Wittgenstein and the Sunday Cat

Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, I, 250:

Why can’t a dog simulate pain? Is he too honest? Could one teach a dog to simulate pain? Perhaps it is possible to teach him to howl on particular occasions as if he were in pain, even when he is not. But the surroundings which are necessary for this behaviour to be real simulation are missing. (PI #250).

Cats, on the other hand…

It is hard to watch the video and not be tempted to believe that the cat and dog have some sort of theory of mind that covers different species.  An alternative, however, is to think of social actions like theirs as more deeply grounded in their biology. 

 Here is a more scary video, but don’t worry – no one is hurt.

Rape in the Congo

Lisa Brice, Online Marketing and Outreach Coordinator of WOMEN MAKE MOVIES, writes  us:

I am writing from Women Make Movies, a non-profit distributor of independent film, to let you know about the upcoming national HBO broadcast premiere of THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO, a groundbreaking documentary that exposes the systematic rape and torture of thousands of women and girls happening in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), being used as a weapon of war.

A survivor of gang rape herself, Emmy-Award® winning filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson travels through the DRC to understand what is happening and why. This award-winning documentary features interviews with activists, physicians, even the indifferent rapists who are soldiers of the Congolese Army. But the most moving moments of this film come as dozens of survivors recount their stories with pulverizing honesty and detail, providing inspiring examples of resistance, courage and grace.

===============================================================
National Broadcast Premiere | THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO ===============================================================

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* NATIONAL BROADCAST PREMIERE *
* HBO | APRIL 8 | 10 PM *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“[A] documentary of the highest calling.”
– The Hollywood Reporter

“Breaks open the terrorizing story of rape and atrocity…Bravely documents what happens to women in war.”
– Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues

Women Make Movies is proud to announce the highly anticipated premiere of Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary winner THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO by Emmy® Award-winning director Lisa F. Jackson. The acclaimed documentary premieres on HBO at 10pm on April 8.

Watch the Trailer here:
http://thegreatestsilence.org/trailer.html

====================
AWARDS & SCREENINGS
====================

*Sundance Film Festival, Special Jury Prize: Documentary *London Human Rights Watch Int’l Film Festival, Best of Fest *One World Int’l Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague *San Francisco Human Rights Watch Int’l Film Festival *Full Frame Documentary Film Festival *Seattle Human Rights Watch Film Festival *Addis Int’l Film Festival on Rights and Justice, Addis Ababa

====================
ABOUT THE FILM
====================

Shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this extraordinary film shatters the silence that surrounds the shocking plight of women and girls who, caught in this country’s intractable conflict, are being systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army.
Learn more about the film here: http://www.wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c709.shtml

***********************
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
***********************

» Tune in to the broadcast premiere on HBO on April 8 at 10PM.

» Forward this email on to your organization’s members, friends and colleagues.

» Post an announcement about the film and broadcast to your listserv.

» Include information about the film and broadcast in your newsletter.

» Link your website here: http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/view_newsletter.php?newsletter_id 1409660503

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Women Make Movies is the world’s leading distributor of independent films by and about women, with a focus on documentaries that give depth to today’s headlines, as well as artistically and intellectually challenging works of all genres. Our collection of more than 500 films is also used by thousands of educational, community and cultural organizations annually.
For more information, visit http://www.wmm.com.

….

Women Make Movies – 462 Broadway #500 – New York – NY – 10013