Excerpt from United States v. Jean, No. 5:15-cr-50087
Blacklist is a series of public documentary film screenings and accompanying panel sessions thematically grouped around the significant societal and environmental challenges of our time. Themes include (yet are not limited to) Militarisation of Police, Automated Systems and Artificial Intelligence, Mass Surveillance, 21st Century Fascism, Over-consumption, The 6th Mass Extinction, Food Security and Climate Change.
Each screening comprises a single newly-released documentary film and panel of four to six guests whose members are considered experts and/or activists closely related to the (given) theme. It is the goal of this panel to address tensions, challenges and mitigation strategies following the screening, inviting debate and discussion to the ends of encouraging engagement.
In short, Blacklist aims to bring attendees in contact with activists around themes already important to them, stimulating their own 'latent activist' to get involved toward the ends of enacting positive change.
The theme of a Blacklist event is prescribed by parent Black Sheep events, occurring a week before; the initiative of Ziya Tong, they comprise private, ad-hoc screenings to activists in cities worldwide. It is at a Black Sheep event that activists volunteer to attend and publicly engage audiences at a followup Blacklist screening.
Blacklist is the project of (in first-name alphabetical order) Crystelle Vu, Julian Oliver and Manon Bernard.
BLACKLIST #2
The Global Arms Trade
19:00, May 10, 2017Doors open 18:30
Spektrum, Berlin, Map
Free event. Event full.
BLACKLIST #2 takes a long hard look at the global arms trade through the lens of Shadow World, an award-winning documentary based on the book by Andrew Feinstein.
Following the screening Andrew will join experts in a panel to discuss issues raised by the film, with particular attention placed on drones, nuclear arms and Germany's own role in this dark marketplace. The 3rd largest arms exporter worldwide, German weapons are commonplace on the battlefield, most recently used by UAE soldiers in Yemen. They are also found throughout the crisis zones of the world, evading export controls to end up in the hands of child soldiers, militia and drug lords.
PANELISTS
Andrew Feinstein - author 'The Shadow World', activist and Executive Director Corruption Watch UKLisa Ling - Drone Whistleblower, Former Drone System Technical Sergeant
Otfried Nassauer - Director the Berlin Information Center for Transatlantic Security
Pratap Chatterjee - Investigative Journalist
Dr. Barbara Happe - Political Scientist
Jean Peters - Activist and artist Peng Collective
Xanthe Hall - ICAN Deutschland
The panel begins at 21:00 and will be held in English. We invite audience engagement in English, German and French.
"Objectivity takes a backseat to outrage in this damning and artful documentary about the world of arms dealer payola. At its center is a recent scandal involving the money trails leading to and from Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan. Reporters learned that British arms firm BAE Systems allegedly controlled a slush fund to take care of foreign magnates while deals were being negotiated. (Prince Bandar received a private jet as one perk, as reported by the Guardian.) The dirt extends far into the political world, with Mark Thatcher, son of the British prime minister, allegedly receiving 12 million in cash for his work as a fixer, for instance.
In fact, many politicians (represented mostly in wince-inducing sound bites) are tarred by Shadow World's brush, wielded by a motley band of intellectuals and activists (including decorated journalist Chris Hedges, formerly of the New York Times, and writer Jeremy Scahill of Dirty Wars acclaim). Their accusations are paired with the incendiary prose of Eduardo Galeano, a beloved Uruguayan champion of the people who died last year. The scope of it all widens to encompass the complexity of today's ever-evolving, possibly endless war on terror. Director Johan Grimonprez has woven a nightmarish tapestry depicting the military-industrial complex. He has made a compelling argument that the world is spinning dangerously into science fiction territory. Shadow World is relentless, intelligent, and urgent."
- Daniel Glenn, for Film Forward
