Dear Friends Known & Unknown,
A couple of years ago I became aware that a movie, "The Battle in Seattle,"
was in the making. As I had written the book, "The Battle in Seattle" (published in 2000), the production of a movie
of the same name got my attention. I tried to get the attention of the producers but neither my emails nor my phone calls
were returned. As I was in the midst of writing a rather difficult book at the time, I was neither emotionally, spiritually
or intellectually inclined to go to battle for "Battle." I wasn't financially inclined either. But pretty soon
I started getting phone calls and emails and was stopped on the street, at the post office & in the grocery store by people
congratulating me on the book being made into a movie. As the filming got underway in Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle, the congratulatory
calls increased. And they continued to increase when the movie opened the Seattle International Film Festival. Recently, during
the Democratic Convention, "The Battle in Seattle" was part of a film festival in Denver. It is now scheduled
for national release on September 19.
www.battleinseattlemovie.com It turns out that Irish writer/director, Stuart Townsend did use my book in his research and he recently
emailed me accordingly. (He didn't know about my attempt to contact the initial producers--neither of whom are still involved
in the movie.) We've had a good Celtic exchange (I'm Welsh) about our mutual disdain for the wayward ways of unjust
globalization and the perils of imperialism & colonialism. But please know that I have in no way benefited financially
from the film---and at this point neither has he. We hope the movie and the book will both get the word out about the great
movement in civil society to bring about economic justice for one and for all. His film addresses the activist
passion and the complexities of WTO Seattle on the streets. My book is an exploration of the event and the issues behind
the scenes that so influence the lives of us all, all over the world. It is a good read, if I may say so myself. It is
also respectfully included in quite a few college curricula.
The book is, in the words of author and visionary,
David Korten:
"Humane, authoritative, personal and engagingly written, this is the real story of the people, events
and issues behind the Battle in Seattle and N30, the day the most international, inclusive, and potentially powerful social
movement in history announced itself to the world." It honors some of the real people who brought
WTO Seattle to the streets---including Ben White, the visionary lifelong activist, who died all too young in 2005. He was
responsible for the turtles on the the streets of WTO Seattle, as well as for 35 years of saving life on earth.
Thanks for your interest and all you are doing for the cause.
Best,
janet
Ok.
Here's the email exchange between me 'n Stuart:
he
said on 9/17, 7:09 am:
hi Janet,
I have just read your
post on the Brad Listi blog. I just wanted to reach out and let you know that I never knew you had contacted my producers
before. I did indeed read your book and found it inspirational, thoughtful, and highly informative.
I spent a year and a half trawling though websites, documentaries, book, pamphlets - you
name it. And I always thought your work was full of soul.
I am
sorry I never made contact but I literally wrote this script at home without really knowing how to reach out to the activist
community in America.
Since then I have had the good fortune to
meet many activists and maybe our paths may cross one day!
Although I wasn't there in 99, when I found the story I felt it was so important to
try and make a film about it that would re-examine an event that most people only vaguely remembered.
I hope that the film does create renewed interest in the debate on all the important issues
that people stood up for, and hopefully it brings many people to read your book.
We have created a website
It is a comprehensive site explaining
many of the issues in more detail than a feature film can, in the hope that if people get inspired to learn more about the
issues there is a place for them to go.
There is a link section
to all the books that were inspirational and educational to me, and "The Battle In seattle" book is there.
I would
also like to say, for what it's worth, I have not made a single dime in two years because of working on this film. And
I will not see a dime from any profits made. Although we are so Indy there probably won't be any profits anyway. I have
done this because I have always wanted to make films, and the subject of corporate globalization is something that I believe
is so important and detrimental to our world.
All the best
Stuart Townsend
she said on 9/17 at 7:55 am:Dear Stuart,
Thanks so much for your email.
I appreciate your appreciation of the book, "Battle." I haven't made a dime on the book either, and it,
too, was a work of dedication, as I knew your film was when I saw it. I thought it was very interesting that you, an Irish
man, saw the importance of such a film and I , a Welsh woman, wrote the book. Genetically, we must know something about
oppression..... Post-911 in the U.S. has created an atmosphere fear & restriction in which such demonstrations will likely
never happen again. It was an event that reached out from the global heart instead of the global pocketbook......I know
you know.
I was at the opening of your film at the Seattle Film Festival. Pissed off, of course. Contacting Mary
Aloe & Kirk Shaw was done out of sincere excitement that the movie was being made & a genuine interest in being useful.
I was surprised not to hear back. And sorry you weren't informed. You did a great job job capturing the activist passion
& the complexity of police/personal politics. The cops were in a friggin' pickle on that one. And I appreciate also
that you did not leave out reference to issues. I came away from the film begrudgingly glad that it was good. (I'm only
human.)
I will put a link to the movie on
www.battleinseattlebook.com & will express my support for the movie whenever I get the opportunity. And I appreciate your support of the book.
All best & blessings, too,
janet
and he said on 9/17 at 8:12 am:yes global justice and anti-colonialism is in the blood!!!
Thanks for your email,
and now that you mention Kirk and Mary it all makes sense. They are no longer our producers as they were bought out.
Cheers
for the link. Keep writing books!!
Stu
and she said on 9/17 at 8:31 am:
yep.
and you keep making movies.
all good luck with the "Battle" opening.
keep your composure.
protect your heart.
there are sharks out there everywhere.....and none of them recognize they are part of the
problem.
j
