Franny Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Franny Armstrong is a British
documentary film
director
working for her own company, Spanner Films
, and a former drummer with indie pop group The Band of Holy Joy
. She is primarily known for three films: climate change
blockbuster The Age of Stupid
, McLibel
, about the infamous McDonald's court case and Drowned Out
, following the fight against the Narmada Dam Project
. Armstrong pioneered the use of crowdfunding for independent films and developed an innovative form of film distribution known as Indie Screenings
. Her most recent project is the carbon reduction campaign 10:10
which she founded in the UK in September 2009 and which is now active in more than 50 countries. In November 2009, Armstrong was rescued by London mayor Boris Johnson
from an assault by a gang of girls in north London. On International Women's Day, March 8 2011, she was named as one of the Guardian newspaper's "Top 100 Women", in a list which included Aung San Suu Kyi
, Gareth Pierce
, Doris Lessing
, Arundhati Roy
and Oprah Winfrey
.
at University College, London and her thesis was Is the human species suicidal?
(1997, 2005), told the story of the McDonald's libel trial, the longest-running court action in English history. Filmed over ten years with no commission, no budget and a voluntary crew – including Ken Loach
, who directed the courtroom reconstructions – it shot to notoriety when lawyers prevented its broadcast, first at BBC1 and then at Channel 4
in 1997. Eight years later - after the 'McLibel Two' had defeated the British government at the European Court of Human Rights
– it was finally broadcast on BBC2 at 10.30pm on a Sunday, to an estimated 1 million viewers. It was well received by critics, with Time Out crediting Armstrong with "gusto and wit" in telling a story that "will satisfy both head and heart". The Guardian concluded that McLibel was “absolutely unmissable”
McLibel was broadcast on TV in 15 countries – including Australia, Canada and the USA – released on DVD worldwide and in cinemas in the USA in summer 2005 and this was followed in the UK in 2006. McLibel was nominated for numerous awards, including the Grierson Documentary Award and the British Independent Film Awards
. It was one of only two British films, with the other being Michael Buerk’s original news report which inspired Live Aid, picked for the British Film Institute
's prestigious series, "Ten Documentaries which Changed the World".
Armstrong's second feature documentary, Drowned Out
(2002), follows an Indian family who chose to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada Dam. It also sold to TV around the world, was nominated for Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards 2004
and was released theatrically in America and DVD worldwide in 2006.
Armstrong released The Age of Stupid
(formerly known as Crude) in March 2009. It's a film that warns of the catastrophic effects of climate change using a mix of factual documentary and post-apocalyptic fictional styles. The film's UK premiere was on 15 March 2009 in London's Leicester Square
. The screening was held in a solar-powered ‘cinema tent’ and conducted without use of mains
electricity. An independent audit conducted by Carbon Accounting Systems found the event's carbon emissions to be 1% of those produced by a normal blockbuster premiere. Linked by satellite to 62 cinemas around the UK, the premiere received a Guinness World Record for being the largest film premiere ever, based on number of screens.
The complete five year production of The Age of Stupid was made into a film and launched exclusively on the Guardian website. It was later broadcast on the UK's terrestrial TV network, The Community Channel (UK).
Through her company, Spanner Films
, Armstrong pioneered the “crowdfunding” finance model, which allows filmmakers to raise reasonable-size budgets whilst retaining ownership of their films. The Age of Stupid
raised £900,000 from over 600 investors.
Armstrong also developed the “Indie Screenings” distribution system, which lets anyone make a profit by holding screenings of independent films. The producers maintain a running total of all the people who have seen Spanner's films, Armstrong’s production company, via cinema, TV and local screenings, as of January 2011 it stands at just over 61 million.
At the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, Armstrong presented a daily web TV show, The Stupid Show, which aimed to "make sense of humankind's most important get-together".
In September 2009 Armstrong founded the 10:10
climate campaign which aims to help all sectors of society to aim for a 10% cut 10% in their carbon emissions in 12 months. The campaign has amassed huge cross-societal support including household names such as Adidas
, Microsoft
, and Tottenham Hotspurs F.C.. The campaign launched globally in 2010 and is now active in over 50 countries.
