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UK cinema reviews collated here. Can we beat George Clooney?
UK Cinema release, 17 February 2006. McLibel is on for one week at the Odeon Wardour St, in London from Friday 17 Feb. Then our solitary 35mm print will be off for a trip round the country. Odeon tickets and showtimes: www.odeon.co.uk or 0871 2244007. Check out the cracking poster here.
Australian DVD released, 19th October 2005. Available now from your local video store or direct from the distributor, Madman.
American DVD released, 30th August 2005. Available now from your local video store and lots of online dealers. We'll be selling copies from our shop soon too.
Lovin It? Hatin It?. The BBC have set up a forum for discussion about McLibel - and also a Q&A session, where you can send questions for Helen, Dave and Franny to answer.[outside link]
1? 10? 100? 1,000? 10,000? Nope, 1,000,000 - a million! - viewers for the BBC2 McLibel broadcast. [outside link]
Live webchat following BBC2 screening on June 5th at 11.55pm London time. Everyone welcome to post their tricky questions to Helen, Dave, Franny and the McLibel film crew. [outside link]
DVD with four hours of extras released 15th April 2005.
Spot your London landmark. Cracking pictures of McLibel posters round town. [outside link]
BBC2, Sunday 5th June, 10.30pm. YES! McLibel will be broadcast on BBC2 on World Environment Day as part of their flagship series of landmark documentaries. Thanks to everyone who wrote to BBC2 after the BBC4 screening.
US Cinema release dates confirmed. Seattle and San Francisco on June 10th, Minneapolis on the 17th and Portland on the 24th. More cities to follow.
McDonald's 50th Birthday Party on April 15th in London, hosted by the McLibel Two. Including screening of our film.
BBC viewers work themselves up about McLibel after last night's broadcast on BBC4.
World Premiere on Saturday 9th April at 4pm at the Curzon Soho cinema in London. Followed by Q&A with the Director and defendants. Photographic evidence available.
US Cinema Release on May 20th in cinemas nationwide. Details TBC.
Interview with Director Franny Armstrong on the Shooting People website.
Tonnes of reviews piling up. Select highlights below.
New press photos available now. Help yourselves.
Journalist? Everything you need in our press pack
[left to right] Helen, Dave, Franny's stepmum, Franny's dad, Franny and Dave's son Charlie [in front] watching the BBC broadcast of McLibel in Charlie's bedroom. Ten years work gone in 85 minutes.
Charlie videoing the younger version of himself on the telly.
first reviews
"Absolutely unmissable" - The Guardian
"Shamelessly partisan, if entertaining" - The Times
"More twists than a John Le Carre novel" - Bermuda Sun
"A landmark documentary" - oneworld.net
"Will satisfy both head and heart" - Time Out
"Intriguing and at times hilarious" - The Scotsman
"The sort of film Michael Moore probably thinks he makes" - The Sunday Times
"Freedom of speech rarely tasted so satisfying. " - The Times Online
"Dynamite. " - Yahoo Movies
"Charming and inspiring" - Radio Times
"Hilarious and engrossing" - BBC website
Complete review list here
the film
McLibel is the story of two ordinary people who humiliated McDonald's in the biggest corporate PR disaster in history.
McDonald's loved using the UK libel laws to suppress criticism. Major media organisations
like the BBC and The Guardian crumbled and apologised. But then they sued gardener Helen Steel and postman Dave Morris.
In the longest trial in English legal history, the "McLibel Two" represented themselves against McDonald's £10 million legal team. Every aspect of the corporation's business was cross-examined: from junk food and McJobs, to animal cruelty, environmental damage and advertising to children.
Outside the courtroom, Dave brought up his young son alone and Helen supported herself working nights in a bar. McDonald's tried every trick in the book against them. Legal manoeuvres. A visit from Ronald McDonald. Top executives flying to London for secret settlement negotiations. Even spies.
Seven years later, in February 2005, the marathon legal battle finally concluded at the European
Court of Human Rights. And the result took everyone by surprise - especially the British Government.
McLibel is not just about hamburgers. It is about the importance of freedom of speech now that
multinational corporations are more powerful than countries.
Filmed over ten years by no-budget Director Franny Armstrong, McLibel is the David and
Goliath story of two people who refused to say sorry. And in doing so, changed the world.
the story
You can find everything you ever need to know about the McLibel story on the world-famous McSpotlight website. "The blueprint for all activist websites", as Wired magazine memorably put it.
the production
McLibel was made over ten years by first time filmmaker Franny Armstrong. It was made entirely independently as no broadcaster would commission the story. So the crew worked (mainly) for free and the equipment was donated. The drama reconstructions were directed by world-renowned director Ken Loach, who also donated his services to the production.
An earlier version of the film, McLibel: Two Worlds Collide was released in 1997 and was seen by more than 22 million people worldwide.
Interesting fact: lots of the music in the new film is from two British pop groups, The Band of Holy Joy and The Playthings. Both of which Franny just happened to be the drummer in, years ago. (Well, how else do you get music for free?).
The making of McLibel - newspaper article by Franny Armstrong, printed in The Guardian newspaper, 1998.
the crew
Producer/ Director: Franny Armstrong
Editors: David G Hill, Gregers Sall
Executive Producer: Peter Armstrong
Drama Director: Ken Loach
Production Company: Spanner Films Ltd
Completion Date: April 2005
Complete credit list here
the music
McLibel was a no-budget production, so we couldn't afford to pay for music. But luckily Franny used to play drums in two pop groups: The Band of Holy Joy and The Playthings. So we raided their back catalogues, took off some vocals and suddenly we had half the McLibel soundtrack.
The rest of the music comes from various offshoot projects of various members of Franny's old bands. The opera is Kleboe (written by Alfie Thomas, keyboard player in Holy Joy). The house is Luminous Frenzy (produced by Frank Hutson, who was the guitarist in The Playthings). The techno is Guy Jackson (bass player in Holy Joy). And all the rest is specially composed by Chris Brierley (violinist in Holy Joy). Did that clear things up?
the DVD
The new McLibel DVD is launched on April 15th. Many thanks to everyone who bought their copy in advance and helped fund its six-month production. If you haven't got one yet, you can order direct from our online shop. Apologies to Americans, but the NTSC version will be another couple of months, as we've got to make it yet.
The DVD contains more than four hours of extras, including two commentary tracks (one of every stupid thing McDonald's has ever said, voiced by comedian Rob Newman), interactive quiz, deleted scenes, photos, CVs and the original leaflet. More details here.
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