ECHELON:
THE SECRET POWER
Original language title: ECHELON, LE POUVOIR SECRET

Country of production: France
Year: 2002
Language: French, English
82 mins.

A sort of extended HARD COPY episode from the European left, ECHELON is a tough look back at Big Brother. Echelon refers to a vast espionage network created by the U.S. and various other English-speaking countries during the Cold War. The Cold War is now over, but Echelon remains. In this film, the veil that covers Echelon and its activities is slightly raised. Journalists, past spies, National Security Agency staffers, and others, speak out in vivid and harrowing detail about just how much we are being watched. Telephones, emails, faxes...virtually any electronic communication device somehow funnels into this system. The implications are awesome. From various distances, we even see some of Echelon's installation fields, which look oddly like vast putting greens sprinkled with enormous golf balls. Watch this, and know that you are being watched.

Director: David Korn-Brzoza
Script: David Korn-Brzoza
Cinematography: Bjorn Kathofer and Claude Pavelek
Music: Francoise Marchesean
Editing: Cecile Coolen
Sound: Robin Aramburu and Witold Kubeck
Producer: Michel Rothman
Production Company: Kuiv Productions
Source:
Kuiv Productions
55 bis, rue de Lyon
75012 Paris, France
contact@kuiv.com

French filmmaker David Korn-Brzoza was born in 1972. For several years, he has edited French television documentaries, notably for KUIV Productions. Many of these have dealt with French political history. He has also directed two short films. ECHELON: THE SECRET POWER is his first feature-length film as director.

Wednesday, March 26
9pm
Facets Cinematheque