Contempt of Conscience - full documentary online...

A few years back now I was involved in a documentary project called Contempt of Conscience.

It has now been uploaded in-full to YouTube, and you can watch it via the links (or embedded windows) below - or you can visit Top Documentary Films and see it there.

PART ONE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2pVngostcs



PART TWO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCkox_jq9wQ



PART THREE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yru4-86epCo

Showing in Lithuania...

I've heard today that apparently "Contempt of Conscience" is going to be screening at the 2009 Inconvenient Films Human Rights Film Festival - in Lithuania.

From their website:

The festival, organized by Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights in cooperation with “WatchDocs: Human Rights in Film IFF” will be held October 22-30, 2009 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Additional screenings will take place in Kaunas, Klaipeda and other regions of Lithuania during the following month.

Ad Hoc: Inconvenient Films” is the first and so far the only one human rights film festival in Lithuania as well as in the Baltic states. The mission of this festival is to raise awareness of human rights issues around the world and to connect them to those that are present in Lithuania. By presenting various documentaries on main human rights topics organizers hope to encourage public debates on human rights issues and ways to address them. The festival became one of the biggest film festivals and cultural events in Lithuania with “Ad Hoc: Inconveninet Films 2008” being visited by 13 000 viewers.

http://www.nepatoguskinas.lt/

Contempt of Conscience (2008)...

This locally produced documentary about conscientious objectors The Peace Tax Seven had been a few years in the making by the time I joined the project as cameraman and additional editor.


Thanks to my new equipment it was at this point that I was able to move forward again and set myself up officially as a Freelance Filmmaker (prior to this point I had been gaining expenses-only work experience in between my own little side projects).


“Contempt of Conscience” premiered in its finished form at the Milano Film Festival in Italy, 2008. It was also shown at the Reality Uncut film festival in New Delhi, and the Beyond TV film festival in Swansea.

You can view the full film online (in 3 parts) at Ethics Online's YouTube Channel - or via Top Documentary Films.

See the IMDb page for this film here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1294663/

Below is a clip from the film - an original cut of the 'bailiff sequence', which I was able to direct, shoot, and edit.

Contempt of Conscience 2008 showings...

No, not a typo, I am indeed talking about 2008.

I'd already mentioned a few times here on the blog that Contempt of Conscience was shown at the 2008 Milano Film Festival in Italy, but it was also shown at another couple of festivals in 2008 - for which I now have the information on (it was just one of those things, I never got around to getting the information until today when it happened to come up in the conversation).

Anyway, the two other showings in 2008 were as follows:

Reality, Uncut - New Delhi, 15th September 2008
"Contempt Of Conscience, 4 pm - An attempt at decoding UK's Peace tax problem"
http://mid-day.com/whatson/2008/sep/150908-Open-Frame-a-thought-provoking-international-film-festival.htm

Beyond TV Film Festival - Swansea 22nd November 2008
"Contempt of Conscience by Clarity Productions (Scotland)
Filmed over 5 years as British conscientous objectors refuse to pay tax supporting the War on ‘Terror’. (50min)"
http://www.undercurrents.org/beyondtv/
http://www.gn.apc.org/calendar/beyond-tv-film-festival

Contempt @ The Milano Film Festival 2008...

The Milano Film Festival 2008

I'd spoken about this earlier, but at the time their website hadn't updated, but now it has - so click the above link and check out the page for Contempt of Conscience, which is showing as part of the "State (t)error" segment, described as such:

"This out-of-competition season, now at its fourth edition, has increased in the number of works screened and in the audience's interest.

The documentaries tell little know stories or stories whose best-known versions are doctored. Stories about the violation of human rights and democratic principles, that highlight the iniquities and crimes committed under the banner of great concepts like "the export of democracy", "freedom of worship", "war on terror" and "peace missions".

The topics and countries featured in the documentaries try to offer an image of the world as accurate and varied as possible. But of an upside-down world. A world in which many areas haven't been mapped out yet.

In 2007 it was Chechnya, Belarus, Iraq, Italy, Palestine, Bosnia, and the USA."

And there I am in the credits:

Fotografia - Cinematography: Nick Thomson

Contempt of Conscience - done & dusted!

Just got word today that Contempt of Conscience is finished, done, sorted, dusted, wrapped up, signed, sealed and delivered ... complete, basically.

I'll be receiving my copy next week methinks, so I definitely look forward to seeing my work (as well as the long haul of Joe's - the director - come to fruition) all there, presented on the screen.

As for release, that's still 'out there' so-to-speak, I think the plan is a tour of various festivals first and then a proper DVD release. Details of both as-and-when.

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Otherwise, there's another project potentially on the horizon, bringing the current horizon tally to three. Busy times ahead indeed, but then again that's part of the nature of 'the bizz'. Some times are quiet, some times are busy. All-in-all, it's good.

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Plus - GTA IV is almost upon us! Prepare for the gaming event of 2008, people! ... Well, except Danny, he's not fussed apparently, lulz.

Complete Contempt...

Well almost...Contempt of Conscience is almost finished, it's just got some final editing to be done and then it'll be getting out there, stay tuned for more info as-and-when.

With another project on the horizon, I've also been looking into getting some more letters out there, applying to various freelance jobs and whatnot, so that's an on-going thing.

Otherwise, on March 4th I should be going on a road-trip with Ben "BenZee" Connell to Cardiff to help his brother Sean "Trapped" Connell with a project he's got going there, something involving him being a presenter (to show off his presenting skills or something), and we're there to help by being 'guests' on his 'show' which takes place during an apocalypse apparently. Should be fun.

