[imc-scotland-film] Fwd: McLibel on BBC2, Sun 5 June. (pls forward)

[Anarcho Babe]

------- Forwarded message -------
From: Spanner Films <hello at spannerfilms.net>
Subject: McLibel on BBC2, Sun 5 June. (pls forward)
Date: 30 May 2005 12:55:50 -0000

 1 June 2005.  Press Release from Spanner Films
 _______________________________________
>
>
>
> McLIBEL CHOSEN FOR FLAGSHIP BBC2 SERIES OF OSCAR-WINNERS AND HIT 
> DOCUMENTARIES
>
>
>
> LIVE WEBCHAT WITH DEFENDANTS AND DIRECTOR
>
> FOLLOWING BROADCAST
>
> _______________________________________
>
>
>
> -> available online at:
>
> http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=1918
>
>
>
> -> press contact: Lizzie Gillett
>
> lizzie at spannerfilms.net
>
>
>
> -> more on the film:
>
> http://www.spannerfilms.net/mclibel
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> McLIBEL CHOSEN FOR FLAGSHIP BBC2 SERIES
>
> OF OSCAR-WINNERS AND HIT DOCUMENTARIES
>
>
>
> LIVE WEBCHAT TO FOLLOW SCREENING
>
>
>
> -> After a ten year production, Franny Armstrong's no-budget documentary, 
> 'McLibel',
>
> will be broadcast on BBC2 on World Environment Day, Sunday 5th June, at 
> 10.30pm
>
> as part of a six-part Storyville series of landmark documentaries.
>
>
>
> -> 'McLibel' is the only uncommissioned, independent film from a first- 
> time filmmaker
>
> to be selected for the prestigious series. Also screening are Errol 
> Morris's
>
> 'The Fog of War', cinema hit 'Lost In La Mancha' and France's top- 
> grossing doc,
>
> 'Etre et Avoir'.
>
>
>
> -> There will be a live webchat with Franny Armstrong and the McLibel 
> defendants
>
> directly after the screening at 11.55pm on 5th June at 
> http://www.mcspotlight.org/webchat
>
>
>
> McLibel is the story of the postman and the gardener who humiliated 
> McDonald's in
>
> the biggest corporate disaster in history. The new 85 minute feature 
> documentary
>
> follows Dave Morris, 50, and Helen Steel, 39, from anonymous campaigners 
> distributing
>
> leaflets in North London in the late 80s to global heroes defeating the 
> UK government -
>
> and libel laws - at the European Court in 2005.  Whilst representing 
> themselves in the
>
> longest court case in English history (314 days), Helen works nights in a 
> bar and Dave
>
> brings up his young son alone. They also face infiltration by spies, 
> secret meetings with
>
> corporate executives and a visit from Ronald McDonald.
>
>
>
> "It's a remarkable achievement." says Ken Loach, who directed the 
> courtroom
>
> reconstructions in McLibel as part of the volunteer crew, "The 
> broadcasters don't
>
> deserve congratulation but castigation - it should have been shown when 
> it was
>
> first made."
>
>
>
> McDonald's had always used the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. 
> Everyone from
>
> the BBC, Channel 4, The Sun, The Guardian and Time Out to Linda 
> McCartney,
>
> trade unions, tea shops and kids' theatre groups had crumbled in the face 
> of
>
> McDonald's legal threats. So no broadcaster would commission a film about 
> McLibel
>
> at the start of the trial in 1995. Which left first-time filmmaker and 
> former pop drummer
>
> Franny Armstrong, then aged 23, with a story-and-a-half on her hands. The 
> first version
>
> of her film (52 mins), was released at the end of the original McLibel 
> trial in 1997, sold
>
> to TV around the world, was seen by 26 million people and yet was never 
> broadcast in
>
> the UK. Commissioners at first BBC1 and then Channel 4 wanted to buy it, 
> but pulled out
>
> after consulting their lawyers.
>
>
>
> "As the media has more and more fallen into the hands of a few 
> corporations there is
>
> much more timidity about doing investigative journalism." says Eric 
> Schlosser, author
>
> of international bestseller "Fast Food Nation" and one of the key 
> interviewees in McLibel
>
> "McDonald's strategy of threatening to sue people was very very 
> effective. It prevented
>
> meaningful criticism of McDonald's from appearing in the British media."
>
>
>
