September 8, 2004: ACLU Hosts Exclusive Tennessee Film Premiere of Latest Robert Greenwald Documentary in Nashville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 8, 2004

CONTACT: Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director
615-320-7142

ACLU Hosts Exclusive Tennessee Film Premiere of Latest
Robert Greenwald Documentary in Nashville

Unconstitutional Examines Civil Liberties Violations Since 9/11

[Nashville]--The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee will host the Tennessee premiere of Unconstitutional, the latest groundbreaking documentary produced by acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald, in Nashville on Tuesday, September 14, 2004.

The one hour film will be shown at the Belcourt Theater at 7:00 p.m. A panel discussion with members from immigrant communities and a representative from the United States Attorneys Office will follow at 8:00 p.m.

Panelists will include Ms. Zainab Elberry, TN liaison to Arab-American Institute; Mohammed Ibrahim of the Kurdistan Cultural Institute; David Lubell of the TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition; Dr. Amir Arain of the Islamic Center of Nashville; and Eli Richardson, anti-terrorism coordinator at the US Attorneys Office for Middle Tennessee.

“Unconstitutional is a chilling exposé of the ways in which the ‘war on terror’ has been used to infringe upon and roll back basic civil liberties and constitutional rights since 9/11,” said Hedy Weinberg, ACLU-TN Executive Director “The ACLU is excited to team up with Robert Greenwald to bring "Unconstitutional" to Tennessee.

"Unconstitutional" explores how the Patriot Act, which was passed just 45 days after September 11 with virtually no debate, has taken away checks on law enforcement and endangers the civil liberties of all Americans. This expansion of government powers has also resulted in a significant grassroots groundswell from across the political spectrum. Resolutions opposing the Patriot Act have passed in 336 communities in 41 states, including four statewide resolutions. These communities represent nearly 53 million people who believe that the Patriot Act goes too far.

"Unconstitutional" features interviews with a diverse cross-section of people, including: ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero; Vincent Cannistrao, former director of the CIA's counter-terrorism operations; Sam Hamoui, whose parents and sister were detained under Attorney General John Ashcroft's "Absconder Apprehension Initiative;" Anne Turner, Librarian at Santa Cruz Public Library; Bob Barr, former Republican Congressman from Georgia; and Major Michael Mori, U.S. military lawyer appointed to Guantanamo detainee David Hicks.

By focusing on the personal stories of real people, Greenwald aims to reveal how paranoia, fear and racial profiling have led to gross infringements on freedom and democracy without strengthening national security.

In creating “Unconstitutional,” Greenwald teamed up with filmmaker and investigative journalist Nonny de la Peña, who wrote, directed and produced the documentary. De la Peña’s first film, Death on the Job, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Greenwald has brought more than 45 films to audiences worldwide. In the last three years alone, Greenwald has produced and/or directed more than 30 hours of television movies and miniseries, a feature film and a feature documentary. The films have won numerous awards including 25 Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Peabody Award.

To view a trailer of the film, go to http://http.dvlabs.com/carolina/UnConst/UnConstTeaser_Av2.wmv

To learn more about the Patriot Act and the erosion of civil liberties, go to http://www.aclu.org/safeandfree/