9/11 Opening program
As a prologue to the festival the centre for culture and politics De Balie hosts the opening program of Next 5 Minutes 4 on Thursday September 11. The symbolism of this date is inescapable. On September 11 2002 a debate was organised in the very same spot under the title “One year after”, reflecting on the media representation of 9/11 and its significance for tactical media. The debate marked the start of the preparation process for N5M4 and the series of Tactical Media Labs. Now, another year later, we want to reflect not on the events of 9/11 themselves, but on their effects in the United States, but especially outside of the US.
We have invited the following guests of the festival to share their experience with the audience:
RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) were powerful media advocates in getting the word out about women's rights under the Taliban. They have an ability to bring the global witness into the soccer stadiums of the Taliban, and then into the homes of Afghans during the US-led military campaign post-9/11.
http://rawa.fancymarketing.net/
RAWA takes a pointedly anti-Taliban but also anti-US rule stance with regard to Afghanisatn. They will show video materials and comment on the effects of the post 9/11 fall out for their country.
Baghdad In No Particular Order:
Notes and ephemera from a city under siege
by Paul Chan - a New York City artist, who spent one month (Dec 2002-Jan 2003) in Baghdad as a member of the Iraq peace team, a project of Voices in the Wilderness, a Nobel Peace prize nominated group working to end the sanctions against Iraq.
Josh Shore, of GNN - Guerrilla News Network, will introduce and screen the film Aftermath (GNN, VS, 2002, 35')
Narrated by Hip Hop legend Paris and featuring interviews shot by GNN syndicate producers in six cities, AFTERMATH features nine (9) people answering eleven (11) of the most pressing questions that emanate from the terrible and, as yet, unexplained, events of that day. As you will see, these are questions that continue to overshadow and critically challenge the official 'version' of the story.
Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise will present a short on 9'11, and
shorts made by Iraqi youths during the Iraq Media project, a video
witnessing project for Iraqi youth that she has launched there since june.
The Iraqi's shot and edited a number of pieces on the occupation, and
established one of the only truly independent newspapers (in both arabic
and english) publishing on a bi-weekly basis. In addition she will show
part of a film documenting a visit of family members of those killed on
9'11 to Afghanistan.
