[Reader-list] another video: we. featuring the words of arundhati roy]

[Rana Dasgupta]

cross-posted from Undercurrents.

R


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[undercurrents] another video: we. featuring the words of
arundhati roy
Date: 	Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:25:57 -0500
From: 	Gita Hashemi <gita at ping.ca>
Reply-To: 	undercurrents at bbs.thing.net
To: 	Undercurrents <undercurrents at bbs.thing.net>



i've only seen a few clips of this video an am looking forward to seeing
the whole thing particularly for some of the very interesting historical
footage in it...  i find the remix concept, the form of circulation, the
network created around it, and the 'anonymous' status of the artist all
refreshing...  meanwhile, one of the questions of documenta 12 is "what
is to be done?"

be well.

gita

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http://www.weroy.org/

we. featuring the words of arundhati roy

We is a fast-paced 64 minute documentary that covers the world politics
of power, war, corporations, deception and exploitation.

It visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous Come
September speech, where she spoke on such things as the war on terror,
corporate globalization, justice and the growing civil unrest.

It's witty, moving, alarming and quite a lesson in modern history.

We is almost in the style of a continuous music video. The music used
sets the pace and serves as wonderful background for the words of Ms.
Roy and images of humanity in the world we live all in today.

We is a completely free documentary, created (and released) anonymously
on the internet.

There are many ways to download and view it online. If you'd like a TV
quality copy, a DVD-R disc can be obtained for a small donation.
Read the About This Project page for more information about the
documentary and this web site.

---

About The Film

     "This is an unusual kind of underground production. An anonymous
sympathiser has edited a video recording of Roy's speech over 64
minutes, interspersing an impressive array of archival footage to
illustrate themes and specific historical events. Contemporary music
overlaid throughout the piece shifts the mood and quickens the pace. The
result is a visual essay rather than a traditional documentary,
perfectly suited to its creator's intentions, which is to spread the
anti-imperialist, social justice politics of Arundhati Roy everywhere."

"We" is a free documentary produced by an anonymous producer in New
Zealand.  He goes by the name "anon". It was released for free on the
Internet and first appeared at an Australian web site called resist.com.au.

Geoff, the webmaster of resist.com.au, says he received the film
anonymously in the mail one day with a simple note that read:

     Feel free to pass this on to others who you know will be interested
in its relatively unique content and perspectives (either by copying
this DVD, dubbing to VHS, by dissemination through internet download,
holding private screenings etc). Using the technology of this
information age you have the freedom to be as imaginative as you like in
the different ways which you can choose to make this accessible to others.

After seeing the film, we felt it was very important, cool, and overall
just fantastic piece of work. So a couple months ago, weroy.org was
created to assist the efforts that others put forth in getting this free
documentary seen by the citizens of the world.

November 2006 Update - We got a Q&A with "anon"! We'd like to thank him
for taking the time to answer some questions and being so open. If you'd
like to know more about the film and its creation, check out the interview!

Arundhati Roy
Ms. Roy has been acclaimed for her courage and her eloquence. Her
writing has been described as "a banquet for the senses" by Newsweek.
She has found a readership among fiction enthusiasts and political
activists. Please support Ms. Roy by purchasing her publications! For
Ms. Roy: If you're reading this (or if you're someone who knows her)
please get in touch. We'd love to know your personal opinion of this
documentary.

The Music
A lot of feedback about the film consisted of "wow, what song is that?"
In response, a list was added to the site listing much of the music that
could be indentified. If you enjoy the music, visit your local music
store or favorite digital music site like iTunes.com to purchase the
individual songs and support the artists.

Distribution
"We" is mainly distributed for free on the internet. The majority of
viewers catch it at popular video sharing sites like YouTube and Google
Video. The DVD-R available here was created for those who wanted a TV
quality copy of the film and a disc with a nice menu system. It is not
available for commercial resale or distribution, and there are no plans
to mass-produce the disc. Quite frankly none of the sites promoting this
film have the funds to do so. We're under the impression that "anon"
intended this to be a simple non-profit/educational grassroots project,
directed at the younger people of the world who may not be interested in
speakers like Ms. Roy (and the topics she discusses) unless "cool"
music/visuals accompany it.

Each DVD-R disc produced by weroy.org is burned, labeled and mailed by
hand with supplies purchased from Staples (ink, labels, DVD case, etc),
thanks to your donations.

Anything that is left from those donations goes to our involvement with
Kiva, a wonderful organization that allows anyone to directly help those
in need.

How can I help and be a part of something cool?
Tell all your friends about thie film and this site. Burn your own discs
and pass them out. There are lots of ways to help. Visit the share it
section of the site for more information.