McLibel- Two People Who Never Said ?Sorry? to McD (BBC 2005, DVD rip) Mp4

Date: 2005
Media type: Audio/Video
Video format: Mp4
Quality: Good

McLibel- Two People Who Never Said ?Sorry? to McD (BBC 2005, DVD rip) Mp4 Press Release from Spanner Films After a ten year production, Franny Armstrong?s no-budget documentary, ?McLibel?, was broadcast on BBC2 on World Environment Day, Sunday 5th June, 2005 as part of a six-part Storyville series of landmark documentaries. ?McLibel? is the only uncommissioned, independent film from a first-time filmmaker to be selected for the prestigious series. McLibel is the story of the postman and the gardener who humiliated McDonald's in the biggest corporate p.r disaster in history. The new 85 minute feature documentary follows Dave Morris, 50, and Helen Steel, 39, from anonymous campaigners distributing leaflets in North London in the late 80s to global heroes defeating the UK government - and libel laws - at the European Court in 2005. Whilst representing themselves in the longest court case in English history (314 days), Helen works nights in a bar and Dave brings up his young son alone. They also face infiltration by spies, secret meetings with corporate executives and a visit from Ronald McDonald. ?It?s a remarkable achievement.? says Ken Loach, who directed the courtroom reconstructions in McLibel as part of the volunteer crew, ?The broadcasters don?t deserve congratulation but castigation ? it should have been shown when it was first made.? McDonald?s had always used the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Everyone from the BBC, Channel 4, The Sun, The Guardian and Time Out to Linda McCartney, trade unions, tea shops and kids? theatre groups had crumbled in the face of McDonald?s legal threats. So no broadcaster would commission a film about McLibel at the start of the trial in 1995. Which left first-time filmmaker and former pop drummer Franny Armstrong, then aged 23, with a story-and-a-half on her hands. The first version of her film (52 mins), was released at the end of the original McLibel trial in 1997, sold to TV around the world, was seen by 26 million people and yet was never broadcast in the UK. Commissioners at first BBC1 and then Channel 4 wanted to buy it, but pulled out after consulting their lawyers. ?As the media has more and more fallen into the hands of a few corporations there is much more timidity about doing investigative journalism.? says Eric Schlosser, author of international bestseller ?Fast Food Nation? and one of the key interviewees in McLibel. ?McDonald?s strategy of threatening to sue people was very very effective. It prevented meaningful criticism of McDonald?s from appearing in the British media.? But after Helen and Dave (the ?McLibel 2?) defeated the UK libel laws at the European Court of Human Rights in February 2005 - and with McDonald?s issuing no further libel threats - the UK broadcasters finally acted. BBC4 screened McLibel on 14 April 2005 - the day before McDonald?s 50th Birthday - and, following overwhelming viewer response and rave reviews (see below), BBC2 selected the film for its prestigious documentary series. ?Helen and Dave proved that ordinary people and common sense can win against impossible odds in our legal system? says Director Franny Armstrong. ?And I hope our film shows that independent filmmakers can fight through all the waffle on TV to get alternative stories right into the mainstream.? DVD of this production available at: http://www.spannerfilms.net/?lid=347&shoppage=brws&cat= Please support this and other productions with purchases. Also, you may wish to visit : www.mcspotlight.org