year-old business analyst has taken to getting his news almost exclusively in video form. Its easier to get the full story, Deniz, who preferred to use a pseudonym given the political climate, tells Index on Censorship. The young professional said that following journalists and information creators on YouTube he finds is the only way to get a balanced view.

Print journalism and social media presence has come under close watch after the government issued legislation last October that jails journalists and social media users for spreading disinformation. In the months since, one journalist, Mir Ali Kocer, was detained for his reporting on the February earthquake which struck southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Getting information in video format isnt necessarily a new concept for Turks. In 2021, for example, Cuneyt Ozdemir, a Turkish journalist whose main platform is YouTube, aired interviews with major government officials before other mainstream media sites. But today more and more younger Turks are gravitating towards video-format news. The theory is it can present less bias as creators are separate from traditional news outlets.

Asli, a 23-year-old undergraduate student, said she is an avid Ozdemir watcher, being one of his 1.48M subscribers. She also watches Nevin Meng, an independent journalist who attracts 150 thousand people to her YouTube news hour every day. She hears about topics on TikTok, often featuring shorter video content than YouTube, and then turns to YouTube for a longer, more informative video essay.

Asli and Deniz video news habits are becoming common for young Turkish media consumers, who are growing tired of a media scene which, according to an independent newspaper BirGn, is 90% in line with the government, Popular broadcast CNN Turk and newspaper Hrriyet, for example, are owned by Turkish conglomerate Demirren Holdings, the largest media group, and are known for their pro-government line. The two often avoid government criticism altogether and publish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans speeches in full. In broadcast videos with Erdogan, programmes give the president full rein, avoiding questions altogether and giving him the time slot to just speak.

In this environment its no surprise younger people are turning to alternative sources. According to MOM, or the Media Ownership Monitor Turkey, YouTube is the second most popular social media site in Turkey after Facebook. And according to DataReportal, there are 57.9M active YouTube users.

Damla, who is a recent graduate, told Index that she approaches traditional media with deep suspicion.

Theres no in between, the bachelor of economics student said. The foreign media paints Turkey only in a developing light; the Turkish media says its their [western medias] fault. Damla said that while she reads Turkish media, anything that more directly questions the government, by Turkish speakers, tends to be in video format, something she thinks may be due to it being harder to monitor the video content versus traditional, written news, which can be more easily pruned and filtered.

Video platforms also feel like a safer place of sorts. Following the passage of the disinformation bill, many people, Deniz included, have questioned whether to favourite certain tweets and think twice before sharing on Instagram. While Deniz worries about actively sharing thoughts on platforms attached to his name, he said he felt safer commenting on YouTube where one wasnt pressured to have a profile photo or build an online presence but could just be a viewer.

Where and how Turkish citizens are consuming their news matters as the 2023 presidential elections approach this May, heralded by many as the most important in the world this year.

Voters will head to the polls on 14 May, with Erdogan facing some of the greatest challenges he has seen in years. Polls are predicting a record voter turnout, as Erdogan faces his main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) and presidential nominee for the six-party Nation Alliance bloc.

In an environment of fury over the earthquake, a serious economic crisis and the continued erosion of civil liberties, Kldarolu is popular. He leads Erdogan in some polls. He is using the video platforms too. He has attracted wide viewership to his videos (many of which are on Alevis, a religious minority group, and the drastic price rise of onions). Erdogans AK Party has also taken to YouTube production over the past few months, creating specific videos for over 60 cities, but has significantly lower followership than other channels. The AK Party and Kldarolus CHP both have TikTok accounts, though once again they were struggling to achieve the hits that the non-partisan commentators in Turkey are getting.

None of this makes YouTube or TikTok immune from the government. They could ban access, as they did with Twitter in the earthquake aftermath.

Still, for now YouTube is proving invaluable as the elections approach.

Days before casting my vote, I want access to all the information: governmental and what the government may deem misinformation, Damla said.

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Turkish youth turn to YouTube amid stifling of information - Index on ... - Index on Censorship