Janis Pugh
Short Films
Madres de Plaza de Mayo
Documentary, Mini DV (12 mins)
While on a visit to Argentina in 2005 I witnessed the weekly demonstration by the "Mothers of the Disappeared" in Buenos Aires' main square, the Plaza de Mayo. Between 1977 and 1983, a campaign was waged by the military dictatorship in Argentina against activists, leftist students, and anyone they deemed as a threat and 30,000 people 'disappeared', with no due process, no representation in a court of law, and no justice for their kidnappers. During this time, the families of the disappeared, particularly the mothers, began to organise, slowly at first, as a means of supporting each other. This group of women, which came to be known as the Madres de Plaza de Mayo has fought since then to be reunited with their taken children. The image of their white scarves has come to symbolise their plight.
In the aftermath of the terrible events of 9/11, the film demonstrates the power of today's global media in its ability to create a world community now able to share news almost simultaneously. When a comparable cataclysmic event is announced, we take a whirlwind tour around the world to witness how individuals going about their usual daily lives receive this shocking news and are added to the chorus of outcry, carried at the speed of news as the story sweeps around the globe.
Thy Kingdom Come
35mm (12 mins)
A media mogul uses his corrupt power to blackmail his way onto the world of politics, but he underestimates the public following for a national hero martyred in the process. Dark melodrama in this modern re-working of the tale of Salome.
House
Documentary, 16mm (12 mins)
The film is set in the tight-knit community of Fflint, North Wales, and introduces us to the "Bingo-Girls" of Castle Heights, a group of elderly ladies living in a tower block who have been brought together over the years by common experience and shared hardship. With characteristic humour and some strong opinions they reminisce about their working lives and life in a once thriving town forced into decline by the factory and mine closures of the early 1980s.
Blue Collars & Buttercups
Super 16mm (15 mins)
Tina has a unique view on life and a definite idea on how she wants hers to turn out. Only when she learns to accept the nurture of her family and friends will her confidence match her stature.
If you would like further information please email me at: pughjan@yahoo.co.uk