War Is Terror With a Bigger Budget

Film screening and discussion with Johan Grimonprez and Jeremy Scahill, in collaboration with „Save dokKa!“.

Stitching together expert interviews and archive footage, Johan Grimonprez’ documentary »Shadow World« (2016) is a detailed investigation into the political and economic interests that, since the beginning of the 20th century, have pulled the strings of the arms trade. By creating a permanent state of fear, the privatization of war ensures a continued flow of money to an industry, where corruption is not a side effect but the defining factor. Fostering perpetual conflict through greed and government complicity, war industry not only drives conflict and human suffering but also determines economic and foreign policies while undermining democracy.

Being both fierce critics of the US-led global “War on Terror”, the artist and filmmaker Johan Grimonprez and the author and investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill will talk with regard to current political events about dirty wars, the military-industrial complex and increasing threats to our liberal society. In Grimonprez’ short »Three Thoughts on Terror« (2018), Scahill points out that terror is a relative term, as its interpretation depends on which side of the bombing you’re on. Or, as the American historian Howard Zinn says: “War is terrorism with a bigger budget”. The name of the countries may change, but the patterns remain the same. 

The event will be moderated by Nils Menrad, festival director of dokKA, and Philipp Ziegler, curator at ZKM.

Films:

»Three Thoughts on Terror«
2018, Belgium, 04:58 min., English with German subtitles
directed by Johan Grimonprez
interviews with Robert Sisk, Jeremy Scahill, Vijay Prashad

»Shadow World«
2016, USA/Belgium/Denmark, 94 min, English
directed by Johan Grimonprez
based on the book »The Shadow World« by Andrew Feinstein

About “Save dokKa”:

Since 2013, the dokKa festival in Karlsruhe has brought a wide range of current topics to life and inspired dialogue with numerous guests. From 2026, dokKa’s existence is threatened due to funding cuts by the city of Karlsruhe. With the “Save dokKa” campaign, we aim to bring the festival back in 2026, creating spaces for debate, reflection, and new perspectives.

Support the festival, join the movement, and foster cultural exchange and critical thinking.

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