PHILADELPHIA
(At Hand Productions) - As many remember from last summer, Michael
Moore released his independent film Fahrenheit 9/11. His film, like the
real event, touched off controversies and sparked protest from pro-Bush
and anti-Bush supporters. In relation to Michael Moore's film, John
Stewart of The Daily News with John Stewart, continues to batter the
Bush Administration and its policies on a daily basis. And cohort Dave
Chappelle, producer of Chappelle's Show, follows in the same vain of
berating Bush and his cronies through stand-up comedy and satirical
scenes.
Although these artists are considered to be
mainstream, one has to wonder what the independent art community is
doing? When asked, Andrew Hanna, producer at At Hand Productions, says
"the independent art community has not really banded together to
question government's policies or any other social issues at hand as in
comparison to past generations. If this mentality continues, then the
question that I pose to other artists is what is your place in society
for, if many only run away when the heat increases?"
Traditionally,
artists were the first to raise questions about politics and social
ideologies before the main stream market jumped on board. "The truth of
the matter is that many in the independent art community have broken
off into these fickle tribes that argue about mundane topics. And many
of the same people feel that to question government or society is not
relevant to themselves. Yet, I believe to stand by and not question
anybody or anything is far worse than questioning them," says
Hanna who
is known in the art community for creating productions that raise
questions about social values and other related topics.
"The
problems with the independent art community is that everyone is way too
independent. Although as an artists I enjoy this artistic independence,
but there must be an equal balance between working together and working
alone. When groups of people with similar interests work together, new
ways of expression are produced and in some cases even new outlooks on
life are hatched. But unfortunately, I feel that this commingling of
artists will not happen as long as the bickering continues," says Hanna.
Unlike
now, in the 1960s and 70s it was a common sight to see protests by
students, musicians and hippies against the Vietnam War, conscription,
and for the support of legal equality for minorities. The fact that
there has been little protest from colleges, artists, and like minded
individuals could possibly suggest that the decline in art education
has started to have an effect on individuals. Or quite possibly
Americans could be becoming complacent. Or could it be that Americans
just not care anymore?
In the least, producer Andrew Hanna
created Prophecies of War in 2002 and has been generating support and
recognition in Philadelphia, but also on a international level. "I'm
quite happy that Prophecies of War has been getting a lot of press
throughout
Europe and America. Recently, Prophecies of War was recorded
for Comcast TV. At Hand Productions will be producing Prophecies of War
in Philadelphia next spring. But this time around it will be bigger
than the last performance"
In addition to their spring
performance of Prophecies of War, At Hand Productions is planning a TV
run of this production on local Philadelphia television stations. The
expected outcome for this TV appearance and spring performance is
expected to triple in comparison to the previous performance.
The
fact that Prophecies of War is receiving recognition in the United
States, Europe, and other parts of the world means that it is
connecting to the hearts and minds of many. And it will continue to do
so. What is the long term results for Prophecies of War is simply
expressed as "who knows."
