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‘Divided we fall’ - Documentary on post-9/11 racism set for first UK screening at UEL Sikh Women’s Conference

Tuesday 5 September 2006

Five years on from the Al-Qaeda attacks that stunned the world, a new documentary charting the racial impact of 9/11 on American society is set to provide valuable lessons for an increasingly tense and fragmented Britain.

‘Divided we fall; Americans in the aftermath’ is executive-produced by Klein Ventures UK Ltd, run by former University of East London (UEL) Innovations Manager Sonia Klein and her husband Michael. Its initial UK screening will take place at this week’s Sikh Women’s Conference, to be held at the UEL Stratford campus on Saturday 9 September.

The documentary weaves expert analysis into the cross-country road trip of Valerie Kaur, a Sikh American college student who, after hearing of the unprovoked murder of a family friend on September 15, 2001, set out to reveal and confront the forces that divided America in its time of crisis.

According to FBI figures, anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US more than quadrupled from 354 in 2000 to 1,501 in 2001, with nearly 80 percent of the 2001 crimes occurring in September.

Sonia Klein said: “This wave of racist attacks went largely unreported by an American media focused on the unity of a grieving nation. Valerie felt compelled to reconcile the supposed unity with the obvious fear dividing her country. She spent months on the road, travelling to 14 American cities in an attempt to answer the one question that really lay at the heart of the matter: ‘who counts as an American?’

“Her video-journal revealed fascinating, horrifying and moving stories and was later developed in collaboration with award-winning director, Sharat Raju. In the wake of last year’s London bombings, the recent terror raids and the growing division in British society, ‘Divided we fall’ provides extremely relevant and timely lessons for all of us in the UK.”

Sonia and Michael Klein executive-produced the documentary from their base at the UEL Hothatch Business Generator, which offers up to 50 entrepreneurs a business address, shared desk facilities and crucial support and advice during the setup and post-start-up period of their businesses.

UEL’s Knowledge Dock innovation and enterprise service contributes to the economic and social development of East London and Thames Gateway through the provision of a range of business development and support services to inventors, businesses, academics, students and entrepreneurs. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/knowledgedock or contact Thorstein Klein on 020 8223 7287 or t.klein@uel.ac.uk.

‘Divided we fall; Americans in the aftermath’ will be screened at the Sikh Women’s Conference at the UEL Stratford campus on Saturday 9 September at 11am. For further details, visit www.dwf-film.com or contact Sonia Klein on dwf@kleinventuregroup.com or 0796 086 6563. 

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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