IFFR Film special: War Book

The film War Book will be screened during this film special. It was the official opening of last year’s IFFR and we screen this fantastic film to get you ready for the start of the new festival from Jan 27th to Feb 7th. What would happen if Pakistanis exploded an atomic bomb in Mumbai? A British crisis team discusses all possible scenarios during a period of three days. Feelings run high, leaving the audience with the burning question: what would you do?
With International Film Festival Rotterdam

What would happen if Pakistanis exploded an atomic bomb in Mumbai? For a period of three days, a British crisis workers’ group discuss all possible scenarios. Feelings run high in this strongly acted drama, with Sophie Okonedo as the chair and Ben Chaplin as a smooth advisor, leaving the audience with the burning question: what would you do? Opening Film IFFR 2015.

A group of civil servants, including the Minister of Defence, meet for three days to practice the crisis protocol that needs to be followed during a nuclear attack.

The tense War Book, which takes place in a single room, throws up all manner of political and moral dilemmas of great relevance in this time of crisis (think ISIS, Ebola, the Ukraine): who should be helped first (and why); how to ration food and medicines; whether to cooperate with the USA or not; and crucially, when to unleash the completely destructive power of atomic weapons?

Personal preferences and prejudices play a role in the increasingly heated discussions that light up the strong ensemble cast, with Sophie Okenodo as the Chair and Ben Chaplin as a smooth-operating advisor. The provocative screenplay is based on information released in 2009: during the Cold War, British civil servants did in fact consult on possible ‘war books’.