KQED shamlessly broadcasts "Internationale" by Peter Miller [cold chills alert]

KQED, Icarus Films ^ | Published 2000; Broadcast Tue, Aug 12, 11:30pm | Peter Miller

[risk]

Home • About Icarus Films International

Arise ye prisoners of starvation
Arise ye toilers of the earth
For reason thunders new creation
`Tis a better world in birth.

Never more traditions' chains shall bind us
Arise ye toilers no more in thrall
The earth shall rise on new foundations
We are naught but we shall be all.

		The Internationale A Film by Peter Miller The story of the Internationale. 2001 DoubleTake Documentary Film Festival 2001 Cleveland International Film Festival 2001 Ann Arbor Film Festival 2000 Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival

THE INTERNATIONALE draws on people’s stories of an emotionally charged radical song (the long-time anthem of socialism and communism) to celebrate the relationship between music and social change, and to evaluate the uncertain fate of once thriving movements of the left.

The film chronicles the history of the song written in 1871, at the fall of the Paris Commune, by Eugene Pottier. The lyrics are a rallying cry for all the oppressed and exploited people of the world to rise up and overthrow their masters. After a melody was added a few years later by a French factory worker, Pierre Degeyter, THE INTERNATIONALE spread throughout France, Europe and the world.

Using rare archival footage, it traces the development and meanings of the song before and after the Russian Revolution, during the Great Depression in the U.S. and the Civil War in Spain, and since the fall of the Soviet Union, Tiananmen Square, and the end of the Cold War.

The film includes performances and interviews with musicians and activists from around the world, including Billy Bragg and Pete Seeger, and people from the U.S., Israel, the Philippines, China, and the Soviet Union.

Exploring relationships between music, history and social change, THE INTERNATIONALE is a serious but often irreverent meditation on socialism, idealism, and the power of music in people’s lives.


"What a remarkable film! THE INTERNATIONALE takes us on a lyrical journey from the Paris Commune to the collapse of Soviet Communism, from the slums of Kingston Jamaica to Tiananmen Square, in search of what might be the only song to change the world. With each rendering of "The Internationale" we learn what happens when the only truly universal dream of our century - the dream of a world without exploitation - is deferred. If the song never moved you, I guarantee this film will." -- Prof. Robin D.G. Kelley, NYU (author of "Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression" and "Race Rebels")

30 minutes • color • Digi Beta • 2000
English and International versions available


About the filmmaker: Peter Miller was Co-Producer of Ken Burns' 10-episode Jazz series, co-produced Burns' Frank Lloyd Wright biography, produced the award-winning Black Panther documentary Passin' It On (directed by John Valadez), co-produced the labor history documentary The Uprising of '34 (directed by George Stoney and Judith Helfand) and was Coordinating Producer of Barbara Kopple's Academy Award-winning American Dream. THE INTERNATIONALE is his first work as a director.

[risk]

KQED broadcast this film last night with not so much as an apology or an explanation. Your tax dollars at work. The following blurb announces the film:

Internationale
By Peter Miller
Tue, Aug 12, 11:30pm
This film tells the story of a radical song that has been sung in hundreds of languages by people throughout the world. It includes interviews and performances by Pete Seeger, Billy Brag and as well as a host of people from around the world who tell stories about this emotionally charged song. (00:26:46)

The most striking comment from one of the interview subjects went something like this: "The tragedy of the Internationale was that the leaders of the Soviet Union were not worthy of the people who fought and died for their cause."

In a pang of irony, I remembered that Hitler had said that the German people hadn't been worthy of his Charisma.

I think the strength and justice of the American system of government lies in the realization that no human being is worthy of absolute leadership, and there are no causes that can bring complete harmony and peace among men besides the process of enabling them to rise to their own potential, unencumbered by the chains of government.

What a difference between this international "cult" of plenty and the American commitment to equality and excellence.

I include the southwestern United States in my subject list because many of the quotes were by people who had fought for Latin American communism and socialism. Pete Seeger was also featured.

The most frightening section featured footage from Tiananmen square. I didn't realize that the students sang the Internationale there, sincerely believing that they were struggling for a more pure version of communism. One student said that he had come to understand the Internationale's meaning as encouragement to sacrifice all (in battle) for a place in history.

This film was nothing short of chilling.

[risk]

ping

[tallhappy]

The most frightening section featured footage from Tiananmen square. I didn't realize that the students sang the Internationale there, sincerely believing that they were struggling for a more pure version of communism.

No.

I was going to mention how they sang it, then saw this paragraph.

If the documentary said what you stated, it is lying or distorting.

The students of China did not know any other songs. That's why they sang it. It was also a way of being ironic and taking the communist party icon and appropriating it for themselves.

Mainly, it is literally true that they'd grown up knowing no other songs than communist propaganda songs.

I've actually never heard the song.

