Inside Anonymous
- Text by Robin Nierynck
Anonymous: A Million Men reveals a new breed of political activist: unhampered by geography, united by common goals, enabled by the internet.
Director Patrick Ireland set out to tell the story of how young people are using different models of political engagement to fight a system that is failing its citizens.
“It’s a massive myth that young people aren’t engaged in politics,” says Matteo Bergamini, producer and co-writer, “They are, they’re just not calling it politics. They’re calling it racial issues, environmentalism, and so on.”
The film was produced by Shout Out UK, an independent youth news network that aims to lower political apathy by showing the direct impact of politics on young people.
In the lead up the 2015 general election, questions are being asked about the political engagement of young people, whether it’s failing and, if not, where it might be directed. Yet increasingly it’s being argued that young people are turning to alternative politics outside of the established system.
A Million Men uses the Million Mask March of 2014, where thousands of activists took to the streets in London, as a platform to explore wider issues surrounding politics, featuring interviews with Anonymous members, Conservative MP Chloe Smith and Russell Brand.
A fervent appeal for fair representation and grassroots action, the film ends on a final, powerful statement that lingers on far beyond the rolling credits and the applause of the crowd: “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Anonymous: A Million Men will be screened at Parliament post-election, date and time to be announced.
Latest on Huck
“My homeland Is everywhere”: Samantha Box is redefining contemporary photography
Confluences — Finding the boundaries of documentary photography too limiting, the US-based photographer has developed a style entirely her own as a canvas to explore her overlapping identities.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In the ’60s and ’70s, Greenwich Village was the musical heart of New York
Talkin’ Greenwich Village — Author David Browne’s new book takes readers into the neighbourhood’s creative heyday, where a generation of artists and poets including Bob Dylan, Billie Holliday and Dave Van Ronk cut their teeth.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai
How Labour Activism changed the landscape of post-war USA
American Job — A new exhibition revisits over 70 years of working class solidarity and struggle, its radical legacy, and the central role of photography throughout.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Analogue Appreciation: Emma-Jean Thackray
Weirdo — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, multi-instrumentalist and Brownswood affiliate Emma-Jean Thackray.
Written by: Emma-Jean Thackray
Meet the shop cats of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district
Feline good — Traditionally adopted to keep away rats from expensive produce, the feline guardians have become part of the central neighbourhood’s fabric. Erica’s online series captures the local celebrities.
Written by: Isaac Muk
How trans rights activism and sex workers’ solidarity emerged in the ’70s and ’80s
Shoulder to Shoulder — In this extract from writer Jake Hall’s new book, which deep dives into the history of queer activism and coalition, they explore how anti-TERF and anti-SWERF campaigning developed from the same cloth.
Written by: Jake Hall