AMERICA'S ARMY / ADVISE TO IRAKI PEOPLE

As the video ‘America’s Army’ takes off we see how two brothers, Christoffel and Ryan, transport home their recently acquired computer. They spend the rest of the time totally isolated from the world in their attic, playing ‘America’s Army’, a computer game in which the player is recruited by the Special Forces of the American army. When it finally becomes clear that the boys are, virtually as well as in reality, unfit for a career as a soldier, they hurl themselves on a new computer game with total abandon; in it they race sports cars through empty streets. ‘America’s Army’ was made at the instigation of the BRussells Tribunaal – a committee of artists, writers and intellectuals who spoke out against the U.S. interventions in Iraq.

Jos De Gruyter - America's Army
2004, 24'29", colour, Dutch spoken, English subtitled.

 

The film material of ‘Advise to Iraki People’ originates in the relatively peaceful Iraq of 1998. As the camera is filming from a car that is driving through Baghdad, a voice-over reads a text in which general advice is given on the safety of children in and around the house – keep sharp objects away from the hands of children, watch out that the child does not slip, drown or suddenly cross the street.

Jean-Philippe Convert - Advise to Iraki People
2004, 9'51", colour, English spoken, French subtitled.

This event is part of Fab50! Celebrating Beursschouwburg!