Undistorted
Journalism – 7 jul 2027
To Kill A War Machine
was made by Rainbow Collective in collaboration with Palestine
Action. This film was being kept behind a paywall until just days
ago, and was scheduled for a full release in August 2025. However,
now that Palestine Action have been proscribed a terrorist
organisation, the filmmakers have shelved it. So here it is, in full.
This film is way too
important to not be seen by a wide audience. UK screenings of the
film have basically been outlawed, as this could be seen as a sign of
support for the group, which can be penalised with 6 months of
imprisonment. Shame on the UK Labour government!
Here is the old official
description:
Through real-time bodycam
and phone footage, frontline activists take audiences along on their
audacious raids to tear down arms factories around the UK.
Since 2020, direct action
group Palestine Action have documented their operations to dismantle
the companies and infrastructure supplying weapons to the ongoing
genocide in Gaza.
Independent film makers
Rainbow Collective have combined this cache of footage with narration
by the group's founders to follow the explosive growth of one of the
world's most effective and confrontational protest groups, and the
backlash activists face as they incur the wrath of the British state
and the arms companies operating on their soil.
BBFC Rated 15
3 July 2025 - Filmmakers
statement:
Following the vote in the
House of Commons on 2nd July 2025 to proscribe Palestine Action,
Rainbow Collective have taken the difficult decision to temporarily
take down the online version of our film, 'To Kill a War Machine' and
authorise no further screenings of the film until further notice.
As filmmakers with 20
years of experience documenting movements for social justice around
the world, we produced 'To Kill a War Machine' independently, within
the law and had it certified for cinema release by the BBFC. The film
itself does not become illegal, as it was produced and edited prior
to proscription. However, future distribution of anything which could
be interpreted as showing sympathy for or inviting support for a
proscribed organisation will become illegal.
It has always been
Rainbow Collective's intention to tell critical and truthful stories
with integrity. We never want our documentaries to expose our
audiences or communities to danger from the state and, as such, the
film will remain unavailable until we have absolute legal assurance
that it can be distributed within the law.
This is for the safety
and wellbeing of the communities wishing to organise events or screen
the film, as we have been advised that it is they who would face the
greatest legal exposure.
We have been overwhelmed
and humbled by close to a hundred community screenings being
organised over the past week, on line and in person, in cinemas,
theatres, community centres, pubs, museums, and living rooms across
the UK and around the world. We have never witnessed such an urgent,
impassioned and dynamic mobilisation around a film in our 20 years
working in the industry.
We feel that this is an
important film, one in which activists and members of the public put
forward arguments for why direct action is justified, morally and
legally, against the companies supplying genocide. We also feel that
proscription of a non-violent protest group is the most concerning
example of authoritarian overreach that we have seen in the UK in our
lifetimes, not just on the right to protest but on the rights of
independent film makers, writers, journalists and artists like
ourselves who should be allowed to platform the views and actions of
non-violent protesters.
We will post further
statements as the situation develops and hope to see you all at a
screening as soon as we can get the film out there in a way that
keeps everybody safe.
With love and solidarity,
Richard York & Hannan
Majid,
Directors & Founders,
Rainbow Collective, 3rd July 2025
★
