08 March 2009

4 great talks for International Women's Day

To celebrate March 8, International Women's Day, we suggest these four TEDTalks gems from some amazing speakers -- artists, scientists and economists who think deeply about the role of women.

Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, feminism -- and the power of passionate thinkers and doers:

The former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, talks about one key opportunity to grow African economies -- by investing in women and the businesses they start:

(For more, watch Jacqueline Novogratz >>)

Scientist Nalini Nadkarni explores the world of the forest canopy -- and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships. She's working to inspire the next generation of women scientists:

The wonderful Nellie McKay sings "Mother of Pearl" (with the immortal first line "Feminists don't have a sense of humor") and "If I Had You" from her sparkling set at TED2008:

Find these four and many more astonishing women (including the legendary primatologist Jane Goodall, oceanographers Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys, games theorist Brenda Laurel, Zipcar inventor Robin Chase ... ) on TED.com >>

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30 March 2008

"Bad Voodoo's War" on Frontline April 1 and online

Deborah Scranton's latest "virtual embed" documentary film, Bad Voodoo's War, premieres April 1, 2008, on PBS's Frontline and online. From the Frontline site:

In June 2007, as the American military surge reached its peak, a band of National Guard infantrymen who call themselves "The Bad Voodoo Platoon" was deployed to Iraq. To capture a vivid, first-person account of the new realities of war in Iraq for Frontline and ITVS, director Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) created a "virtual embed" with the platoon, supplying cameras to the soldiers so they could record and tell the story of their war. The film intimately tracks the veteran soldiers of "Bad Voodoo" through the daily grind of their perilous mission, dodging deadly IEDs, grappling with the political complexities of dealing with Iraqi security forces, and battling their fatigue and their fears.

The show airs on New York's Channel 13 on April 1 at 9pm, and April 5 at 5am. Find air dates in your area, and watch the preview >>

For more background, check out Deborah Scranton's TEDTalk about The War Tapes, her groundbreaking "virtual embed" documentary about Charlie Company, a team of National Guardsmen during Operation Iraqi Freedom, as filmed by Sergeant Steve Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi and Specialist Mike Moriarty.

Titles for Bad Voodoo's War were created by TEDster Jakob Trollbäck, whose own TEDTalk will be appearing on TED.com this month.

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13 September 2007

Scenes from "The War Tapes": Deborah Scranton on TED.com

The director of the award-winning documentary The War Tapes, Deborah Scranton makes films that help people tell their own stories. She talks about making The War Tapes, her 2006 doc that put videocameras in the hands of Charlie Company, a unit of the National Guard stationed in Iraq, for one year. Their raw footage and diaries tell a powerful, unsettling story. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:49.)

Watch Deborah Scranton's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Deborah Scranton on TED.com.

NEW: Read the transcript >>

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