Past Events and Screenings

This event is organised by Lacuna: A Writing Wrongs Project.

‘What I have most wanted to do . . . is to make political writing into an art.’ – George Orwell

Chaired by Maureen Freely, English Pen president, the panel will discuss the role of the arts in promoting human rights and social justice issues.

As one of Britain’s most romantic historical figures the story of Lawrence of Arabia is well known, but to what extent do we know the truth of how his actions shaped the region? In his new book Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East, veteran correspondent Scott Anderson cuts through the legend to offer a reassessment of his story and the secret colonialist plots in which he was involved. Anderson will be joining us in conversation with journalist and author Christopher de Bellaigue, to share his retelling of Lawrence of Arabia, reflecting on the actions of the past and how they continue to shape the region and its future.

The atomic bomb and meltdowns like Fukushima have made nuclear power synonymous with global disaster, but what if we’ve got nuclear power wrong? Pandora’s Promise tells the intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts, who have undergone a radical conversion from being fiercely anti- to strongly pro-nuclear energy, risking their careers and reputations in the process. It is a thoughtful film that changes the conversation about the myths and science behind this deeply emotional and polarising issue.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Robert Stone and environmental activist Mark Lynas who features in the film. Moderated by Tom Clarke, Science Editor for Channel 4 News.

The infamous Club Quiz returns in March with quizmaster Caroline Johns.

Teams can consist of up to six people and the entry cost is £5 per person. All money raised goes to the Frontline Fund, assisting families of fixers and support staff killed or injured while working with the international media.

When director Morgan Matthews decided to join three groups of men from the highly competitive and bitterly divided world of Bigfoot hunting, he got more than he bargained for. Shooting Bigfoot is a raucous road trip featuring a larger than life cast of monster-hunting men who devote their lives to the search for Bigfoot. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Morgan Matthews.

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 many different faces of documentary filmmaking.

Renowned photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg will be joining us to discuss his latest book. Afghanistan – A Distant War presents an extraordinary portfolio of the country’s history, from the mujahideen’s expulsion of the Soviet Union to the US withdrawal 25 years later.

The meeting of the Blue and White Nile in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, is referred to as ‘the longest kiss in history’. Focusing on the stories of six people searching for a place to call ‘home’ ahead of the south’s secession, The Longest Kiss paints an intimate portrait of the country’s complex fragmentation. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque and James Copnall.

As the build-up of Russian forces in Crimea continues, tensions are mounting in Ukraine. With the country in a period of great uncertainty, its fate part of a wider strategic battle between the West and Russia, we will be looking at what the future holds for 45 million Ukrainians.

In war there is rarely a single action or answer that will bring peace. As we are seeing with the conflict in Syria, the process of negotiation and resolution is incredibly complex. We will be joined by the authors of a new book, The Fog of Peace: The Human Face of Conflict Resolution, to offer an insight into psychological theories, geopolitical realities and first-hand peace-making experience.

As the ceremonies to mark the passing of Nelson Mandela come to a close and South Africa prepares for a national election, we will be bringing together a panel to look at the political future of the country.

With wide-spread corruption, unemployment rising and slow economic growth under the ANC, who will the people of South Africa turn to in 2014? The ANC is still the dominant political force but without change will this still be the case following another term? We will be looking at the political make-up of the country, where the divisions lie and how these might develop.

Foreign reporters began to go missing in Syria in the autumn of 2012. The first disappeared just as the conflict slid from violent unrest into the abyss of outright civil war. What happened to our missing reporters? Who holds them and what can we do to help secure their release?

Roving foreign correspondent for The Times Anthony Loyd will be chairing a panel of specialists with first hand knowledge of the hostage crisis in Syria to examine how best we can aid the vanished.

On Tuesday 18 February Vaughan Smith will attend the official opening of Frontline Club Bucharest in The Institute Cafe, which will serve as a home for upcoming debates and screenings in Romania. Over the course of three evenings, an impressive and challenging line up of speakers will debate issues ranging from the current situation in Ukraine to the role of social media in journalism. These first events will serve as a taster for future discussions that will take place in Bucharest as part of the Frontline Club’s International Parters programme.

The uprising in Syria began as a battle between Syrians and the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but the picture in the country now is much more complicated. As fighting between the Syrian opposition and al-Qaeda affiliated groups intensifies we will be bringing together a panel to offer a picture of what is happening on the ground in Syria. We will be looking at groups involved, how they have developed and their power and influence in the country and further afield.

Jason Larkin will present photographs from his new book Tales From The City Of Gold, which combines his observations of the ordinary and extraordinary nature of life alongside the mountains of dumped toxic waste produced during Johannesburg’s gold-mining heyday.

Clare Hollingworth and Gerda Taro were two of the first female war correspondents, and their pioneering courage and conviction paved the way for many who have followed. We will be joined by Patrick Garrett, Hollingworth’s great nephew who is writing a book about her life, and Jane Rogoyska, author of Gerda Taro: Inventing Robert Capa. They will be exploring the lives and work of these two extraordinary women, united by a passion for journalism.

Following almost 50 years of civil war, South Sudan became an independent state in July 2011. The young nation formed a national soccer team with the aim to make it on the international stage. The man recruited to get them there is a dynamic and hugely ambitious veteran Serbian coach, Zoran Djordjevic. Director Sam Benstead follows the team over its first year, from the hunt for new players to the first international games. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Sam Benstead and editor James Gold, and moderated by Nick Fraser.

Filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel spent his formative years in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh in Lebanon. Each time he went back to the camp for his summer holidays he kept video diaries. As an adult he returns, challenging his teenage belief that ‘going to Ain el-Helweh is better than going to Disney Land’. A World Not Ours is an intimate, and often humorous, portrait of three generations of exile, based on a wealth of personal recordings, family archives, and historical footage. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Mahdi Fleifel and editor Michael Aaglund.

This event is organised by International Alert.
Civil wars are tragedies for the countries they consume, but they can also be dangerous for neighbouring states. Almost three years into the political and humanitarian crisis in Syria, what challenges does the ongoing violence pose for peace and stability in the region? And what can be done to prevent the crisis from stoking existing tensions in countries such as Lebanon?

Ahead of the 2014 Olympic Games, the city of Sochi underwent drastic transformations. This nostalgic Soviet holiday resort, filled with gorgeous sanatoriums, had to become a modern Russian city. With no time to lose, everything and everyone had to give way in order to turn President Putin’s status project into a success. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Hans Pool.