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Title:

A New Wave? Iraq and Dissent in Cinema

Your vote:
Yes No
Organizer:
Tanya Paperny, Campus Progress
Description:
In the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of remarkable documentaries and features about the Iraq War, films that document the realities on the ground with a depth that the mainstream media has largely failed to achieve. Yet these films have not been widely seen by the general public, just as activism to end the war has largely been muted and ineffective. Campus Progress, one of the leading national organizations working to help young people address key issues, has brought many of these films to campuses and communities, along with panel discussions about the films and the issues they raise. Please join Campus Progress for a hard-hitting discussion about the significance of Iraq war films and the potential of film and other art to spur debate and action. Hear what directors and producers have to say about what it takes to make a successful film on a controversial topic, and hear from Iraq war veterans and other experts about the situation on the ground.
Questions
Answered:
  1. What films about the Iraq War have been made in the last few years?
  2. Who are some of the leading directors/producers/writers involved in these films?
  3. What is the history of efforts to oppose the Iraq war?
  4. In what ways do these films show images and stories that are lacking in the mainstream media coverage of the war?
  5. What do Iraq Veterans think about anti-war documentaries?
  6. Why doesn't the American viewing public support these films?
  7. What are the ingredients for successful documentaries on controversial political topics?
  8. What have some filmmakers had to overcome in order to create and shoot these films?
  9. What is the significance of films in the larger movement for a change of course on the war?
  10. What has been the role of other art forms – music, novels, visual arts – in the debate over the war?
Level:
Intermediate
Category:
Human / Social Issues
Type:
Panel
Event:
SXSW Interactive 2009
Tanya Paperny
on 8/8/08
Hey all, Tanya here from Campus Progress. Just a few more notes on this panel:

This panel on the impact of Iraq war films and documentaries will include people in the film world, from directors and actors to film studies experts and critics to activists.

Potential panelists include (we've worked with all of them in the past): John Cusack (“War Inc.,” “Grace is Gone”), David Simon (“Generation Kill’), Rory Kennedy (“Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”), Michael Moore, and the directors of “No End in Sight,” “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “The Ground Truth,” and other key Iraq documentaries; also some Iraq war veterans.

Other topics we'll touch on include:

- What were the individual film goals and what have they achieved?
- What obstacles did the filmmakers run up against in making the films?
- Do film makers stop making films in light of lackluster response from moviegoers and critics?
- Films that document the challenges soldiers face when returning home and their impact on Iraq War veterans

Email us at organize(at)campusprogress(dot)org if you have any questions!
Kay Steiger
on 11/8/08
I had huge problems with "No End in Sight" even if I do think it adds value to the discussion. I think it'd be interesting as well to examine why these such movies are so unpopular.
M4R Converter
on 18/11/09
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