Occupy Wall Street – #whilewewatch – Documentary Screening

Snag Films

in conjunction with

The Common Good

present the

LIVE WORLD PREMIERE

 of the

Occupy Wall Street documentary  

#whilewewatch

#whilewewatch is directed by Kevin Breslin, whose recent doc “Livingfor 32″ (2010) was short-listed for an Academy Award, will have its world premiere at The Paley Center for Media, as the film is simultaneously streamed to a global audience starting at at 8pm ET/5pm PT at Snagfilms.com.

#whilewewatch is the first definitive film to emerge from Zuccotti Park. A gripping portrait of the “Occupy Wall Street” media revolution – with full access and cooperation from the masterminds who made #OccupyWallStreet a reality.

The screening will be followed by a live Q&A session with director  and “Occupy Wall Street” participants featured in the film.  Q&A questions will be taken from the global web audience during the live streaming.

#whilewewatch was the vision of Australian Producer Mike Vanderfield and produced by his company, 8docos.

The New York Times Conference on Energy

Perhaps because energy is a priority across global economic agendas, The New York Times hosted a conference for leaders in energy to talk about the globalization of demand and debate how to finance and secure the world energy supply.

The conference had about 400 invited guests and several important speakers on the issue, including Steven Chu, Nobel winner prize winner for physics and current Secretary for Energy in the Obama administration; Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and authority on energy issues and policy, international politics and economics; Carol Browner, former assistant to President Obama and director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy; T. Boone Pickens, founder and chairman, BP Capital Management, and founder of the grassroots campaign the Pickens Plan; Lester Brown, founder and president, Earth Policy Institute, Jim Rogers, chairman, president and C.E.O., Duke Energy, Jochen Flasbarth, president, Federal Environment Agency, Germany, and Phil Radford, executive director, Greenpeace USA.

Moderators include NYT columnists and authors: Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist; Clifford Krauss, national business correspondent; and Joe Nocera, Op-Ed columnist.

Steven Chu was upbeat about clean energy in his discussion with Tom Friedman.  Despite the political partisanship in Washington, he said  he believes there are people on the other side of the aisle that recognize the economic opportunity.

The audience was perhaps most restive on the issue of natural gas extraction and “fracking.” During that panel a man in the audience stood up to shout a question to Joe Nocera demanding if he (Nocera) believed in climate change.  The heckler was nearly thrown out by security, but Nocera answered that he did believe in climate change and the fellow calmed down.

DYLAN RATIGAN

Dylan Ratigan broke bread with us at The Common Good to discuss what lies ahead in our rapidly changing national environment.  Ratigan expressed great concern about the need for an active
and informed electorate and greater transparency and accountability in a political system where money has too much influence.

Ratigan is the New York Times best-selling author and host of MSNBC’s The Dylan Ratigan Show, the highest-rated, non-prime time show on the network. Ratigan also discussed his book, Greedy Bastards, which spent five consecutive weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

Ratigan served as the Global Managing Editor for Corporate Finance at Bloomberg News Service, and before that had covered mergers and acquisitions, the US stock market and IPOs.  At Bloomberg, he co-created and hosted Morning Call for Bloomberg’s cable network and the USA Network. He has served as a contributor to ABC News and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Miami Herald and Chicago Tribune.

Ratigan has created and/or anchored a number of shows on finance and the market.  He was the host of Fast Money, which he co-created with Susan Krakower. Previously, he was the first anchor of CNBC’s On the Money. He also anchored the CNBC TV program Bullseye for about a year and a half. In addition to his former duties as co-anchor on Closing Bell, Ratigan was a rotating co-anchor of The Call.

Ratigan left Fast Money in 2009, provoked by outrage over the government’s handling of the 2008 financial crisis. Since then, he has dedicated his work to launching platforms that engage and debate the U.S. government on policy, while opening the door for millions to learn more about money’s often poisonous role in elections and democracy.

JOE KENNEDY with CAROLINE KENNEDY

On March 27th Caroline Kennedy held a cocktail reception to raise funds for her kin — the young but impressive Joe Kennedy, who is running for the congressional seat vacated by Rep. Barney Frank.  Joe embraces his family’s legacy in Massachusetts while also acknowledging that name alone will not assure him electoral success.  “You’ve got to earn it,” Kennedy has said.  “You’ve got to go out every day and talk to people, listen to their concerns, shake more hands, knock on more doors, take more phone calls.”  

Unfortunately, I missed the elegant cocktail evening to be with my dad in California after he suffered a significant cardiac event, but watch Joe Kennedy.  He’s going places.

Zbigniew Brzezinski

The Common Good hosted a very special Luncheon and Discussion with Former National Security Advisor and Statesman, Zbigniew Brzezinski, with an introduction by Mika Brzezinski,  Anchor of Morning Joe on MSNBC. Brzezinski  spoke expansively about his new book, Strategic Vision.

America, Brzezinski argues, must define and pursue a comprehensive and long-term a geopolitical vision, a vision that is responsive to the challenges of the changing historical context. His new book seeks to provide the strategic blueprint for that vision.

KEN MEHLMAN, ROBERT SHRUM & RICHARD WOLFFE

On November 17, 2011 The Common Good presented a special “Election Panel 2012″ with three of the best experts on election strategy. A powerful bipartisan trio – Ken Mehlman, the brilliant former Chair of the Republican National Committee, Robert Shrum, the amazingly clever Democratic political strategist and messaging expert, and Richard Wolffe, author and journalist, known as a keen observer of the American political scene, gave a frank discussion and prognostication of the American political landscape. A truly memorable evening.

“STYLE WARS”

The Com­mon Good, in part­ner­ship with Cather­ine Keener, Pub­lic Art Films & Levi’s Film Work­shop, will be hon­or­ing Henry Chal­fant and Tony Sil­ver with the Amer­i­can Spirit Award for their life­long com­mit­ment to nur­tur­ing free­dom of expres­sion in the arts.  Also with us:  Mary Kate Olson, hockey star Sean Avery, Charlotte Ronson, Spike Jonze and many of the original graffitti artists featured in the documentary “Style Wars.”

KEN BURNS

I’ve long admired the work of  Ken Burns.  For years he has been the documentary filmmaker that so many others measure themselves when one thinks about presenting our history in a way that makes it immediate and compelling. He approaches his subjects with the utmost integrity and respect. Perhaps best known for his remarkable documentary on the Civil War, his subjects have been wide and varied. His work on Prohibition is to be released soon.  I can’t wait for his documentary on the Vietnam War, which won’t be finished until 2016.  I’ll just have to be patient.  In the meantime, on Tuesday, June 14th, The Common Good brings Ken to speak on this moment in our history and about civility in our political discourse.  What does our history teach us?  It’s at the Paley Center for Media and is open to non members.  Please join us.

SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL

Senator Maria Cantwell paid a visit to The Common Good.  She sounded a bit frustrated with the lack of bipartisan progress on many of her issues, such as alternative energy and the environment, but she is working hard to get more accomplished in these areas.

BARNEY FRANK

His name is certainly apropos.  Congressman Barney Frank is candid and brilliant.  He spoke to The Common Good about reducing the deficit and building the economy. Frank says the biggest savings must come from reductions in defense spending.

TCG met with one of Congress’ most powerful and engaging leaders, Congressman Barney Frank,  on Tuesday afternoon, June 7 for a discussion over coffee. Frank, who was Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2008, spoke about implementation of the financial reform he helped shape and other topics.