Peace Films - A Teaching Resource List
If war films tell the story of state sanctioned organized killing, peace films recount the efforts of individuals and groups who believe that conflicts can be and have been settled bloodlessly through moral force, truth force, resistance force, education force and spiritual force.
Without much attention from the mainstream press, filmmakers—some well-funded, others rubbing pennies together—have been at work documenting alternatives to violence. Here is a sampling of recent peace films. All are VHS.
--Starting Out Right: Peace in the Preschools. Office of Peace Education, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631. 1-800-638-3522
27 minutes.
--Folktales of Peace (One & Two). Mennonite Central Committee, 27 S. 12th St., Akron PA 17501. 717 59-1151. 22 minutes & 28 minutes.
--Eye to Eye: Integrating Conflict Resolution into the Elementary School Community. Friends School of Minnesota, 3244 34th Avenue South, Minneapolis MN 55406. 612 722-2046. 34 minutes.
--Mahatma Gandhi: Pilgrim of Peace. A&E Television Network. New Video Group, 126 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10011. 50 minutes.
--An Act of Conscience: Standing Up for Your Beliefs Begins at Home. Turning Tide Productions, P.O. Box 864, Wendell MA 01379 1-800-557-6414. 90 minutes.
--A Force More Powerful: A Century of Nonviolent Conflict. (In two parts). Films for the Humanities & Sciences. P.O. Box 2053, Princeton N.J. 08543. 1-8000-257-5126. 90 minutes each.
--The Media and the Image of War. Center for Defense Information, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20005 202 332-0600. 28 minutes.
--Entertaining Angels: the Dorothy Day Story. Dubs Incorporated, 1220 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood CA 90038 213 461-3726. 110 minutes.
--Lines in the Sand: the Persian Gulf War, the media and the military. Griffin-Wirth Associates., 168 Parkway Drive., Syracuse NY 13207. 315 476-3396. 12 minutes.
--Compelled by Conscience: the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund.. The Peace Tax Foundation, 2121 Decatur Place NW, Washington DC 20008. 1-888-PEACE-TAX. 15 minutes.
--With Reservations: A Trip Through Indian Country. Native Arts Circle, 1433 East Franklin Ave., #15, Minneapolis MN 55404. 612 870-7173.
--Waging Peace in Our Schools. Educators for Social Responsibility. 23 Garden St., Cambridge MA 02138. 1-800 379-2515. 26 minutes.
--Making a Difference: Changers in Attitudes and Behavior. By Linda Lantieri. Ecucators for Social Responsibility, 23 Garden St., Cambridge MA 02138. 1-800 379-2515. 26 minutes.
--The Spirits of Peace: a Peace Pilgrim Documentary. Friends of peace Pilgrim, 43480 Cedar Ave., Hemet CA 92544. 909 927-7678.
--Robert Coles, Teacher. First Run Features, 1531 Waverly Place, New York NY 10014 212 243-0600. 57 minutes.
--The Heart Has Its Reasons: the Story of Jean Vanier. Journey Communications, P.O. Box 131, Mt. Vernon VA 22121. 703 780-9100. 57 minutes.
--Stop the Bombs. Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. RadioACTIFfilms, Knoxville TN. 865 687-3231.
--Incite Hope: Amnesty International in Action. Amnesty International USA, 322 8th Avenue, New York NY 10001. 1 800-AMNESTY. 27 minutes.