[risk]

If the documentary said what you stated, it is lying or distorting.

I interpreted what the Chinese guy said to imply that. I think he really thought he was fighting the "corrupt" officials to achieve a more pure form of socialism.

But there was plenty of lying and distorting going on in this film.

[nopardons]

Something up your alley !

[HiTech RedNeck]

Hey I thought you all would enjoy this :-)

---

>THE LINUX-NATIONALE
>To the tune of ("The Internationale")
>by Greg Baker.
>
>(PRONOUNCIATION NOTE: "Linux-nationale" is pronounced
>"Lee-nux-nat-shun-ahl," as in French).
>
>Arise, you prisoners of Windows,
>Arise, you slaves of Redmond, Wash,
>The day and hour soon are coming,
>When all the IT folks say "Gosh!"
>It isn't from a legal lawsuit
>That Windowsland will finally fall,
>But thousands writing open source code,
>Like mice who nibble through a wall.
>
>Tis the Linux rebellion,
>Let coders take their place,
>The Linux-nationale
>Shall Microsoft outpace,
>We can write better programs,
>Our CPU's wont stall,
>So raise the penguin banner of
>The Linux-nationale.
>
>For those who toil inside the tech world,
>The thought of Windows truly grates;
>In worlds without a fence to bar things,
>Why then should we be stuck with gates?
>The Windows source code has been piggy
>And moves ahead in slow, weak, jerks,
>Conflicting kernels freeze the screen up,
>Why not get something then that works?
>
>Tis the Linux rebellion,
>Let coders take their place...
>
>Let's take a trillion trillion monkeys
>And let them type inside a room,
>Infinty will give you "Hamlet",
>But it will also code you "Doom."
>And yet, the trillion trillion monkeys,
>Though writing to the end of time
>Could never write a Windows help file,
>They're so obscure that it's a crime.
>
>Tis the Linux rebellion,
>Let coders take their place...
>
>Instead of all the typing monkeys,
>Replace them with some Linux geeks,
>They really aren't to good on Shakespeare
>But turn out useful apps in weeks.
>These people writing Linux kernels,
>It is the thing that Redmond dreads,
>Programmers don't make fashion statements,
>But they can turn out useful threads.
>
>Tis the Linux rebellion,
>Let coders take their place...
>
>It's isn't always beer and skittles,
>It's hard to get some tech support,
>But Linux doesn't have a structure
>That Uncle Sam can take to court.
>So walk out to the nearest jetty,
>Toss off your Windows chains! Be free!
>In fact, it's really Inter-netty,
>To fish out Linux from the C.
>
>Tis the Linux rebellion,
>Let coders take their place
>The Linux-nationale
>Shall Microsoft outpace,
>We can write better programs,
>Our CPU's wont stall,
>So raise the penguin banner of
>The Linux-nationale.
>
>Copyright Gregory A. Baker 2000. "Windows" and "Microsoft" are registered
>trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation and their use in this song is for
>parody purposes. My lawyer can beat up your lawyer.

[wideminded]

Unfortunately, the Internationale, like the Horst Wessel Lied, is a memorable tune. I don't think a show about the latter song would fly on PBS.

[nopardons]

BTT

[onyx]

ROFL! You've got my alley's address! Thnaks for the ping!

[nopardons]

Yes, I do ... as you have mine . :-)

You're welcome, friend.

[ArcLight]

The Horst Wessel song sucks. But the Internationale is a really great tune, a real toe-tapper. I have a recording of it somewhere and play it once in awhile.

[strela]

I've actually never heard the song.

If you saw "Red Dawn," you heard it. They played it when the Cubans were parading in the town they took over where the citizens were forced to stand along the route and cheer.

[KeyWest]

The song, for any student of history, is one of lost promise. It is a song of good intentions but bad endings.

Interesting that the song most associated with our revolution is Yankee Doodle, a parody turned on its ear. Or that the most memorable song to come out of WWI (and not brought out until just before WWII) is a prayer- God Bless America.

Ah, those militant French.

[Int]

I've actually never heard the song.

The tune itself is not bad. There's a real audio version here. I can imagine it could be quite stirring stuff.

[lentulusgracchus]

...., in search of what might be the only song to change the world.

Wanna hear a song that really did change the world? Spool up "Stars and Stripes Forever" !

[biggerten]

That's not "The International".

That's the USSR's National Anthem, not "The International".

[Int]

That's not "The International".

Doh. Sorry. Second try here.

[Prodigal Son]

The Horst Wessel song sucks.

I don't know. I find it (die Fahne Hoch) pretty catchy myself as much as I hate what the song's about.

[Prodigal Son]

This film was nothing short of chilling.

Well damn, I wish I could see it then.
I can't seem to find it on DVD or anything else at Amazon. Is this film very old?

[robowombat]

The tune is a Navy march from the Whilhemine Reich. The detestable words are those of the Nazis.