Jesse Freeston - Video Etcetera

11/09/2024

Wow. Feeling very good today about both the turnout and the quality of the discussion last night after our first public screening of Peering Ahead at the newly-redesigned Cinéma du Parc.

The film was never intended for public viewing. It was a passion project to arm a group of inspiring psychiatric patients with a tool to spread their groundbreaking initiative to other mental health institutions. But, the arbitrary and downright mean way their program was shut down this summer has forced the film out into the wild to achieve two goals.

GOAL 1: To draw attention to this injustice and get answers as to how and why the decision was made, a basic level of dignity the MUHC has still not offered the patients. And uphold the general principle that public institutions should never be permitted to operate like this.

GOAL 2: Help this beautiful model that has brought so much healing into our city find a new home, one that deserves them.

The film is no Citizen Kane or Everything, Everywhere All at Once, but the reaction last night, with almost everyone in the audience staying for an entire hour of post-film discussion, which then spilled out into the lobby for another hour...well...it seems it's a film that has a role to play right now.

If you're intersted in a few more details, I was interviewed on CBC radio yesterday, along with RTP co-founder Cecelia Vanier. It's a pretty solid introduction to the sitch.

(Obviously can't share a news link on FB in Canada, but if you google '"Montreal documentary sheds light" Sabrina' it should come up.)

27/04/2024

13.05.2024 19h00

23/04/2024

Probably half of all the conversations I've had over the last few years have been about energy, climate, inequality and the uncomfortable physical realities we're up against. Most conversations are pleasant and often we all end up enriched by it.

But sometimes…usually when I bring up the tragic limitations of solar panels and wind turbines…some of the people that clearly care the most about these issues lash out at me, apparently interpreting this as a sign that I don't like the sun, or that I hate the wind.

So I want to clarify, on this sunny spring day, that our sun is BY FAR my favourite nuclear reaction, and I consider the wind one of the sun's finest creations (in small doses).

Onward.

11/03/2024

NEW REEL. Some premium selections from my recent cinematography work.

MUSIC:
"Intro" - Weval
"Get A Move On" - Mr. Scruff
"Hypin' Woman Blues" - T-Bone Walker

Featuring collaborations with Ultima Esuna, Thies Beckers, Waahli aka Wyzah, Diego Briceño, Esteban Baruc Alvarez-Mares, Christoffer Keyfor, Tamara Sevunts, Mariano Franco, Zahra Moloo, POP Montreal, Ahren Belisle Comedy, Stephanie Osorio - Music, and many others that I can't find on here...

01/08/2023

I've said it before: my work is the perfect pretext to spend time with exciting people doing impressive things, while also being useful to them in their righteous mission. No better example than the first Jamaican ever to get a Phd in nuclear engineering, she's now on a journey to liberate her country from the indignities of getting their electricity by burning imported fossil fuels sold at markup prices.

The average Jamaican resident spends 11% of their income on electricity...and doesn't have air conditioning. The average US resident has air conditioning and spends 4% of their income on electricity. (Averages are often a silly way of speaking...but u get the point)

So Charlyne is out to find, inspire, challenge and nurture those young Jamaicans that will lead the energy transition/liberation and in that spirit she organized the Caribbean's first ever nuclear engineering bootcamp for physics students at her former school, Ste Catherine HS in Spanish Town. Who attended voluntarily during their summer vacation...6 hrs/day without AC at 35 degrees + humidity. We also got a tour of the Caribbean's only research reactor.

The results were sublime. Now just enjoying some of this beautiful island, some delicious food invigorated by scotch bonnet and the company of great people. Then will jump into the editing of the short film coming soooon.

📸 Brittany .captured.photography +

05/05/2023

With fellow Makila member Awarding the Cuban Hat to Poh Si Teng, winner of best decisionmaker, for her insightful feedback on the pitches at the Hot Docs Forum.

27/01/2023

My astonishing voyage 2km below the Earth’s surface (that’s five Empire State Buildings) to find out how dangerous nuclear radiation is.

04/12/2022

As you may have noticed, this page has a shifted to a very specific purpose and kind of content over the past few months. We are now making the request to change the name of the page to "Decouple Studios by Jesse Freeston" from Jesse Freeston - Video Etcetera to reflect this new focus. We are very excited that Jesse will be working full time on Decouple Studios content and can't wait to share more of it with you in the coming months.

As a reminder, Decouple started (and continues) as a podcast with Dr. Chris Keefer, but Jesse has been working on shorter video content to reach new audiences that explore technologies, like nuclear energy, that can deliver material well-being to all humans while decoupling that progress from our impacts on the planet.

Don't hestitate to reach out if you have any questions.

