Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Thursday, 10pm, and Saturday, 7pm.
Access News — Melbourne community TV, Channel 31, has excellent coverage of industrial, environmental and community actions throughout Victoria. Access News broadcasts every Monday and Friday at 8pm. Phone (03) 9525 3551 to contact the producers or make a donation.
Manila: the Real Thing — A report on the pervasive influence of advertising in the Philippines. The program cuts between the glamorous world of the advertisers and the poor for whom all this is only a dream. SBS, Friday, February 7, 12.30pm.
From Shore to Shore — Traditional Irish music-making in New York, from its golden age in the 78 rpm record era through its popular revival in the 1960s to today's vibrant Irish music scene. SBS, Saturday, February 8, 3.30pm.
AIDS in India: The New Untouchables — This documentary focuses on India, which is facing an AIDS tragedy on an unheard-of scale, surpassing that of sub-equatorial Africa. The program uncovers the widespread official apathy and denial, which could result in tens of millions of people being infected by the end of the decade. SBS, Sunday, February 9, 8.35pm.
Women: Strength of Vietnam — Prominent Vietnamese women, the soldiers of yesterday, talk about themselves and their responsibilities in today's Vietnam, as well as their vision for their country. Alongside these high-ranking women, young factory workers and hotel employees talk about their jobs and hopes for the future. SBS, Monday, February 10, 12.25am.
Hunger Strike: A Hidden History — Set your video! In March 1981, republican political prisoner Bobby Sands began a hunger strike in the Maze prison, Northern Ireland, seeking "political status". He died 62 days later amid an international outcry. This program tells the dramatic story of the 1981 hunger strike. ABC TV, Monday, February 10, 2.30am.
Cutting Loose — An entertaining documentary on the annual New Orleans Mardi Gras, which covers the weeks of meticulous preparation and focuses on various personalities during the big event — from the flamboyant floats of the city's gay community to the amazing costumes of the African-American "Indian tribes", whose celebrations hark bark to the origins of the festival. SBS, Monday, February 10, 11.05pm.
The Mahogany Trail — Secretly filmed in the Brazilian Amazon region for a year, this film examines the scandalous illegal mahogany trade, continuing despite international agreements and constitutional prohibition. SBS, Tuesday, February 11, 8.30pm.
Wildscreen: Numbats — The numbat struggles for survival against its main predator, the fox. ABC TV, Wednesday, February 12, 8pm.
Rats in the Ranks — A humorous and revealing documentary about the power struggles and factional antics that take place as Sydney's Leichhardt Council elects it mayor. ABC TV, Wednesday, February 12, 8.30pm.
Colour Bars — Fabio Cavadini and Mandy King's documentary gives voice to the ideas of five young Australians from Fijian-Indian, Greek, Serbian, Palestinian and Chinese-Filipino backgrounds about the reality of being in families with cultures different from the "mainstream". Colour Bars discusses racism, sexual attitudes, violence and media representation with each of these young Australians. SBS, Wednesday, February 12, 8.30pm.
Movie: Diary in a Marble (1992) — The changing face of Poland and its quest for identity as seen through the eyes of Janek, born in 1939, who lives through the war, the Stalinist regime and the emergence of the Solidarity trade union movement. SBS, Wednesday, February 12, 9.30pm.
Bolivar's Road: Profile of a Continent — The final part of a program which examines aspects of South American life such as colonisation, independence, violent crime and the suppression of indigenous people in light of 19th century anti-colonialist Simon Bolivar's dream of a free and united continent. SBS, Thursday, February 13, 7.30pm.
Timeframe: Elsie — Australia's first women's refuge and the struggles of a small group of pioneer women activists. ABC TV, Thursday, February 13, 8.30pm.
Movie: Back to Back, Face to Face (1994) — Huang Jianxin's allegorical film about office politics in China centres on the rise and fall of master manipulator Wang, assistant director at the cultural centre in Xian, who is trying to claw his way to the top. SBS, Thursday, February 13, 9.30pm.