Finally, I'm starting to wind up the thinking about Signing Off to get nearer to the 'doing of' it. Hopefully during the Easter break I'll be able to get together with Sean and hike into the nearby hills to shoot it ... either that or Brokeback Mountain 2: I Still Can't Quit You ... or maybe I'll just stick with Signing Off, ha!

Clutching on a re-sprained ankle...

Well it was back to Hereford for a couple more pick up shots for "Contempt of Conscience", which is tantalisingly close to completion. I should be seeing a near-complete cut soon as well.

So yes, it was back to Hereford this morning for said shots, but it seems I was just going to have one of those days.

Having finally bedded down somewhere after midnight, I was planning on getting up at 7am, at which point I'd lie in till half seven, but that went arse over as I slept in till past 8am, even with my hi-fi blaring HIM's latest album, I must have been that tired. Fortunately I felt refreshed after sleeping in longer than anticipated and soon I was heading off to Hereford, with an ankle (which I'd sprained on November 4th in Bristol) which was looking much better thanks to the recent decision to switch from normal bandaging to tubi-grip stuff or whatever it's called.

So we did the bulk of the filming with no issues, then it was time to get a pick up shot outside the city's magistrates court, which completely unbeknownst to us, is apparently now illegal to do - a new anti-terrorism law has literally just come into being, so fresh it's umbilical cord to central government is still uncut. So, after having gotten the shots, we were cornered in a 'from both sides' manner by two chaps, security guards I think.

Fair enough, I can understand where they're coming from, and had we known about this kicking & screamingly-new law that had come into play, we'd have steered clear. Although in fact, we only had to delete (tape over) about 17 seconds of footage, the rest was perfectly fine, so said the security chaps, and we were once again on our way.

On the way back to my car we collectively rolled our eyes at the government's penchant for new criminal laws (for any Americans reading, Labour have created a boatload of new laws, even to an unprecedented level), and all because of - you guessed it - terrorism, which isn't terrorising for the vast majority of the time...it's just a bloody nuisance. Forgive my mini rant, it's no secret I'm not a fan of the current British government, but it feels as if more trouble is caused defending against terrorism (up to the eyeballs perhaps), than by the terrorists themselves...while the situation is certainly not happy-happy-joy-joy, I question the climate of fear the government pedals to us (and likewise in the USA, whose news networks adore the climate of fear). Clearly the security establishments are doing a superb job already and have been for quite some time, but are we really on the brink of epic terrorism?

I don't mean to be flippant about terrorism, far from it in fact, but you just end up questioning the true extent of the problem - bad, but not imminent death, one could say.

Anyway, I digress and fair play to the security guards who were doing their jobs, we co-operated fairly and it was respect all round, especially after we explained the situation and showed them the footage (again, a mere 17 seconds had to be deleted - stuff which wouldn't have been used anyway - and all was smiles).

So now, mere yards from my car, a moment of distraction led to me slipping on the pavement (an unforeseen greasy patch) and I re-sprained my not-far-from-healed left ankle, thus sending my injury back in time about 10 days. Fortunately I was able to double-double-up (4 layers) my tubi-grip support and managed to use the clutch all the way home - even if 3 tractors added a certain level of grievance to the journey...literally an insult-to-injury, you might say.

Thankfully, this time, I won't have to walk 4 miles on it and I'm using this excellent tubi-grip stuff from the off, so fingers crossed...still, talk about shite luck today, eh?

Continuing Contempt, and you know, stuff...

Just got back from filming a couple of insert shots for "Contempt of Conscience", we're just filling the odd little gaps, or rough spots. The film should be done sometime soon, when it's done I'll post up more information. Further projects to follow soon.

Obviously, this meant a jaunt off to Hereford, so it was a chance to test out my ankle, which is feeling better but still a bit swollen and a little iffy. 50 miles of clutching and a quick nip into GameStation for "Splinter Cell Double Agent" and "Tony Hawk's Project 8" on 2-for-£20, which is pretty darn good.

And having just watching the season 19 Simpson's Halloween episode, what the hell does Mr & Mrs Smith have to do with Halloween? It's supposed to be horror, sci-fi and maybe fantasy - not action movies. The last few Halloween specials have been a bit lame or really lame because of such things, but then again you can't compete with the one where Bart & Lisa raised the dead...season 4 if memory serves, it was the third Halloween special anyway.

Reaper...and you know, stuff...

Well, the monster sesh of American TV has kicked off with the likes of all the classic 'toons (especially South Park - woohoo), but of all the shows kicking off recently, "Reaper" fucking rocks more than most, and actually has me laughing out loud, which is something I rarely do when viewing stuff on my own.

So if you haven't seen it, check it out. I forget the character's name, but the lazy chunky side-kick guy is pure genius and the funniest thing on the planet right now for me pretty much.

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On other things, I'm still watching "A Bridge Too Far", rather good stuff - an odd mix between classic British stiff-upper-lips, American bravado and 'early Saving Private Ryan'-ish focus on bloody deaths...a true epic, back in the day before CGI came along and made everything easy, no...these guys were actually out there with a shedload of planes parachuting people and blowing up buildings, respect where respect is due.

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Also, "Contempt of Conscience" is almost finished, it's just a case of plugging some small gaps and the final editing sessions, then it's all about getting it out there, so I'll be posting up new info as-and-when on that project.

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And now ... off to see the new episode of "South Park", play more PGR3 (gotta get some more money's worth out of it before PGR4 turns up and no doubt "pwns" ass left-right-and-centre), get some reading done (juggling the new issue of Total Film, "World War Z" and the 'making of' book of "Grindhouse").