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Press Releases< back to Press Release listEuropean Experts Debate 'Diminished Rule' at Berlin International Film Festival Following World Premiere of STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURELos Angeles, CA, March 3, 2008 –
Highlights of Provocative and Impassioned Discussion on International Diplomacy available at www.takepart.com/sop Participant Media and Sony Pictures Classics hosted a lively and provocative social action discussion, “Diplomacy in the Age of Terror: The Impact of Diminished Rule of Law on International Relations,” exploring the themes and opinions offered by Errol Morris’ powerful documentary Standard Operating Procedure, at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film, the first documentary ever screened in competition at the Festival, won this year’s “Silver Bear” Grand Jury Award, and is scheduled to open in More than 140 people from the international press community, humanitarian organizations, universities and the general public attended the 90-minute panel on Wednesday, February 13th at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, following the film’s world premiere screening the night before. Olivia Schoeller, Washington Bureau Chief for the Berliner Zeitung, served as moderator to a panel of five experts from the European community: Dr. Allen Keller, Director of the NYU Survivors of Torture; Lord Peter Goldsmith, former UK Attorney General; Wolfgang Kaleck, General Secretary for the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights; Lionel Barber, Editor of The Financial Times; and Herta Daubler-Gmelin, Chairwoman of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Parliament. In discussing the impact of diminished rule of law on international relations against the current political climate as well as ideas and solutions to better improve societal relations in the age of terrorism, some notable statements were made by each of the panelists. These include: Dr Keller “These methods of interrogation should be seen for what they are: torture.” “There’s a worldwide health epidemic of torture. What we have done will take years to undo.” Lord Goldsmith “Compliance with the law is not something to get around—it is one of the rules of succeeding in the battle of values.” Mr. Kaleck (who, on behalf of the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, has filed a lawsuit against former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld): “It’s often easier to go after the neighbor that destroys your garden than the Rumsfelds of the world.” “The priority in this situation should be to restore dignity as well as to restore the law,” he added. Mr. Barber “Congress engaged in self-censorship upon the release of the photographs.” With reference to the importance in understanding the context of the Ms. Daubler-Gmelin “Torture is all over the world: “As for Abu Ghraib, only named soldiers have been prosecuted. What about the military leaders? Why is their impunity not put on the table?” About Standard Operating Procedure Errol Morris’ film focuses on the question of whether it is possible for a photograph the change the world, with reference to images taken by soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison, their impact on the war in and ’s image of itself. The film examines the context of these photographs and asks the audience to consider if these notorious photographs constituted evidence of systematic abuse by the American military or if they were documenting the aberrant behavior of a few “bad apples.” About Participant Media Participant Media is the leading provider of entertainment that inspires and compels social change. It is a Los Angeles-based production company that focuses on socially relevant, commercially viable feature films and documentaries. Participant Media is headed by CEO Jim Berk and President Ricky Strauss and was founded in 2004 by philanthropist Jeff Skoll, who serves as Chairman. Participant’s 2008 releases include Brett Morgen’s Chicago 10, Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor, Errol Morris’ Standard Operating Procedure, which was awarded the coveted Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, and Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker’s Pressure Cooker. Recent films include Louise Hogarth’s Angels in the Dust, Jonathan Demme’s Jimmy Carter Man From Plains, Ted Braun’s Darfur Now, Marc Forster’s The Kite Runner, Mike Nichols’ Charlie Wilson’s War, George Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck, Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana, Niki Caro’s North Country and Davis Guggenheim’s Academy Award®-winning An Inconvenient Truth, one of the highest grossing documentaries in history. For information, visit www.participantmedia.com. Contact: Jeffrey Sakson Participant Media jeff.sakson@participantmedia.com 310-550-5109 < back to Press Release list
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