I screened part 4 of the Gulf Crisis TV Project, a 10 part series created by Paper Tiger TV and Deep Dish TV. It was produced in collaboration, and with support from, the network of activists across the country resisting war in the Middle East. As a participatory project, it took submissions from people with camcorders all across the country. As a result the video included footage from protests and interviews across the country, helping to show the scale of the resistance. The series was shown on public access channels across the country, several PBS stations, and screened by activist groups across the country.

This episode had a focus on resistance around the country, especially on teaching active duty soldiers how to resist. The show kept going back to the idea of being a conscientious objector, flashing a phone number at the bottom of the screen for soldiers to call and learn about the legality of getting that status. The program featured interviews with a number of soldiers, and followed some of them as they gave speeches at rallies or marched in protests. The form of the piece was essentially a participatory, or observational documentary. While the camera work wasn’t perfect, everything was understandable and nothing was lost due to lower production value. In fact, the sheer magnitude of protests and the very diverse array of people and places featured created a sense of power for the resistance. As a very fast moving piece, the doc was quickly cutting from one protest to another, to an interview with a soldier, to a fiery sermon in a church, and all over the place. I wish I had time to watch the rest of the series.

Deep Dish TV and Paper Tiger TV. “Part 4: Bring the Troops Home.” Gulf Crisis TV Project. 1991. Online, Mediaburn.org.