The Sound View: Independent Film Digest is a labor of love, a publication that supports Independent Film and Independent Filmmakers. Launched in February 2020. it publishes every month to a subscriber base of just shy of 15,000 (as of December 2024). It is free to read and free to subscribe to, and all issues are archived on The Soundview Media Partners website at https://www.soundviewmediapartners.com/thesoundview/ for access by all at anytime.
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DVD W/PPR AVAILABLE LATE JANUARY 2025 / DIGITAL SITE LICENSES AVAILABLE NOW
The true story of international soccer star, Nadia Nadim, who escaped Afghanistan to become one of the top women’s strikers in the world.
How can you rebuild your life when you lose both a parent and your homeland forever at the age of 8? Nadia Nadim, whose father was killed by the Taliban in 2000, embarked on such a quest. Her incredible journey – from her family’s escape from war-torn Kabul to reaching the pinnacle of international soccer fame – is the stirring and inspirational story that unfolds in this feature-length documentary.
Escaping Afghanistan with her mother and four sisters, the Nadim family traded danger for a life of relative peace in Denmark. It was here that a passion for soccer helped Nadia assimilate and thrive, eventually leading to her becoming a striker for Denmark’s national team and Paris Saint-Germain, one of the most popular women’s teams in the world. Now, having reached the top of her game, Nadia yearns to return to Afghanistan to uncover details about her father’s fate. However, with the country still gripped by terrorism, she’s forced to give up the trip. But with unshakable confidence, Nadia forges ahead with plans for the future: to become a reconstructive surgeon and transform people’s lives.
WINNER: Palermo International Sport Film Festival
Nominated, Magnolia Award, Best Documentary, Shanghai International TV Festival
Nominated, Emmy Award, Best Sports Documentary, International Emmy Awards
Some Background:
Nadia Nadim was ranked 20th on Forbes’ 2018 list of ‘Most Powerful Women in International Sports.
Nadia was named an UNESCO Champion for Girls’ and Women’s Education in 2019 and is a brand ambassador for H&M Move.
Nadia is one of the most popular female soccer stars in the world, having played for top teams like Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.
2021 / Documentary / English, French, Dari, and Danish with English subtitles / 86 Minutes / A film by Anissa Bonnefont.
HOW TO ORDER:
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“Mark – A Call to Action” is the story of Dr. Mark Bookman, a severely disabled Pennsylvania-born American who later resided in Tokyo full-time, becoming one of Japan’s leading experts on accessibility, and a policy consultant to governments and major corporations around the world. His tireless efforts helped raise awareness and positively impacted the lives of not only disabled persons, but also children, seniors and vulnerable populations in the United States, Japan and many other nations.
“As we learn the remarkable story of Bookman’s life and work as a disability activist, a broader picture emerges of the profound ways these issues touch all of our lives.” – Jacob Mazer, Director of Programs and Education, Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
While the film tells the story, the biography of Dr. Mark Bookman (born and raised in Bryn Mawr, PA), it is more importantly a deep look into the development of global accessibility. According to the World Health Organization (2023) 16% of the world’s population is designated as disabled. That’s 1.3 billion people from every country, every race and every religion.
“He [Mark] uplifted the voices of persons with disabilities and showcased to the world that our voices are not just needing to be taken care of but our voices need to be heard, valued and brought forward.” —Sara Minkara, US State Department Special Advisor
“Successfully portrays the personal, political and social impact of the development of global accessibility” —Nagase Osamu, Professor, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
Mark: A Call to Action premiered in Tokyo in February 2024 followed by it’s U.S. premier in June 2024 to sold out audiences at The Bryn Mawr Film Institute.
With much sadness, Mark passed away following the completion of principal photography of the film but his legacy and impact will live on for many years to come.
