Past Events and Screenings

On the eighth floor of an ordinary-looking building in an otherwise residential district of southwest Moscow, in a room occupied by the Federal Security Service (FSB), is a box the size of a VHS player marked SORM. The Russian government’s front line in the battle for the future of the Internet, SORM is the world’s most intrusive listening device – monitoring e-mails, Internet usage, Skype, and all social networks.

In a new book, The Red Web, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan peel back the history of advanced surveillance systems in Russia. They will be joining us to discuss what they found and to reveal how a free global exchange can be coerced into becoming a tool of repression and geopolitical warfare.

He’s a household name in Ghana, but few have seen his face. Investigative journalist Anas Aremewaw Anas is on a mission to ferret out corruption in every corner of his country. Despite his notoriety, Anas’ vigilante methods warrant criticism from some local police, who believe his investigations go too far in luring and catching suspected criminals to achieve sensationalist stories.

We welcome our members, both recently joined and ongoing, for an evening of conversation and drinks kindly sponsored by Chivas Brothers.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Sean McAllister.

Amer, 45, met Raghda, 40, in a Syrian prison cell 15 years ago. Over months they communicated through a tiny hole they’d secretly made in the wall. They fell in love and when released, married and started a family together. This film tells the poignant story of their family torn apart by the tyrannical Assad dictatorship.

On 8 November, the people of Myanmar will go to the polls in an election that is being seen as a step towards full democracy, after nearly half a century of military rule. With a panel of experts we will explore what life is like in Myanmar, the political and ethical divisions and what change the election will bring.

Please join us and our partners for an evening in support of imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker, Oleg Sentsov. We will be screening Sentsov’s award-winning film Gamer. Honourable guests will include David Lan, Michael Stewart, Mike Downey and other prominent UK cultural figures.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Joshua Oppenheimer via Skype.

In this multi-award winning companion piece to The Act of Killing, filmed before its release, Joshua Oppenheimer further explores the terrible legacy of the Indonesian genocide fifty years ago, this time through the lens of one family.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jerry Rothwell.

In 1971, a group of friends sail into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using never-before-seen archive footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How To Change The World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement.

At a time when the US tech sector outpaces the overall growth of the employment market, CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap asks the important question: where are all the women? This revealing and uplifting documentary examines the reasons why more girls are not seeking opportunities in computer science and explores how cultural mindsets, stereotypes, educational hurdles and sexism all play a role in widening this employment gap.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director David Borenstein.

The “Exotic Flavour Talent Agency” can turn a rural Chinese ghost town into a booming world-class city for the afternoon. Company CEO Suky and his assistant Yana organise attention-grabbing performances and talent shows in cooperation with property developers and local government officials to make real estate more appealing to potential buyers. In Chinese Dreamland, the success of Suky and Yana’s foreigner-focused talent agency is tied to questions concerning racial diversity and globalisation, as well as the sustainability of China’s rapid urban development.

As part of marking 60 years this autumn of Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent, the Frontline Club will host an event on reporting foreign news. A panel, including Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, and Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4’s international editor, will discuss how reporting in Britain about international news and current affairs – particularly but not only by broadcast journalists – has developed over the last six decades and explore what the future holds in a world of social media and digital correspondents.

Join us for an evening of short documentaries from different parts of the world, covering a wide range of topics. Shorts at the Frontline Club showcases moving, striking and funny films, exploring the diverse faces of documentary filmmaking.

In this double Sundance winner, Matthew Heineman takes us deep into the world of Mexican drug cartels by embedding himself with two vigilante groups on either side of the US-Mexico border.

After years of negotiating world powers have reached a historic deal with Iran, limiting their nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions. For the first First Wednesday after the summer break we will be debating what the Iran deal means for the country, the region and relations with the West.

A monthly social evening for journalists and others in the London media world. The London Press Club, which has been bringing the industry together since 1882, is resurrecting the tradition of regular drinks, on the back of popular demand.

This summer we are very excited to be heading to Wilderness Festival for a second year. We will be taking Frontline Club on the road with senior foreign correspondent for The Times, Anthony Loyd.

We welcome our members, both recently joined and ongoing, for an evening of conversation and drinks kindly sponsored by Chivas Brothers.

In the summer of 2014, the scenes from Gaza and the media portrayal of events again ignited a global debate about the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One year later, the media spotlight has moved on and the people have been left to rebuild their lives, with over 100,000 still displaced. We will be joined by a panel of journalists who were there to cover the conflict, as well as those who have been involved in the efforts to rebuild, to reflect on what happened a year ago and what life has been like since.

Jon Snow, Allan Little, Martin Bell, Jeremy Bowen, Lindsey Hilsum, Jon Lee Anderson, Carlotta Gall and Lyse Doucet invite you to the first annual fundraising dinner for the Frontline Fund.

The Frontline Fund (formerly the Fixers Fund) was set up in 2007 following the murder of Ajmal Naqshbandi in Afghanistan, with the aim of raising money for the families of media workers killed or injured around the world while working with the international press.

Join us to support this important cause – the cost of your ticket will help support the Frontline Fund for another year.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Dyanna Taylor.
Explore, through her granddaughter’s eyes, the life story of Dorothea Lange, the photographer who captured the iconic image “Migrant Mother.” Never-seen-before photos, film footage, interviews, family memories, and journals reveal the artist who challenged America to know itself.