In October 2010, a short film, written by Richard Curtis
, entitled No Pressure
was released by the 10:10 campaign in Britain to spread awareness of climate change. The video was subsequently taken down from the organization's website due to very negative reception and offence taken. However, it is still available in several places, including YouTube
. It depicted a series of scenes in which people were asked if they were going to participate in 10:10. Those who indicated they weren't planning on participating were told "no pressure" and then blown up in a gory explosion at the press of a red button. In response to questions about the message of the film, Armstrong replied, "We 'killed' five people to make No Pressure – a mere blip compared to the 300,000 real people who now die each year from climate change".
". They pushed her against a car and pulled out an iron bar. She cried for help and was rescued by Mayor of London
, Boris Johnson
, who was cycling by. He chased off the attackers and then insisted on escorting Armstrong home. During this 20-minute journey, she suggested that he adopt the 10:10 policy for the tube
and that he pedestrianise Camden Town
. He replied that he wanted to pedestrianise areas across London.
She thanked him with a 10:10 badge and a copy of Age of Stupid. When interviewed afterwards, she praised him as her "knight on a shining bicycle". Politically, she still preferred his predecessor Ken Livingstone
, for whom she had campaigned
but allowed that "If you find yourself down a dark alleyway and in trouble I think Boris would be of more use than Ken".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
working for her own company, Spanner Films
Spanner Films
Spanner Films is a small London-based documentary company founded by film director Franny Armstrong in 1997. Notable productions include the no-budget epic McLibel - the story of a postman and a gardener who took on McDonald's and won, with courtroom reconstructions by Ken Loach, and Drowned Out ,...
, and a former drummer with indie pop group The Band of Holy Joy
The Band of Holy Joy
The Band of Holy Joy are an English band formed in New Cross, London, and initially active between 1984 and 1993, releasing several albums. In 1992, they abbreviated their name to Holy Joy. They reformed in 2002, back under the name of Band of Holy Joy, releasing a new album called Love Never...
. She is primarily known for three films: climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
blockbuster The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid is a 2009 British film by Franny Armstrong, director of McLibel and Drowned Out, and founder of 10:10, and first-time producer Lizzie Gillett...
, McLibel
McLibel (film)
McLibel is a documentary film directed by Franny Armstrong and Ken Loach for Spanner Films about the McLibel case. The film was first completed, as a 52 minute television version, in 1997, after the conclusion of the original McLibel trial...
, about the infamous McDonald's court case and Drowned Out
Drowned Out
Drowned Out is a 2002 documentary by Franny Armstrong about the Sardar Sarovar Project. Shot over three years, Drowned Out follows one family’s stand against a government dam project which is set to destroy their home and their village.-Plot:...
, following the fight against the Narmada Dam Project
Narmada Dam Project
The Sardar Sarovar Dam is a dam on the Narmada River near Navagam, Gujarat, India. It is the largest dam and part of the Narmada Valley Project, a large hydraulic engineering project involving the construction of a series of large irrigation and hydroelectric multi purpose dams on the Narmada River...
. Armstrong pioneered the use of crowdfunding for independent films and developed an innovative form of film distribution known as Indie Screenings
Indie Screenings
Indie Screenings, invented by Spanner Films and coded by Torchbox, is an online film distribution system which ‘cuts out the middle man’. The system gives anyone, anywhere access to licenses to screen certain independent films and keep any revenue for themselves...
. Her most recent project is the carbon reduction campaign 10:10
10:10
Drono Acharya composed the film's songs and Ritam Sen, Sandip Chakrabarty, Padmanabha Dasgupta, Rana Basu Thakur and Rangeet wrote the lyrics.-External links:* IMDB Title* * *...
which she founded in the UK in September 2009 and which is now active in more than 50 countries. In November 2009, Armstrong was rescued by London mayor Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
from an assault by a gang of girls in north London. On International Women's Day, March 8 2011, she was named as one of the Guardian newspaper's "Top 100 Women", in a list which included Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
, Gareth Pierce
Gareth Pierce
Gareth Pierce is a Welsh actor, best known for his role as Osian James in the S4C TV-series Caerdydd . He also played roles in other S4C series, such as Teledu Eddie, Cowbois ac Injans, and soap Pobol y Cwm. He is due to appear in the second series of Y Pris in 2008...
, Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
, Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...
and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
.
Education
Armstrong read zoologyZoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at University College, London and her thesis was Is the human species suicidal?
