ACLU of Kentucky

Unconstitutional Examines Civil Liberties Violations Since 9/11

LOUISVILLE – The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky will host the Kentucky premiere of Unconstitutional, the latest groundbreaking documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Robert Greenwald, at the Louisville Free Public Library – Main Branch on Tuesday, September 14 at 7 p.m.

“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 Beth Wilson, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky.  “The ACLU is excited to team up with Robert Greenwald to bring Unconstitutional to Kentucky.”

Unconstitutional, which was written, directed, and produced by Nonny de la Peña, explores how the USA PATRIOT Act has taken away checks on law enforcement and endangers the civil liberties of all Americans.

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

In addition to interviews with national ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero and ACLU Legislative Director Laura Murphy, Unconstitutional features a diverse cross-section of people, including:

    * Vincent Cannistraro, 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, Santa Cruz Public Library

    * Bob Barr, former Republican Congressman from Georgia

    * Major Michael Mori, U.S. military lawyer appointed to Guantanamo detainee David Hicks

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.

De la Peña has contributed investigative reports for BBC’s Omnibus & Inside Story, A&E’s Investigative Reports, HBO’s American Undercover and the Discovery Channel, among others. Her first production for HBO, Death on the Job, was nominated for an Academy Award.

A panel discussion will follow Tuesday’s film premiere. The program is being sponsored by the ACLU of Kentucky, the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee – Kentucky Chapter, and Louisville Peace Action Community (LPAC).

Admission is free. Reservations are requested.

The world premiere of Unconstitutional will be at University of Texas at Austin on September 13 and will feature a panel discussion with Greenwald, Romero, and Hamoui.

For a complete list of screenings or 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/