Susan Willis, managing partner of post company Cutting Room Films, assembled a group of NYC’s top female voices in advertising for a screening of Five Awake, the short documentary she directed and produced with activist Donna Dees. The documentary chronicles the journey of five Louisiana women who sought to change the state for the better by pushing through a historic legislative package to protect the victims of domestic violence and save lives. The screening, held at the Helen Mills Theater in Manhattan, also featured a panel discussion with Willis, Dees and three of the five women featured in the film: United Way of Southeast Louisiana EVP/COO Charmaine Caccioppi, United Way of Southeast Louisiana attorney Kim Sport and New Orleans Family Justice Center director Mary Claire Landry.
The panel delved into the progress made to date and the outlook for the future. The women explained how though they had succeeded in passing 60 provisions in Louisiana domestic violence law, progress can only be realized if judges, police officers and the general public fully understand the reforms, underscoring the need for education and raising awareness. Between hosting informational workshops and leveraging the media to get the word out, the ardent women provided encouraging insight to screening attendees, inspiring action and participation on different levels.
“Domestic violence is a cancer that attacks all communities,” noted Caccioppi. “We are still in great need of the financial resources needed to treat the illness and help the families impacted.”
At the reception following the screening and panel, the filmmakers and film subjects connected with the affected audience members, sparking conversations surrounding how both on an individual level and on a industry level, women can become involved in championing similar legislation across the country.
“Women in the fields of broadcasting, marketing and advertising have been instrumental in the progress of these kinds of initiatives and driving their awareness,” said Dees. “By leveraging their creativity and expertise, they have the ability to spark and drive these kinds of movements.”
Five Awake received the award for “Best Documentary Short” at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and is scheduled to screen as part of the festival program at the New Orleans Film Festival on October 18th at the Orpheum Theater. Five Awake was just chosen as the “2016 Louisiana Feature Award” recipient, which also includes a prize of $10,000 worth of Panavision film equipment to be used on a feature project. The film has also been screening at universities nationwide, extending the educational reach of the documentary to help pave the way for future political advocacy.
The half-hour documentary also features interviews with Louisiana State Representative Helena Moreno and Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence executive director Beth Meeks, who were unable to attend the screening. The powerful film not only portrays a look at these women’s determination to affect real change in a complicated political system, but also provides a blueprint for future generations of activists to empower themselves, have hope and push for progress.
South Korea fines Meta $15 million for illegally collecting information on Facebook users
South Korea's privacy watchdog on Tuesday fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.
It was the latest in a series of penalties against Meta by South Korean authorities in recent years as they increase their scrutiny of how the company, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, handles private information.
Following a four-year investigation, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission concluded that Meta unlawfully collected sensitive information about around 980,000 Facebook users, including their religion, political views and whether they were in same-sex unions, from July 2018 to March 2022.
It said the company shared the data with around 4,000 advertisers.
South Korea's privacy law provides strict protection for information related to personal beliefs, political views and sexual behavior, and bars companies from processing or using such data without the specific consent of the person involved.
The commission said Meta amassed sensitive information by analyzing the pages the Facebook users liked or the advertisements they clicked on.
The company categorized ads to identify users interested in themes such as specific religions, same-sex and transgender issues, and issues related to North Korean escapees, said Lee Eun Jung, a director at the commission who led the investigation on Meta.
"While Meta collected this sensitive information and used it for individualized services, they made only vague mentions of this use in their data policy and did not obtain specific consent," Lee said.
Lee... Read More