Soldiers Without Guns is a documentary about Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, where a civil war raged for a decade, with locals split over the impact of an Australian-owned copper mine. Watch the trailer here. In 1997 New Zealand was asked to broker a peace deal and the NZ Defence Force tried a new approach: the quota of female soldiers was boosted, and they were armed with Māori culture and music. This feature documentary reveals extraordinary stories of using haka and song to connect with war-ravaged locals, and how the women of this matrilineal society were key to finding peace.
Small group discussions following the film. RSVP if you can to warabolition@gmail.com. The Antiwar Film Series is sponsored by the Madison chapters of Veterans for Peace, World BEYOND War, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