Career
Armstrong's first documentary, McLibelMcLibel (film)
McLibel is a documentary film directed by Franny Armstrong and Ken Loach for Spanner Films about the McLibel case. The film was first completed, as a 52 minute television version, in 1997, after the conclusion of the original McLibel trial...
(1997, 2005), told the story of the McDonald's libel trial, the longest-running court action in English history. Filmed over ten years with no commission, no budget and a voluntary crew – including Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
, who directed the courtroom reconstructions – it shot to notoriety when lawyers prevented its broadcast, first at BBC1 and then at Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 1997. Eight years later - after the 'McLibel Two' had defeated the British government at the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
– it was finally broadcast on BBC2 at 10.30pm on a Sunday, to an estimated 1 million viewers. It was well received by critics, with Time Out crediting Armstrong with "gusto and wit" in telling a story that "will satisfy both head and heart". The Guardian concluded that McLibel was “absolutely unmissable”
McLibel was broadcast on TV in 15 countries – including Australia, Canada and the USA – released on DVD worldwide and in cinemas in the USA in summer 2005 and this was followed in the UK in 2006. McLibel was nominated for numerous awards, including the Grierson Documentary Award and the British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards
The Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
. It was one of only two British films, with the other being Michael Buerk’s original news report which inspired Live Aid, picked for the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
's prestigious series, "Ten Documentaries which Changed the World".
Armstrong's second feature documentary, Drowned Out
Drowned Out
Drowned Out is a 2002 documentary by Franny Armstrong about the Sardar Sarovar Project. Shot over three years, Drowned Out follows one family’s stand against a government dam project which is set to destroy their home and their village.-Plot:...
(2002), follows an Indian family who chose to stay at home and drown rather than make way for the Narmada Dam. It also sold to TV around the world, was nominated for Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards 2004
British Independent Film Awards 2004
The 7th British Independent Film Awards, held on November 30, 2004 at the Hammersmith Palais, London, honoured the best British independent films of 2004.-Winners:*Best Actor:**Philip Davis - Vera Drake*Best Actress:**Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake...
and was released theatrically in America and DVD worldwide in 2006.
Armstrong released The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid is a 2009 British film by Franny Armstrong, director of McLibel and Drowned Out, and founder of 10:10, and first-time producer Lizzie Gillett...
(formerly known as Crude) in March 2009. It's a film that warns of the catastrophic effects of climate change using a mix of factual documentary and post-apocalyptic fictional styles. The film's UK premiere was on 15 March 2009 in London's Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
. The screening was held in a solar-powered ‘cinema tent’ and conducted without use of mains
electricity. An independent audit conducted by Carbon Accounting Systems found the event's carbon emissions to be 1% of those produced by a normal blockbuster premiere. Linked by satellite to 62 cinemas around the UK, the premiere received a Guinness World Record for being the largest film premiere ever, based on number of screens.
The complete five year production of The Age of Stupid was made into a film and launched exclusively on the Guardian website. It was later broadcast on the UK's terrestrial TV network, The Community Channel (UK).
Through her company, Spanner Films
Spanner Films
Spanner Films is a small London-based documentary company founded by film director Franny Armstrong in 1997. Notable productions include the no-budget epic McLibel - the story of a postman and a gardener who took on McDonald's and won, with courtroom reconstructions by Ken Loach, and Drowned Out ,...
, Armstrong pioneered the “crowdfunding” finance model, which allows filmmakers to raise reasonable-size budgets whilst retaining ownership of their films. The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid is a 2009 British film by Franny Armstrong, director of McLibel and Drowned Out, and founder of 10:10, and first-time producer Lizzie Gillett...
raised £900,000 from over 600 investors.
Armstrong also developed the “Indie Screenings” distribution system, which lets anyone make a profit by holding screenings of independent films. The producers maintain a running total of all the people who have seen Spanner's films, Armstrong’s production company, via cinema, TV and local screenings, as of January 2011 it stands at just over 61 million.
At the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, Armstrong presented a daily web TV show, The Stupid Show, which aimed to "make sense of humankind's most important get-together".
