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Indymedia UK is a network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues

Contributors wanted for GM film

R2R | 17.11.2003 12:17 | Bio-technology | Ecology | Indymedia | Cambridge | Oxford

Contributors are being sought for a film about the last six or seven years worth of campaigning against the introduction of genetically modified crops. If you have video footage of demonstrations, protests, office occupations or direct action, please let us know. We are also seeking people who have a specific personal involvement in the campaign in some way and are willing to be interviewed for the film.

Real2Reel is a small not-for-profit video collective that was born out of Lifecycles Pedal Powered Cinema. We make films about social justice and environmental issue from a grassroots direct action perspective. We make films to empower and inform with a view to inspire action, we do not make films for passive entertainment.

Our films are mostly about the campaign against GM food in this country and some of our titles include; Messages to DEFRA, Tractors & Trollies, Modified Wheat, The GM Maze, and Anti-biotic Resistance is Fertile. Many of our films can be found as lowbandwidth modem friendly videos on Indymedia (search indymedia for r2r) or as highbandwidth version on www.v2v.cc (VP3) or www.ngvison.org (MPEG).

We usually make short films (around 5 minutes) but aim to put together a much longer piece that brings together the diversity of tactics and campaigning that have been used over the last seven years to halt the introduction of GM.

We are specifically seeking footage from early events such as the Cambridge PBI potatoe cricket march or agricultural show, the Oxfordshire Watlington picnic, Dorset Over Compton rally, Wivenhoe, Welsh protests, the SHAG Monsanto office occupation, the SHAG PR company occupation, any of the many supermarket trolly actions, the Pink Castle and any Scotish actions.

We are also seeking people willing to talk about their role in the campaign, be it lobbying, awareness raising or direct action (we could if required come up with ways to obscure identity). Peoples personal journeys and motivations which led to them getting involves are what we want. What made you become active on the issue? Had you campaigned before on other issues? Did you stay involved or move on to other campaigns? if so, what and why? what did your experiences in the campaign teach you?

The somewhat ambitious aim of the film is to document the incrediable history and successes of the anti-GM movement and to draw out any lessons that might be of use to other campaigns. What was it that got so many people from different backgrounds involved in the campaign? How did the various approaches to the campaign compliment each other? What was it that created such huge public support for actions against GM?

If you'd like to help, please do get in touch. There is no money available to pay anyone but we can definitly managed to cover expenses for people tapes and postage and might be able to cover travel expenses if required for interviews.

If you'd like to support the project in some other way, perhaps as a composer, writer, graphic designer or some other skill, please do not hesitate to let us know.

ben for R2R

EMAIL real2reel AT videoactivism DOT org

R2R


Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. pictures from paris — people & planet APU / Young Friends of the Earth Berlin
  2. oups — BUNDjugend Berlin / Joerg

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