Battle in Seattle (2007)

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.

Director:

Stuart Townsend

Writer:

Stuart Townsend

Stars:

André Benjamin, Jennifer Carpenter, Isaach De Bankolé

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

In late November 1999, masses are descending upon Seattle for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference, the first ever held on American soil. Beyond the several delegates, career protesters are also coming to Seattle, they who believe the non-elected organization only exists to support corporate interests at the expense of the poor, working class and the environment among other things. Before the conference, the lead known protesters vow that their demonstrations will be peaceful, while Seattle Mayor Jim Tobin promises that if that be the case that no arrests will be made and no aggressive action, such as the use of tear gas, will be issued. On day one of the conference, tensions on both sides escalate the confrontation between police and protesters, with many innocent people caught in the crossfire. As such, what was promised ends up not happening during the remainder of the conference, where many on both sides work not for the greater good of their side, but rather for their ...

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Plot Keywords:

world trade organization | tear gas | protest | political unrest | police arrest | 

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Taglines:

Based on actual events.

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Country:

Canada USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 May 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Batalla en Seattle

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,903, 21 September 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$223,537, 7 December 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hyde Park Entertainment, Insight Film Studios, Remstar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writing and Directing debut of actor Stuart Townsend.

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Goofs

The actor playing Governor Gary Locke speaks English in a thick Chinese accent. Gary Locke is a third generation Asian-American born and raised in Washington state who speaks perfect English in a North Western American accent.

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Quotes

Jay: I don't blame you. I mean, I do, but... Shit, you're not the problem. You're just doing your job, i guess. The people I'm really trying to fight are the ones who destroy so much, and they hurt so many lives. Not just one. Literally, millions. And no one ever points a gun at them. You know, they just seem so, unaccountable. Untouchable. Just seems kind of fucked that you're... You and me are the ones that have to fight each other.

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Crazy Credits

A Special Thanks to AWI and Ben White (who passed away in July of 2005) for the creation of the sea turtle costumes and the coordination of their use in protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle, Washington in 1999. We are indebted to various non-profit organizations and individuals who aided with manufacturing the costumes, and to the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Ben White for creating the idea for the sea turtle costumes. It was AWI's international coordinator, Ben White, who created those costumes and came up with the idea to put hundreds of people in sea turtle costumes on the streets of Seattle. We will miss Ben and his dedication to make the world a better place.

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Connections

Referenced in Revealed: Stuart Townsend (2013)

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Soundtracks

Silent Night
Written by Franz Xaver Gruber (uncredited) and Joseph Mohr (uncredited)
Arrangement by Jean Robitaille
Image Sonore Éditions

User Reviews

VERY Powerful!

I was lucky enough to see this film in advance, and it opened my eyes to a few very important issues.

Going in, I'd never even heard of the "battle in Seattle," as I was only 13 years old at the time of the protests. But now that I'm aware of the event, it makes me wonder why the controversies with the WTO aren't still being discussed on a larger scale.

This is something that we should all be concerned about, and Stuart Townsend has done us a favor by introducing the issues in a format that is riveting, informative, and inspirational. If there's one thing Battle in Seattle does best, it's that it fires you up to take action any way you can.

Not to mention the great production values, absolutely stellar cast, and intense action sequences (Intense because they're real! Actual footage was used).

I would highly recommend attending a showing of this film with your family and friends, because these matters are important to us all, and Stuart's presentation of them is nothing short of breathtaking.