“Like the talented activist he was, Bookman had a way of making his point clearly and forcefully.” – Dr. David McNeill, Professor, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: KIDS FIRST FILM FESTIVAL
Those interviewed and featured in the film include:
Mark Bookman, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Tokyo College
Paul Bookman, DMD, Founder, Bryn Mawr Dental Associates, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (Mark’s Father)
Rachel Bookman, Biologist and Researcher (Mark’s sister)
Victor Dover, FAICP, Dover, Kohl & Partners, Noted expert on City Planning, Neighborhood and Street Design, Miami, Florida
Josh Grisdale, Founder, Accessible-Japan.com, Tokyo, Japan
Gregory Hannah, Director of Disability Service, Villanova University
Ryo Hatakeyama, Professional Caregiver, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshihiko Kawauchi, PhD, Architect, Engineer and Author, International Expert on Universal Design, Tokyo, Japan
Masako Okuhira, Global Disability Advocate, Tokyo, Japan
Nagase Osamu, Professor. Ritsumeikan University, and Author, Kyoto, Japan, Global Advocate – Rights of People with Disabilities
Ayako Kano, PhD, Professor, Japanese Literature, Performance and Gender Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Steven Wright, International Disability Advocate, Consultant and Author, Miami, Florida
Richard Donner, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist (Retired), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kevin Ginsberg, Educator, Black Rock Middle School, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Frank Mondelli, PhD, Assistant Professor – Japanese Studies, University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Sara Minkara, Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, US State Department
Karen Nakamura, Professor of Anthropology, Director, UC Berkeley Disability Lab
Produced by GLIDE Fund (The Mark Bookman Foundation), a 501 (C) (3) organization, and Directed by Emmy Award Winning Director Ron Small (I Danced for the Angel of Death), GLIDE Fund has an important socially relevant mission: GLIDE stands for ‘Global Leaders in International Disability Education’. The organization was established to provide financial assistance to disabled college students interested in education exchange experiences to foster an inclusive society in which anyone can lead an independent and self-determined life. All contributions to the Fund are fully tax deductible as allowed by law in each state. The organization’s goal is to carry on the legacy of Dr. Mark Bookman and spark dialogue surrounding the ways architects, engineers, educators, policy makers and other interested parties can help improve access to built environments, and through the GLIDE Fund, a network of disabled University students will receive grants to travel globally to learn, train, and be motivated to share ideas and bring about greater change and awareness in the community throughout the world.
The DVD version of the film features extensive and important bonus material.
Documentary / 2024 / 85 minutes / Color / English Language / A film by Emmy Award winning director Ron Small (I Danced for the Angel of Death, Circle Unbroken, From the Holocaust to Hollywood).
HOW TO ORDER:
Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:
At the world premiere in Japan, an emissary from the U.S. State Department provided an introduction to the film which now also serves as the film’s opening. Please watch it as it provides great perspective:
April 30, 1975 marked the end of Vietnam’s two-decade-old civil war and the start of the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Despite his alliance to the toppled South Vietnamese government, Long Nguyen (as Long Nguyen) decides to remain in Vietnam. Imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp, he urges his family to make the escape by boat without him. His wife Mai (Diem Lien), son Lai (Nguyen Thai Nguyen) and mother Ba Noi (Kieu Chinh) then embark on the arduous ocean voyage in the hope of reaching the U.S. and freedom.
Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon, and those who were forced to stay behind, Journey from the Fall follows one family’s struggle for freedom.
Produced in 2006 by the Vietnamese expat community and their families, Journey from the Fall was met with great critical response:
“An unmissable, powerful and essential film… so rooted in history and yet made with sensitivity and grace.” — Erika Franklin, Firecracker Magazine, UK FILM Council
“Writer/Director Ham Tran achieves the impossible.” — Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times
“A superbly wrought saga of loss and survival… A remarkably ambitious debut… A major accomplishment. An example of sophisticated, impassioned filmmaking involving mainly people who lived through the harrowing experiences so unsparingly depicted.” — Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Features Diem Lien, Kieu Chinh, Long Nguyen, Nguyen Thai Nguyen, Cat Ly, Jayvee Mai The Hiep and Khanh Doan.
The Bluray / CD set includes extensive bonus materials:
Full-feature video commentary with the film’s cast and crew
Deleted scenes, B-roll and on-set footage
Cast and crew interviews
Original trailer and TV spots
Extensive historical testimonials, cultural notes and teaching supplements
Drama / 2006 / Vietnamese with English subtitles / 135 Minutes / A film by Ham Tran
HOW TO ORDER:
Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:
