AFTER THE BLACK BOOK

AFTER THE BLACK BOOK

    Price: $310.00

    Code: 2176

    Produced, directed and written by Grace Barnes
    2005, 55 minutes
    English and Spanish versions
    Purchase: $310 Classroom Rental: $125

    In April of 1999, Chilean journalist Alejandra Matus wrote The Black Book of Chilean Justice, an exposé of the Chilean judicial system. One day after the book's release, she learned that it would to be banned and that she would be arrested under Article 6(b) of the State Security Law, an "insult" or "desacato" law under which it is a crime to publicly criticize a powerful person, whether the statements are true or false. Alejandra received political asylum in Miami, working to change a law that made freedom of expression a criminal offense.

    She began reporting for the newspaper, El Nuevo Herald. She presented The Black Book at the Miami International Bookfair. Planeta, the publisher of The Black Book, had put sections on the Internet, receiving 20,000 hits a day. All the while her brother, lawyer Jean Pierre Matus, was representing Alejandra's case in the Chilean courts. Finally, on May 25, 2001, President Ricardo Lagos signed into law the derogation of Article 6(b) of the State Security Law. On July 13, 2001, Alejandra Matus returned from exile. Months later, the ban on The Black Book was lifted. She founded a remarkable independent newspaper Plan B, which published its last edition in January 2005. She continues teaching investigative journalism at Chilean universities and writing for the feature magazine, "Paula."


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    After the Black Book proves that even today one person can start a grassroots effort to change a corrupt system of government…the film is an excellent resource for government and journalism courses. Recommended for college and university libraries. “ --Educational Media Reviews Online