In a show of support for the ongoing Writers Guild strike, 21,000 screenwriters worldwide are planning what's being described as an "international day of solidarity," with protests set for Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Mexico, France and Canada Nov. 28.
"For us it's a thing of admiration for our colleagues," said David Kavanagh, chief executive of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild. "They're taking risks now that are going to benefit us later on."
The plan took shape at a meeting of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds Thursday in Montreal, where members agreed that any deal that weakened or undermined their American counterparts would ultimately have a ripple effect in their parts of the world.
"We're all facing the same issues," said Allan Baddock, president and southern region representative of the 530-member New Zealand Writers Guild. "Our producers are serving the same international markets and the same international conglomerates. Especially at the bottom of the South Pacific where we feel isolated and don't have the resources to tackle these issues on our own, we feel their fight is our fight."
"There have been writers working solidly 25 years who have shows sold into 250 territories around the world who have never seen a cent of residuals," added Jacqueline Woodman, executive director of the Australian Writers' Guild. "This strike is really important for us because the WGA is . . . bringing international recognition that writers don't get valued and don't receive their share of the profits unless you're standing over [the producers] with a stick."
While the various constituencies all stand to be affected in different ways by the U.S. walkout, French writers feel that their position is enhanced by the reports of the strike because it spotlights their contributions to the industry. "[It] shows to people a race of people who are named screenwriters and they exist and they are important," said Olivier Lorelle of the Union-Guilde des Scenaristes.
In a nation of 60 million people, fewer than 200 are members of this writers guild. "In France the screenwriter is nobody, is not known, is not recognized as a person," said Lorelle, who shared credit on the Academy Award-nominated World War II drama "Days of Glory" in 2006.
Across the Channel,
