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Covering war, geography, politics, history, and current affairs, Beyond the Border, a collection of five films, will begin airing on Wednesday, September 22. Produced by Combat Films and Research for the Kennedy Center, the series will examine events, trends, and stories from around the world with an emphasis on international relations. “In the complex realm of international affairs, there are untold stories that can help us gain a greater understanding of our world,” says Jeff Ringer, Kennedy Center director and creator of the program concept. “Through this series, we hope to provide an alternative perspective on forces, ideas, and facts that are beyond the border of our common experience.” The series begins with “Fog and Friction,” three separate battles illustrating that war is a complicated business. This is a glimpse into the decision-making process at the height of battle, and the consequences of those decisions. Abu Dhabi’s IDEX arms fair is the scene for the “Arms Bazaar.” The conventional arms market is a multi-billion dollar industry where shopping ranges from small arms to tanks, to cruise missiles and fighter aircraft—as simple as buying groceries at market. In the midst of China’s Cultural Revolution, five artists led by Russian-trained Jin Zher Lin were sent to China’s revolutionary capital Yan’an and instructed to paint together. “From the Masses to the Masses, Revolutionary Art of Yan'an” details their seven-year odyssey capturing the life and history of the revolutionary capital on oil, watercolor, and wood block print—art that was discovered three decades later. As the shadow of Soviet control slipped away from the former satellite states many stepped forward and declared their independence. “Ukraine Sonata” looks at the years before, during, and after the great “Perestroika,” of the Soviet Union and how the Independent Republic of Ukraine is negotiating the changes on a musical level. The beautiful and historic Caucasus Mountains are home to three major conflicts in the former Soviet Union: Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and Chechnya, and multiple minor struggles. Intertwined in this convoluted political and geographic landscape is a significant portion of the world’s known oil reserves—the subject of “Faultlines and Pipelines.” Beyond the Border will conclude with a roundtable discussion. Airing Wednesdays on these scheduled dates: 22 September 29 September 6 October 13 October Dodge Billingsley, of Combat Films and Research, is a seasoned producer and former defense analyst who has documented war zones and trouble spots worldwide. Originally specializing in the Caucasus and Central Asia, Billingsley traveled into war-torn Chechnya to produce Immortal Fortress: An Inside Look at Chechnya's Warrior Culture in 1996. While there, he gained rare interviews with a number of notable Chechen warlords, including the notorious Shamil Basayev. That, and subsequent trips, have taken him throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. In fall 2001, he was one of the few Western observers to the fortress uprising in Mazar-i Sharif, Afghanistan, in which CIA agent Mike Spann was killed and American Taliban John Walker Lindh was taken into U.S. custody. Only months later Billingsley was again in action in Afghanistan, this time accompanying U.S. troops into battle during Operation Anaconda. He has made multiple forays into Iraq filming with regular troops and Special Forces and reporting back to U.S. television networks, including CNN. Billingsley received a BS from Columbia University and a master’s degree in war studies from King's College in London. For updates, see the Kennedy Center news and calendar online at http://kennedy.byu.edu or for more information contact cory_leonard@byu.edu. |
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