WHAT: The Political Art and the Public Sphere (PAPS) series presents a screening of the film “The War Game”, which will be followed by a group discussion.WHEN: Monday, September 19, 2011 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Brookens Auditorium on the lower level of Brookens Library at UIS
DETAILS: Banned by the BBC for being too disturbing, Peter Watkins’ documentary-style drama imagines the devastating effects of a nuclear attack on a small town in England, “collateral damage” from an all-out war between the USSR and the United States. Despite being a work of fiction, the film won the 1967 Best Documentary Oscar. Written, directed, and produced by Peter Watkins for the BBC, it caused controversy within the BBC and the British government and was withdrawn from television transmission in 1965. The Corporation said that “the effect of the film has been judged by the BBC to be too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting.” It wasn’t shown on British television until 1985.
Peter Watkins (born 1935) is an English film and television director. Watkins is known for his political statements about film and television media. He has written extensively about problems in television news and the dominance of the Hollywood style he refers to as “the monoform.”
The PAPS series is a monthly event on the UIS campus featuring a showing or a performance of some kind of “political art,” followed by an hour or two of group discussion. Each of the three installments in the fall 2011 series will focus on the works of Peter Watkins, providing a forum for discussing his political content and methods. All events are free and open to the public.
For more information contact Dr. Richard Gilman-Opalsky, professor of Political Philosophy at rgilm3@uis.edu or 217/206-8328.
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