WTO 'Battle in Seattle' being filmed here this weekend
(They're making a movie
about the "Battle of Seattle"
and doing areenactment! LOL)
WTO 'Battle in Seattle' being filmed here this weekend
There will be no curfew zones. No National Guard troops patrolling downtown, and no storefronts boarded up the next day from vandalism and looting.
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But some downtown streets this weekend could eerily resemble the chaos that erupted during the 1999 World Trade Organization protests as a film crew shoots scenes for an upcoming film based on what became known as the "Battle in Seattle," also the film's title.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators from around the world converged on Seattle to interfere with the first WTO ministerial meeting on U.S. soil. More than 500 people were arrested and Mayor Paul Schell declared a state of emergency, which led to National Guard troops being summoned to help outnumbered police officers gain control.
The movie re-enactment, however, is expected to cause a few inconveniences with street closures Saturday and Sunday. The movie stars Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson.
"I don't know if we'll see the stars at all, but there will be some action downtown," said Gregg Hirakawa, spokesman for the Seattle Department of Transportation. "Whatever happened during the WTO is going to happen."
Most of Saturday's scenes will be near the Paramount Theatre. Between 5 and 11 a.m., Ninth Avenue will shut down between Olive Way and Pike Street. Pine also will be closed from Boren Avenue to Eighth Avenue during the same period, Hirakawa said.
After 11 a.m., one lane of traffic will open on both streets, with police officers on hand to direct traffic, he said.
On Sunday, crews will move to Belltown, where they'll film near Tillicum Place Park. Starting at 6 a.m., Fourth Avenue will close between Wall and Denny Way; and Cedar Street will close between Third and Fifth avenues, Hirakawa said.
Film crews also will be set up at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center on Saturday, he said.
The film, which has a modest budget of $10 million, is written and directed by Stuart Townsend, who also is Theron's beau.
Despite the title and locale of the actual events, most of the film was shot in Vancouver, B.C., which is home to the production company, Insight Film Studios.
Some comments posted online have been skeptical of how Hollywood will portray the actions of protesters and Seattle police. Protesters accused police of brutality for using tear gas and rubber bullets to crack down on the masses. Meanwhile, some anarchist groups used the protests as cover to taunt police and smash up stores and loot.
According to Insight's Web site, the script tells the story from the perspective of protestors, police and politicians and is careful not to take sides.
Missing from the script is Schell, who lost his re-election bid in 2001 largely because of criticism over how the WTO protests were handled. Police Chief Norm Stamper resigned in the aftermath.
In the movie, Schell is replaced by fictional Mayor Jim Tobin, played by Ray Liotta.
Schell said Thursday from his second home in Palm Springs, Calif., that he's happy he's not depicted in the movie. But, he's disappointed that no one involved with the film contacted him for his recollections.
"No one called, and I think if they really were going to do their research, they would have called," he said. "It's probably a movie from a point of view, based on what they read and never saw. But who knows?"
His neighbor in Palm Springs is an actress who was offered a role in the movie, he said. She told him she turned it down because it was a "bad script," Schell said.
He said he's asked to see her copy of the script, but he's not interested in seeing the movie. "I probably won't even go to see it. I saw the real deal," he said.
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