I don’t usually hold with films made by committee. They tend to be a study in the blandness of desperation to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Not so with WE INTERRUPT THIS EMPIRE, made by The Video Activist Network, a collective of left-leaning committed filmmakers. The reason is that this particular way of filmmaking is so admirably suited to its topic, the protests surrounding Bush II’s war on Iraq. With so many people involved in filming different aspects of the protests cant help but equally reflect the many voices and opinions that motivated the protesters. You may not agree with them all, you may, in point of fact, take issue with some methodology, but you will never have a better window into the activist world. And you will run a serious risk of having a paradigm or two shifted by what you see.
This is a passionate film with a fierce sense of political advocacy that makes its case succinctly. To its credit, it doesn’t soft-sell the violence of some of the demonstrators, showing both those knitting or doing yoga for peace on sidewalks and those who trashed recruiting stations and stopped traffic in all directions in San Francisco on March 20, 2003. Instead, it gives a context to the anger that Bush II’s declaration of war on Iraq engendered while reminding us that the fallout for our civil liberties began almost as soon as the bombs began to drop.
WE INTERRUPT THIS EMPIRE is also a unique document of a particular time, Cut together as a feature within two months of documenting the demonstrations, the film retains an urgent sense of emotional immediacy as it grabs the gut and engages the intellect. What is most striking is how right some of the protester’s arguments turned out to be. As of today, no WMDs have been found, and there has been no undisputable tie between Saddam Hussein and any terrorist organization. Well, none that operated outside of Saddam’s fiefdom. Also striking is how the ties between corporate America’s interests were common knowledge and how the mainstream press didn’t make that part of its coverage. With the first anniversary of the Iraq war coming up, this is timely viewing. Then again, considering the issues presented, its timely no matter what the date.
For information about screenings, video purchase and other provacative work from the The Video Activist Network, click on the link on this page.
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