Photos
Storyline
Featured review
Crazy Footage from FTAA Protests in Miami
The Miami Model is the third film from Volume 1 of Crimethinc's Guerilla Film Series. The first being Pickaxe, and the second being Breaking The Spell.
The Miami Model has come to symbolize the difference in opinion of those with political and economic clout regarding free trade for the Americas and...well...everyone else.
This film covers the time before during and after the protests that occurred in Miami in 2004, during the meeting of leaders from 34 nations, concerning the creation of the FTAA.
The Indymedia crew (the makers of this film) condemns the FTAA and uses this film to garnish support for various political movements- mainly the immigrant workers rights, racial equality and workers' solidarity movements. Though, it is far less radical than the other two films in this volume (Breaking the Spell and Pickaxe).
The film consists of interviews with local Miami activists from a range of different communities and social groups; as well as footage from marches, rallies , and the main protest, which would end a brutal riot.
Trouble starts when- 12 days before the major protest was to begin- the local courts passed a controversial new law which led to the "detainment" of numerous activists (a tactic that would be replicated in Toronto during the G20 Summit there).
A number of marches scheduled on the main day of the protest were supposed to converge on the main building where the FTAA conference was being held. Some of these marches were halted by armies of taser wielding officers with loose trigger fingers. This is where it starts to get really crazy.
As one chick gets tasered, she screams "I have no weapons", before all the cops let loose, and the whole crowd books. You even see the cameraman run while being tasered, himself. What you witness next is pure unprovoked police brutality. Sit back and listen to the beanbags and rubber bullets fly! This is some awesome and I mean AWESOME footage. One guy walks up into no mans land and takes at least 25 rubber bullets- and it doesn't even phase him.
The next section of the film takes a critical look at the embedded journalism that took place that day. The Miami Herald supported the FTAA- as they were to be beneficiaries of lucrative contracts- and thus had journalists embedded with the riot police, providing realtime wartime propaganda that would supply all the mainstream news outlets from across the US.
On the flipside, independent journalists were not protected, often being targeted and robbed of their materials (by police). The filmmakers put together an ironic montage of news coverage from that day, which seems all too absurd, considering what you have just seen. Makes you question what you are seeing on the nightly news.
Sh*t really hits the fan once the protest shifts to call for the release those who've been imprisoned. Here the cops surround and beat a group of about 40 absolutely peaceful protesters who were trying to disperse (including members of the press).
Overall, this film is a testament to how peaceful protests can achieve victory, and how the militarized police state in America is out of control. It shows you that if you don't share the views of the powerful elite- you are the enemy, and the constitution doesn't apply...apparently.
7 out of 10.
The Miami Model has come to symbolize the difference in opinion of those with political and economic clout regarding free trade for the Americas and...well...everyone else.
This film covers the time before during and after the protests that occurred in Miami in 2004, during the meeting of leaders from 34 nations, concerning the creation of the FTAA.
The Indymedia crew (the makers of this film) condemns the FTAA and uses this film to garnish support for various political movements- mainly the immigrant workers rights, racial equality and workers' solidarity movements. Though, it is far less radical than the other two films in this volume (Breaking the Spell and Pickaxe).
The film consists of interviews with local Miami activists from a range of different communities and social groups; as well as footage from marches, rallies , and the main protest, which would end a brutal riot.
Trouble starts when- 12 days before the major protest was to begin- the local courts passed a controversial new law which led to the "detainment" of numerous activists (a tactic that would be replicated in Toronto during the G20 Summit there).
A number of marches scheduled on the main day of the protest were supposed to converge on the main building where the FTAA conference was being held. Some of these marches were halted by armies of taser wielding officers with loose trigger fingers. This is where it starts to get really crazy.
As one chick gets tasered, she screams "I have no weapons", before all the cops let loose, and the whole crowd books. You even see the cameraman run while being tasered, himself. What you witness next is pure unprovoked police brutality. Sit back and listen to the beanbags and rubber bullets fly! This is some awesome and I mean AWESOME footage. One guy walks up into no mans land and takes at least 25 rubber bullets- and it doesn't even phase him.
The next section of the film takes a critical look at the embedded journalism that took place that day. The Miami Herald supported the FTAA- as they were to be beneficiaries of lucrative contracts- and thus had journalists embedded with the riot police, providing realtime wartime propaganda that would supply all the mainstream news outlets from across the US.
On the flipside, independent journalists were not protected, often being targeted and robbed of their materials (by police). The filmmakers put together an ironic montage of news coverage from that day, which seems all too absurd, considering what you have just seen. Makes you question what you are seeing on the nightly news.
Sh*t really hits the fan once the protest shifts to call for the release those who've been imprisoned. Here the cops surround and beat a group of about 40 absolutely peaceful protesters who were trying to disperse (including members of the press).
Overall, this film is a testament to how peaceful protests can achieve victory, and how the militarized police state in America is out of control. It shows you that if you don't share the views of the powerful elite- you are the enemy, and the constitution doesn't apply...apparently.
7 out of 10.
helpful•00
- meddlecore
- Oct 5, 2013
Details
- Country of origin
- Language
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content