Brandon Jourdan's blog

Two years after the revolution in Egypt began, unrest continues across the country as the political and economic situation worsens. As the current government consolidates its power, the demands of the revolution may seem further away than ever. Still the revolution has opened up new spaces for political action, spurring public debate on issues that have gone unacknowledged and unresolved for too long.

On November 14th 2012, thousands of people took to the streets of Portugal as part of a European wide general strike. Until recently, the International Monetary Fund held Portugal as an ideal example of the effectiveness of austerity policies, but today, its economy is heading in the same direction as Greece and Spain. This short documentary details the week of the November 14th strike in Lisbon and the events surrounding it.

This short documentary looks at the current social crisis in Greece, the growth of alternative economies, general strikes, and the rise of the anti-fascist movement in response to violent attacks by the far-right. After six years of recession, the situation in Greece is growing increasingly dark. As the unemployment rate continues to rise and salaries continue to drop, the country has descended into an increasingly unpredictable situation.

This short film chronicles the events of the past week in Spain where hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of the government and an end to police brutality. Many of the protests ended in clashes with the police. Since the stand off began on September 25th , the images of police brutality have travelled the world over, shocking and inspiring people across Europe and leading to an international day of action on September 29th. This film tells the story of why so many people took to the streets and follows these events as they unfolded.

From Sept 15-17th Occupy Wall Street gathered in lower Manhattan to commemorate one full year of actions. The three days where broken up into a day of education, a day of celebration, and a day of liberation.

Occupy Wall Street participants used the anniversary to show that they are still active, organizing actions everyday all across the city. This is a short documentary which highlights some of Occupy Wall Street's recent accomplishments, its broader influence, and where it is headed.

Occupy Tactics: Violence and Legitimacy in the Occupy Movement and Beyond from brandon jourdan on Vimeo.

Since Occupy Wall Street took Zuccotti Park in September 2011, there has been a resurgence of social movement activity in the United States. As momentum has increased, age-old questions over tactics, strategy, and goals have returned to the fore.

What is violence? Who gets to define it? Do illegal actions have a place in our movements?

This discussion never takes place in a vacuum or on a level playing field; rather, it occurs within the context of a struggle that is already in progress, where every statement has immediate ramifications for the participants. Differing tactical approaches often reflect fundamental differences in strategy and goals.

Final Week of Global Uprisings Fundraiser from brandon jourdan on Vimeo.

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By Brandon Jourdan and Marianne Maeckelbergh

From May 12-May 15th, protesters throughout Spain marked the first anniversary of the 15M movement by re-taking the streets and squares of over 80 cities. The 15M movement inspired people all over the world to occupy their local squares, to self-organize general assemblies and to build networks of solidarity in the face of severe economic policy. This short documentary documents the 15M anniversary protests in Barcelona.

Barcelona March 29th: General Strike from brandon jourdan on Vimeo.

By Brandon Jourdan and Marianne Maeckelbergh
On March 29, 2012, millions of people across Spain went on strike. The strike, which was the first general strike since September 2010, brought the country to a near halt. The situation in Spain has grown increasingly difficult with 1 in 4 people out of work and many struggling to make rent or mortgage payments. This short film is about what happened in Barcelona on that day.

By Brandon Jourdan and David Martinez

A Free Screening and Discussion
January 21st at 4PM
Spectacle Theater
124 S. 3rd Street (near Bedford Av.)

Description

Marianne Maeckelbergh and Brandon Jourdan have been travelling, researching, and making short films about responses to the economic crisis and current uprisings across the Europe, United States, and in Egypt. They will be presenting their short films on Spain, Greece, the UK, the US, and Egypt with a short update on actions taken over the past few months in these countries. There have been riots, demonstrations and occupations in the UK, large-scale housing occupations and demonstrations in Spain, massive and continuous general strikes, and self-reduction campaigns in Greece, and an ongoing revolution in Egypt. They will also be premiering a short film about ongoing social unrest in Oakland, California. The films will be followed by a discussion about lessons learned from abroad, similarities and differences between the many locations and ideas for action within the United States.