Product Description:
PLEASE CHOOSE RADIO-BUTTON FROM THE TITLES BELOW.
#39614 New Items - Protestants in China: A Growing Spiritual Movement (Run time min.) DVD $89.95
China's economy is booming-and so is its Christian community. This program examines the rise of the country's nondenominational Protestant movement, its basic structure and organization, and its relationship with the government. Spotlighting new, moderate religious freedoms in Chinese society, the film visits Christian churches in Nanjing Province and interviews a number of ministers and congregation members. Cao Sheng-Jie, President of the Chinese Christian Council, discusses building a "truly Chinese church," while students at a prominent state-supported seminary describe their reasons for converting to Christianity and entering the ministry. The role of Christianity in President Hu Jintao's "harmonious society" is also explored. (26 minutes)
#39615 New Items - Sports Shoe Wars: Battle of the Giants in China (Run time min.) DVD $89.95
Three athletic footwear companies-Nike, adidas, and homegrown upstart Li Ning-have faced off in a high-stakes battle for China's gigantic market. This program examines adidas' rising prominence in the country, an ascension due in no small part to its well-publicized Olympic Games sponsorship. Li Ning's efforts to retain its precarious hold on the urban market are also studied. Li Ning CFO Tan Wee Seng and adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer take turns outlining their marketing strategies and goals, while Chinese retailers and customers describe how the war is shaping up on the street. The result is a valuable case study for courses focusing on global marketing and international business. (28 minutes)
#39600 New Items - Mama Coca's War: How the War on Drugs Impacts Latin America (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Since the United Nations prohibited coca cultivation in 1961, a battle has raged around the simple, versatile plant. In the West, coca is synonymous with violence and terror. For the people of the Andes, however, coca represents a viable and ancient livelihood. This program follows their resistance to the sweeping illegalization and eradication measures instituted by Latin American governments, the United States, and other global powers. Viewers will learn how activist networks cross national borders with increasing momentum while risking reprisals by death squads and guerilla forces. The film also presents the perspective of police and drug enforcement agencies that patrol the Latin American "drug route." (52 minutes)
#39601 New Items - Made in Asia: Fast, Cheap, and Fair? (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Most industries exploit the advantages of globalization-specifically, low labor costs. Recently, however, major textile manufacturers have come under increasing pressure from fair trade activists and NGOs. This program studies the complex mix of economic forces, corporate policies, and social conditions that go into the production of everyday consumer goods, especially apparel items. Shedding light on the policies of adidas, H&M, and other key players in the global textiles market, the program examines the circumstances under which sports shoes and T-shirts are produced in countries like Indonesia, India, and Turkey. Viewers will gain insight into labor practices that have improved but remain troublesome for many workers. (45 minutes)
#39621 New Items - Rupert Murdoch: Media Emperor (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
How did the heir to a small Australian newspaper become the ruler of a global media empire? How has he altered the face of publishing, broadcasting, media consumption, and even politics? This program examines the career of Rupert Murdoch, focusing on his creation of highly successful media establishments at the expense, many say, of substance and journalistic integrity. Outlining Murdoch's upbringing and sink-or-swim appropriation of the family business, the film describes his entry into British publishing, the violent labor conflicts it touched off, and his eventual expansion into television and worldwide media. Expert commentary comes from Jon Fine of BusinessWeek, Emma Duncan of The Economist, and FAIR founder Jeff Cohen. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (53 minutes)
#39622 New Items - Deadly Trade: The Global Traffic in Counterfeit Drugs (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Although the counterfeit drug trade impacts the global community, it remains cloaked in secrecy. This program documents every stage of international counterfeit drug traffic, from production to end-user purchase. Michel Koutouzis, a United Nations expert on the subject, begins his investigation in Mumbai, where factories and wholesalers produce fake pharmaceuticals. Koutouzis then follows the sea routes taken by the counterfeiters across the Indian Ocean. On the island nation of Mauritius he studies transactions between traders. In Zanzibar, he observes the drugs being put aboard Arab dhows and then disseminated along the Tanzanian and Kenyan coasts. The final stop? Cities and villages full of vulnerable African patients. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (53 minutes)
#39624 New Items - Design Battles: Competition for Japan's Cell Phone Market (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Almost any industry has its Holy Grail. For cell phone makers, it is a smaller, slimmer, and lighter model that sports a bigger screen and more functions-easy to envision, very difficult to make. This program examines the struggle for dominance in the Japanese cell phone market-a viable litmus test for worldwide technology consumption-and the internal battles tech companies endure in order to create hot products. Viewers are taken inside South Korea's LG Electronics as it tries to crack the market. In turn, Japan's NEC searches for a phone that will outdo LG's slimness, while Sony Ericsson workshops a design it hopes will endure. Meetings in which engineering and design teams go head-to-head illustrate the urgency and high stakes involved. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 49 minutes)
