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:
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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
Comments
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Taking Liberties since 1997?!
03.12.2007 18:46
And why did the filmmakers give the likes of Boris Johnson and the Natwest 3 a platform?
my @rse!
tory election broadcast
03.12.2007 19:27
It is a vacant appeal to mainstream liberalism in middle england against the Government. (no big challenge there)
It works by cutting out the passion of protesters and making it into slightly amusing naughtiness and english eccentricity that we all love to think is the heart of moderate Englishness and thus does not deserve suppression
the campaigns covered are sanitized and simplified and the actual resistance and enthusiasm of the campaigns is bled dry to fit with the passionless personality of the director (who also makes an appearance in the film).
this film doesn't make you want to resist the suppression of civil liberties on the street just vote against the current government in the next election (pointless)
There is no historical depth apart from a vague presentation of the magna carta
Nat West 3 (who have now pleaded guilty) sum up the message
They say 'We have to get this government out'
Meaning bring the fluffy Boris Johnson and pals in and everything will be fine
second
Points
03.12.2007 20:05
It's clear that this film does not get to any real roots of problems, and in fact over looks many series issues (such as 9/11 and 7/7) for starters, as well as UN/European control. But to dive into these issues for most people makes them entirely ignore the problem, and also alienates the mainstream media to even mention the film.
I agree with you though that at no point does this film make you want to "stand up for your civil liberties", and begin to resist the state, it in fact most of the time probably makes the viewer less likely to want to get involved. Maybe even concluding that the activists involved are of a rare breed, that they are not.
Overall though, I'm sure this enlightens people who have not got a clue about what is going on in the world, or about any kind of injustice taking place.
well made
Torrent
03.12.2007 20:08
YouTube sucks though, better get the DIVX AVI rip that you can burn onto a CD and play in (new, cheap) DVD players:
potential watcher
Sedition now
04.12.2007 12:35
We must act now. If not now, then when? How many people gave their lives in WWII to prevent Britain surrendering to fascism? So why on earth are we so apathetic when the Orwellian state is becoming a reality before our very own eyes? Perhaps because of the stealthy nature of the erosion. The government keeps testing the water to see what it can get away with. No riots? Good, we can bring in the next piece of illiberal legislation to appease the control freaks.
Mass civil disobedience. I see no other way. We withdraw our consent to be controlled by the state, and the state becomes powerless and collapses.
Gandhi admirer
my review...
04.12.2007 15:15
anarchoteapot
independent videographers footage
04.12.2007 17:17
I wonder what they made of the film, would they make a film like this?
I fuckin hope not
my @rse!
Missing the point
04.12.2007 21:50
The point of featuring the Natwest 3, foxhunters, etc was not to condone their activities or political views - it was to demonstrate important legal principles. It may be the Natwest 3 being extradited today, but who will it be next time? Similarly, so far it's mainly Muslims who have been the victims of gross miscarriages of justice under recently-introduced terrorism legislation, which is in itself deplorable, but it won't always be the case. We're on a slippery slope and we'd better get a grip soon, or else we'd better get used to living under fascism.
G A