Out of Competition
US Premiere

DEATH SQUADRONS The French School
LES ESCADRONS DE LA MORT: L'ECOLE FRANCAISE



Country of production: France
Year: 2003
Language: French, Spanish, Areabic, English
Mins: 59

Director: Marie-Monique Robin
Script: Marie-Monique Robin
Cinematography: Pierre Leherle
Music: Sergio Ortega
Editing: Francoise Boulegue
Sound: Anne Bourcier
Producer: Francoise Gazio
Production company: Ideale Audience
Source: Carine Gauguin
Idéale Audience International
55, rue des Petites Ecuries
75010 Paris
FRANCE
Phone: +33 1 5320 1413
cgauguin@ideale-audience.com
www.ideale-audience.com


The French practiced torture in Algeria. Then they preached it in Latin America. Sometimes, they showed THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS in their lessons.

For the first time ever, the South American generals involved in the leftist exterminating "Operation Condor," are captured on (sometimes hidden) camera, discussing the lessons they learned from the French. Torture and interrogation techniques, methods of social control and domination - the U.S. connection to their Latin American deployment is well known. This movie changes that.

After the French defeat in Southeast Asia, the French perfected such techniques in Algeria, especially during the Battle of Algiers. Though little documentary footage of these practices exist, the film THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS realistically recreated the interrogation methods of the French - so well that, in fact, French instructors wound up using the film in their lessons to soldiers at the School of the Americas and elsewhere, revealing techniques that would be used in Vietnam as well as throughout Latin America. (The film has also recently screened for U.S. officers occupying Iraq.)

DEATH SQUADRONS: THE FRENCH SCHOOL vividly reveals a secret chapter in the 20th century's vicious history of torture.

Marie-Monique Robin is a journalist and documentary director. She previously worked for the CAPA and Point du jour agencies. She currently works independently.

filmography as director
(selected)
DEATH SQUADRONS (2003)
PAROLES DE PROFS (2001)
THE 'STADE DE FRANCE' STADIUM (1998)
ORGAN SNATCHERS (1993)
CUBA: AIDS AND REVOLUTION (1989)

Thursday 08-Apr-2004 7:00 PM Gallery Theatre
Screening with INSIDE THE MIND OF THE SUICIDE BOMBER