The human rights group Amnesty International has launched a new anti-torture campaign that's attempting to capitalize on the viral nature of Internet video to raise awareness about interrogation techniques reportedly used in Guantanamo Bay. The campaign, known as Unsubscribe Me,
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seeks to rally Internet users to demand that policymakers unsubscribe from policies that condone harsh interrogation techniques. The first of three videos is now online, and it will undoubtedly be controversial.
Produced by Marc Hawker and Ishbel Whitaker and starring Jiva Parthipan, Waiting for the Guards is a film short depicting a prisoner forced to squat in a "stress position," balancing on two cardboard boxes while a hood envelopes his head. As the prisoner struggles to maintain the position, an indifferent interrogator lounges in the hallway, killing time by pacing around and calling up his daughter on his mobile phone before picking up the interrogation where it left off.
To make the film, Hawker and Whitaker subjected Parthipan to six hours in the stress position. So when you watch the video, his agony is not acting; he's actually experiencing the interrogation technique first-hand.
Here's the video. Be forewarned that it's very unsettling, and not at all appropriate for children.
Click to play. Not suitable for children
This week I had the chance to interview Marc Hawker and Jiva Parthipan about their experiences making the film. Here's what they had to say.
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