Movies | January 03, 2009 | Comment on this video (17)

Freedom Plaza

Pericles_Lewnes
Based on a true story. While strolling down a Washington DC street toward Freedom Plaza, an Iraqi news correspondent confides a shocking secret to her colleague, an American news cameraman.

Freedom Plaza was an Official Selection in the 2007 Palm Springs International
Festival of Shorts.
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I made this 5 minute short after becoming acquainted with an Iraqi news reporter in Washington DC over the period of about a year. After this conversation I immediately sat down and wrote it all down as the words and emotions were fresh. This is almost the exact dialog we had while walking down the street together that afternoon.

I was just trying to capture that moment in time, the concept that even though it was so relevant it was only one of a thousand conversations on a Washington DC street, coming out of nowhere into earshot and then disappearing, like it never happened with noone the wiser. Also, the redundant question about the leg was much worse in reality.

What I really learned is that even though I pay strict attention to current events and I feel that I am on top of those events, they always kept their distance. The harsh truth and reality of war was right next to me, my friend, and I didn't know. This delicate, petite woman was tougher and stronger than I ever could be.

I was inspired to post this for free by the Truly Free Film blog at
http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/

The blog is dedicated to the support and survival of independent filmmakers and
their art. If you are an independent filmmaker, this is the ultimate resource site
for free information on independent funding, production and distribution. It is
about indie filmmakers supporting each other and working together to create a new infrastructure for exhibition and distribution of their work and the preservation of Net Neutrality.
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Twitter User - loopmovie
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  2. tags:
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  3. credits:
    Pericles_Lewnes Writer/Director/Actor, Lisa_L Producer, ezosso Director of Photography/Camera Operator, more
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17 comments // Freedom Plaza // Video

  • JonRaymond
    • 0
      JonRaymond  

    • I just found this. Excellent work all around. I love poignant stereo sound like that. So often sound in docs is just the mono voice. I know this isn't a doc but it has that look. In fact I had to watch the credits to find out for sure.

    • 2 years ago
  • artemis6
  • NOTOTHEWALL
  • paulaschafer
  • donkeyfly69
  • ekai
    • 0
      ekai  

    • Excellent piece, Pericles. Makes me wonder about all the other untold stories of people walking around me everyday. Very moving.

    • 3 years ago
  • bigred5
  • TravG73
  • csmonut
    • 0
      csmonut  

    • Good camera work. Really liked the subject material.
      A bit of an audio problem at the beginning, as jubal stated, but very good overall.
      Thanks for the insight

    • 3 years ago
  • jubal
    • 0
      jubal  

    • I thought the direction was very good. The ending is very emotional and jolting; which I liked, but I thought that the incredulity of the male reporter confirming that he heard her correctly dragged a little. This is very solid work and certainly professional enough to be considered for either film or television with perhaps a couple little edits and some sound corrections (audio had some problems during the scene in front of the capital building.)

    • 3 years ago
  • Pericles_Lewnes
    • 0
      Pericles_Lewnes  
    • jubal:

      I can tell you that the back and forth of that exchange in real life made was much worse than what appears in movie. The guy, who I am very close to, literally re-asked the question several times. She only said "Yep" to each question. I had it all in the script but I was convinced by the Producer and the DP to shorten it.

      It's hard to believe a character to be such an imbecile and restate those questions! But I can asure you the conversation would have been much more incredulous had you been there in person and seeing it in reality.

      But that's a good call.

    • 3 years ago
  • neocongo
  • Pericles_Lewnes
  • PoliticalGeek
  • Bren589
  • ejasun
    • 0
      ejasun  
    • Image

    • Thank you! the Brave keep on...

      We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind..

      Bob Marley

    • 3 years ago
  • ezosso
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