"Taking Liberties" now available on youtube
New Labour: New Lies | 03.12.2007 17:37 | SOCPA | Iraq | Terror War | London | World
TAKING LIBERTIES reveals how the six central pillars of liberty have been systematically destroyed by New Labour, and the freedoms of the British people stolen from under their noses amidst a climate of fear created by the media and government itself.
Right to Protest
Right to Freedom of Speech
Right to Privacy
Right not to be detained without charge
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Prohibition from Torture
TAKING LIBERTIES reveals how the six central pillars of liberty have been systematically destroyed by New Labour, and the freedoms of the British people stolen from under their noses amidst a climate of fear created by the media and government itself.
The film is now available to watch at YouTube.
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j21rcnJ3EO8
TAKING LIBERTIES uncovers the stories the government don’t want you to hear – so ridiculous you will laugh, so ultimately terrifying you will want to take action. Teenage sisters detained for 36 hours for a peaceful protest; an RAF war veteran arrested for wearing an anti-Bush and Blair T-shirt; an innocent man shot in a police raid; and a man held under house arrest for two years, after being found innocent in court. Ordinary law-abiding citizens being punished for exercising their ‘rights’ – rights that have been fought for over centuries, and which seem to have been extinguished in a decade.
Irreverent but revelatory, outrageous but true, TAKING LIBERTIES combines these real stories of liberty loss with never-seen-before footage, cheeky stunts and comment from Mark Thomas, leading politicians, celebrities, human rights organisations, academics and lawyers. Narration from Ashley Jensen (EXTRAS, UGLY BETTY); a pumping soundtrack with tracks by Oasis, Radiohead, Stranglers and Franz Ferdinand; and the presence of Kurt Engfehr, producer of FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE add up to make TAKING LIBERTIES the
Right to Freedom of Speech
Right to Privacy
Right not to be detained without charge
Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Prohibition from Torture
TAKING LIBERTIES reveals how the six central pillars of liberty have been systematically destroyed by New Labour, and the freedoms of the British people stolen from under their noses amidst a climate of fear created by the media and government itself.
The film is now available to watch at YouTube.
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j21rcnJ3EO8 TAKING LIBERTIES uncovers the stories the government don’t want you to hear – so ridiculous you will laugh, so ultimately terrifying you will want to take action. Teenage sisters detained for 36 hours for a peaceful protest; an RAF war veteran arrested for wearing an anti-Bush and Blair T-shirt; an innocent man shot in a police raid; and a man held under house arrest for two years, after being found innocent in court. Ordinary law-abiding citizens being punished for exercising their ‘rights’ – rights that have been fought for over centuries, and which seem to have been extinguished in a decade.
Irreverent but revelatory, outrageous but true, TAKING LIBERTIES combines these real stories of liberty loss with never-seen-before footage, cheeky stunts and comment from Mark Thomas, leading politicians, celebrities, human rights organisations, academics and lawyers. Narration from Ashley Jensen (EXTRAS, UGLY BETTY); a pumping soundtrack with tracks by Oasis, Radiohead, Stranglers and Franz Ferdinand; and the presence of Kurt Engfehr, producer of FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE add up to make TAKING LIBERTIES the
New Labour: New Lies
Additions
Meet the Director
03.12.2007 18:38
The Director of Taking Liberties will be appearing along with others, this Sunday 9th December at 'Pathways For Independent Filmmakers' in West London
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2007/11/386541.html
Come and join in the discussion about Film Making, and how to make the best use of New Distribution Methods.
Its Free!! and part of The Portobello Film Festival
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2007/11/386541.html Come and join in the discussion about Film Making, and how to make the best use of New Distribution Methods.
Its Free!! and part of The Portobello Film Festival
Filmmakers Against War
Homepage:
http://www.filmmakersagainstwar.org/
My review...
03.12.2007 21:00
...originally published by Catalyst Media:
Under Tony Blair, the UK took significant strides down the road to being a totalitarian state. That's the controversial claim Taking Liberties makes, but it's a difficult one to argue against once the evidence has been stacked up.
