What: Screening of The Secret Trial 5
When: Sunday 15 March, 4pm AND 7pm
Where: The Screening Room, 120 Princess Street, 2nd fl., Kingston, ON
Cost: $10 adult admission, cash only
Who: Special guest Sharry Aiken, Faculty of Law, Queen's University. The filmmakers will also be in attendance for a post-screening Q & A
TOP TEN Audience Favourite - 2014 HOTDOCS
Imagine spending years in prison without being charged with a crime or knowing exactly what you’re accused of. A film about the human impact of the “War on Terror,” The Secret Trial 5 is a sobering examination of the Canadian government’s use of security certificates, a tool that allows for indefinite detention without charges, based on evidence not revealed to the accused or their lawyers. Over the last decade, this rare and highly controversial device has been used to detain five Muslim men for nearly 30 years combined. To date, none have been charged with a crime or seen the evidence against them. Through the experience of the detainees and their families, the film raises poignant questions about the balance between security and liberty.
A true crowdfunding success story, The Secret Trial 5 was shot over four years on funds raised primarily through public contributions. Using their animated trailer, the filmmakers reached out to Canadians and raised nearly $50,000 through two campaigns before being selected as recipients of Telefilm Canada’s inaugural Micro-Budget Program. For the producers, the success of their crowdfunding campaigns was proof that at the very least, Canadians wanted to know more about this issue.
While travelling back and forth for shoots in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa, first time filmmakers Amar Wala and Noah Bingham stayed true to their grassroots, community-based approach to production by constantly sharing progress and staying connected with their supporters.
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada