This Is What Democracy Looks Like (2000)

A filmed account of the street protests against the World Trade Organization Summit in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1999.

Directors:

Jill Friedberg, Rick Rowley

Stars:

Noam Chomsky, Michael Franti, Susan Sarandon

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Noam Chomsky	...	Himself
Michael Franti	...	Narrator (voice)
Susan Sarandon	...	Narrator (voice)
Vandana Shiva	...	Herself

Storyline

This film, shot by 100 amateur camera operators, tells the story of the enormous street protests in Seattle, Washington in November 1999, against the World Trade Organization summit being held there. Vowing to oppose, among other faults, the WTO's power to arbitrally overrule nations' environmental, social and labour policies in favour of unbridled corporate greed, protestors from all around came out in force to make their views known and stop the summit. Against them is a brutal police force and a hostile media as well as the stain of a minority of destructively overzealous comrades. Against all odds, the protesters bravely faced fierce opposition to take back the rightful democratic power that the political and corporate elite of the world is determined to deny the little people.

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Plot Keywords:

seattle washington | trade | world trade organization | police | environmental protest | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Big Noise Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Essa é a Cara da Democracia

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big Noise Films, Independent Media Center

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Guerrilla Radio"
Performed by Rage Against the Machine
Written by Zack De La Rocha, Tim Commerford, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk
Courtesy of Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Retribution Music

User Reviews

Solid Doc About Solidarity

This is a moving documentary about the protests in 1999 against the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle.

For those who hate this obviously one-sided film and want a 'balanced' view, well, you can get it through the 'balanced' mainstream media, 24 hours a day, every day. And if you really believe the mainstream media offer a 'balanced' view of anything, then I have to ask: how's that famous bridge in New York you bought last year?

In this film, we see the media wildly MISreport the events on the ground. Masses of people -- young and old -- were protesting against the rapacious methods of the WTO and the erosion of democracy in the U.S. (and, for that matter, in 'democratic countries around the world). The media, meanwhile, were telling people about 'unruly mobs' taking over the streets of Seattle. They totally misrepresented what was actually happening, which is what they routinely do when it comes to actions against the state.

There are many millions of people around the world who suffer and die every day because of the DELIBERATE policies of the faceless mega-corporations under the umbrella of the WTO. That used to be called evil; now it's deemed part of government 'policy'.

America was FOUNDED on mass protest, dissent and the fight for freedom of speech and assembly. These historically embedded constitutional rights are now simply ignored, on a daily basis, by politicians and the transnational corporations that control them.

Intellectual numbness has replaced critical thought across the world today. Things like brainless 'reality' shows, mindless video games and the celebration of celebrities are more important than the rape of the world by a select few.

Kudos to the filmmakers and to all the very brave young and old people who stood up (and continue to stand up) to fight for the human rights of people everywhere.