Meeting Resistance (USA/Iraq, 2007, 84 min, DigiBeta)

By: Steve Connors and Molly Bingham

Screens: Saturday, October 18, 4pm

Synopsis:

Meeting Resistance raises the veil of anonymity surrounding the Iraqi insurgency by meeting face to face with individuals who are passionately engaged in the struggle, and documenting for the very first time, the sentiments experienced and actions taken by a nation’s citizens when their homeland is occupied. Voices that have previously not been heard, male and female, speak candidly about their motivations, hopes and goals, revealing a kaleidoscope of human perspectives. Featuring reflective, yet fervent conversations with active insurgents, Meeting Resistance is the missing puzzle piece in understanding the Iraq war. This daring, eye-opening film provide unique insights into the personal narratives of the people involved in the resistance exploding myth after myth about the war in Iraq and the Iraqis who participate. Through its unprecedented access to these clandestine groups, Meeting Resistance focuses the spotlight on the “other side,” clarifying why the violence in Iraq continues to this day and providing a deeper understanding of both the toll of occupation and the human condition of resistance.

Director’s Bio:

Steve Connors was born in Sheffield, England. He began taking photographs while serving as a British soldier in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s. After leaving the military in 1984, Connors went to work as a journalist reporting the break up of Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union. Connors has worked for most of the major world’s newspapers and magazines including: Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, in the United States; The Guardian, The Observer, The Telegraph, Der Spiegel, Stern and Paris Match in Europe. Connors spent fifteen months from November 2001 on in Afghanistan. He went to Iraq at the time of the invasion, and spent fourteen months there, ten months of which were spent working solidly on Meeting Resistance. Meeting Resistance is Connors’ directorial debut.

Molly Bingham was born in Kentucky and graduated from Harvard College in 1990. She began working as a photojournalist in 1994. For three years, she covered the regional fallout in the wake of the Rwandan genocide. In 2001, she covered Central Africa for The New York Times Magazine. On September 11, 2001, Bingham managed to get some of the only close up pictures of the Pentagon and followed the story of America’s response to Afghanistan. 2002 found Bingham in the Gaza Strip and Iran before heading to Iraq shortly before the US attack in March 2003. She was detained during the invasion for 8 days by the Iraqi Government and held in Abu Ghraib prison with four other westerners. Her first major written story on the Iraqi resistance was published in Vanity Fair in July 2004. In August 2003, Bingham teemed up with Connors to work on Meeting Resistance.

Post-screening Discussion: Directors Steve Connors and Molly Bingham will be present for a post-screening discussion