Samar (province)

Samar (Waray-Waray: Probinsya han Samar: Filipino: Lalawigan ng Samar; Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Samar, formerly known as Western Samar) is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar Island as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located west of the mainland. Fishing and agriculture are the major economic activities of the province.

Samar province is bordered to the north by Northern Samar, to the east by Eastern Samar, to the west by Masbate and Biliran, and to the south by the city of Tacloban, Leyte province and Leyte Gulf. Samar is connected to the island of Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge, which spans the San Juanico Strait, the narrowest strait in the world.

In 1768, the Province of Samar was created after the former Province of Samar and Leyte was split into two independent provinces. Before its partition, Samar province occupied the whole island of Samar and its adjacent islands and islets. In 1965, the provinces of Northern Samar and Eastern Samar were carved out of the single Samar Island Province.

Samar

Samar (/ˈsɑːmɑːr/ SAH-mar) is an island in the Visayas, within central Philippines and the third largest island in the country. The island is divided into three provinces: Samar province (the western two-fifths of the island of Samar), Northern Samar province, and Eastern Samar province. These three provinces, along with the provinces on the nearby islands of Leyte and Biliran are part of the Eastern Visayas region.

Samar is the easternmost island in the Visayas. The island is separated from Leyte by the San Juanico Strait, which at its narrowest point is only about two kilometers across. This strait is crossed by the San Juanico Bridge. Samar lies southeast of the Bicol Peninsula on Luzon, the country's largest island; the San Bernardino Strait separates the two. To the south of Samar is the Leyte Gulf, the site of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the most decisive naval battles during the Second World War. The gulf opens out into the Philippine Sea, found to the east of Samar and is part of the Pacific Ocean.

Samar, Israel

Samar (Hebrew: סָמָר) is a kibbutz in the Arabah valley in the far south of Israel. Located near Eilat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council.

History

The kibbutz was founded in 1976 by gar'in from other kibbutzim who wanted to form a different kind of community. The name "Samar" is borrowed from a plant that grows in the Arabah and near the Dead Sea.

Samar is one of the few kibbutzim that continues to maintain a lifestyle consistent with the original socialist ideals of the kibbutz movement. About 50 to 100 families live there as of 2007.

Economy

Kibbutz Samar is primarily engaged in growing and exporting organic dates. Dates from Kibbutz Samar and other kibbutzim in the Ardom Co-op can be purchased in the United States at Mrs. Green's Natural Market.

Infrastructure

Electricity

Most of Samar's electricity is set to be provided by a 30 m solar power tower that provided 100 kilowatts of energy, as well as the kibbutz's heating needs. The tower was built by the company AORA, sits on 2 dunams (0.2 hectares), and includes 30 mirrors.

Samar (1999 film)

Samar (Hindi: समर, Urdu: سمر, translation: Conflict) (1999) is an Indian feature film directed by Shyam Benegal. This movie is based on the book "Unheard Voices: Stories of Forgotten Lives" by Harsh Mander. It was produced by National Film Development Corporation of India, a government agency.

It stars Rajeshwari Sachdev, Jonhawiwi Forsywas, Kishore Kadam and Seema Biswas among others. The film is in Hindustani. The film's music is composed by Vanraj Bhatia. It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1999.

Overview

The film is based on a real-life story of a Madhya Pradesh village, where a farmer had committed the "crime" of entering the village temple for a thanksgiving, for which he publicly humiliated by village priest. When a film actor is to enacted the scene of humiliation, he revolts, thus sparking off another cycle of violence in the village.

It also presents an unflattering image of modern filmmakers, especially those who visit far-flung rural areas, in search of 'sensitive' stories, while themselves remaining insensitive to the rural dynamics, and in turn adding their own preconceived notions and bias, to the entire film making process.