FungalFractoids Posted December 4, 2007 I think it's on at 8.30- but check your TV guide When South African filmmaker Rehad Desai travels to the Kalahari to investigate global interest in ancient Bushmen knowledge, he meets Jan van der Westhuizen, a fascinating Khomani San traditional healer. Jan's struggle to live close to nature is hampered by centuries of colonial exploitation of the San Bushmen and of their land. Unable to survive as they once did hunting and gathering, the Khomani now live in a state of poverty that threatens to see the last of this community forever.One plant could make all the difference. Hoodia, a cactus used by Bushmen for centuries, has caught the attention of a giant pharmaceutical company. It now stands to decide the fate of the Khomani San. Bushman's Secret features breathtaking footage of the Kalahari landscape, and exposes us to a world where modernity collides with ancient ways, at a time when each has, strangely, come to rely on the other. South African filmmaker Rehad Desai details the lose-lose situation facing the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in this eye-opening documentary. Evicted from their ancestral lands, forced to abandon their native languages, and left to fend for themselves in a state of brutal poverty on the fringes of South African society, the Bushmen now face further exploitation, since the hoodia cactus (a source of food and medicinal healing) is being taken from their remaining lands by the conglomerate Unilever for use as a dubious weight loss product (ironically, Unilever also claims to be the "world's largest ice cream manufacturer," surely a contributing factor to obesity). Despite an agreement signed with the South African government for profits from the harvesting of hoodia, the Bushmen have yet to enjoy any financial returns. Bushman's Secret serves up a shameful indictment of contemporary South African government, which would sooner kowtow to multinational corporate demands than provide basic services for its own people. Highly recommended. –Phil Hall, Video Librarian “Desai's documentary raises the larger issues of indigenous people's rights and fair use of community knowledge. The digital age has spawned a new awareness of creators / authors' rights, including areas not considered before now as being protected by intellectual property rights. If new copyright rules have been created and old ones tightened, it is to be expected that rights of groups hitherto not considered "owners" will also come under close scrutiny. This documentary highlights just one case, but it marks a new development, in that companies cannot continue to take advantage of indigenous peoples for much longer. ” —Miriam Conteh-Morgan, The Ohio State University Libraries http://www.der.org/films/bushmans-secret.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XipeTotec Posted December 4, 2007 I think it's on at 8.30- but check your TV guide thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FungalFractoids Posted December 4, 2007 Double check the date too, my internet is too slow to load some pages atm (cursed d/l limit) so couldn't check the guide... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Micromegas Posted December 5, 2007 Thanks for the heads-up FF this was an extremely interesting documentary IMHO... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FungalFractoids Posted December 6, 2007 Ahhhhhhh.... Dicks! I missed it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gilligan Posted December 6, 2007 Spewing! I caught it (i got the wife to record it on the HD drive, dunno whether i can copy it to my computer then to DVD or not - haven't tried before, will give it a go when i get back home), and found it really interesting - the Hoodia's are quite a nice plant - that was cool as. also, focussing on the 'herbal shaman' and how he and the other Bushmen lived and believed in the plants ability, asking those who had gone before to make the plant work - really mind blowing stuff - working in unison with the Earth, as opposed to raping and pillaging, trying to make it our slave... anyone got a gordoni cut or seeds they are interested in releasing (probably fairly rare over here though?) The documentary gave a grim prospect for the plants in the wild, would be nice to breed some up and distribute to keep it alive, albeit in captivity... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hebrew Posted December 6, 2007 yeah i recorded it as well jsut gotta burn it one day, if anyone wants a copy send me a pm i havent watched it yet but the little bit i did see looked great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FungalFractoids Posted December 6, 2007 When my d/l speed is increased I'll try and track down a torrent... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hebrew Posted December 6, 2007 well maybe i can put it up somewhere to d/l from or put on youtube Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sparkster Posted December 6, 2007 Great Doco. Fascinating when the shaman was doing the ritual around the fire and making the inhuman noises. The medicine man was very cool, extremely intelligent and passionate, its awesome watching a documentary like this and being relieved that people like this still exist in the world. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Micromegas Posted December 6, 2007 The medicine man was very cool, extremely intelligent and passionate, its awesome watching a documentary like this and being relieved that people like this still exist in the world. Yeah totally except when we find them we take their plants away and disturb their culture Interestingly there was a patent on ayahuasca until a few years ago and the appeal made by indigenous people in the Amazon ended in an interesting legal case and the cessation of the patent. You can read more here if interested http://www.ciel.org/Biodiversity/ptorejection.html I really enjoyed seeing this San medicine man as well, his connection to the land and the simplicity of his way of life. Make me want to grow some hoodia for sure! Micro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