The film bases its case on six planks of post-war 'freedom', which Atkins insists all Prime Ministers since Churchill have held sacred: the right to protest, freedom of speech, privacy, no detention without trial, fair extradition, and absolutely no torture.
Using a slightly confusing mixture of interviews, sinister animations, news clips and front line footage, Atkins then shows us how all of these 'rights' have effectively been shredded over the Blair decade. Atrocities and absurd humour mingle 'freely', and I imagine the film would shake many blissfully ignorant people out of their stupor.
We know that Blair invoked 9/11 when he wanted to make some of his most tyrannical assaults on freedom. But none of them - from bans on protesting outside Parliament without police permission, to ID cards - could actually stop any terrorists, and almost all seem to have been planned before September 2001. If there were a few months without any terrorist activity, Tony's cronies claimed their laws were working. But 7/7 didn't mean failure, it just meant even tougher ones were needed, like ninety days detention without trial. And he wasn't actually that bothered about terrorism anyway, because he shrugged off intelligence that invading Iraq would 'heighten' the threat. So why was Blair so keen on the iron fist and jackboot?
Atkins doesn't have an answer, and that is this film's Achilles heel. It's all very well showing us the tireless Brian Haw saying 'be inspired', but be inspired to do what?
What Atkins fails to tell us is that ever since the state was first created, it has always brought in more draconian laws at times of a large gap between rich and poor. In fact the word 'draconian' refers to the Ancient Greek legislator Draco, who brought in the death penalty for what might today be seen as minor offences, at a time when the Athens aristocracy was having trouble with the lower orders.
Under Blair, an enormous amount of wealth was shifted from the poor to the rich, and the richest one hundred saw their fortune treble in value. 'Trust me' Tony built a police state for the same reason kings used to have castles built - protection. But that isn't an argument against trying to create an equal society; it's an argument for storming the fortress now, before the walls get any higher.
Under Tony Blair, the UK took significant strides down the road to being a totalitarian state. That's the controversial claim Taking Liberties makes, but it's a difficult one to argue against once the evidence has been stacked up.
The film bases its case on six planks of post-war 'freedom', which Atkins insists all Prime Ministers since Churchill have held sacred: the right to protest, freedom of speech, privacy, no detention without trial, fair extradition, and absolutely no torture.
Using a slightly confusing mixture of interviews, sinister animations, news clips and front line footage, Atkins then shows us how all of these 'rights' have effectively been shredded over the Blair decade. Atrocities and absurd humour mingle 'freely', and I imagine the film would shake many blissfully ignorant people out of their stupor.
We know that Blair invoked 9/11 when he wanted to make some of his most tyrannical assaults on freedom. But none of them - from bans on protesting outside Parliament without police permission, to ID cards - could actually stop any terrorists, and almost all seem to have been planned before September 2001. If there were a few months without any terrorist activity, Tony's cronies claimed their laws were working. But 7/7 didn't mean failure, it just meant even tougher ones were needed, like ninety days detention without trial. And he wasn't actually that bothered about terrorism anyway, because he shrugged off intelligence that invading Iraq would 'heighten' the threat. So why was Blair so keen on the iron fist and jackboot?
Atkins doesn't have an answer, and that is this film's Achilles heel. It's all very well showing us the tireless Brian Haw saying 'be inspired', but be inspired to do what?
What Atkins fails to tell us is that ever since the state was first created, it has always brought in more draconian laws at times of a large gap between rich and poor. In fact the word 'draconian' refers to the Ancient Greek legislator Draco, who brought in the death penalty for what might today be seen as minor offences, at a time when the Athens aristocracy was having trouble with the lower orders.
Under Blair, an enormous amount of wealth was shifted from the poor to the rich, and the richest one hundred saw their fortune treble in value. 'Trust me' Tony built a police state for the same reason kings used to have castles built - protection. But that isn't an argument against trying to create an equal society; it's an argument for storming the fortress now, before the walls get any higher.
Neon Black
Homepage:
http://www.catalystmedia.org.uk
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