So are the relief agencies not left enough or is Hollywood trying to say a certain one is a CIA front?
Relief Agencies Condemn New Film on Aid Workers
Mon Nov 10,10:56 AM ET
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By Nick Cater
LONDON (Reuters) - A new Hollywood film that shows aid workers gun-running for the CIA (news - web sites) has been condemned for potentially endangering relief staff and their reputations at a time when humanitarian agencies are being targeted in Iraq (news - web sites).
Action-romance "Beyond Borders" stars Angelina Jolie (news) as an American socialite who pursues a charismatic British aid doctor, played by Clive Owen (news), through a decade or more of disasters, from famine in Ethiopia to war in Chechnya (news - web sites).
Critics say the fictional story line, in which the doctor's nongovernmental organization (NGO) gets involved in weapons dealing for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites), could encourage extremist attacks on aid workers in hot spots such as Baghdad, where suicide bombers last month targeted the Red Cross headquarters.
They also object to claims that the United Nations (news - web sites) has effectively endorsed a film that could damage the reputation of NGOs, discourage donations and put their staff at risk.
"The film advertises itself as a serious almost-documentary dedicated to the spirit of overseas aid workers," said veteran aid worker Steve Hansch, who advised the film makers in the early stages of production.
"By popularizing an image of aid agencies working under instructions from the CIA, 'Beyond Borders' may torpedo their real work in the field. If widely seen, 'Beyond Borders' is likely to endanger the lives of real aid workers in real aid operations."
Hansch, a researcher at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of International Migration in Washington, slammed the film's depiction of Ethiopians, Chechens and Cambodians as either passive "victims" dependent on their "white-skinned saviors" or brutal but incompetent warlords.
He also took issue with the portrayal of disaster relief.
"For dramatic effect, "Beyond Borders' portrays aid work as hopeless: well-intentioned but futile, with no resulting impact, no return on investment," he said. "In reality, humanitarian aid saves tens of thousands of lives."
But Hansch said the film was accurate in much of its detail, from its depiction of feeding centers, immunization programs and well-drilling to the administrative burden facing many aid operations.
"Also accurate is the point that in most of the world's hundreds of humanitarian emergencies, there is far too little funding to meet the most minimum standards of support needed to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths."
Hansch's final verdict: "It was a squandered opportunity It could have been a really positive movie about real aid work."
The film has not been a box office hit since its U.S. release last month and reviewers have been lukewarm to harsh.
"HUMANITARIAN COWBOY"
Sandra Mitchell, the International Rescue Committee's vice president for government relations and advocacy, called the character of the doctor a "humanitarian cowboy."
"We don't run guns," she said. "There are clear principles and guidelines. We're very determined about our standards."
Most humanitarian agencies take great pains to stress their neutrality, impartiality and independence, and are keen not to be tarred by the same brush when accusations of misconduct arise against other NGOs.
Conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan (news - web sites) has led to court action over a number of charities said to be channeling funds to armed extremists. In some conflicts, there have been claims of ambulances and aid vehicles being used to transport weapons.
For actress Jolie, who rose to stardom as video game character Lara Croft in two "Tomb Raider" films, life and art have merged.
In addition to playing a fictional aid worker in "Beyond Borders," in real life she is goodwill ambassador for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Since becoming goodwill ambassador in 2001, she has visited refugee camps in places as far-flung as Congo, Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Ecuador. UNICEF (news - web sites) estimates Jolie's contributions to the agency at about $3 million in cash and kind.
U.N. DENIES ENDORSEMENT
The United Nations has come under fire for implicitly endorsing the film, and thus its fictional depiction of NGOs, because U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) and High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers attended the premiere in New York.
According to The Washington Times, director Martin Campbell said of Annan: "He seemed enthusiastic about it and certainly gave us the thumbs-up."
The paper also quoted Campbell as saying the "Beyond Borders" script "was sent to the U.N. for approval; portions were altered based on the organization's input."
The U.N. refugee agency said it had merely been sent an early outline as part of a request for statistics on refugees, and had not offered any comment or approval.