> But after Helen and Dave (the 'McLibel 2') defeated the UK libel laws at 
> the European
>
> Court of Human Rights in February 2005 - and with McDonald's issuing no 
> further libel
>
> threats - the UK broadcasters finally acted. BBC4 screened McLibel on 14 
> April 2005 - the
>
> day before McDonald's 50th Birthday - and, following overwhelming viewer 
> response and
>
> rave reviews (see below), BBC2 selected the film for its prestigious 
> documentary series.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Helen and Dave proved that ordinary people and common sense can win 
> against
>
> impossible odds in our legal system" says Director Franny Armstrong. "And 
> I hope
>
> our film shows that independent filmmakers can fight through all the 
> waffle on TV to get
>
> alternative stories right into the mainstream."
>
>
>
> Franny's second documentary, 'Drowned Out' (2002) followed an Indian 
> family who
>
> decide to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada 
> Dam. It was
>
> runner-up for 'Best Documentary' at the British Independent Film Awards 
> last year.
>
> Both McLibel and Drowned Out are being released in the cinema in the US 
> later this year.
>
>
>
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>
>
> PRESS REVIEWS FROM BBC4 BROADCAST, APRIL 2005
>
> http://www.spannerfilms.net/mclibel
>
>
>
> "The sort of film Michael Moore probably thinks he makes"  - Sunday Times
>
> "Hilarious and engrossing" - BBC
>
> "Charming and inspiring" - Radio Times
>
> "More twists than a John le Carre novel" - Bermuda Sun
>
> "Will satisfy both head and heart" - Time Out
>
> "Shamelessly partisan, if entertaining" - The Times
>
> "Dynamite" - Yahoo Movies
>
> "Freedom of speech rarely tasted so satisfying" - Times Online
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>
>
> VIEWERS' RESPONSES FROM BBC4
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/yoursay/mclibel.shtml
>
>
>
> Superb! The BBC has finally shown something that is against corporate 
> smears, lies,
>
> half-truths and deception. Worth the licence fee alone -  Sam Freke, 
> Bristol
>
>
>
> McLibel just goes to show how good television can be when someone 
> actually has
>
> something to say. There is so much 'presentation' now and so little 
> content. This
>
> programme had real content and that's why it was so good - Barbara, 
> Bristol
>
>
>
> After all the comments about dumbing down within the BBC (often well 
> founded criticisms),
>
> this is the BBC at its best. You have wisely given the necessary time to 
> cover the broad
>
> depth of issues. It would have been so easy to give this subject just 30 
> minutes. For me,
>
> this is by far the top documentary of 2005, amongst very many excellent 
> contenders - Jeff Ball
>
>
>
> I think it is paradoxical to say the least that a programme about how the 
> right to free speech
>
> is curtailed in this country by the law should have been shown on the BBC 
> channel with the
>
> smallest number of viewers! What are you frightened of? - Josephine 
> Bacon, London
>
>
>
> The McLibel 2 should have been given high honours in the Queen's awards. 
> What this pair
>
> did is certainly more important than sailing around the world for a 
> multinational like B&Q.
>
> J Lee, Fareham
>
>
>
> McLibel is the first time I've watched Storyville. I'm nearly 63 and 
> happy to say that I still get
>
> angry when I watch programmes like this. This is true 'reality' 
> television - please give me
>
> more so that I can maintain my anger instead of just accepting that this 
> is the world
>
> we live in. -  Mike Swift, Sheffield
>
>
>
> A wonderful programme. Much of it made Michael Moore's work look very
>
> amateurish.  - M Newman
>
>
>
> Dave, Helen, Franny and the team have proved that the ordinary, decent 
> and brave people
>
> in society can take on a giant bully of a corporation and win. - Martin O 
> Neill, Lurgan, N Ireland
>
>
>
>
>
> - ends-
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>
>
>
>
>



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