Inside Anonymous
- Text by Robin Nierynck
Anonymous: A Million Men reveals a new breed of political activist: unhampered by geography, united by common goals, enabled by the internet.
Director Patrick Ireland set out to tell the story of how young people are using different models of political engagement to fight a system that is failing its citizens.
“It’s a massive myth that young people aren’t engaged in politics,” says Matteo Bergamini, producer and co-writer, “They are, they’re just not calling it politics. They’re calling it racial issues, environmentalism, and so on.”
The film was produced by Shout Out UK, an independent youth news network that aims to lower political apathy by showing the direct impact of politics on young people.
In the lead up the 2015 general election, questions are being asked about the political engagement of young people, whether it’s failing and, if not, where it might be directed. Yet increasingly it’s being argued that young people are turning to alternative politics outside of the established system.
A Million Men uses the Million Mask March of 2014, where thousands of activists took to the streets in London, as a platform to explore wider issues surrounding politics, featuring interviews with Anonymous members, Conservative MP Chloe Smith and Russell Brand.
A fervent appeal for fair representation and grassroots action, the film ends on a final, powerful statement that lingers on far beyond the rolling credits and the applause of the crowd: “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Anonymous: A Million Men will be screened at Parliament post-election, date and time to be announced.
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