Film Screening - NOT IN OUR NAME

NOT IN OUR NAME | Dir. HAZUAN HASHIM & PHIL MAXWELL | 60 min| UK 2008 | Trailer

Plus a new short film part of The Art Of Resistance film project featuring AUDREY WHITE.

Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and a special guest.

NOT IN OUR NAME

Featuring veteran anti war campaigner Tony Benn and peace campaigners from around the world, the film opens up a rich visual landscape to explore the folly of war.

Six years in the making Hashim and Maxwell wanted to take the anti war message to a wider audience through an examination of the work of a diverse range of artists against the war. The film includes footage from around the world, including Iraq and the USA.

Tony Benn was involved with the Stop the War Coalition from its foundation. He provided much of the narrative for the film and was well placed to provide a detailed analysis of the events leading up to the war in Iraq in 2003 and the international opposition to it.

On 22nd February 2002 Tony wrote: "Within the next few months a new war may be launched by America against Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein by military force and install a puppet government taking orders from Washington to look after their interests and gain control of the oil.

Our TV news bulletins will be full of pictures of US planes leaving the aircraft carriers and heading for Baghdad, foreign correspondents in flak jackets with video phones will be seen in front of burning buildings, the official spokesmen in the White House will be reporting of the humanitarian nature of the operation and intelligence briefings will be discreetly handed over to distinguished media commentators and broadcasters to "help them with their articles and programmes".

We may even be told that the International Community is supporting it when we all know that opposition worldwide is almost unanimous”.

Tony’s contribution to ‘Not in Our Name’ provides the viewer with a historical context for the events that have unfolded since the war began. He was a brilliant communicator who was able to instill hope into the campaign against the war. His message of peace and justice was based on the firm belief that the solidarity of millions of people against the war is far stronger than the menacing forces of imperialism.