displacement Archives - Brent Marchant

‘Rebuilding Paradise’ chronicles the heroic rebirth of a devastated community

“Rebuilding Paradise” (2020). Cast: Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Michelle John, Phil John, Steve “Woody” Culleton, Carly Ingersoll, Matt Gates, Zach Boston, Brendan Burje, Krystle Young, Marcus Nelson, Justin Cox, Kayla Cox, Zeke Lunder. Director: Ron Howard. Web site. Trailer. When all is lost, the will to start over is put to the test. For some, it may be too much. But, for others, those who have the fortitude to recover and begin anew, the challenge may be difficult but not insurmountable. So it has been for many of the residents of a community who experienced utter devastation firsthand, a story chronicled in the riveting and moving new documentary, “Rebuilding Paradise.” On the morning of November 8, 2018, life in the small northern California [...]

‘On Her Shoulders’ speaks for those without a voice

“On Her Shoulders” (2018). Cast: Nadia Murad, Murad Ismael, Amal Clooney, Borys Wrzesnewskj, Michelle Rempel, Barack Obama, Ki-moon Ban, Simone Monasebian, Ahmed Khudida Burjus. Director: Alexandria Bombach. Screenplay/Translation: Hishyar Abid, Nawaf Ashur, Deniz Ekici, Yousif Haskan and Shahnaz Osso. Web site. Trailer. For those without a voice, it’s often difficult to be heard. In those cases, it generally takes someone with the courage and resilience to step up and make the case for them, not the easiest of undertakings. But, when an advocate with the right qualities emerges, incredible results are possible. So it is with an unlikely envoy for a little-known aggrieved people as seen in the stirring documentary, “On Her Shoulders,” available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and video [...]