16/11/2022

I get high with a little help from my friend.

At doin what it takes to get the shot (of Brazil prez Lula da Silva).

09/11/2022

I'm on my way to film for Decouple Media, here's one burning question while I pack.

04/11/2022

In the 1980s the Reagan Administration and the HIV/AIDS movement ACT UP feuded over how to respond to a deadly pandemic. Reagan promoted behavior change (abstinence). ACT UP said the government should fund tech research.

ACT UP won and the new drugs that emerged saved tens of millions of lives. (Unfortunately many in Africa and elsewhere are still waiting for the benefits of this.)

The question I'm asking though is: In the face of global warming, is the climate movement acting more like Reagan or like Act Up (when it comes to technology)?

08/09/2022

I got a VIP tour of the largest active nuclear plant in the world, Bruce Power, the plant that made Ontario the home of North America’s largest-ever emissions reduction, when it replaced coal with .

The world of is always asking for replacements to fossil fuels that work at scale. Well, Ontario is one of just a few electrical grids in the world that did just that with the help of homemade Candu reactors, and a little emotional support from Drake and Justin Bieber.

02/09/2022

So I was hanging out by the (spent nuclear fuel) pool....

A lil' teaser from the latest episode of Decouple Studios on my tour of the world's largest active nuclear plant. Dropping next week.

20/08/2022

"They say they can drink the water directly from their streams"

First of the videos I made for the Wet'suwet'en delegation on their tour of Haudenosaunee territories. There's something (still) happenin here.

03/08/2022

First stop on the Wet'suwet'en Chiefs' tour of Haudenosaunee territory (plus Aamjiwnaang).

Tour deets: www.yintahaccess.com/strengthening-our-sovereignty

29/07/2022

“Nunca mi vida ha sido tan feliz como en estos días después del golpe de estado. Porque solo censados tengo 2 milliones 500 mil nietos. Eso es lo que tengo.”
- La abuela de la resistencia hondureña, Dionisia Díaz , 2013.

Abuela, ayer se nos fue el privilegio de visitarte en carne y hueso, pero tu espíritu repercutirá, amplificado por tu megáfono, por siempre en los corazones de l@s que tuvimos la suerte de caminar contigo.

En mis 15 años de documentalista/periodista he seguido a varios grandes, y en cada uno se puede identificar unas virtudes a imitar. Pero la abuela figura en la cortíssima lista de personas que pueden servir de modelo completo del buen conducto durante nuestras cortíssimas estadías en el planeta.

Pero mucha plática ya, mejor que la miren en acción. Aquí el segmento de 3 minutos sobre la hermosa candidatura elecoral de la abuela en medio de las horrorosas elecciones del 2013. Parte del documental “Los votantes golpeados” que hice con el gran periodista Félix Molina.

(lo pueden ver completo aquí: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlP9KDa11Mo )

Que en sonrisas descanses abuela. Nos distes tantas. Te amo.

21/07/2022

Seasons change.

28/06/2022

Today marks 13 years since the Honduran military was sent out of its barracks to stop a popular referendum to re-write the constitution of one of the most unequal countries in the world. This is the first anniversary that will be marked with the overthrown government back in “power” after an inspiring election win last year.

I use the quotation marks because presidential power in Honduras is pretty limited. Especially after 12+ years of golpismo, a process where the oligarchy used all means at their disposal, often violent, to achieve their ends: the destructive pillage of the country’s institutions.

June 28th 2009 is almost certainly the most important day of my life. So to celebrate my first time living it under the re-installed government I am releasing my feature documentary about the coup, Resistencia, FOR FREE!

English - https://vimeo.com/makilatv/resistenciaeng
Français - https://vimeo.com/makilatv/resistenciafra
Español - https://vimeo.com/makilatv/resistenciaesp

The protagonists of this film exemplify the price that many Hondurans paid over 12+ years. Since the film was released:
- Félix (the journalist) was forced into exile after being shot. He is now working as a researcher here in Montréal.
- Blanca has been arrested and deported twice attempting to flee across the US border.
- Juan burnt out and left the movement.
- German eventually succumbed to the injuries he sustained after being shot. After living an inspiring 3 years in a wheelchair. He left behind him a beautiful and prospering family and a thriving farmer’s co-op that is a model for the world.

And that’s how I’ll leave this reflection off. Despite all the violence, indignities and despair that was inflicted over more than a decade, the farmers depicted in this film are STILL in possession of some of the most productive land in all of Central America, where they are producing palm oil in a workers’ co-op model that, I believe, most workers on Earth could benefit from implementing.

Long live the Aguan!

When a 21st century coup d'état ousts the only president they ever believed in, these farmers take over the plantations. With no plans to ever give them…