VOICES AGAINST THE WAR-program preview

As we count down the days to March 19 and our VOICES AGAINST THE WAR event, we will be posting more detailed information about our speakers, films and North Fork People of Conscience t-shirts, bumper stickers and postcards.

*********

OCCUPATION:DREAMLAND

Today, we want to tell you more about OCCUPATION: DREAMLAND, Garrett Scott’s documentary about US soldiers fighting in Falluja. The film follows Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon from the 82nd Airborne Division patrolling and securing Falluja, Iraq in 2003 and 2004 prior to the major insurrection that cost heavy American casualties to retake the city.

The film has been shown all over the country since September, 2005.

Here are some comments from reviewers:

"Occupation Dreamland" is a tribute to the men and women serving in Iraq by telling their story, offering all points of view, and avoiding stereotypes or simplicity. Some soldiers believe in what they're doing in Iraq. Some believe they're in Iraq for oil. Still others ponder why they're in Iraq at all when the September 11th hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. One soldier points out that Cheney's former company Halliburton gets all of the no-bid contracts for reconstruction and says, "War is money." And several soldiers acknowledge what is really happening to the people of Falluja and admit that if there was an occupying army in their hometown they would fight back too." --BuzzFlash

“A respectful and determinedly nonpartisan portrait of regular guys…all doing their best to carry out inchoate orders in an untenable situation.” -– Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

“A grunt’s eye view of the current situation that needs to be seen, regardless of a viewer’s political persuasion.”-- Ty Burr, Boston Globe

"The terrific Occupation: Dreamland, a fair-minded grunt's eye view of the war in Iraq that trusts the audience to draw its own conclusions." --Joshua Land, Village Voice

"By giving these men a forum even before Falluja became a household name and showing what has been conspicously absent from our tv screens - actual footage of the conflict - the [directors] have made something far chewier than the usual bumper-sticker polemics." --David Frear, Time Out New York

"You love the filmmakers...for their open love and respect for the young men." --Stephen Hunter, Washington Post


You can find out more about filmmaker Garrett Scott in this BuzzFlash interview http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/06/01/int06003.html

And, of course, by joining us to watch his film at the VOICES AGAINST THE WAR event on March 19!

*******************
We will also be screening:

RECRUIT ME: Matt Dadonna, a student at Southold High School, has made a short film about an anti-recruiting protest outside the Riverhead Army Recruiting offices last summer.

We are proud to see this young filmmaker speak truth to his convictions and hope he’ll be in town to speak to us about his film.

NORTH FORK PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE have a blog

Now that we at North Fork People of Conscience have our own blog we will be able to share information more easily with you, let you know what we are doing, give you an opportunity to post your comments and questions, interact with each other, volunteer for specific events, link to other blogs and sites with similar interests and forward the information to your friends and kindred spirits.

The most important news we have is VOICES AGAINST THE WAR, a major event planned for Sunday, March 19 from 1-5 pm at the Vail-Leavitt Hall, 18 Peconic Avenue, Riverhead, New York. (telephone 631 727 5782)

We will be proud to raise our voices in solidarity with hundreds of other groups all over the country and hope you will join us to raise yours on that day.

We are about to post the press release we will be sending out to raise awareness and enthusiasm for the event. Please feel free to send it on to your own network.

VOICES AGAINST THE WAR-press release

NORTH FORK PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE
POB 1330
Southold, NY 11971

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2006
Contact: 631 765 4612 or nfpofc@optonline.net


VOICES AGAINST THE WAR

On Sunday, March 19th, 2006 North Fork People of Conscience will be marking the day we enter the fourth year of the Iraq war. The program runs from 2-5 pm. at Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, 18 Peconic Avenue in Riverhead, New York 11901 (telephone 631 727 5782). Doors open at 1 pm.

In an ever-growing series of 120 photographic panels, each holding 18 individual lives in photographs and short biographies, VOICES AGAINST THE WAR includes Honor the Fallen, the Memorial that remembers the more than 2,400 US soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. These panels will be displayed on the walls, floors and balconies of the Hall--as many as there is space for. The Memorial will be open for viewing at 1 pm.


The program for VOICES AGAINST THE WAR also includes two films and several speakers:

• OCCUPATION: DREAMLAND, directed by Garett Scott. The documentary follows Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon from the 82nd Airborne Division patrolling and securing Falluja, Iraq, in 2003 and 2004 prior to the major insurrection that cost heavy American casualties to retake the city.

• RECRUIT ME, a short film by Matt Dadonna, a North Fork
high school student.

• Michael Harmon, a recently returned Iraqi Vet and member of Iraq Vets Against the War, who was deployed as a combat medic with the 4th Infantry Division.

• Carmen Trotta, a well known Catholic Worker activist

• John Phillips, a retired NYPD officer who was arrested for
protesting in Senator Hillary Clinton’s office

• Joe Giannini, founder East End Vets Against the War

Funds raised through admission tickets, merchandise and refreshments will be used entirely to create more laminated panels to reflect the mounting dead. NFPOC will be selling t-shirts, bumper stickers and postcards, designed for the event by North Fork artists.

Tickets: $10 for adults; $6 for senior citizens and students. These will be available at the door.

For more information: Gwynn at 631 298 4912

THE COST OF CREATING A PANEL

It costs us approximately $75 to produce one panel.

First, we have to download the photographs and biographies and print them on glossy photographic paper. Once we have completed 18, we send them to Manhattan for laminating onto a 3'x5' panel. The cost includes printer cartridges, paper, lamination and shipping.

We also buy various adhesive materials for securing the panels in a variety of environments.

Everything else is contributed by North Fork People of Conscience.