Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films have proved once again that when progressives think out of the box, we can move our message forward. Last week Democracy for America groups all over the country hosted over 300 screenings of Iraq for Sale - The War Profiteers.
In Nashville, Tennessee where over 250 people watched the film together, Iraq war veteran Major Martha Boyd confirmed the film's accuracy and strongly urged everyone to take action, volunteer to get out the vote and elect a new congress on November 7.
Kansas City, Missouri was no different. 135 people squeezed in to watch it at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist church. Afterwards the plan was to "spread the message to your conservative friends," so they encouraged attendees to buy it and gave a few copies away.
This is what is happening everywhere. Community leaders are showing the film to friends and co-workers who turn around and show the film to their friends and co-workers and on it goes. Just this week another 83 DFA-hosted screenings are planned and the number keeps increasing even in places you'd least expect.
There isn't even an alternative movie theater in White Fish, Montana, but DFA members there have already showed it twice to crowds. Another one is scheduled for October 19th. Vero Beach, Florida, Asheville, North Carolina, Norman, Oklahoma, DFA Film Club members have worked hard to get the message out everywhere and even so-called "red" states are watching.
DFA groups are active in campaigns everywhere so the movie also worked as an excellent recruitment tool that connected new activists to local and national campaigns. Democracy for Texas merged their screening with their monthly actions meeting nearly doubling the regular attendance to over 100 people. In Norwalk, Connecticut, over 70 members watched the movie then made phone calls for DFA-list candidate for US Senate Ned Lamont. Once you've seen the film, you feel you have to act and these screenings have worked as an incredible tool to make that happen.
I could go on with examples for pages and pages, but I think the message is clear. Brave New Films is not a multi-million dollar movie studio and in most cases, traditional movie theaters aren't playing this explosive documentary. But that didn't stop us. We all worked together and found a new way to market our message. In the process we have energized our base and made our movement stronger. Brave New Films has created more than a movie, Iraq for Sale is an agent for change and a directive for action.
Thank you Robert for another great film. Thank you everyone for moving America forward.