This is the response of a creative community to the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, and to the war in Afghanistan.
The outgrowth of discussion within an on-line forum called The D-Word Community, this collaborative documentary reflects the individual voices of documentary filmmakers from around the world.
Streamed on the web as a collection of documentary short films, WAR & PEACE was launched at the International Documentary Festial in Amsterdam on 24 Nov 2001 with several pieces that capture the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. As the international crisis unfolds, more pieces will be added and the project will continue to evolve.
On September 11th, 2001, members of the D-Word Community reached out to each other in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. New Yorkers gave first-hand accounts of the chaos while the rest of us struggled to comprehend what had transpired.
While several filmmakers hit the streets with their cameras, others offered personal insights into a shattered world. At first we wanted to know about the safety of members and their loved ones. Later we wanted to share our reactions: pain, sorrow, bewilderment, fear.
As the days passed, we expressed gratitude
for the D-Word Community itself, and the vital link it provided to each
other.
It's called a virtual community because it's on-line, but on September 11th we learned that D-Word members build very real relationships. In a posting dated September 13, 2001, Doug Block expressed, "my deepest thanks to everyone for personally helping me through an indescribably grim time. I've opened up this new topic, War and Peace, to give us a place to share our thoughts and feelings about what's going on in this crazy world with each other. And to discuss how it impacts our work and lives as documentary filmmakers."
A first D-Word Collaborative Project
started to take shape in June 2000. From a simple suggestion, the concept of collaboration evolved into a marathon discussion. We decided to focus on a familiar topic: documentary filmmaking. One year later, on June 20, 2001, ESSAYS ON DOCUMENTARY debuted at Docuweb. A diverse collection of eight shorts, ESSAYS ON DOCUMENTARY explores the art and meaning of non-fiction film today. Filmmakers will build on this foundation of experience during production of WAR & PEACE.
A collection of individual voices, WAR & PEACE will remain as inclusive and open to interpretation as possible. Topic, style, format and duration of segments are at the filmmaker's discretion. WAR & PEACE will embrace diversity and encourage the democratic exchange of ideas.
Some of the first segments of WAR & PEACE include: Aaron Edison's first-hand impressions and footage from the World Trade Center on September 11th; a look at the love/hate dichotomy that Argentinians feel toward America from Andres Di Tella; and Ben Kempas' perspective on this year's Oktoberfest in Munich when the war started.
WAR & PEACE will also document the evolution of the crisis as filmmakers respond to changing circumstances over time. New pieces will be continually added to the on-line collection. WAR & PEACE will be presented sequentially in the order that segments are completed and debuted on-line. The organizational chronology will allow the documentary to develop organically as filmmakers react to events and inspire each other.
WAR & PEACE will provide a unique chronicle of the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the ensuing events and circumstances around the world. Eventually, the on-line video segments will be assembled chronologically and made available as a program for broadcast. Distribution in theatrical, semi-theatrical and educational markets will also be considered. Proceeds from distribution will be donated to a charitable organization, to be determined by participating filmmakers.
Supervising Producers for WAR & PEACE are Sarah George in Los Angeles (email), Birgit Rathsmann in New York (email), and Ben Kempas in Munich (email).
