LIFE DURING WARTIME

Online Docs Like American Drug War Are Ragged,
But They Express A POV Mainstream Media Won't

Do-it-yourself documentaries are becoming more and more popular on
the net - and for good reason.

Controversial, hot-button issues that corporate news refuses to cover
can now be addressed within citizen-based films that, thankfully, now
have the opportunity to reach wide audiences and be seen be millions
of viewers. Movies such as Loose Change, Zeitgeist, and The Money
Masters provide a soapbox for dissenting opinions and legitimate
questions about the manner in which the elite media present
information - and how they choose what information even makes it into
the airwaves. Although esthetically raw, this forum is invaluable, I
believe, for a healthier society and with this in mind I bring to
your attention the fascinating documentary American Drug War.

Admirably produced, written, and directed by Kevin Booth, the
documentary focuses on the overwhelming (American drug policy since
Nixon declared war on drugs in the early 1970s) and the intimate
(Booth himself dealing with the loss of four family members by legal
drugs) in an evocative and moving fashion. Loosely structuring the
film into four segments (crack cocaine, private prisons, crystal
meth, medicinal marijuana), Booth paints a completely different
picture of the "drug problem" than what the screaming media would
want us to believe.

Booth's examination of the Iran-Contra scandal and its relationship to the
crack cocaine epidemic in the United States in the mid-'80s is tremendous
filmmaking and the highlight of the film. By allowing incarcerated and
marginalized individuals whose lives were affected by this story the
opportunity to present their truths, Booth undermines the media's
"official version" of history. It's an absorbing and riveting segment
that drills directly into the issue of privatizing prisons by simply
asking, "Who benefits in America by having so many individuals behind
bars?" (Hint: it's not you or me.)

I believe Booth's reasons behind making the film are contained within
the segments dealing with the loss of his mother, father, brother,
and best friend to the ravages of legalized drugs. Incorporating home
movies with poignant narration, Booth memorably expresses his grief,
but he also conveys how the "war on drugs" has caused collateral
damage to everyday bystanders. For anyone who has ever dealt with the
loss of a loved one, it's tremendously moving and is a nice
counterpoint to the film's more hard-hitting sequences.

My only dissenting thought is one of objectivity; there is a lot of
"preaching to the converted" here, which occasionally undermines the
strength of Booth's material. It's the only blemish in a hard-hitting
documentary that I encourage everyone to track down. It's only a few
clicks away.

Watch American Drug War online at google.video.ca .