drones
Drones: National Bird of USA
National Bird is a documentary about the effects of drone warfare conducted by the US in Afghanistan as part of its war against terrorism. It also incidentally became a documentary on whistleblowing. Drone pilots Lisa, Heather and Daniel reveal how drone warfare, presented as efficacious and selective, is much more liable to error than US officials are […]
U.S. Under the Lens: National Bird + Panel Discussion
This screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Sonia Kennenbeck and others.
National Bird follows the dramatic journey of three whistleblowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war. At the centre of the film are three U.S. military veterans. Grappling with guilt over their participation in the drone programme, they decide to speak out publicly in spite of the possible consequences. As their stories take dramatic turns, this not-to-miss film gives a balanced insight into the U.S. drone programme through the eyes of veterans and survivors – connecting their stories as never seen before.
The New War Photographers: In the Picture with David Birkin
For the second in a series of events in partnership with PARC, the University of the Arts London photography research centre based at London College of Communication, we are delighted to welcome artist David Birkin to discuss his work that challenges elements of censorship and spectacle in the so-called War on Terror.
Sudden Justice: America’s Secret Drone War
By Graham Lanktree Since the attacks of 11 September 2001, drones, or as the military prefers to call them “unmanned aerial vehicles,” have winged from an obscure surveillance tool to a central weapon in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia. To explain why, investigative journalist and Martha Gellhorn Journalism Prize-winner Chris Woods spoke […]
America’s Secret Drone Wars: What is the Cost?
Days after the September 11 attacks, a CIA Predator in Afghanistan executed the world’s first lethal drone strike. The CIA claims that its armed drones are ‘the most precise weapon ever invented’, but what is the true cost? In a new book, Sudden Justice, investigative journalist Chris Woods explores the secretive history of the United States’ use of armed drones. He will be joining us with a panel of experts to explore that history and the key role they play on today’s battlefields and in covert targeted killings.
Screening: Drone + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Tonje Hessen Schei.
Directed by Tonje Hessen Schei and produced by Flimmer Film, Drone takes an in depth look at the United States’ use of drone technology, questioning how drones are altering the psychology of war. In the midst of fast advancement of technology and international legislation struggling to keep up with it, Schei‘s film displays how drones are rapidly defining a new perception of war.
Drone Journalism: The Future of News Gathering?
Interest in the potential for using drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), for journalism is growing. As the technology becomes cheaper and easier to use, journalist are experimenting with using drones for news gathering. We will be bringing together a panel of experts to explore the potential for the use of drones in journalism and to discuss the challenges this new technology presents.
US Foreign Policy – overwhelmed by its own eloquence?
By Caroline Schmitt A president’s second term is usually regarded as the one in which he has the potential to reinvent the world. On 13 June, a panel chaired by author and journalist Michael Goldfarb explored the foreign policy legacy of the Obama administration. Kim Ghattas, BBC State Department correspondent and author of The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton […]
Is drone journalism coming to the UK?
In November 2011, Polish firm RoboKopter filmed striking images of a political demonstration in Warsaw using a video camera attached to a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The New York Times heralded the footage as signalling the arrival of ‘drone journalism’. Since then, we haven’t seen many newsgathering drones in UK skies, but we might […]