"It's a movie, it's a Hollywood fiction, it never pretended to be a documentary," a UNHCR spokesperson told AlertNet, a Reuters Foundation Web site for international disaster relief. "It was not a collaboration with UNHCR. It's not even about humanitarian action. It's a love story. (Editing by Lisa Vaughan, Reuters Messaging:[email protected])
Relief Agencies Condemn New Film on Aid Workers
Mon Nov 10,10:56 AM ET
Add Entertainment - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Nick Cater
LONDON (Reuters) - A new Hollywood film that shows aid workers gun-running for the CIA (news - web sites) has been condemned for potentially endangering relief staff and their reputations at a time when humanitarian agencies are being targeted in Iraq (news - web sites).
Action-romance "Beyond Borders" stars Angelina Jolie (news) as an American socialite who pursues a charismatic British aid doctor, played by Clive Owen (news), through a decade or more of disasters, from famine in Ethiopia to war in Chechnya (news - web sites).
Critics say the fictional story line, in which the doctor's nongovernmental organization (NGO) gets involved in weapons dealing for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites), could encourage extremist attacks on aid workers in hot spots such as Baghdad, where suicide bombers last month targeted the Red Cross headquarters.
They also object to claims that the United Nations (news - web sites) has effectively endorsed a film that could damage the reputation of NGOs, discourage donations and put their staff at risk.
"The film advertises itself as a serious almost-documentary dedicated to the spirit of overseas aid workers," said veteran aid worker Steve Hansch, who advised the film makers in the early stages of production.
"By popularizing an image of aid agencies working under instructions from the CIA, 'Beyond Borders' may torpedo their real work in the field. If widely seen, 'Beyond Borders' is likely to endanger the lives of real aid workers in real aid operations."
Hansch, a researcher at Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of International Migration in Washington, slammed the film's depiction of Ethiopians, Chechens and Cambodians as either passive "victims" dependent on their "white-skinned saviors" or brutal but incompetent warlords.
He also took issue with the portrayal of disaster relief.
"For dramatic effect, "Beyond Borders' portrays aid work as hopeless: well-intentioned but futile, with no resulting impact, no return on investment," he said. "In reality, humanitarian aid saves tens of thousands of lives."
But Hansch said the film was accurate in much of its detail, from its depiction of feeding centers, immunization programs and well-drilling to the administrative burden facing many aid operations.
"Also accurate is the point that in most of the world's hundreds of humanitarian emergencies, there is far too little funding to meet the most minimum standards of support needed to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths."
Hansch's final verdict: "It was a squandered opportunity It could have been a really positive movie about real aid work."
The film has not been a box office hit since its U.S. release last month and reviewers have been lukewarm to harsh.
"HUMANITARIAN COWBOY"
Sandra Mitchell, the International Rescue Committee's vice president for government relations and advocacy, called the character of the doctor a "humanitarian cowboy."
"We don't run guns," she said. "There are clear principles and guidelines. We're very determined about our standards."
Most humanitarian agencies take great pains to stress their neutrality, impartiality and independence, and are keen not to be tarred by the same brush when accusations of misconduct arise against other NGOs.
Conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan (news - web sites) has led to court action over a number of charities said to be channeling funds to armed extremists. In some conflicts, there have been claims of ambulances and aid vehicles being used to transport weapons.
For actress Jolie, who rose to stardom as video game character Lara Croft in two "Tomb Raider" films, life and art have merged.
In addition to playing a fictional aid worker in "Beyond Borders," in real life she is goodwill ambassador for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Since becoming goodwill ambassador in 2001, she has visited refugee camps in places as far-flung as Congo, Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Ecuador. UNICEF (news - web sites) estimates Jolie's contributions to the agency at about $3 million in cash and kind.
U.N. DENIES ENDORSEMENT
The United Nations has come under fire for implicitly endorsing the film, and thus its fictional depiction of NGOs, because U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) and High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers attended the premiere in New York.
According to The Washington Times, director Martin Campbell said of Annan: "He seemed enthusiastic about it and certainly gave us the thumbs-up."
The paper also quoted Campbell as saying the "Beyond Borders" script "was sent to the U.N. for approval; portions were altered based on the organization's input."
The U.N. refugee agency said it had merely been sent an early outline as part of a request for statistics on refugees, and had not offered any comment or approval.
"It's a movie, it's a Hollywood fiction, it never pretended to be a documentary," a UNHCR spokesperson told AlertNet, a Reuters Foundation Web site for international disaster relief. "It was not a collaboration with UNHCR. It's not even about humanitarian action. It's a love story. (Editing by Lisa Vaughan, Reuters Messaging:[email protected])