Global Village

Reality (of) Television

One of the realities of television is that many of its programs are pre-recorded. There are a number of reasons for this. Apart from anything else it saves the network money. Take Global Village for example. If I were to sit in the studio at 6pm each night doing the program 'live' (as happens during the WORLD NEWS) we'd need the full complement of personnel in the studio, control room, tapes area, and on-air co-ordinators. Oh and don't forget the make-up people. This is a costly exercise and Global Village doesn't warrant such an expensive treatment. We -pre-record. In doing so we are more economical in dollar terms for the network (read: public purse) but we (read: I) face some pitfalls in the process.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

A few actually

Land of Hope and ?

Doesn't matter what we read about them or how much we empathise with them and their plight I really doubt that anyone can know what it feels like to be a refugee (read: migrant, displaced person, illegal immigrant) unless you've been one yourself. Just like if you've really experienced hunger you won't throw away food just because it's a day old though perfectly edible. I've been both a displaced person/refugee and hungry.

The Dance of Death

Happy Death Everyone! What's Rivier talking about? Has he gone potty? What exactly does he mean!? There's nothing "happy" about death unless maybe you are a Christian close to death and looking forward to meeting your Maker in the after-life. Regardless where death leads the deceased, people experiencing the death of a loved on will probably tell you that it is the saddest and most tragic event in their life. So why, 'Happy death everyone'? Could there be a reason for happiness?

Some Like It Hot!

Thanks to some censorship/classification rules that prevent us seeing certain items at certain times, what you can't see at 6pm on television you can on the Internet, at any time. So, to all those viewers who won't be seeing this particular story in a forthcoming edition of Global Village, because it doesn't conform to the 'G' classification, we bring it to you online. Cyberspace isn't bound by such classification restrictions. Not yet, anyway.

There's No Place Like Home?

Migrants in their adopted country spend years adapting to its way of life, its culture and language. Some eventually call it 'home' while others still pine for the motherland many years later. Why is this so?

The Kris of Life

If I said to you that a bridegroom's dagger could stand-in for him on his wedding day (should he for whatever reason not be able to make it to the altar), you might think I was bonkers.

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

In 2000 I visited one of my most favourite cities, New York. The Big Apple! I was immediately drawn to the theatre precinct of Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera House located in the Lincoln Centre. Just before I reached the Centre I saw an African American in his late 50's I would guess, on his knees on the footpath, with both arms outstretched to the passing public and with tears rolling down his cheeks imploring them in an emotionally charged voice; "Help me - please! I got kids and I've been thrown out on the street, my wife's got cancer." No-one stopped to help.

Taboo

'Taboo'. The word immediately conjures up images of forbidden fruit. According to the Merriam Webster's Dictionary things which are taboo are "banned on grounds of morality or taste…or banned as constituting a risk". Some people are still attracted to these topics as they've been throughout history. Why is that?

Wanna Game of Footy…or Bully?

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, especially if you come from a country where it didn't exist

Mull of Kintyre ain't Ireland, Laddie!

If I said, ‘Mull of Kintyre’ how many of you would know what it is? I'd guess the majority of you, unless you’re of British extraction, would have said it’s the hit song by Paul McCartney and his band WINGS. Correct! But what IS the Mull of Kintyre? It’s a Scottish Peninsula. Why is it a song?

Old Things Never Die (They're just re-built…)

When Dresden's Semper Opera House was destroyed by Allied bombing in World War Two the citizens did all they could to rebuild it to its original design. When the marvellous old Regent Theatre in Sydney was demolished, and not by enemy bombing either, was it replaced by a replica of the old Regent? No, but a huge residential block of apartments.

The Sins of the Fathers...

The Zafimaniry tribe of Madagascar are renowned for their woodcrafting knowledge. So much so that in 2004 UNESCO inscribed their traditional craftsmanship on its list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. So why then do most Zafimaniry adults feel their life is one meaningless, hard-slog? What went wrong? Was it lack of foresight by their ancestors?

One Moment in Time

Ask people from any country what their favourite possessions are, their response might just echo our own; my car, my TV set, my washing machine, my laptop, my machete…"Machete"?!
Oh.. yes, that episode's coming up in a fortnight. But then similarities give way to differences.

Just a Girl at Heart

“Girls will be boys and boys will be girls it’s a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world except for Lola”. So sang The Kinks in the iconic 1970’s song, LOLA.
'Lola' is a bloke.

What’s in a Name? Slave or Free ?

We here in Australia are fortunate to be living in a ‘free’ society. That’s because we’re free to do and say what we want, go where we want and marry who we choose, as long as we don’t break any laws.

The simple things in life...

Global Village, one of SBS's most recognisable programs celebrates 10 years on-air in November this year. Join its presenter, producer and narrator Silvio Rivier as he spotlights one of the episodes each week relating to cultures, traditions and lifestyles of people around the world. Join the discussion with Silvio and try to discover the essence of this unique travel series that's kept viewers glued to it for the past decade.