In September 2009 Armstrong founded the 10:10
10:10
Drono Acharya composed the film's songs and Ritam Sen, Sandip Chakrabarty, Padmanabha Dasgupta, Rana Basu Thakur and Rangeet wrote the lyrics.-External links:* IMDB Title* * *...
climate campaign which aims to help all sectors of society to aim for a 10% cut 10% in their carbon emissions in 12 months. The campaign has amassed huge cross-societal support including household names such as Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, and Tottenham Hotspurs F.C.. The campaign launched globally in 2010 and is now active in over 50 countries.
In October 2010, a short film, written by Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
, entitled No Pressure
No Pressure (film)
No Pressure is a controversial 2010 short film produced by the global warming mitigation campaign 10:10, written by Richard Curtis and Franny Armstrong, and directed by Dougal Wilson...
was released by the 10:10 campaign in Britain to spread awareness of climate change. The video was subsequently taken down from the organization's website due to very negative reception and offence taken. However, it is still available in several places, including YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. It depicted a series of scenes in which people were asked if they were going to participate in 10:10. Those who indicated they weren't planning on participating were told "no pressure" and then blown up in a gory explosion at the press of a red button. In response to questions about the message of the film, Armstrong replied, "We 'killed' five people to make No Pressure – a mere blip compared to the 300,000 real people who now die each year from climate change".
Rescue by Boris Johnson
On 2 November 2009, Armstrong was threatened in the streets of north London by three girls whom she described as looking "like something straight out of central castingCentral casting
Central Casting is a casting company located in Burbank, California, United States. They currently specialize in casting extras, body doubles, and stand-ins.-History:...
". They pushed her against a car and pulled out an iron bar. She cried for help and was rescued by Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, who was cycling by. He chased off the attackers and then insisted on escorting Armstrong home. During this 20-minute journey, she suggested that he adopt the 10:10 policy for the tube
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and that he pedestrianise Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
. He replied that he wanted to pedestrianise areas across London.
She thanked him with a 10:10 badge and a copy of Age of Stupid. When interviewed afterwards, she praised him as her "knight on a shining bicycle". Politically, she still preferred his predecessor Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, for whom she had campaigned
London mayoral election, 2008
The London mayoral election, 2008 for the office of Mayor of London was held on 1 May 2008 and was won by Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson....
but allowed that "If you find yourself down a dark alleyway and in trouble I think Boris would be of more use than Ken".
Filmography
- McLibelMcLibel (film)McLibel is a documentary film directed by Franny Armstrong and Ken Loach for Spanner Films about the McLibel case. The film was first completed, as a 52 minute television version, in 1997, after the conclusion of the original McLibel trial...
, 1997 (50 min., TV) / 2005 (85 min.) - Drowned OutDrowned OutDrowned Out is a 2002 documentary by Franny Armstrong about the Sardar Sarovar Project. Shot over three years, Drowned Out follows one family’s stand against a government dam project which is set to destroy their home and their village.-Plot:...
, 2002 (87 min.) - Baked Alaska, 2002 (26 min.)
- The Age of StupidThe Age of StupidThe Age of Stupid is a 2009 British film by Franny Armstrong, director of McLibel and Drowned Out, and founder of 10:10, and first-time producer Lizzie Gillett...
, 2009 (89 min.)
Awards
- - Top 100 Women, 2011
- Guardian - Eco Hero of the Decade (nominated)
- New Statesman - 20 Green Heroes
- Evening Standard - 1,000 Most Influential Londoners
- Edie Green Personality of the year 2009
- ITN - Women in Film & TV, Achievement of the Year 2009
- Wild & Scenic, John de Graaf Environmental Filmmaker of the Year 2010
Writing
- "Should greens vote Green?" - The Guardian, May 2010
- "Oh no, not another film about climate change" - Huffington Post, September 2009
- "MTV generation has something important to do" - The Guardian, September 2009
- "Coinflip chance of avoiding climate catastrophe" - Huffington Post, September 2009
- "What good was I to the Narmada villagers?" - Guardian article about the making of Drowned Out, August 2002
- McLibel chapter in "Battling Big Business" book published 2002
- The Age of Stupid diaries
- Franny Armstrong writes regular messages for the Spanner Films email list
External links
- Franny Armstrong at The Age of Stupid website
- The Guardian's interview with Franny Armstrong
- "The Age of Stupid is the future of film" - Huffington Post, September 2009
- Birth of the 10:10 campaign - The Guardian, September 2009
- Spanner Films interview with Franny about why and how she made The Age of Stupid