9/22/11 Anniversary of Martial Law and Filipino American Punk Rock, Unplugged

Digma performing at League of Filipino Students "Ring the Alarm" benefit

On this 39th anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines, hear from the Filipino Community Center’s monthly Talakayan (Discussion).  This month, the FCC put together Remembering Martial Law, Celebrating International Solidarity .  The discussion focuses on the experiences of Filipino organizers and their allies on an exposure trip to the Philippines several weeks ago-allies like Alex Tom from the Chinese Progressive Association, Steve Williams from POWER , and Bounce from the Trust Your Struggle collective. Contributor Marie Choi and R.J. Lozada piece together a montage of reflection.

Video: Trust Your Struggle collective painting a mural, one of their contributions in the exposure trip (Video by Piya Constantino).

Also, tune in to the sonic assault of Filipino America punk band, Digma, in the first live performance on Apex Express in a long, long time.  We’ll listen to their music, and bridge movement building to cultural production.

Community Calendar

• Tomorrow, rub shoulders with San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim as she hosts the opening of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s photo exhibition, The ARTery Project: Photographs of Central Market. Featured photographers include Ian Wang, Vivian Troung, and Monica Roy. The reception on Friday is from 5-7 p.m. with jazz bassist Marcus Shelby playing in the hallway.
• On Saturday, join the progressive community as 518 Valencia Street opens its doors! This center for for popular culture and education is available at low cost to organizations, community members and social movements in the Bay Area, and Apex’s own Ellen Choy is the coordinator. Festivities are from 1-5 p.m. with a brief program honoring the late Eric Quezada at 3 p.m.
• “The Places We Call Home” - on September 29, 7:00 pm a literary event in celebration of the upcoming Filipino American International Book Festival. Authors and poets reading will include: Oscar Bermeo, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Rashaan Alexis Meneses, Veronica Montes, Barbara Jane Reyes, and Benito M. Vergara, Jr. For more information about the October 1 to October 2, 2011 Filipino American International Book Festival visit http://www.filbookfest.info/
• EastSide Arts Alliance, VietUnity, HOBAK, and Anakbayan East Bay present…Final Fridays Films of Resistance and Solidarity will screen Tony Nguyen’s film Enforcing the Silence next Friday, September 30 at 7pm, at Eastside Cultural Center, right there on 2277 International Blvd., Oakland.  To hear more about Tony’s film, check out Karl Jagbandhansingh’s interview with Tony in our archives.
• International League of Peoples’ Struggle 4th International Assembly and International Festival for People’s Rights & Struggles
  Community Report Back
  Saturday, October 8, 6-8 PM
  Doors open at 5:30pm
  518 Valencia St. (& 16th St.), SF
  This space IS wheelchair accessible
  Hear from guest speakers from Bay Area community organizations who traveled to Manila, Philippines to participate in a week of conferences, assemblies and celebrations with the theme:
  Build a bright future! Mobilize the people to resist exploitation and oppression amidst the protracted global depression, state terrorism and wars of aggression!
  $5 – 10 donation accepted.  No one turned away for lack of funds.
  
• In conjunction with Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts’ gallery exhibition of Carlos Villa’s work,  ”Manongs, Some Doors and a Bouquet of Crates,” catch Cinema from the Filipino Diaspora. This screening of three films including Ritual by Carlos Villa, a video slide show from 1980, Super Flip by Celine Parreñas, who will be in attendance, and Serbis, by Brillante Mendoza from the Philippines. The screening is on Sunday, October 2nd at 6 p.m.

3/3/11 Hawaii – A Voice for Sovereignty

This week, as a premium for a pledge of $60, we’re featuring the ground-breaking documentary DVD “Hawaii – A Voice for Sovereignty,” by award-winning director Catherine Bauknight, telling the real story and issues facing Native Hawaiians.

“Hawaii – A Voice for Sovereignty” is a documentary film by photojournalist Catherine Bauknight that explores the culture of the Native Hawaiians and their connection to the land. At the forefront of the film are social, economic, and ecological issues that have developed in Hawaii since the takeover by the U.S. in 1893, revealed in interviews with grassroots indigenous people and scholars such as author, Haunani-Kay Trask.

With Hosts Ellen Choy and Karl Jagbandhansingh.

Produced by Karl Jagbandhansingh.

2/10/11 Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon, Dr. Binayak Sen, and Professor Masao Suzuki

We have an exclusive interview with Yukimi Nagano of Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon! They recently stopped on tour to San Francisco’s venue, the Independent, and had a chance to sit down with Apex Express Producer, Renee Yang Geesler. Special thanks to Mandana Modfidi and Mr. Okay for their technical support, and also special thanks to Ester Manilla and Genevieve Harder for their production support.

We’ll hear sounds from the recent protest in front of the Indian Consulate to free Dr. Binayak Sen, human rights activist. He was arrested in 2007 for protecting the right of Adivasi people, India’s indigenous people. Produced by Vstar with special thanks to Preeti Shekar. For more information on Dr. Sen, visit www.freebinayaksen.org

And, Masao Suzuki, economics professor and long-time activist, talks about his run-in with a FBI agent. On September 24, 2010, several anti-war and international solidarity activists were issued subpoenas to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. He believes that his encounter with the FBI was part of that nationwide sweep. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression will be having an organizing conference at the Humanist Hall, located at 390 27th Street in Oakland.

3/18/10 Asian American theater and film

Tonight we interview members of Asian American Theater Company about their world premiere of “Macho Bravado.” This play is about a Korean American soldier returning home from fighting abroad, in his quest for love, identity, and masculinity.

We also interview Lewis Kawahara, coordinator of the College of San Mateo Ethnic Studies’ Asian Pacific American Film Festival.

And finally we have Apex producer Robynn Takyama interviewing director Anne Misawa and associate producer Connie M. Florez about their documentary, State of Aloha, currently being screened at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Listen: