The Problem with the U.S. Drone Policy...
Drones kill. Last year, I traveled to Pakistan to investigate, interview and film the damage that unmanned drones are doing to innocent people and families in Pakistan. I heard gut wrenching stories of lives destroyed, families decimated, and communities dismantled. A Pakistani photographer, with children of his own, talked to us about the pain and suffering of parents whose children had been killed. We heard from a father whose 65 year old mother had been killed and a teenager whose best friend was killed by a drone on his way to play soccer. A Malik explained to me how his community could no longer provide jobs because the terror of drones prevented people from going to work and a teacher told me about how schools are closed throughout the area because parents were fearful to send their children to school.
I was able to get all of these people to talk to me on camera. We were also able to interview prominent journalists and national security experts in the United States who explained how the drones killing of innocent people around the world is actually making us less safe. Revenge and blowback are guaranteed they tell us.
Unmanned is a film that must be made to give a face to those whose lives have been forever altered by the remote control killings. We have excellent footage, but the film must be edited to shape the interviews into a full length documentary. We can't finish editing the film without your help. Join us and contribute to make sure the truth sees the light of day. BNF has a powerful and effective model for getting the word out and influencing public debate, from Outfoxed to Walmart to Koch Brothers Exposed to the Afghanistan War. We know how to make a film and reach those who are the decision makers. But we cannot do it without your help. We need to finish the editing and you can help us.
Director Robert Greenwald filming in a rural village outside Islamabad, Pakistan
What We Need & What You Get
At BNF, we believe that all of this information should be disclosed to the public and that there should transparency regarding drone policy and accountability for the devastation that has been caused. Our film, Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars will put a spotlight on the impact of Drones on innocent people around the world, including in Pakistan and Yemen as well as the effects the U.S. Drone policy has on our own national security. We’ve been incredibly lucky to have many generous donors and supporters, but we need just a little bit more help to finish the film. With the help of Indiegogo, their well-established crowd-funding platform, and YOU we will be able to finish Unmanned and make an impact! Check out the perks we've detailed to the right here that you will receive in addition to helping save innocent lives. Every dollar raised will help!
About Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation
About ten years ago, we started Brave New Foundation because myself and the filmmakers I worked with saw a distinct lack of coverage around progressive issues affecting our country. We formed this non-profit organization to champion social justice issues by using media to inspire, empower, motivate and teach civic participation that makes an impact.
Before starting BNF, I produced and directed more than 50 films, TV movies and miniseries, as varied as The Burning Bed with Farrah Fawcett and Xanadu with Olivia Newton-John. I turned to documentary filmmaking in 2004 concerned about the impending war and the lack of progressive media.
That year, I directed the films OutFoxed:Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism and Uncovered:The War on Iraq. We found audiences eager for substantive investigations of social issues, told through personal stories, and chose to bypass the usual gatekeepers by devising creative means of distribution by partnering with other social justice organizations, first through house screenings, and ultimately through the Internet and social media. Brave New Foundation has produced and distributed Wal-Mart:The High Cost of Low Price, Iraq for Sale:The War Profiteers, Rethink Afghanistan, Koch Brothers Exposed, and War on Whistleblowers along with many short pieces and campaigns.
Since our start, we have successfully married digital storytelling and new media technologies to engage networks of people that advocate for change. We now also partner with community-based groups to produce short but impactful public education and advocacy campaigns. We have created a strong and loyal following that has helped to fund our efforts, but our latest project requires extra attention because of the controversial content and the unique distance we must travel to discover the truth.
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