George Gittoes

Welcome to Khanounous (Middle East): Oil on Canvas, 245cm x 183cm,2002.

"George Gittoes is an artist of our clime. He travels, he witnesses, he creates. With driving curiosity he crosses genres and eludes both aesthetic and political stereotypes. A witness of the particular – this person, this sect, this horrendous time and place – he represents the universal, that is, you and me. The interest of Gittoes remains in his compelling representations primary questions, deeply dyed in the fabric of our lives. The question of evil, for instance….. “
Ihab Hassan (in preface to the monograph, ‘George Gittoes’ by Gavin Fry, pub. CraftsmanHouse.1998)

I just met this remarkable Australian artist - George Gittoes - working on a trilogy of films. Starting with Soundtrack To War, and now Rampage will be out in cinemas soon. In Rampage, Gittoes documents with his camera (and his life), that the Miami ghetto of "Brown Sub" makes Baghdad look like Disneyland. Go to www.dialecticradio.net to hear some of the hip hop soundtrack.

Check out www.gittoes.com to glimpse his paintings, photographs and stills. Scroll to the bottom of the site to read 'The Persistent Witness: George Gittoes'.

Cidade dos Homens (City of Men)

If you've seen City of God, you ain't seen nothing yet. The story continues in much greater depth in City of Men, which tells the stories of Acerola (Douglas Silva) and Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha), two best friends who live in a notorious Rio favela, teenagers struggling to fulfil their dreams amidst the pressures of drug dealers and hustlers. Watch this to understand life of the invisible masses in the lost cities.

The official Brazilian site is at cidadedoshomens.globo.com
Get the details in English at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Men