Guerrilla News Network: Crack the CIA

Hard Border

January 2018 •English

Belfast-born actor Stephen Rea explores the impact of Brexit and the uncertainty of the future of the Irish border in a short film written by Clare Dwyer Hogg.

Four Women of Egypt

January 1997 •Arabic

Four female friends from Egypt with opposing religious, social, and political views listen to one another's perspectives and argue openly, without ever breaking the bond that unites them.

A Haunting History

April 2016 •Dutch

Haunted by his violent past, the ambitious lawyer Anuol returns to his homeland, South Sudan, committed to serve his country and hold accountable those who are responsible. But his quest, led by the rules of law, hits a wall when he is confronted with his countrymen’s reluctance to reconcile with history.

Crack USA: County Under Siege

January 1989 •English

Documentary which aired in 1989 as part of the HBO documentary series "American Undercover". It was filmed in West Palm Beach, Florida over the course of eight weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The documentary shows a cross section of abusers who have fallen under the deadly spell of the most addictive and affordable drug in America. Interviews with addicts and their families reveal that crack knows no socio-economic boundaries. Teenagers discuss the desperate measures they have taken to obtain the drug. The producers acknowledged the following for their assistance in making this film: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office; West Palm Beach Police Department; Data House of the Drug Abuse Treatment Association © Half-Court Productions Ltd. 1989

Fantastic Lies

March 2016 •English

One night in Durham, North Carolina, a rape accusation set fire to the reputations of three college athletes and their elite university. As the Duke lacrosse players grappled with their transition from model student to the criminally accused, several wars were launched on different fronts.

Hanoi, Tuesday 13th

October 1969 •Spanish

In December 1967 a Cuban film crew led by Santiago Alvarez, the veteran polemicist, traveled to Hanoi. They shot the footage which constitutes this short documentary all in one day - Tuesday 13. The film is the story of that day, and what happened to the North Vietnamese people in the course of it.

The New Watchdogs

January 2012 •French

In 1932, the writer Paul Nizan published "The New Watchdogs" to denounce the philosophers and writers of his time who, sheltering behind intellectual neutrality, imposed themselves as true watchdogs of the established order. Today the watchdogs are journalists, editors, and media experts who've openly become market evangelists and guardians of the social order. In a sardonic manner, "The New Watchdogs" denounces this press that, claiming to be independent, objective and pluralist, makes out it is a democratic force of opposition. With forcefulness and precision, the film puts its finger on the increasing danger of information produced by the major industrial groups of the Paris Stock Exchange and perverted into merchandise.

Ai Weiwei: Without Fear or Favour

November 2010 •English

Arts documentary, first broadcast before Ai Weiwei's arrest by the Chinese authorities in April 2011, and his subsequent release after being detained for 11 weeks. Architect, photographer, curator and blogger, Ai Weiwei is China's most famous and politically outspoken contemporary artist. Alan Yentob explores the story of Ai Weiwei's life and art, and reveals how this most courageous and determined of artists continues to fight for artistic freedom of expression while living under the restrictive shadows of authoritarian rule.

Sleaford Mods: Invisible Britain

October 2015 •English

Sleaford Mods - Invisible Britain shows the most exciting and uncompromising British band in years sticking two fingers up to the zeitgeist and articulating the rage and desperation of those without a voice in austerity Britain. The film follows Sleaford Mods on a tour of the UK in the run up to the 2015 General Election, visiting the neglected, broken down and boarded up parts of the country that many would prefer to ignore. Part band doc, part look at the state of the nation, the documentary features individuals and communities attempting to find hope among the ruins, against a blistering soundtrack by Sleaford Mods.

Weiner

May 2016 •English

Documentary featuring a jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes look at the attempted comeback of Anthony Weiner in 2013 as he mounts a campaign for New York City mayor in the wake of his sexting scandal. Featuring unfettered access to the candidate and his campaign.

Area 51: The CIA's Secret

November 2014 •English

This true story covers ground-breaking research into the aviation that took place at the Groom Lake Testing Facility, otherwise known as Area 51, which ensured US Aerial supremacy from the Cold War through to the present day. Utilising CIA documents that have recently been declassified this programme identifies specific individuals who worked at the top secret base in a variety of roles – the radar specialists, pilots and security guards. Their personal testimonies provide a unique impression not just of the work that was carried out, but of the site itself. We reveal just how tight security had to be to keep the development of the U2, A12 and HAVE BLUE aviation programmes under wraps. This is a film that concentrates on delivering history and factual accuracy in a fresh and engaging style – one that answers the question ‘what really happened at Area 51’?

In Bed with an Elephant

October 1987 •English

This feature documentary provides a gripping retrospective of United States-Canada relationships through a study of successive presidents and prime ministers. Using archival film footage, it demonstrates that Canadian prime ministers, from John A. Macdonald down, all began their tenures by making overtures to their American counterparts. Attitudes and outcomes have varied widely. The almost comic antipathy between Kennedy and Diefenbaker, for instance, is as palpable here as is the folksy camaraderie of Reagan and Mulroney. Part four of Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada series.

The Eleventh Year

May 1928 •Russian

The film is dedicated to the achievements of the Ukrainian SSR for the eleventh anniversary of the October Revolution.

Frontier Documentary

March 2023 •English

An NHS nurse of twenty years reflects on a challenging and strenuous career as time dwindles to her retirement.

Täuschung - Die Methode Reagan

May 2015 •German

A documentary about US-led covert actions under the Reagan administration intended to bolster the perception of Soviet aggression, undermine the peace initiatives of Sweden's PM Olof Palme, and to tie the non-aligned Sweden to NATO.

Beyond Citizen Kane

September 1993 •English

Beyond Citizen Kane (1993) is a British documentary film directed by Simon Hartog, produced by John Ellis, and broadcast on Channel 4. It details the dominant position of the Rede Globo media group in the Brazilian society, discussing the group's influence, power, and political connections. Globo's president and founder Roberto Marinho came in for particular criticism, being compared with fictional newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, created by Orson Welles for the 1941 film Citizen Kane. According to the documentary, Marinho's media group engages in the same Kane wholesale manipulation of news to influence the public opinion.

Wasted Talent

July 2018 •English

14 Women

July 2007 •English

Documentary that explores the lives of 14 female U.S. senators and the uniquely feminine challenges they face, including the sometimes difficult balance between their roles as public servants and wives and mothers.

CIA vs KGB: Battleground Berlin

April 2016 •French

For 50 years, Berlin was the symbol of the Cold War. The city at the heart of the intelligence war between the US and the Soviet bloc. Thousands of KGB or CIA, agents observed each other, cogs in the biggest information war in history.

Dread Beat an' Blood

September 1979 •English

Follows dub poet master Linton Kwesi Johnson out of the recording studio onto the Brixton streets.