GET A FUCKING JOB – the truth about begging published by New Social Art School, 2006 Eva Merz & Bob Steadman 96 pages, soft cover, text / interviews, b/w illustrations, 21×27 cm. Non-fiction, £12, ***** This book is not just an art book about begging in Aberdeen. The whole concept of this book is to rebuild society from the ground up, using arts just as a tool. It has an exceptional, outstanding political and structural basic-democratic social purpose and approach, and uses art as a sparingly sprinkled spice to complement and illustrate the project’s purpose without distracting from it.

DRAMA THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY Dir: Ken Loach Runtime: 127 min Classification: 15 Country: Germany / Italy / Spain / France / Ireland / UK *** Ken Loach’s film The Wind That shakes the Barley is controversial. Whilst the Jury at Cannes Film Festival awarded the Palme D’Or for Best Film, conservative mainstream media labeled it anti-British,_ a recruiting campaign for the IRA _and “old-fashioned propaganda” because of a perceived unfair portrayal of the unionist occupation forces. Historian Stephen Howe found the tale about the Irish republican independence struggle set in the 1920s’ politically distorted and misrepresenting, though he admits many of the scenes portrayed in the film have been reported by eyewitnesses.

BOOKS There have been lots of political libertarian books published in 2006. Many have been presented at the Edinburgh Independent and Radical Bookfair, organised by Wordpower Bookshop. Wordpower has also published “Rainbow City: Stories from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Edinburgh” in July 2006. Famous authors such as John Pilger launched “Freedom Next Time”, whereas Greg Palast premiered “Armed Madhouse” and Mark Thomas presented “As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Adventures in the Arms and Torture Trade”. **Eva Merz’**s social-inclusive art project “Get a fucking Job – The truth about beggars” sparked controversy in Aberdeen, but helped to defeat the banning of the beggars, many of whom struggle with current or previous drug addiction.

DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENINGS i – The Film Ignolia/Lyon | Argentina/US 2006 | 83 min *** Another edition to Ulla’s crazy chaotic communal lively socio-political film shows certainly garnished with a roaring coffee machine and burrito delivery in the background. Even slightly too much talk in this film doesn’t matter as there is always action in The Forest Cafe with passers-by running through the audience in the search for the leaking toilets. An upgraded, more conventional, focused and sorted presentation can therefore be experienced at the Quaker Meeting House. All organised under the Indymedia brand, this film is certainly not only about the news website Indymedia, but it is Indymedia live – the non-linear structure, organisation and narrative of the film is nearly as horizontal and non-hierarchical as the network, mimicking real life.

DOCUMENTARY KZ Rex Bloomstein | UK 2006 | 97 min | U12 Shooting People Films **** “But we want you to return home safely and with a sound mind to use in future for Freedom, Justice and Truth.” So begins Rex Bloomstein‘s first feature documentary. Is the “sound mind“ the key to this film? The Holocaust can drive you crazy. The insanity of the realised idea of mass extermination, impossible to grasp and comprehend without losing yourself in the process, without asking questions of doubt about humanity. How do we deal with such a past? How can we still write poems?