THE PEACE PATRIOTS

Nationally Broadcast on Free Speech TV

Excerpts Broadcast on DEMOCRACY NOW!

Narrated by Janeane Garofalo

ROBBIE LEPPZER - Director, Producer, Interviewer, Videographer, Editor,
and Sound Recordist

Excerpt Running Time: 3:23

        With opening narration by actress, Janeane Garofalo, this feature-length documentary is an intimate portrait of American dissenters reflecting on their personal participation as engaged citizens in a time of war. The film follows a diverse group of individuals, ranging in age from 13 to 74, including middle and high school students, college students, teachers, clergy, and war veterans from Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, as they take part in vigils, marches, theater performances, and civil disobedience sit-ins to protest the U.S. invasion and on-going military occupation of Iraq.

        In this excerpt, Eric Wasileski, a 8-year Navy and Army veteran of the Persian Gulf war, talks about what led him to participate in a civil disobedience protest outside of the Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, MA at the start of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.  Full program running time: 78 minutes.

        The film features contemporary music by Grammy Award winner Steve Earle, Pete Seeger, Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg, Jonatha Brooke, Stephan Smith, Saul Williams, DJ Spooky, Jami Sieber, Shelley Doty and original music by John Sheldon.

REVIEWS

     “THE PEACE PATRIOTS takes the word ‘patriotism’ and gives it a rich positive meaning, removing it from the ugliness of war and nationalism, and restoring it’s original idea as ‘love of country.’ It does this by showing us true patriots—those people who, with artistry and imagination, as well as deep moral commitment, have spoken and acted to end the war in Iraq. In a time of sadness, thinking of the dead and maimed on both sides, this film gives us hope and inspiration. I hope it will be shown widely.”
     —Howard Zinn, Author of A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

   "A filmmaker unafraid to go against the tide."
     —Rhonda Stewart, THE BOSTON GLOBE

About The Filmmaker

        Robbie Leppzer is an award-winning independent documentary director, producer, videographer, editor, and sound recordist, with thirty years experience producing over thirty independent film, video, and public radio documentaries for national and international distribution. His critically acclaimed works about contemporary social issues and multicultural themes have been broadcast globally by CNN International and broadcast nationally in the United States and Canada by PBS, CNN, Cinemax, Sundance Channel, HDNet, Black Entertainment Television, The Learning Channel, Link TV, Free Speech TV, National Public Radio, Pacifica Radio and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

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