Film to criticise Blair as he steps down

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON (Reuters) - A documentary film arguing that civil liberties have been eroded under the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair will hit cinemas in June, around the time the leader is due to step down after 10 years in power.

"Taking Liberties" does not claim to give a balanced view of the Blair years, and many of the commentators interviewed are well-known critics of the leader whose popularity was severely dented by his decision to back the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

But director Chris Atkins hopes that personal tales of Britons affected by Blair’s policies will strike a chord with the public.

He said "Taking Liberties" was not a copy of the anti-Bush polemic "Fahrenheit 9/11", but Michael Moore’s documentary showed that political cinema can also make money.

"Fahrenheit 9/11", attacked by critics for distorting the truth, went on to become the most successful U.S. documentary of all time and earned $222 million in global ticket sales, according to the movie tracking Web site www.boxofficemojo.com.

"We’ve got a point of view," Atkins told Reuters on Tuesday. "We are stating things broadcasters are not allowed to do and we are quite unashamedly going for Blair.

"It is a call to arms from the people -- you’ve had enough of .....continued below

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The film tackles some of the most contentious decisions taken by Blair’s government, including war in Iraq, its approach to the U.S. military camp Guantanamo Bay, identity cards and limitations on public protests.

PRISONER AND PROTESTER

One case it follows is that of Omar Deghayes, a refugee who fled Libya for Britain in 1986 and who has applied for British citizenship.

His lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, who is also a commentator in the film, said Britain’s foreign office had declined to intervene on Deghayes’s behalf even though the detainee claims his life would be in danger should he be returned to Libya.

"It goes further -- it is not just about civil liberties, it is about morality," Stafford Smith told Reuters.

He said there was "strong evidence" that Deghayes was innocent, and that allowing him to go back to Libya would be akin to "throwing Omar to the wolves."

"Taking Liberties" also follows Maya Evans, a protester who was found guilty of breaking a new law stopping unauthorised demonstrations too close to parliament.

Atkins, 30, said he and his team had to "beg, borrow and steal" to fund the project, which is being backed by producer Kurt Engfehr who also worked on "Fahrenheit 9/11" and another Moore documentary "Bowling for Columbine".

Bands including Oasis, Radiohead and the Stranglers had allowed him to use their music for his soundtrack, he added.

"It is a call to arms. We’ve deliberately held off for the month of Blair’s departure," he said. Blair is expected to hand over power to Finance Minister Gordon Brown in the coming weeks.

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