Past Events and Screenings

As more and more freelance journalists choose to cut their teeth in the field rather than in local newsrooms, we will be joined by a panel of journalists and editors to discuss what precautions need to be taken to keep them safe. Should they be deterred from heading straight to conflict zones, or should the training, insurance and guidance be more freely available?

Provoking adoration and revulsion in equal measure, Hugo Chavez is a leader like no other. In his new book, Comandante, acclaimed journalist Rory Carroll sheds light on the inside story of Chavez’s life and his political court in Caracas. He will join the New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson and others to ask, after more than 13 years in power, what Chavez’s legacy will be.

Soon, Afghan security forces will be in control of all of Afghanistan, as ISAF forces accelerate their withdrawal. This lastest film for BBC Panorama raises questions about the British legacy in Sangin and the transition to Afghan control. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Ben Anderson; Dawood Azami, former BBC World Service Bureau Chief and Editor in Kabul, Afghanistan; and Will Pike who served as a British Army Major in Afghanistan.

The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw was a despised gift from Stalin and after the fall of communism, some suggested pulling it down. Director Tomasz Wolski takes us on a cinematic journey through what is more than just a building: The Palace of Culture and Science is both a reflection of Poland’s everyday life and its rich history.

In light of more than ten years of conflict overseas, we examine the nature of the engagement between the British military and the media. As we see changes in the British military, the media, and the nature of conflict zones, how will this relationship develop?

In Mexico, more than 40 journalists have been killed or have vanished since December 2006. Reportero illustrates the ruthless practices of the drug cartels, and the corruption that makes it so dangerous for journalists to do their jobs. Followed by a Q&A over Skype with director Bernardo Ruiz.

This event is organised by Bahrain Pro-Democracy Group in UK and Sayed Alwadaei, political activist in UK.
A special seminar to coincide with the second anniversary of Bahrain’s 14 February Revolution.
It is the longest and most peaceful revolution, yet the least covered by the Western media. When the youth of the Gulf island of Bahrain decided to join the Arab Spring on 14 February 2011 they were responding to the call for change that had resonated in the corners of the Arab world. Two years later, they have remained faithful to their revolutions, slogans and human values.

This event is in association with the Royal African Society and will be held at Conway Hall.
This event is in association with the Royal African Society and will be held at Conway Hall.
The recent fighting involving the M23 rebel group that has put eastern DR Congo back on the front pages has reached a fragile ceasefire. We will be looking at the implications of recent developments and the prospects for the current peace process.

Between the Lines is a three day festival of screenings and discussions, held at RichMix from 1st to 3rd March. This launch event at the Frontline Club will provide a taster of what the festival holds in store. Drinks will be provided.

Confronting the key moral dilemma of our time, Complicit explores the moral compromises surrounding the use of torture in fighting the ‘War on Terror’. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Niall MacCormick, writer Guy Hibbert and producers Kevin Toolis and Jolyon Symonds moderated by Allan Little

Justice for Sale raises questions about the role of the international community and non-governmental organisations within the Congolese judicial system. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Femke van Velzen moderated by Sandra Whipham from BRITDOC.

This event is organised by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Followed by a drinks reception.
In this launch event for her new book, Naomi Sakr looks at recent transformations in Egyptian journalism, exploring diverse approaches to converged media and the place of participatory cross-media networks in expanding and developing the country’s body of professional journalists.

Award-winning Guardian journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad and director Safa Al Ahmad risk their lives to get inside Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Ghaith Abdul-Ahad and producer Jamie Doran. 

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 different faces of documentary.

This event is organised by Granta and features award-winning author and journalist, Janine di Giovanni and ex-BBC Correspondent, ex-Amnesty International, journalist and author Frances Harrison.
With readings and conversation focused on the Syrian and Sri Lankan conflicts moderated by Granta deputy editor Ellah Allfrey, this event explores the ethics of venturing into war zones, the line between truth and fiction and how to tell the stories of war.

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles began as a documentary chronicling the excesses of America’s super-rich, but when in 2008 the global recession hit it became a disastrous riches to rags story. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Lauren Greenfield.

For five years, Alma was a member of the Maras, one of the most violent gangs in Guatemala. In a country undermined by violence, Alma is typical of her generation, growing up in a world where laws and justice were flouted with impunity. Award winning e-producer Alexandre Brachet will give a live presentation of his new multiplatform production Alma a Tale of Violence.

October this year will mark 12 years since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and with the 2014 deadline looming join us with author and award winning journalist Christina Lamb, Afghan American author Tamim Ansary and others, as we look ahead at the path to troop withdrawal.

American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum will be joining us at the Frontline Club in conversation with author, journalist and columnist for The Times, Oliver Kamm  to talk about the journey taken in her new book Iron Curtain and the lessons that can be learned from that brutal period in history.

Widely recognised as one of the world’s greatest war photographers, Don McCullin’s iconic images have come to shape our understanding of modern conflict and its consequences. This film not only explores his life and work, but also the way the ethos of journalism has changed throughout his career.