Strands: Barbed Wire, People and Places (In Production)

"Strands" is a one hour documentary film about barbed wire, a device invented with the cattle industry in mind, but soon adapted for use in controlling the movement of humans. It has become an international symbol of oppression. Though silent, barbed wire speaks clearly of the turmoil of the twentieth century. The century in which technology made some of its most profound advances and in which some of the most violent and inhuman events occurred. We need only think of the hope and disparity encapsulated in Amnesty International's symbol of a candle surrounded by barbed wire to appreciate the modern image of a device that was originally developed for agricultural purposes. "Strands" looks at the many uses and representations of barbed wire to explore its meaning to people who use it and those who have been marked by it. Cattle ranchers, military strategists, security specialists, political prisoners, concentration camp survivors, activists and other people with an intimate knowledge of barbed wire will explain their relationship to this simple means of controlling movement. Interviews will be combined with archival footage and images of modern uses for barbed wire to create a backdrop to the discussion. During the course of the film, viewers learn about the history, psychology and sociology of barbed wire and its uses.