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Stroud Film Screening: "i" Argentina, Crisis & Indymedia

PeterPannier | 05.11.2010 12:10 | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements

What can we learn from previous Economic Crises? A showing of the film "i" (84min).
Film Screening at The Exchange, Brick Row, Stroud, 7.30pm Thursday 11th November, till 10.30pm. Cost: £5 or S£3 (Three Stroud Pounds)
Film discusses development of Indymedia Argentina, Occupied Factories, Economic / Financial Crisis

Press Release follows. It's a wandering an slightly arty/philosophical film rather than a straight doc about Argentina and Empreses Recuperadas(?) (Occupied Factories returned to production by sacked workers), but for people interested in Indymedia - how it works, doesn't work, could work, struggles to work etc - its highly recommended...

What can we learn from previous Economic Crises? A showing of the film "i".

What: Film Screening
Where: The Exchange, Brick Row, Stroud
When: 7.30pm Thursday 11th November, till 10.30pm.
Cost: £5 or S£3 (Three Stroud Pounds)
Brief Summary:

"i" is a feature-length (84 minute) documentary about economic crisis and independent communication. The film follows the first year of a small ‘Indymedia’ group in Buenos Aires as it struggles to report on the whirlwind of political upheaval engulfing Argentina as it collapses under a “monstrous, suffocating, ridiculous external debt”. Sound familiar? This film discusses some of the responses Argentinian civil society made to the financial crisis there in 2001-2, and will inform a debate about the effects of the financial crisis in the UK and Stroud - and how we should respond.

Further Information:

As a result of the Argentinian Financial Crisis, unemployment in the country reached record levels, but in response workers took over abandoned factories and returned them to production. The mainstream media ignored this movement, so independent local media centers set up - one in an former bank building!

The film is highly critically acclaimed - Naomi Klein, author of the bestsellers 'No Logo' and 'The Shock Doctrine' called the film "Beautiful, intellectual, riotous," adding "it fits in no box (and no blurb), just see it!"

The film screening forms part of a series of 'Stroud Debates', organised by Stroud Communiverity (a collaboration between Transition Stroud and Stroud CommonWealth) - designed to echo the 'Putney Debates' of the 17th century Civil War aftermath. As such, a discussion about the relevance of the Argentina's experiences to the UK, and Stroud, will follow the film.

A member of Transition Stroud said "We can learn a lot about what the likely effects of the recent financial crisis on the UK and Stroud will be from previous examples from around the world. It is important that these stories are not forgotten and - with the threat of Rupert Murdoch increasing his control of the UK media - now is the perfect time to debate the role of a free and independent press"

For more information email events _at_ transitionstroud.org

Notes for editors:

1. The 'Stroud Debates' began with a film about the Icelandic Financial Crisis 'Maybe I should Have', shown in October. Future events include a visit by Prof. Mary Mellor - who will give a talk entitled 'Money: From Financial Crisis to Public Resource' and an evening in the main room of the Sub Rooms with John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network entitled 'The Rise and Rise of Britain's Tax Haven Empire'. We will be releasing Press Releases for these events.

2. Transition Stroud is a local organisation dedicated to promoting and establishing community solutions to the problems raised by Peak Oil and Climate Change. See: www.transitionstroud.org for more information

3. Stroud CommonWealth exists to own and develop property for community benefit and to enable social enterprise development. See:  http://www.stroudcommonwealth.org.uk/ for more information.

4. Stroud Communiversity was set up in 2008 and aims to build a community of practice for sustainable livelihoods and a local living economy. See:  http://www.stroudcommonwealth.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=45 for more information.

5. More information about the film "i" is available from the official website:  http://ithefilm.com/home

PeterPannier