Congratulations to all the winners no matter how brief it may have been.

The Academy has finally broken into the 21st century.

February 27, 2017
By Peter Hammond

...I have covered (click here) a lot of Oscar shows in my time, but never have I seen one go down like this one did Sunday night, when La La Land was announced for Best Picture, and speeches were made … only to have it taken away. Due to a mistake in handing the correct envelope to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, Moonlight was then declared the actual winner in a bizarre moment when La La producer Jordan Horowitz  had to stop everything in its tracks and tell the audience his movie was not the winner after all.

It was definitely a say what? moment for the ages....

List of Winners of Oscar Awards 2017:

Best Picture: Moonlight

Best Actor: Casey Affleck

Best Actress: Emma Stone

Supporting Actor: Mahershala

Supporting Actress: Viola Davis

Best Director: Damien Chazelle

Foreign Language Film: The Salesman

Adapted Screenplay: Moonlight by Barry Jenkins

Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea by Kenneth Lonergan

Production Design: La La Land

Cinematography: Linus Sandgren

Sound Mixing: Hacksaw Ridge

Sound Editing: Arrival

Original Score: La La Land

Original Song: City of Stars

Costume Design: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Documentary (Short Subject): The White Helmets

Documentary Feature: OBJECTION

Film Editing: Hacksaw Ridge

Makeup and Hairstyling: Suicide Squad

Animated Feature: Zootopia

Animated Short Film: Disney Piper

Live Action Short Film: Sing

Visual Effects: The Jungle Book

I think that covers them all. I don't care how magnificent the OJ film may have been his name belongs nowhere near any award.

"The White Helmets" was an incredible film and I knew it would be chosen for the very real fact people spilled blood in making that nearly hour long film. 

"The White Helmets" is an amazing film and teaches a great deal about the potential for peace in the Middle East. One of the profound problems facing countries destabilized by civil unrest is the fact there are so many factions and ethnic diversity there is not enough land to accommodate them, hence the tensions we see today.

As populations increase over time there is more land needed to allow people to exist and live; that includes agricultural land. Of course we know the drought in Syria and the result of that pressure on populations and their farmers. What "The White Helmets" taught me is that men of all ethnic backgrounds can come together to create something wonderful and good. These people can set aside ancient anger and new population pressure to save ANY person that survived an attack.

I also thought the people of Turkey that took these men under their wing to teach them search and rescue, provide equipment and assist in supplies were also remarkable. Turkey, of course, was the only Western country involved in the organization of these men into a force to be recon with.

"Barrel bombs (click here) - sometimes filled with chlorine - are the biggest killer of civilians in Syria today. Our unarmed and neutral rescue workers have saved more than 78,529 people from the attacks in Syria, but there are many we cannot reach. There are children trapped in rubble we cannot hear. For them, the UN Security Council must follow through on its demand to stop the barrel bombs, by introducing a 'no-fly zone' if necessary." - Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, the Syrian Civil Defence.

Over 78,000 lives saved and in order to do so there are about 10 White Helmets that died in that process. That speaks to their proficiency and dauntless bravery.

This documentary needs to be seen by all the people interested in finding a path to peace in the Middle East. It proves that peace is possible and mutual interests can be found between all parties regardless of their difference.

"The White Helmets" are UNARMED.