Hijacking Catastrophe:9/11, Fear & the Selling of US Empire

The following article was originally printed in the Houston Peace News in January 2004. The authors, Mary and Con Rees, held a house party to raise funds for the production and distribution of MEF's forthcoming video Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire at their home in Houston last December.

In November we had dinner with a friend, Adi Bemak, in Massachusetts, a state that will undoubtedly vote for change in the 2004 election. Adi shared this magnificent and hopeful plan that could have real impact on the upcoming elections simply educating the public through film. This film will be distributed widely in time to help support an educated electorate.

We saw a clip of the film. It gave us so much hope for the possibility of preserving our democracy that we decided to build our holiday around it. We held a peace party. About twenty people attended. We shared light refreshments, viewed the film clip, and then talked about the film and the "current state of the union." Sharing a little like this was a powerfully hopeful experience. We'd love to share this experience with more of our fellow Texans. Our thought is that readers of Houston Peace News might like to do the same--sharing this clip or the final film with friends who may not be reading Peace News!

The film, narrated by Julian Bond, cuts through militaristic media images and political spin to examine the forces driving U.S. international and domestic policy in the wake of 9/11. The documentary reveals how the administration has used the trauma of 9/11 and the war on terrorism to advance a radical and longstanding neo-conservative plan. We are raising funds to support the completion and distribution of the film as we head towards the pivotal presidential election of 2004.

The documentary is being produced by the Media Education Foundation (MEF), the nation's leading producer and distributor of films that deal with the political, social, and cultural consequences of the system of corporate-controlled media. To assure maximum and timely impact, the documentary (produced in English and Spanish) will be distributed at the height of the 2004 election campaign through an extensive and innovative grassroots outreach network to provide individuals and groups with a powerful tool for informing, organizing, and energizing voters. A rough-cut of the film is available through MEF to share with friends and help raise funds to make widespread distribution possible.

The completed film will be available to those who intend on sharing it publicly. Contact: Adi Bemak at the Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street, Northampton, Massachusetts 01060, or at [email protected], 413.584.8500, ext. 2111.
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by Mary and Con Rees