Wescam watch

Mother's Day at Wescam documents a peace protest at a suburban Burlington, Ontario (Canada) company owned by L3, a large war manufacturer - the company: Wescam.

We filmed this on 15 May, 2006. There were several arrests at the site, but the mood remained peaceful throughout, even when head of security and the property manager drag one protester across the parking lot...

I've had to split the video in two to post it on the web. This web version has some minor editing quirks that kick in about half way in (starting near the end of part one) - I don't know how they got there, extra cross-fades, but it is still watchable.

I think it is a very instructive piece on the kind of relentless persistence needed to start a dialogue on war/economy, while doing so in a spirit of nonviolence.

To read more about the group behind the (ongoing) demonstrations, visit www.homesnotbombs.ca

Homes Not Bombs has screened the film at several events to raise awareness of what Wescam is doing, and to illustrate what a peaceful but civilly disobedient action looks like (something you won't see a lot of in the media)

unschooling

You Tube One

couched in car free language

Car Free Day in Hamilton featured a colourful PARKING METER PARTY on King Street East on September 22, 2007

This may be my first activist music video but a two minute record of the event featuring a live performance by Brian and Natalia on Guitar and Violin respectively is complete, almost - just waiting for some credit checks (i.e. proper spelling of names for the credits).

I'll be posting the video to the web in the next week or so (barring any blips) but in the meantime, check out the organizing group's web at tlchamilton.blogspot.com for photos, etc.

we are DIVA

RECENTLY COMPLETED
- Mothers' Day at Wescam (May 2006) - creative resistance and civil disobedience with Homes Not Bombs and the Mother's Day Coalition for Peace at Burlington Ontario's L3/Wescam war production facility. 16 minutes.

In August 2003, DIVA's CRITICAL MASS: HOW YOU SEE IT was selected to be part of PHOTOPHOBIA 5, making two-years in a row that DIVA has shown at this free, open air art festival in our home-town! (see below for previous year's entry)

DIVA documented much of the resistance to the destruction of the Red Hill Valley, helping found and then contribute footage to a collection of activist video (The Red Hill Video Collective resulting in the feature length Grass Through Concrete) on the struggle against the expressway.

DIVA Celebrates Hamilton-based activism and activist culture with a screening of, you guessed it, activist video with the NOT ONTV showcase at the Staircase Cafe Theatre. Click here to read the VIEW Magazine article.

DIVA's WARGAMES IN THE PARK made the cut in 2002, in the Art Gallery of Hamilton's annual PHOTOPHOBIA SHORT FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL! Read our media release, see the photos and articles about the original encounter between DIVA and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry as the RHLI attempts to occupy Bayfront Park for their war games.

Our first work was the 1999 production "Target Audience: Children, War and the Hamilton International Air Show" which aired at public gatherings and helped bring to light the militarism of the HIAS.

In 2000 we produced the entertaining "Buy Nothing Day," a glimpse of local culture jammers working Limeridge Mall as they donned construction worker costumes and warned potential shoppers of the outbreak of "affluenza."

2001 saw the completion of "Car-Free Day" which was used by local transportation activists to try and convince Hamilton City Hall to support the concept of car-free areas in the city; featuring exclusive clips of car free day 2000, critical mass bike rides, and a downtown parking meter party, the video will help to open up the world of sustainable transportation activism in Hamilton.

DIVA has collected footage from the FTAA demonstrations in Quebec City involving local Hamilton activists (A.K.A. the satiric singers "Cash-Happy Bastards"); the Hamilton War Show "Festival of Life demonstrations;" exclusive footage of the Catholic Worker "Litany of Resistance" demonstration at the 2000 War Show; local peace marches, and more.