culture shockers: Artist MIA’s new video smells like Arizona
photo courtesy of Vimeo
Arizona’s new SB 1070 immigration bill makes it legal for officers to pick up people that look a certain way. MIA’s new video, Born Free, shows what happens when people are picked up for pretty much the same thing. This graphic video has caused an uproar and has even been removed from YouTube. Directed by Romain-Gavras, the video, or rather short film, has strong undertones of ethnic cleansing, extreme violence, racism, fascism, genocide, and suggestive references to Guantanamo, the Iraqi insurgency and even Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law. This short film is shocking, terrifying and thought-provoking all at once.
Although the video is an extreme of the goings-on in the news-worthy state, the connection between the video and the passing of Arizona’s controversial immigration bill are undeniable. The filmmakers chose to single out redheads to comment on the absurdity of pinpointing a person based on their physical appearance. And it’s quite effective.
To those of you without 9:06 minutes to spare or a strong-enough stomach to bare it, here’s a half-summary. A group of military commandos donning U.S. flags on their uniforms descends upon a run-down apartment complex, beating and terrorizing any resident that gets in the way of their mission to kidnap and arrest any and all young redheaded men and boys. The officers drive away with a bus full of red-haired victims and soon after arrive at an isolated desert location. Watch below to see the rest.
The daughter of political activist, Arul Pragasam, M.I.A. grew up in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War, witnessing genocide, displacement, separation from her family and refugee-status before even reaching the age of 12. M.I.A. has been known to speak out against issues like human rights violations in Sri Lanka and the methods used by those fighting the “War on Terror.” The singer is famous for taking to her Twitter page to express discontent about current political and social issues. Watch her express her current discontent. Please be aware that the below video contains disturbing content that is only intended for mature eyes.
April 28, 2010 by Annie
Tags: Arizona, b-listed, Born Free, breakthrough, culture shockers, guantanamo, immigration, M.I.A., Restore Fairness, Romain Gavras, SB 1070
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One Response to “culture shockers: Artist MIA’s new video smells like Arizona”
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Posted: May 4, 2010 at 1:54 AM
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Yes! Thank you for making this connection, and articulating the absurdity of selecting difference as a basis for enforcing the increased surveillance and discrimination of people who deserve nothing more than equal treatment.
Have you read the article that features the young lad who’s shown getting shot in the video? He seems to be quite supportive of this video, and at age 12, has insightful things to say about the concept behind the film, which is a second version to accompany the song:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638169/20100430/mia__4_.jhtml