‘Battle in Seattle’—Tell Hollywood to Keep It in the Movie Theaters

by James Parks, Sep 16, 2008

Hollywood made a movie the big moguls don’t want you to see—at least not in movie theaters. Instead, the big producers would love for it to go straight to DVD—maybe because the events it depicts show how union members and activists in the environmental, human rights and religious communities can successfully join together to challenge a bottom-line-only global economy.

The “Battle in Seattle,” which is being released in limited markets on Friday, tells the story of how those who came to Seattle in 1999 challenged the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial summit in Seattle, changing the course of history.

We need to ensure it is shown in theaters across the nation. If it does well in its first weeks, the film will get national distribution. (See movie trailer.)

The movie opens Sept. 19 in Minneapolis; New York; San Francisco; San Rafael, Calif.; Seattle; and Washington, D.C. On Sept. 26, it begins playing in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Sacramento, Calif. On Oct. 3, it hits Denver; Nashville, Tenn.; Philadelphia; Plano, Texas; and Santa Barbara, Calif. On Oct. 10, it opens in Olympia, Wash. To find out what theater in your area is showing the movie, click here or call 1-866-758-1258.  

United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard says this movie is labor’s story:

It’s rare for a feature film to celebrate union power—or how activists of any stripe can trounce the world’s largest corporations. The writer and director, Stuart Townsend, tells our story in a way that lets a broad audience connect and learn about one of the proudest moments in American history.

The powers that be in Hollywood did not want this film made. Heaven forbid that the real story got out about the outrage of corporate globalization, the WTO or how motivated activists won against impossible odds.

Just like we organized turnout at the Seattle protests—telling our friends, posting information in our union halls, sending out e-mails and fliers—we can create another Seattle surprise! The fat cats in the big Hollywood studios are just like those CEOs sitting pretty the day before the Seattle summit started. I urge you to see the film and bring your friends, family and union brothers and sisters.

The movie is a full-length dramatic feature, telling the stories of a dozen fictional characters over those five days in Seattle that rocked the world. The stars include some of the biggest names in Hollywood: Andre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriquez and others. Although the film is not a documentary, it weaves in scenes from the actual demonstrations and features signs and actions of union members and other activists. The full DVD version includes interviews with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Gerard, Machinists President Tom Buffenbarger and Teamsters President James Hoffa, all key figures in the 1999 march. 

Says Townsend: 

I wanted to make this film because the Seattle protests captured many of the most important and ongoing issues of our time. But it was also an event that had largely been forgotten. When I started looking at the footage from 1999, I was amazed at the diversity. This wasn’t just rich college kids, it was steelworkers, teamsters, farmers, teachers, Catholic groups, students, and environmentalists standing up and demanding their rights, their dignity.

That diversity was a real reflection of how the WTO infringes upon so many aspects of our lives. The people who stood out on the streets that day, they were out there for all of us. They were speaking truth to power, for all of us because the WTO affects every single one of us, whether we know it or not.  

And the battle continues, he says. That is why he hopes the movie is a success:             

People around the world are protesting against a system that has no values, has no morals. It puts profit above everything else. Millions of people around the world are now saying no to that system. They are demanding another world that’s possible that includes human values: the right to work, dignity, the right to food, the right to clean water, clean air. 

You have the power to ensure that a film about solidarity, the power of the individual, and a movement dedicated to global justice is seen by millions around the country.

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