This Revolution
Encyclopedia
This Revolution is a 2004
political film
starring Rosario Dawson
. Directed by filmmaker and activist Stephen Marshall
, creator of the video news magazine Channel Zero and founder of Guerrilla News Network
, the docu-drama film blends fiction with reality, focusing on the effects of the media's bias
in order to maximize profits
. The film was also part of the 2004 Official Sundance Selection.
during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Jake does not buy into the theory of a corporate-controlled press
. Though, after having much of his best footage in Iraq
censored
by the network, Jake is growing disillusioned with his corporate masters. During this Jake befriends a young boy (Brett DelBuono), and in time meets his mother, Tina Santiago (Rosario Dawson), a pretty young widow whose husband died while serving in Iraq, who he comes to form a close bond. Jake then gets an assignment to shoot on the streets of the Republican National Convention
protests, there he meets Seven, one of the young leaders of a masked anarchist Black Bloc
. Jake quickly wins the trust of the group and is allowed to shadow them as they move through the demonstration. Later that night, after shooting Seven with her mask down describing the Bloc's militant objectives, the videotape is returned to the network with the rest of his footage by Jake's Girlfriend and co-worker Chloe (Amy Redford), without Jake's permission. When he goes to retrieve the tape, he is told the network made a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to review all footage to look for potential terror suspects. Which is in fact being used to compile a database of activists. Realizing the danger he has brought to Seven and the Black Bloc itself, Jake decides to use his skills and access at the network to jam the government controlled corporate media and broadcast the truth of the protests and the message of a new generation of activists.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
political film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
starring Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
. Directed by filmmaker and activist Stephen Marshall
Stephen Marshall (writer)
Stephen Marshall is a writer, film director, and internet entrepreneur from Canada. His work has been wide ranging, including music videos, short format work, feature length documentary, and political criticism...
, creator of the video news magazine Channel Zero and founder of Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network
Guerrilla News Network, Inc. was a privately owned news web site and television production company that declared as its mission to "expose people to important global issues through cross-platform guerrilla programming." This was accomplished through the production of original articles, reporting...
, the docu-drama film blends fiction with reality, focusing on the effects of the media's bias
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
in order to maximize profits
Profit maximization
In economics, profit maximization is the process by which a firm determines the price and output level that returns the greatest profit. There are several approaches to this problem...
. The film was also part of the 2004 Official Sundance Selection.
Plot
Jake Cassevetes (Nathan Crooker) is a world renowned cameraman who has just arrived back from being embeddedEmbedded journalist
Embedded journalism refers to news reporters being attached to military units involved in armed conflicts. While the term could be applied to many historical interactions between journalists and military personnel, it first came to be used in the media coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Jake does not buy into the theory of a corporate-controlled press
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
. Though, after having much of his best footage in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
by the network, Jake is growing disillusioned with his corporate masters. During this Jake befriends a young boy (Brett DelBuono), and in time meets his mother, Tina Santiago (Rosario Dawson), a pretty young widow whose husband died while serving in Iraq, who he comes to form a close bond. Jake then gets an assignment to shoot on the streets of the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
protests, there he meets Seven, one of the young leaders of a masked anarchist Black Bloc
Black bloc
A black bloc is a tactic for protests and marches, whereby individuals wear black clothing, scarves, ski masks, motorcycle helmets with padding, or other face-concealing items...
. Jake quickly wins the trust of the group and is allowed to shadow them as they move through the demonstration. Later that night, after shooting Seven with her mask down describing the Bloc's militant objectives, the videotape is returned to the network with the rest of his footage by Jake's Girlfriend and co-worker Chloe (Amy Redford), without Jake's permission. When he goes to retrieve the tape, he is told the network made a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to review all footage to look for potential terror suspects. Which is in fact being used to compile a database of activists. Realizing the danger he has brought to Seven and the Black Bloc itself, Jake decides to use his skills and access at the network to jam the government controlled corporate media and broadcast the truth of the protests and the message of a new generation of activists.
Trivia
- During the filming of a protest scene, the cast was mistaken for an actual subversive group, leading to the arrest of several cast members, including Rosario Dawson. The entire third act of the film was rewritten on the fly to explain her absence. Footage of Dawson's actual arrest made the final cut of the film.
- The film was Inspired by Haskell Wexler's classic Medium CoolMedium CoolMedium Cool is an American film written and directed by Haskell Wexler and starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz, Marianna Hill and Harold Blankenship. It takes place in Chicago in the summer of 1968...
.