The Day After Peace

Yesterday, as the moving truck was at our house, I ducked into the city to see a film in the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, at Kino.

First up in my chosen session was a short film, called A Different Kind Of Gun. Shot in North and South Sudan, and told by children of this area, the message was education. The children interviewed were asked what they want, need, and how things could improve.

Tracking the development of Kimo school, there are some amazing words from the kids, and the upclose beautiful face shots are just disarming. Education as their way out of the situation their country is in, with one kid observing that the soldiers don't have education so the kids are already making change.

Next was the main film, The Day After Peace. Documenting Jeremy Gilley's quest to have the UN's Peace Day properly recognised and acted upon. A day of global ceasefire.

It starts with a disasterous meeting with the League of Arab States, where Gilley is heckled because of his unbalanced interviews shown in his film promoting his Peace Day idea. From here, he tells us of the journey of getting people of power to talk about this UN sanctioned day of peace - from when he took it to the UN Assembly, thorough negotiations with UK and Costa Rican governments. The day was to be announced by Kofi Annan, with the ringing of the peace bell in NYC - on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Despite the set back, the campaign continues with Gilley working on. We find him about to meet someone who will help, in his lounge room in London - and in walks Angelina Jolie. He meets the Dali Lama. And then when his website is launching, he has Jude Law do a piece for the intro for the website.

Discussions during this shot have Gilley telling Jude about his upcoming trip to Afghanistan - and leads to amazing footage of Jude Law deciding to go with him, to help arrange a day of non-violence to allow vaccinations to reach war ravaged villages of the South. Seeing the beautiful Jude complete the security briefings, check in, and fly with Gilley, and then to wander the streets stating that he feels 'vulnerable' is amazing.

They manage to vaccinate 1.4 million children on 21st September 2007 in Afghanistan, because of the work Gilley does to bring about a day of ceasefire.

Peace One Day is Gilley's company, which will continue to work towards the world actually observing the designated day of peace. Just one day could lead to so much more.