#39625 New Items - The Steel King: Lakshmi Mittal (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Global conglomerate ArcelorMittal not only dominates the world steel market-it also serves as an eye-opening case study for those interested in corporate mergers and acquisitions. This program explores the history of the company and the career of its most prominent owner, Indian-born entrepreneur Lakshmi Mittal. Although Mittal himself avoids media attention, several company insiders and key industry players are interviewed in the program: Mittal Steel director and former ISG owner Wilbur Ross, Arcelor CEO Guy Dolle, Nippon Steel CEO Akio Mimura, Posco CEO Ku-Tack Lee, and Goldman Sachs executive Yoel Zaoui. Mittal's controversial 2006 hostile takeover of Arcelor is examined in detail. Not available in French-speaking Canada. (Portions in other languages with English subtitles, 50 minutes)
#39626 New Items - How to Kill a Human Being: Methods of Execution (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Is a humane and painless execution method possible, and if so, would death penalty proponents support its use? Or is pain the whole idea? Examining what many see as the cruelty of current procedures, this program searches for a viable alternative. Experts in the death business-retired executioners, toxicologists, biomechanics specialists, and others-explain disturbing flaws in the use of electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, and the gas chamber. Whether or not physicians should take part in executions is also discussed. The film presents a low-cost killing method that would induce euphoria-but this horrifies a prominent death penalty lobbyist because offenders wouldn't suffer. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)
#39627 New Items - How to Commit the Perfect Murder: Real-World Forensic Science Cases (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Exploring both the capabilities and limitations of forensic science, this program guides viewers through real-world murder cases and studies ways a killer might thwart even the most advanced detection methods. Featuring commentary from criminology experts, the program explains techniques used to determine time and cause of death, such as the examination of insects in a corpse-or a pig carcass, if investigators need a "body double" to re-create the crime. The film also demonstrates the difference between a suicidal hanging and a murderous one, tests the viability of an icicle as a murder weapon, and discusses the radiation poisoning of ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko-a possible perfect crime. Original BBC broadcast title: How to Commit the Perfect Murder. (50 minutes)
#39633 New Items - Kimono: Symbol of a Nation (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Elegant, flowing, and steeped in mythology, the kimono has survived for fifteen hundred years as a symbol of Japanese tradition and a mirror of Japan's evolving culture. From medieval courtesans adorned in sensual finery to samurai warriors whose clothing signified their military allegiance, anyone donning a kimono accepted and perpetuated its meanings. Today, knowledge of its traditions and observance of the elaborate rules surrounding it have declined. Nevertheless, thanks to the small number of modern Japanese women who honor and study their past, the multifaceted gown lives on. This program examines the kimono's continuing importance in Japanese culture and society-from the tea ceremony to the fashion runway. (48 minutes)
#39641 New Items - Cut-Up Kids: The Epidemic of Self-Harm (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
For reasons still being explored, a growing number of children, teenagers, and young adults regularly and willfully cut, burn, and otherwise harm their own bodies. This film follows three young people as they confront the violence they have inflicted upon themselves. Bullied at school, 15-year-old Beth has been cutting for the past two years. After a decade of self-harm due to academic pressure, 24-year-old Tor wants to leave the addiction behind. Tor's best friend Gary comes from a different world, having been brought up by social services since the age of 13, when he began cutting. Students will observe the process by which these young people increase their self-awareness and articulate their inner turmoil. Original BBC broadcast title: Cut Up Kids. (59 minutes)
#39643 New Items - Countdown to Delirium: The Debate over Drug Classifications (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
New findings indicate that some of the most addictive and dangerous drugs are legal ones. This program looks at the pros and cons of the current drug classification system, shedding new light on the physiological and neurological effects of various substances. With the help of London's Institute of Psychiatry and other leading addiction research organizations, the program assesses the risks of alcohol, tobacco, and inhaled solvents, comparing them with class-A drugs like ecstasy, 4-MTA, and LSD-with results that may surprise many in the drug education community. Equally surprising findings about marijuana and its connection to schizophrenia are also included. Original BBC broadcast title: Countdown to Delirium. (51 minutes)
#39649 New Items - The Madness of Dancing Daniel: A Personality Disorder Case Study (Run time min.) DVD $149.95
Daniel Turnbull has a love of London, an obsession with hygiene, and a compulsion to dance. This program explores his rare personality disorder and describes one psychiatrist's attempt to help him create as normal a life as possible. Viewers will learn about Daniel's previous quests for independence, the behavior that got him blacklisted by most of London's assisted-living facilities, and the likelihood that he'll spend the rest of his life in a mental institution. The film also explores the possibility of hope in the form of Dr. Peter Tyrer, a specialist in personality disorders who has found one home willing to take Daniel. But it's located almost 200 miles from London, posing a critical test of the young man's sense of security. Original BBC broadcast title: The Madness of Dancing Daniel. (40 minutes)
