Battle in Seattle (2007)

Director:

Stuart Townsend

Writer:

Stuart Townsend (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 May 2008 (France)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

The whole world is watching

Plot:

Activists arrive in Seattle, Washington en masse to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Riots and chaos ensue as demonstrators successfully stop the WTO meetings. |

Plot Keywords:

World Trade Organization | Seattle Washington | Activist | Protest | Political Activism

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Martin Henderson	...	Jay
Michelle Rodriguez	...	Lou
Woody Harrelson	...	Dale
Charlize Theron	...	Ella
Jennifer Carpenter	...	Sam
André Benjamin	...	Django
Ray Liotta	...	Mayor Jim Tobin
Connie Nielsen	...	Jean
Channing Tatum	...	Johnson
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Abasi (as Isaach De Bankole)
Rade Serbedzija	...	Dr. Maric (as Rade Sherbedzija)
Ivana Milicevic	...	Carla
Tzi Ma	...	Governor
Joshua Jackson	...	Randall
Christopher Jacot	...	Michael

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

99 min | USA:98 min

Country:

USA | Canada | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG | USA:R | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Redwood Palms Pictures

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the movie opening fly-through, Qwest Field appears in the background. Qwest Field wasn't built until a couple of years after the WTO riots. It was built on the grounds of the Kingdome which was there in 1999.

Quotes:

Django: Teamsters and turtles together! Come on, Teamsters and turtles together!

Movie Connections:

Edited from Trade Off (2000)

Soundtrack:

Fake Empire

Review from Dublin International Film Festival, February 2008

As we settled into our seats in Screen One in the Savoy Cinema, Dublin, Ireland, we wondered how on earth Stuart Townsend could exposit the intricate workings of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to an audience who probably had no idea that it even existed.

We were not disappointed. From the breathtaking opening sequence, to the exhilarating ending, we were on the edge of our seats.

There were some outstanding performances – André Benjamin as Django (from the band Outkast) and Michelle Rodriguez as Lou (best-known in Europe for the TV series 'Lost') in particular were superb as two of the demonstrators. André injected an unfailing sense of humor and light relief into this serious topic, and managed to turn his unusual headgear into a clever statement about endangered species. Michelle gave her character exceptional depth and feeling, and handled a complicated emotional sub-plot with a mixture of both detachment and passion that worked so well on screen.

Charlize Theron played an innocent bystander, Ella, who was trapped in the violent maelstrom, with horrific consequences for both her own character and her character's husband.

During the Q&A with Stuart and Charlize at the end of the movie, an audience member stood up – an employee of the World Bank. She began by saying how cautious she was about coming to a movie about the WTO, but that she had to applaud Stuart for handing such a difficult subject so fairly. Her comments were echoed by a Trade Advocacy officer from a well-known Irish development charity, who congratulated him on creating a movie which managed to be both factually accurate and entertaining.

For anyone who has ever wished that this world was a better place, this movie is a must-see. For everyone else, this is a heart-warming movie about the power of the human spirit to overcome, to work together and to forgive.

(And as a footnote, Stuart gave free passes to the screening to protesters from the Campaign to Save Tara, who are still demonstrating against the construction of a new highway, the M3, in the historical valley at the Hill of Tara in Ireland. Stuart walks his talk.)