Get Off Your Arse and Change the World
Friday, 9 July 2010 by EllyRobson
In 2009, environmental activists hit the headlines possibly more than in any other year. From the seminal G20 protests to the street mobilisations at the Copenhagen climate conference, the press were fascinated with the dynamism of a growing movement which was able to articulate its ideas in new and exciting ways.
Yet, inevitably, the mainstream media barely told half the story; sadly, violence sells. The rioting protester has always been a key image for the press, a narrative supported by both the police and corporations targeted by protest groups, like e.on and BAA. Emily James‘ incredible film released after the G20, went quite some way toward redressing the balance, giving hard evidence the extent of police violence during the Climate Camp in the City and arguably forcing journalists to tell a different story.
However, the G20 was only the beginning for Emily, who followed activists from Climate Rush, Climate Camp and Plane Stupid through a year jam-packed with inspiring events; recording their plotting and planning, capturing actions as diverse as the Climate Rush bike rush and aeroplane lock-ons, secreting film tapes in safe houses and releasing short films left, right and centre. Just Do It, now in production and set for release in early 2011, is the culmination of these 250 hours of raw footage and is now being concocted into a feature-length documentary by a diverse and committed team.
Just Do It seeks to tell the human story of activism in 2009 - a story frequently ignored by the mass media; one in which the protesters are not faceless and incomprehensible vandals, but ordinary men and women who feel that to do nothing in the face of injustice and destruction is no longer tenable; in which that decision is not an impulsive reaction, but a gradual thought process; in which activism involves both inspiration and disillusionment, joy and sacrifice. Most importantly, it seeks to show that anyone can ‘just do it’ and moreover, inspire and even incite people into taking action.
In many ways, making Just Do It is in itself activism, although of a less obviously racy kind (as is so much of the behind the scenes work that goes into movements). In the Just Do It HQ in east London, Emily James and her team have been pursuing an innovative method of film-making, challenging corporate profit-driven models and suggesting a grass-roots vision of both fundraising and distribution.
The crowd-funding model, successfully used by films like the Age of Stupid, whereby many people donate a little bit each to raise the money to make the film rather than being tied to a corporate sponsor, is essential in enabling the Just Do It team to put forward an alternative narrative to the Murdoch-dominated press. Arguably, Just Do It also takes this model one step further than the Age of Stupid, which still relied on a commercial distribution system to pay back investors. Emily aims to eliminate the profit motive all together by making the film free at the point of distribution and encouraging guerrilla screenings, free downloads and ‘pirate’ DVDs of the documentary.
As Emily says; “It’s precisely the kind of film that wouldn’t get made within the existing profit and ratings-driven funding structures. Crowd-funding through donation enables us, as creative artists, to be supported by our audience in a more direct way, without the involvement of cultural gatekeepers. This is another nail in the coffin for traditional media.”
In this way, Just Do It promises to push boundaries and inspire, both in the story it tells and the way in which the film is made.
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Please donate to make this film happen: http://just-do-it.org.uk/fund-this-film
Without big billboards, Just Do It are depending on word of mouth, so join the facebook group here: www.facebook.com/jdi.thefilm and invite your friends.
You can also find Just Do It online in these places:
