Iraq for Sale Diaries

Patriots Against War Profiteering

2006-07-21T16:11:06Z

Several generous donors have started a program so that as many community organizations, schools, churches and other groups (or people) as possible can see 'Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers'. The program is called Patriots Against War Profiteering and the money given will enable DVD's along with our Action Guide (more on that later) and Voter Registration forms to be distributed for free to deserving groups. Now who are deserving groups? That's where you all come in.

]]> We would like ideas from you as to where or to whom these copies of the documentary should be distributed. They can be general suggestions or names of specific groups that you think should see this movie. Currently there are 6,000 DVD's to be distributed. We are hoping that a few more donations for the program come in so we end up with 15,000 DVD's that can be sent out. As you know, our goal is to have as many people as possible see this film. Who do you think will be most impacted by the film? What local community group should have a copy for their members? Which organization doesn't have funding to buy their own copy? Let us know your thoughts!

The movie is still being edited, and a rough ROUGH edit will be screened soon. As the editing continues, we are going forward with our education and outreach plan. The two biggest components of the plan are Voter Registration and our Action Guide. We all know how important voting is, so we have decided to make sure there will be voter registration at every theatre where Iraq For Sale is playing. During the first two weeks the DVD is available, we are going to send out a voter registration form along with the DVD's that are sold or given away. The Action Guide is a booklet that will be given out along with the DVD's sent thanks to our Patriots Against War Profiteering. We will also make the Action Guide available to all of our partner organizations and house party hosts as a download. The Action Guide will contain information from 12 prominent organizations who will outline their ideas for action to end war profiteering and human rights abuses in Iraq. My deadline for the pieces to be submitted by these organizations is August 1st and I will give you the full list of participants then.

The other thing we are planning is a Los Angeles premiere of the film sometime during the first week of September. As details firm up, I will give you more info.

That's all for now. Looking forward to your suggestions for the Patriots Against War Profiteering project..

Best,
Jim

The new trailer is ready!

2006-07-06T02:29:51Z

The new trailer for 'Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers' is now available. We read everyone's comments on the last trailer and hopefully everyone will be pleased with what we have done. This is the trailer that will be seen in theaters over the summer. The first cut of the film will be done in a couple of weeks and the picture will be locked (meaning no more changes can be made) a week after that. Next week we will send you the poster for the film, and we will also be asking for your suggestions for community groups to share the film and our education 'action guide' with.

Best,
Jim Miller

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If you have any trouble viewing the trailer, please download the latest version of flash.
You can also download the trailer in Quicktime.

The Final Interviews

2006-06-24T06:23:06Z

Summer is here and post production on Iraq For Sale is in full swing. This week we finished up the last of our interviews for the film. We were able to get some more brave people telling us the truth about what is happening, but we also came up against some road blocks.

We were planning to interview two Iraqi citizens who are part of a lawsuit against one of the corporations which we focus on in the film. Arrangements had been made to fly them out of Iraq to nearby Dubai so that we could interview them openly. The two men were on the plane in Iraq ready to take off when they were unexpectedly pulled from their seats and told they could not travel. We tried to get them out of Iraq the next day, but they were prohibited from traveling. We were never given a full explanation but I feel that because of the lawsuit these gentlemen are being watched very closely. We do have access to their videotaped depositions for the film.

]]> One of the final interviews we taped was with a retired senior military official. He was blunt in his assessment of what has happened in Iraq over the past three years. He said, "One of the things that repels me as a former soldier whose friends are still in active duty, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, elsewhere, is the way unscrupulously greedy people in industry or on Capitol Hill wrap themselves in the flag and invoke our troops. 'Nothing's too good for our troops.' Well, I'll tell you, the troops often don't get enough stuff that's barely good enough. The troops increasingly get what defense industry wants to sell them rather than what they genuinely need."

He goes on to say, "One of the many reasons, primary reason why we've had such difficulty in Iraq is because we broke the basic rules. A military occupation is a straightforward occupation. It's tough, it's complex, but there are basic rules. You send enough troops, you impose a rule of law, and you don't turn it into a looting orgy for American corporations, which we did."

This is from the raw footage and will go through the editing process so I don't know exactly what will make it into the film, but I'm sure some of the things that this retired soldier said will be there. Editing is the focus these days at Brave New Films. We will have three full time editors and two assistant editors working almost around the clock with Robert to get a rough cut of the film done in a few weeks and the final cut done sometime in August. I will have more details soon regarding the release date of the film, the DVD, and the start of our house party education and outreach program. Right now I am finalizing the partners we will have in creating our 'action guide' that will serve as a supplement to the film.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestion you made on the trailer. Believe me, Robert read every one of them as did I and many others on the Brave New Staff. A new trailer is being created now and will be ready for everyone to see soon. This will be the trailer that will be in theatres this summer promoting the film.

That's all for now.

Thanks again for your support.

Best,
Jim

Trailer feedback from Yearly Kos

2006-06-10T23:20:50Z

thanks everyone for your responses to the trailer. I am in las vegas at the daily kos conference. Very inspiring. About to do a workshop on using film as a tool and I am going to talk about alll your responses to the trailer.

some thoughts

]]> we dont want to include much more, it needs to be a trailer, and therefore not the whole film.
the trailer will appeal mainly to the people who agree with us. Once we have the film, then we will look to all of you to reach out to friends, relatives, co-workers, folks at church, to get them to see the film. As with the other films, by far the most important element in getting movie out and around and to others who dont agree with us, is the one to one, personal work so many of you do.

we are working on some solution to the "who is talking question"

and we dont want to go after political enemies in the trailer, but leave that to film, and the campaign around the film.

towards that end, we are going to go public with a campaign around "who are the war profiteers." or as a blogger here suggested....WAR WHORES.. and will look for everyones help with research..

keep the ideas, thoughts, and debate going...
robert in exile from vegas

Iraq For Sale: The Trailer

2006-06-09T01:47:18Z

Here is the trailer for our documentary 'Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers'. Please keep in mind that we are still doing some filming and that editing has just begun. We welcome your comments and suggestions for the trailer. This trailer will be revised prior to going into theaters so anything you have to say might end up in the finished product. The people that you see in this trailer have all been effected by the war profiteering that is happening in Iraq. They are civilian contractors, military personnel, and relatives of people who have died in Iraq. The stories they have told us are powerful and we are grateful for their cooperation.

Best,
Jim

]]> UPDATE: See Robert's response to all the great feedback.

If you have any trouble viewing the trailer, please download the latest version of flash.
You can also download the trailer in Quicktime.

Production update: "Food for Freedom"

2006-06-02T18:48:06Z

Our story producers have been hard at work. Much time is spent on the phone dealing with government bureaucracy. For instance, getting any document using the Freedom of Information Act can take an entire day. Often someone will be passed from the State Department to Defense to Commerce and back again because no one seems to know what is going on (or maybe they just don't want to give out the info).

]]> Talking with interrogators has also been enlightening. According to people that were interviewed the set-up is such that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing ON PURPOSE; this is so no one will be held accountable.

Soldiers have also told some interesting stories. One vet discussed 'Food for Freedom' which is a unique way of getting discharged. According to him, some soldiers are overeating on purpose so that they are discharged from the military and can take much higher paying jobs at private security firms working in Iraq!

As you know, most of what we are uncovering is extremely sad, but the people we are speaking with are happy to share their stories hoping that these tragedies don't happen again. Below is part of an e-mail that Kerry received from the widow of a civilian contractor who was killed in Iraq. I am re-printing it with her permission. I have removed the names to protect her identity for now -- when you see the film, she speaks freely and you will know who she is.

Hi Kerry-
How was your "mission"- to uncover the truth and see the repercussions of what is happening in Iraq? Heart breaking-isn't it?

So many families lives ripped apart and torn asunder--

You know Kerry-I walk a lot-with my dog--and get outside in beautiful (place removed) that (name removed) and I loved so much--and I can not look at the water-or walk the pier -or see a fishermen or a camper--or a couple holding hands-or grandparents with grandkids--without thinking of how very much was taken from us-when (name removed) was killed...

He was a good man Kerry-he loved life---and he loved to laugh. (name removed) was a dreamer-a beautiful dreamer with eyes that looked into my heart-and kept me safe and warm--

Well..............that's not the case anymore... I have always been an 'old soul" even more so now-- but I never thought I world feel this old--believe me- Is a terrible feeling-to know you can never lay the burden down-you must carry it always--and to not really be afraid of anything anymore- not after all that has happened to me-- its not a good feeling-

We need accountability--and we need answers--to ensure that this terrible tragedy never happens again.

So Kerry-I hope that you get the information you need--and I believe you will--you will be stunned-afar talking to all of us--at what you hear--and about what really happened that terrible day

We are stunned. And we know you will be too. Hopefully I will be able to post some clips in my next blog. We are proud to say that a total of 2907 have now contributed to make this film and more people are coming on board each day. We are starting to put together the education and outreach program for the film with our non-profit 501(c)(3) which will allow as many people as possible to see this film and be activated for civic participation. Together we will make a difference.

Best,
Jim

Entry Number Two

2006-05-23T21:22:50Z

Thanks for all of the kind offers. Kerry, Nick, Lisa or I will contact whoever has offered a meal or drink if the team happens to be traveling through your town and has some down time. We really appreciate the offers. It is always good to see a kind face while on the road and away from home (or when your car overheats). Please understand that the schedule is very tight with a lot of flying and driving as well as interviews with such interesting people that the time allotted is invariably not long enough. That said, if time allows Kerry and Nick would like nothing more than to take a break and have a good meal.

We have now completed two full weeks of production and shot 52 hours of footage. Some harsh realities and powerful stories are being told. In my opinion, the most touching and most inflammatory information this week came from interviews done in Michigan. One woman spoke about the loss of her husband, who was a civilian contractor, and what his death has meant to her and their daughters. She said, "I love my country, I support my country, I'm proud to be an American....but I'm not blind". She went on to say that she was concerned and worried about what is happening in America. Even though her family has suffered a great loss, she is still extremely patriotic and was able to articulate her feelings succinctly. She said that one of the best values of the United States is "right to Free Speech, say what you want without being thrown in jail. Trust in your government officials is part of being an American and if you don't trust 'em and don't want 'em you have the ability to vote them out. That's part of being an American."

]]> Also in Michigan a gentleman gave us details of some of the atrocities that have been occurring -- things we had no idea have been happening, but with his help we are going to uncover the true story. When asked what he would consider justice in these cases, he said "Justice will be done when those people who perpetuated these crimes will be held accountable for their actions." His main point was that these people "must answer to their actions". This is a recurring concern with the people we have spoken with -- there is no accountability. Hopefully we can change that.

The production team is working overtime to get as many people with stories on camera as possible. Last weel Abbie got a call from a soldier who had returned from Iraq last year and was going back to Iraq as a civilian contractor. The problem was he was leaving in two days. He was willing to be on camera but was also very cautious and didn't want to give out his address until we were certain we could get a crew there. Amanda got on the phone and arranged everything so that within 15 hours there was a crew there. Abbie interviewed the soldier over the phone while a camera crew did the filming!

Kerry and Nick left Los Angeles today and will be in the mid-west for the next week. I will keep you posted.

Best,
Jim

"The first and greatest commandment is, Don't let them scare you." - Elmer Davis

Entry Number One

2006-05-16T18:48:04Z

Production officially started on Monday May 8th with Kerry and Nick criss-crossing the country and talking with people who were kind enough to open their homes, offices and hearts to us. These are ordinary American citizens who are doing some extraordinary things. I hate to say this, but just by speaking with us about what they have seen orexperienced puts them and their livelihood in danger of being attacked and dragged through the mud. It is not easy to go up against major war profiteers, but the civilian contractors, soldiers, and relatives of deceased workers and military who have spoken to us thus far have put their fear aside and found the strength to speak the truth in the hope that by shining a light on the wrongdoing they can help end the abusive practice of war profiteering - no matter what your opinion of the war, the billions made by corporations is inexcusable.

]]> Of course, in any production there are some humorous moments. Moments that cannot be scripted or planned but make for beautiful footage. One such moment happened last week while Kerry and Nick were shooting the outside walls of a large compound owned by one of the corporations weare investigating (unfortunately I cannot specifically name thecorporations, people, or places at this time - I'm sure you understand our need to keep that information under wraps for the time being). This is a huge compound with several nifty features, one of which is a large 'obstacle' course used specifically for learning how to drive vehicles on the various terrains and situations that might be experienced in Iraq. The roads surrounding the compound are suburban with speed limits that probably don't exceed 30 miles per hour. Kerry and Nick were in their car on one of these roads filming the outside walls of the compound when one of the corporate vehicles with a big corporate logo proudly displayed, drove past them on the way into the compound. Apparently the 'obstacle' course does not include video cameras, because the driver of the vehicle got so distracted by the sight of Nick holding the camera that he drove off the little country road and hit a US Mailbox. So much for training!

The bulk of the week was spent interviewing people. Even though we have heard most of these stories already, nothing fully prepares you for actually seeing these people speak with strong emotions clearly etched on their faces and pain in their eyes from what they have seen. The most touching moments so far (in my humble opinion) have been givento us by a father who went to Iraq to work as a civilian contractor toearn money to support his family. With his children in the room, herecounted the horrors he witnessing while in Iraq and the criminal behavior the corporation he worked for took part in. The most heartfelt part of the interview was when this father spoke of the lessons he wanted his children to learn from his life in Iraq - his choices and the temptation that money brings.

As I said, production just starting last week and this is just the beginning. Since Kerry and Nick are on the road, they send back the footage to us every day. The footage is then logged into our editing system by Mike. We are shooting everything on tapes, and this process is called digitizing. This will allow our editor, Carla, to view all of the material and to move it around so that the story makes sense. Before Carla can start, all of the footage must be transcribed. We have two people working full time watching every frame and typing in every word that is said as well as a complete description of the picture. Once all that information is on paper and the tapes have been digitized, then Robert and the rest of the production crew can view the footage and make notes. We have a new system that we just put into place (and will be tested for the first time tomorrow!!) that will allow everyone in our offices to view the footage. It is very exciting for us. What makes it even better is this thing called InqScribe which allows us to make notes on the actual footage. So Robert can actually make a note on the actual footage when viewing something on his computer and Carla will get that note and follow through. Well, that's all for now. As we get more footage in and the stories start to come together, I'm sure there will be more to share with you. Thanks again for being a part of this project.

Best,
Jim Miller

'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy' -Martin Luther King Jr.