THE QUEST FOR PEACE

A 6 part documentary series

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SERIES

Freedom is not for free.  It is earned … it is fought for … it is maintained.

The 20^th Century has been rife with conflict leaving more than 100 million people dead.  There have been 25 major wars, 14 protracted civil wars, 21 insurrections and more than 150 coup d’états in addition to countless border clashes, territorial disputes, riots, guerrilla hostilities and acts of terrorism.  In the 90’s alone there were more than 100 armed conflicts taking place at any given time.

Concurrently during the 20^th Century there have been at least 72 formal treaties, 20 pacts, and numerous agreements, alliances, conferences and cease-fires brought about by both governmental and private efforts.

The Wounded Dove looks not at those who waged war, but chronicles the lives of those who tried to revive and nurture the phoenix of peace. 

·         Each episode tells up to eight stories from all over the world about individuals who took the risk and committed themselves, and at times their nations, to put an end to the force of arms.

·         Every story opens with a brief explanation of the conflict …. who is fighting whom, where and for what reasons. This introduction will favour the point of view of the ‘peace endeavor’ rather than an academic itemization of the chain of events that inexorably plunged people into warfare.  The story will then follow the peacemaker as he or she tries to prevent the conflict. In doing so the viewer will become acquainted with the individual as a person, showing his or her strengths, weaknesses, fears, goals and dreams. 

·         These peacemaker stories will be documented with archival footage, photographs, illustrations and, dramatic recreations of pivotal or emotional moments.

·         The stories will be presented in an anecdotal fashion without the use of interviews or talking heads.  The implicit, but never explicitly stated, point of view is that an individual can make a difference and have an impact on the course of history. And further, that to do this an individual need not be a member of a governmental elite. At times, the man-on-the-street has assumed a heroic stature and directly influenced the flow of events even when they might have appeared to be overwhelmingly unalterable.

SERIES STRUCTURE

• HOPE FOR THE NEW CENTURY

• THE END OF INNOCENCE

• A LESSON LEARNED

• COLLECTIVE SECURITY FAILS

• THE FIRE AND THE PHOENIX

• NEW WORLD, NEW RULES

• HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

A short introduction to each show will be accompanied with a fast-paced, visually stimulating montage of film clips, photos and drawings accompanied by evocative music of the relevant era. Gino Vannelli composed the Wounded Dove theme music. The introduction will quickly place the viewer in the context of the times.  Each episode will feature at least one peace endeavor taken from North America , all of Europe , Asia , Africa and Latin America .

The narration, by Martin Sheen, will be optimistic in tone in order to capture the spirit of the men and women who gave so much of themselves to prevent, contain or end the conflicts of the last one hundred years.