Documentary about the legacy of the global anti-war movement
On 21st May journalist and broadcaster Jon Snow will host the discussion with guests including the film’s director Amir Amirani, executive producer and comedian Omid Djalili, convenor of the Stop The War Coalition Lindsey German and professor of international law at UCL Philippe Sands (more guests to be confirmed soon).
Sam Oxby, Co-ordinator for Richmond Stop The War Coalition said: “I marched with my sister that day who flew in from Spain to go on the march with me! All of my siblings and my nephews were on it too. The youngest was 5 years old at the time. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. This film is a great tribute to mass protest and I think it will encourage more people to get involved.”
15 February 2003, 30 million people marched through the streets of 800 cities around the world. The feature film debut of acclaimed documentary-maker Amir Amirani, WE ARE MANY is the untold story of the biggest protest in history, and how it changed the world.
We Are Manydirector, Amir Amirani, commented: “On a cold February day in 2003, I was in Germany for the Berlin Film Festival. I found myself on the streets, marching with 500,000 people against the Iraq War. Like many others, it was the first time I’d demonstrated about anything. On returning home, friends told me of the amazing day in London, where the crowd was two million strong. The Guardian later said that up to 30 million people might have marched worldwide. This was my light-bulb moment. I realised that it didn’t matter where you marched - there was even a demonstration in Antarctica - the important thing was that you took part. I felt that day, 15 February 2003, heralded something, a new phenomenon that went to the heart of the public’s relationship with politics and each other. I also realised that something like that does not just happen. There was a story to be told.”
Executive Produced by BAFTA nominated Pippa Harris (Jarhead, Revolutionary Road) and BAFTA winning & Oscar-nominated producer Signe Sorenson (The Act of Killing), the film will have a live satellite link-up premiere with very special guests on 21 May, beamed to Wimbledon & other selected cinemas around the UK, followed by a nationwide cinema release on 22 May.
Filmed across all seven continents over a period of 9 years, WE ARE MANY reveals the true story of the people power movements now sweeping the world, from opposition to the Iraq War, to the Arab Spring and Syria.
In a series of captivating interviews with prominent figures from the anti-war community, as well as astonishingly frank inside accounts from those who launched the war, WE ARE MANY captures the shockwaves of public opinion – dubbed ‘The Second Superpower’ by the New York Times.
Featuring rare and never-before-seen footage, the star-studded cast of contributors includes Damon Albarn, Tony Benn, Hans Blix, Richard Branson John le Carré, Noam Chomsky, Brian Eno, Lindsey German, Danny Glover, Jesse Jackson, Ken Loach and Mark Rylance.
Run time: 105 mins / Cert 12A
April 26, 2015