Songs of War: Music as a Weapon
Music is a Weapon
Music elates, touches the soul and bypasses reason. Music is magic. But precisely this magic can turn it into an insidious weapon for music and violence belong together. The brutal power of African war dances, the ferocity of Maori Hakas, the earth-shattering roar of US sound guns blasting Metallica at Taliban hideouts the principle is always the same: Aggressive sounds demoralise the enemy and whip the allies into a frenzy. In Songs of War, director Tristan Chytroschek explores the extraordinary harmony between music and violence. Sesame Street composer, Christopher Cerf, always wanted his music to be fun and entertaining. But then he learned that his songs had been used to torture prisoners in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. He is stunned by this abuse of his work and wants to find out how this could happen.
Directed by Tristan Chytroschek
Cast
- Christopher Cerf Presenter
- Thomas Keenan Human Rights Project, Bard College, New York
- Chris Arendt Former Guard, Guantanamo Bay
- Herb Friedman Psychological Operations Expert, US Army
- Mike Ritz Former Interrogator, US Army
- Nathalie Gosselin Music Psychologist, Université de Montréal
- Moazzam Begg Former Detainee, Guantanamo Bay And Bagram
- Morag Josephine Grant Musicologist, University Of Göttingen
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Mike Luce Drowning Pool -
C.J. Pierce Drowning Pool - Vahan Simidian II CEO, HPV Technologies
Make it a double feature
1h 52m together
Songs of War: Music as a Weapon
Bureau 39: Kim's Cash Machine
Both from Tristan Chytroschek.
