This film documents the journey of a Peace Train (named after the assassinated Kurdish writer, Musa Anter), which planned to travel across Europe, then across Turkey to finally arrive in Diyarbakir on International Anti-War Day (1 September 1997). On the train were peace activists, writers, parliamentarians and journalists. It was hoped that Turkey would allow the Peace Train through to the rally, but (possibly predictably) this was not to be. An emergency plan was put into effect whereby everyone flew to Turkey, then hired a convoy of buses. On their arrival, members of the Turkish government and the pro-government media labelled the peace convoy as ‘peace terrorists’. By not allowing the train even to start (with German agreement) banning the rally and subjecting delegates from many countries (as well as from Turkey) to harassment, physical assault and arrest, the Turkish regime revealed itself for all to see as the anti-democratic police state that repeated eye witness accounts and personal testimony have long revealed.

Coopers' film is an inside view of what it was like to be a part of the journey. It captures the blockades by armoured vehicles, helicopter gunships and large contingents of troops, and more importantly it documents the resistance to this oppression by the Kurdish people. On the morning of International Anti-War Day, Diyarbakir was a city under siege. A stadium containing an estimated 2,000 Kurds was sealed off. Mass arrests of 2,000 Kurds followed. One group from Adana who attempted to join in the Peace Convoy were threatened with a massacre.

It also captures the Turkish security forces smashing their way into the delegates’ hotel and begin attacking their press conference. Neil Frape, a British diplomat, who tried to intervene was arrested. His two-hour illegal detention caused a diplomatic incident between the UK and Turkey. Two delegates suffered very serious injuries, including a fractured neck and severed leg. Whilst this was going on plainclothes officers were 'planting evidence' in the delegates' rooms.

As the British delegation prepared to leave, concern was raised for Julia Guest, now the only detainee remaining in custody. Following representation by the British Consul she was given police escort with a consular official to the airport where she joined her fellow British delegates on a flight to Brussels. The other British delegates had travelled to the airport in a clearly marked British Consulate minibus with the British Consul as they no longer felt safe to travel alone. Two Spanish film-makers who had travelled in a taxi to the airport had been intimidated at gunpoint by police.

The film is a sincere insight into the reality of life for Kurds living in Turkey, almost no reporting of their plight appears in the UK media. After the screening Joseph Cooper will be available to discuss the film, his experience as an independent film-maker and with the banned Kurdish satellite station Med TV.