Tuesday November 28
Last night the curtain opened on the annual Beyond infernational Video Festival. The packed audience in the Dylan Thomas Centre cinema Swansea watched films about Oil from Cuba, Amazon, Ireland and Nigeria. The films were followed by a panel of documentary makers discussing their films hosted by Ian Willliams of Plan B, an organisation educating about the future of oil and the alternatives. The most popular film was 'The Power of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil' which documented Cuba's emergency transition to local organic agriculture, renewable energy, and large-scale mass transit, following the Soviet collapse in 1990, when Cuba underwent the loss of over half of its oil imports.

Beyond TV festival continues every evening this week culminating in a full day of documentaries, short movies and animations on Saturday.

On Thursday Film makers are turning to street theatre to promote 'Beyond the Middle East' -an evening of films showing life for Palestinians under Israeli occupation. The Apartheid Wall currently fencing in the West Bank in the Middle East will be visible in Swansea. The Dylan Thomas Centre in Somerset Place will also be heavily guarded by Israeli soldiers and a checkpoint.

Israel is currently building an illegal wall across farms, gardens through Palestinian homes cutting off familes and friends.The wall has been slammed by the U.N as illegal witha strong request that the construction is reversed.

The evening is part of Swansea's annual festival of alternative film and video, Beyond TV. The festival is organised by the award winning charity Undercurrents and support by the Arts Council of Wales.

The films will include the recently released THE IRON WALL by Director Mohammed Alatar exploring how the Wall was first mentioned in 1923 and has shaped the focus for hardline Israelis ever since. Other films include films produced by the Balata Refugee Camp Media Collective and Sadaa, a Palestinian / Israeli video collective based in Jeruselem.

Isobel Griffin, a spokeswoman for 'Beyond the Middle East' said today
' Hopefully on the night the people of Swansea will get a sense of the oppression which Palestine people are facing every day. Having Israeli soldiers checking film goers bags, demanding identity cards and keeping people waiting in line lit by search lights. The films will shock many but will give an insight into the conflict which we don't see in the media'

Tickets for 'Beyond the Middle East' are available from 01792 463980

www.undercurrents.org/beyondtv