Sitting here editing the latest issue of
Filmmaker, I came across this interview segment from Andy Bichelbauer, the "Yes Man" featured in Chris Smith's outrageously entertaining political doc
The Yes Men forthcoming this fall from United Artists.
The Yes Men are a group of political performance-art provocateurs who infiltrate government and NGO-type events and pose as World Trade Organization officials. But lately the group has been having problems dealing with the implications of the Patriot Act, which broadly construes a variety of behaviors as potentially terrorist acts. Within the art world, the first casualty is that of Steve Kurtz, a Buffalo art professor and member of the Critical Art Ensemble. In a truly disturbing case, after his wife died of a cardiac arrest in her sleep, Kurtz found himself in jail when the police officers who arrived at his home found supposed "bio-terrorism equipment" -- the Petri dishes and lab cultures Kurtz was using for a new art piece dealing with genetically modified foodstuffs.
Currently, Kurtz's students are being subpoenaed and the case will be presented before a grand jury at the end of June. Follow the link in Bichelbauer's quote for more info.
"
Filmmaker: Andy, are you concerned that given the rising of the Yes Men it will be more difficult for you to infiltrate these organizations? Or are they just as defenseless as they've always been?
Bichlbaum: Right now we're so busy trying to deal with this FBI USA Patriot Act situation that I don't know what I think about anything else. We've found ourselves conscripted by the current situation described at length at
www.rtmark.com. Basically, the FBI has decided to target this artist [Steve Kurtz]. He's going up before a grand jury in Buffalo on June 15 and he's a close friend.
Filmmaker: What can people do to support him?
Bichlbaum: Financial donations: The CAE Defense Fund has so far received over 200 donations in amounts ranging from $5 to $400. This is a wonderful outpouring of sympathy, but a drop in the bucket compared to the potential costs of the case. To make a donation, please visit
The CAE Defense Fund. Letters or petitions of support from biologists, artists, and others, especially those in positions of responsibility at prominent institutions or companies, could be very useful. See www.caedefensefund.org for a sample of legal offers and letters of support. If you are a lawyer, offers of pro bono support or offers to write amicus briefs would be very helpful."
# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 6/19/2004 04:35:00 PM
Comments (1)
The worst social justice policy nightmare that the War on Terror has stolen is from the War on Drugs! This is the war that must end and social justice journalism is the way to create the revolution! Join us !
The 3rd Annual Drug War Vigil Film Festival
by press release (10 Sept, 2004)
This year's event will be in a Vancouver theatre
The Drug War Vigil Memorial Group is a social justice think tank that was founded in the fall of 2000, dedicated to ending the War on Drugs.
We recognize that the militarization of this medical issue and the criminalization of the chronically sick, terminally ill and chemically dependent have resulted in the needless loss of human life, and that this is the true crime.
We promoted social justice journalism at the 2002 Cannabis Culture Toker's Bowl Drug War Vigil Film Festival and again at the 2nd Annual Drug War Vigil Film Festival in May 2003, also during the Bowl. With spin-offs when 911 Media (www.911media.org) Washington State's premier Media Arts Center and the BC Compassion Club Society (www.thecompassionclub.org), a non-profit healthcare provider distributing cannabis and other holistic medicines, presented a DRUG WAR FILM FESTIVAL March 12 th in Seattle Wa. in addition to an earlier show here in East Vancouver.
This Year we using a theater Venue and staging it as separate event from the Toker's Bowl so broader spectrum of participants will be able to view.
Our group is honored to be affiliated with this event and thank Marc Emery and Chris Bennett, and crew of Pot-TV for their extraordinary activism in action in sponsoring this event.
Contest Details:
Send us your films of 30 minutes or less on any topic related to cannabis, drugs and the drug war, and/or Harm Reduction.
Only submit in plain old VHS tape or Hi-8 or digital-8.
The films will be screened and judged by participants at the Drug War Vigil Film Festival Sept 24-25th as well as viewers of WWW.Pot-TV.Net
The film chosen for first place will receive
A Grand Prize of $2000 US.. 2nd place $1000.00 3rd place $500.00
New Special 500.00 Prize for best short, a short being 5 minutes or less.
You must register your film for entry by to be eligible.
Registration is FREE and only requires you email us at dwvfilmproject@hotmail.com with your intention A.S.A.P. and projected length of your work.
We will need to receive the finished film by September 10th 2004
Watch the web page for further details relating to with confirmed dates and actually attending the event: cost, entertainment etc.
It is our hope to inspire independent and amateur film makers to produce inspirational works.
e-mail us at dwvfilmproject@hotmail.com or film@cannabisculture.com
visit our webpage at www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3400.html
Send your entry in to:
Drug War Vigil
4301 Fleming Street
Vancouver BC
Canada V5N 3W4
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posted by Drug War Vigil Memorial Group @ 6/19/2004 9:34 PM
