Filmmaker Scheduled to Appear, Producer Scheduled to Appear
Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Series, New Americas Cinema
An immersive archival documentary that reanimates the clash between the then-emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and the more than 40,000 people who took to the streets of Seattle to protest them. Q&A with the director and producer to follow.
In 1999, members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened in Seattle for what was supposed to be a series of routine negotiations. Instead, they were met with one of the largest U.S. protests of global powers in the 20th century. Protesters from across the aisle representing everything from labor rights to environmental protections filled the streets with signs and video cameras in tow. Crafted from a stunning array of newscaster broadcasts and outtakes, citizen journalist tapes, home videos, and press conferences, WTO/99 is an entirely archival film chronicling this consequential four-day event, which draws a direct line between the WTO protests and the issues of corporate control and environmental degradation we still reckon with 25 years later. [102 min; documentary; English]
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Ian Bell and producer Alex Megaro.
“Some documentaries just feel like a sock in the jaw. Ian Bell’s fiery and explosive archival picture WTO/99 is that kind of film.” — Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
"WTO/99 becomes undeniable in how it illuminates the prescience of what was once dismissed in the mainstream as a radical fringe and the perils of disengaging from political discourse." — Stephen Saito, Moveable Feast
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
