Real Heroes: Mexico's Super Amigos

Saturday, July 31, 2010 - (From the Hot Docs official description) In Mexico City, five real-life“social wrestlers” have capitalized on the popularity of Mexico’s larger than life Lucha Libre wrestlers to fight for social justice rather than trophies. Wearing custom masks, costumes and capes like the wrestlers who inspired them, these anonymous grassroots superheroes protect their metropolis against injustice.

Super Animal challenges bullfighters to leave the bulls alone and fight him instead. After a savage beating kills his boyfriend, Super Gay becomes a champion of gay rights, fighting rampant homophobia. Ecologista Universal battles environmental destruction of every kind, all on foot. Super Barrio is the defender of poor tenants, helping them resist evictions by slumlords cashing in on gentrification.

With a mixture of live action, comic book-style animation and a surf guitar soundtrack inspired equallyby mariachi music and Batman, Super Amigos shows that with a little imagination, a good heart and the right mask, anyone can activate their communities to triumph over evil.

View the film here: http://www.hotdocslibrary.ca/dsr/#/en/video/11123 – In Spanish with English subtitles – Official Selection, 2007 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Real Heroes: Wild Fire

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - “Fire Starter”, an article recently published in the August/September 2010 issue of Bust Magazine, features the story of a bold young hero named Dallas Jessup. The author, Phoebe Magee writes, “Dallas Jessup was a 13-year-old Portland, OR high school freshman in 2004 when she first saw the surveillance video on the news of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia being abducted from a Florida car wash.” The piece continues to describe how Jessup, “a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a student of Filipino street fighting …realized she possessed a certain set of skills that could protect other young girls from the same fate. So she created Just Yell Fire, a free 45-minute video”. The video teaches young women ages 11-19 a set of basic martial arts skills they can use to defend against sexual assault or other attack.

Now 18 Jessup has helped spark a movement that she calls a “million-girl revolution.” In the Bust article Jessup says proudly, “Girls are fighting back. Even in places not known for standing up and defending girls’ rights.”

A DVD of this video is also available for shipment anywhere in the world. The video is free and available through her website, www.justyellfire.com or write to “JUST YELL FIRE” P.O. Box 5647, Vancouver, WA 98668 for a free DVD.

For the entire article, check out the August/September 2010 issue of Bust Magazine, available at your local bookstore or through mail order at www.bust.com

Civitron Visits Young Heroes at RISE

Saturday, July 24, 2010 – Civitron of the The Heroic 100 visited a group of young heroes at RISE (Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education) to share stories, learn about their program and help them identify some of their own super powers! The costumed activist brought along some blank masks and supplies to spark creativity and get the kids thinking about how they can use their imagination and talents to make the world a better place.

RISE was one of the first programs in the United States to focus on serving children of incarcerated parents.

“In the United States one in forty children has a parent in prison, yet this group remains hidden, with few services available to address their specific needs. While it is tempting to classify children of incarcerated parents in the same category as others receiving welfare services, they are different

The mission of RISE is to provide scholarships and mentoring to children of currently and formerly incarcerated parents in order to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty, crime and addiction that too often threatens them.” (Fromwww.riseonline.org)

The mask-making workshop was an amazing success. Erica Brown, a RISE Mentor Recruiter said, ”The kids all loved making the masks and discovering their own “superpowers”. Some of the superpowers they identified were writing, running and sprinting. They also really liked coming up with their own super hero identities like Mercedes who was “Superstar”.”

Civitron had a great time, too. “It’s so much fun when kids start actually thinking about their talents and skills as real-life superpowers. And from speedsters and martial artists to writers and artists, these kids were just bursting with power and energy! I can’t wait for the next workshop!”

Civitron and The Heroic 100 will definitely be hosting more workshops, patrols and community projects. Keep visiting www.heroic100.org for updates on these and other events!

For more information about RISE, check out www.riseonline.org.