The Empowerment Project::Speaking Appearances

Barbara's Schedule | Lecture Topics | Barbara's Resume

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Read a portion of Barbara's essay on media in a capitalist culture

Read the article that appeared in The Topeka Capital Journal

CHOOSING PEACE
Drawing on over a quartercentury of experience as a grassroots organizer and activist- filmmaker,Barbara Trent brings a rare approach to todayís events. Her presentationis graced with the emotion of a woman who has seen the frontlines hereand abroad. Ms. Trentís analyses the costs of war, globalization,and media hypocracy by juxtaposing examples from the news with footage from recent trips to New York City, both after the 9-11 attacks and during the World Economic Forum protests. As the director of the Academy Award winning The Panama Deception and the critically acclaimed Coverup: Behind the Iran-Contra Affair, Barbara Trent's talk becomes an increasingly crucial counter-message as the drumbeat for war on terrorism, drugs, the poor, indegenous movements and dissent thumps ever louder. "Invite Barbara Trent to Speak" (.pdfversion) Print "Tired of These guys?"flyer (.pdf) Print "Tired of these guys?" flyer(jpg)

THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH:The Responsibility of the Media, The Government, and the American Public
Barbara Trent presents her documentary, The Panama Deception, as a springboard for analyzing currentdomestic and international events as well as an illuminating case studyof government deception and media disinformation. It is a poignant and alarming reflection of what is unfolding today. This presentation exposes the forces controlling our media as well as our government's covert polices. The Panama Deception reveals the untold story of the US invasion, the shocking events of the assault, and the true motivation for the invasion, explaining how and why the mainstream media collaborated with the US government to censor information and deceive the public. Read a recommendation of this lecture. Read the Action Alert. Read the article that appeared in The Colorado Daily. View photos.

A Woman of Courage:The Evolving Role of An Activist
Barbara Trent will speak about her lifelong commitment to change, reflecting on the personal costs, successes and failures. Her story chronicles anti-war activism in the 60's and 70's; the drug culture and addressing problems of abuse; her experience as a welfare mother; training organizers under president Carter for Peace Corps and VISTA; her ongoing efforts to democratize the media culminating in her fearless journalistic work in Panama which won her an Oscar in 1993; her creativity in assisting her mother and fatherto a dignified death; and present efforts to respond to a future threatenedby war, globalization, and the relentless attack on civil liberties inthe name of anti-terrorisim. Read recommendations of this lecture. View flyer for Metropolitian State College of Denver. Viewflyer for Lou Douglas Lecture Series. Print"Tired of These guys?" flyer (.pdf) Print"Tired of these guys?" flyer (jpg)

The Government, Drugs, Your Freedom, and Your Future
The film COVERUP: Behindthe Iran Contra Affair discloses the historical involvement of the US governmentand the CIA in facilitating the shipment of illegal drugs into the US,from the heroin epidemic of the Vietnam war to the cocaine and crack epidemic of the Contra war in Nicaragua. COVERUP reveals a tangled tale ofpolitics, hostages, weapons, assassinations, covert operations,and a planto suspend the Constitution of the United States. A screening plus Q&A wtih director Trent sheds light on this story of war for profit and ideological fanaticism that eerily repeats itself today. Read a recommendation of this lecture. Read the Action Alert. View photos.

The Economics of Censorship
Ms. Trent outlines whythe news, including TV documentaries, reflect a monolithic perspective and explains why the "free press" of the United States presents no realthreat to the present arrangement of power and wealth in this country. Drawing from over 15 years as a filmmaker, she walks her audience through the obstacles to a courageous and independent media with anecdotes drawn from her own experience producing, directing, and distributing three controversial and award winning feature documentaries. Read the article that appeared in The Times-News.

Taking it to the Theaters
A workshop on self-distributionof issue-oriented film and video based on the model created by the Empowerment Project for the distribution of COVERUP: Behind the Iran Contra Affairand Academy Award winning The Panama Deception. Appropriate for serious filmmakers. This is a best presented as a two to three hour workshop and includes a manual. Read a recommendation of this lecture.

How To Make IndependentDocumentary Films
A talk that includes:what it takes to produce a documentary, how to budget, how to assemblea team, how to raise money, how the editing process works, what's involvedin post production, ethical issues that arise, and how to distribute yourfilm. You'll also hear Barbara's unique insights on how to get issue orientedor "difficult" film funded, made and distributed. For serious filmmakers.This is best presented as a three to four hour workshop. Read a recommendation of this lecture.

To book Barbara to speak at your institution contact:
Empowerment Project
8218 Farington Mill Rd.
Chapel Hill NC 27517
Phone: (919) 525-4058
Email: project2@mindspring.com