Films with a message on biodiversity

A picture speaks a thousand words, to be sure, but when a collection of some of the world s best pictures is combined with high quality words, the effect is outstanding. The Moving Pictures catalogue is the flagship publication of the Television Trust for the Environment (TVE), which was established in 1984 by the UN Environment programme and the British Carlton (ex-Central) TV company. Amongst its productions are the weekly Earth Report TV programme broadcast on BBC World and local stations worldwide. In all, it has (co-)produced more than 550 films. The catalogue is part of the Moving Pictures project which provides a referral service on films about environment and development and distributes audio-visual material through 51 Video Resource Centres (VRCs). There are 15 VRCs in the following ACP countries: Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The catalogue is published about twice a year (28 editions in 16 years) on a specific theme. The latest edition of the Catalogue, published in September 2000, is called Last Plant Standing, as part of TVE s activities on the theme of plant genetics. It lists films available from TVE and other producers, and other resources. It was supported by Japanese TV, IDRC, DFID, Danida and the European Commission. Not just a TV and video company Every step TVE takes is educational. The catalogue itself is a highly informative and authoritative set of articles and references on seed conservation, genetic modification and increasing food production. Secondly, TVE publishes information kits for communicators to use with its films. The Outreach education pack on Genetic Diversity and Food Crops (free) is an outstanding educational packs available on biodiversity. Explaining the history of plants, plant breeding and genetic modification, the pack is highly recommended for Spore readers whose work includes education and communication. Finally, there is a strong element of participation. Each TVE production is presented on its user-friendly Website (www.tve.org) and can be discussed by viewers and users. Each topic has links to other publications, such as Spore. All in all, if you are looking for films which share the experiences of agricultural communities elsewhere, the TVE package of films-plus-information is for you. Its limitations: the predominance of English-language titles restricts their use with some audiences but, back to the first paragraph, a picture speaks a thousand words Films from TVE are for sale, not for hire. For individuals and organisations in ACP countries (other than international agencies) there is a special unit price of US$ 15 (E 18.25) plus mailing costs for the VHS tape. Moving Pictures/ Outreach Last plant standing programme TVE, Prince Albert Road, London, NW1 4RZ, England Fax: +44 20 7586 4866 Email: tve-dist@tve.org.uk