Film

Syriana: Terrorism Film Series at Burchfield-Penney

by / Jan. 28, 2016 1pm EST

At 7pm this Thursday, January 28, the Terrorism film series kicks off with a free screening of Stephan Gaghan’s 2005 film Syriana, starring Matt Damon and George Clooney.

The series continues on February 4 with Olivier Assayas’s 2010 film Carlos, rated 94 percent by Rotten Tomatoes for its portrayal of the notorious Venezuelan terrorist known for most of his heinous career as Carlos the Jackal.

The series continues every Thursday evening with free screenings, followed by expert panelists from law enforcement, Homeland Security, academia, and journalism. This Thursday’s panelists include Geoff Kelly, who worked and traveled extensively in the Gulf region during and after the Iraq invasion of 2003; Buffalo State College Professor York Norman, a widely-published specialist in Turkey, the Balkan region, and the Middle East; and Buffalo State College Professor Albert Michaels, who with Norman is co-teaching the course on terrorism based on his own extensive study, travel, and engagement with Latin American politics.

The US response to failing Middle East states, the rise of ISIS, nationalist movements, the connection between narco-terrorism and political terror, the challenge to US and local law enforcement—the films and expert commentators will try to help the public as as well as students understand the connections, the issues, and the context of unfolding events.

Future showings and panelists will include former US Ambassador to Malta Anthony Gioia, Scott Black from the Department of Homeland Security, Turkish military specialist Mustafa Gokcek, and former Erie County deputy executive and Bruce Fisher.

February 11:  The Terrorist (Santosh Sivan, Director; Runtime: 1h 40m)

February 18: Scarface (Brian De Palma, Director; Runtime: 2h 50m)

February 25: Hamburg Cell (Antonia Bird, Director; Runtime: 1h 42m)

March 3: The Mumbai Massacre (Antonia Bird, Director; Runtime: 53m)

March 10: Zero Dark Thirty                

March 17: The Rise of ISIS (Martin Smith & Linda Hirsch, Directors; Runtime: 54m)

March 31: ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (International Peace Institute, Producer; Runtime: 1h 27m)

April 14: Elite Squad (José Padilha, Director; Runtime: 2h)

April 21: Narcos (José Padilha, Director; Runtime: 1h 34m)

April 28: El Infierno (Luis Estrada, Director; Runtime: 2h 25m)

May 5: No Country For Old Men (Ethan & Joel Coen, Directors; Runtime: 2h 3m)

COMMENTS