The 20 Minute Innocents Betrayed "Quickie" Presentation

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People have asked us what to do when they have only a 20 or 30 minute time slot for a presentation to a group, but they want to show Innocents Betrayed (which is 43 minutes).

This problem arises when you are giving a luncheon speech at a gun club or civic organization, or trying to deliver the message in just part of a class period or scout meeting. It's true—we don't always have 43 minutes to show the whole documentary.

Here is a plan for showing a "short version." You need a DVD player with a remote-control to do it smoothly, but it works well. (Times indicated are approximate, shown as minutes and seconds).

1. Preview the DVD so that you become familiar with the menus that allow you to select portions of the DVD. Get comfortable with operating the remote control to switch to the menus.

2. Show the Introduction (1:11)

3. Let the program continue to show the Armenian Genocide (3:20)

4. Using the remote control, switch back to the DVD menu and then jump to the next national genocide that you think will appeal to the audience, each of which is about 4 minutes or less e.g.

Nazi Germany
USSR
China
Cambodia
Uganda
Rwanda

5. At the conclusion of the national genocide, switch to the DVD menu and then select "Killeen, Texas" and let the DVD continue to the end (3:45) when the credits start to roll.

6. This "short version" will take under 13 minutes, and will include both 20th Century genocide materials and parts of the American Experience with "gun control." The visuals in the short version will include black & white stills and footage as well as materials and live action in color. The music will vary in style within the short version as well. You can tell the audience that this is about 25% of the material on the film, and you can mention the other portions if that fits your presentation topic.

TAILORING OPTIONS
You can tailor the "short version" to meet the interests of the audience. A history-oriented crowd might enjoy seeing more of the 20th Century genocide materials, so you could add genocides and omit the American Experience portion. If your group has a specific ethnic or geographical interest, then you can select just the genocides that target that interest. An audience of civil rights activists might find the segments on Slavery in America, the American Indians, and the Japanese Internment more directly relevant to their issues.

Most of the segments are approximately 4 minutes or less, so you can mix and match when you become familiar with the contents. The Slavery segment, for example, is only 2:30.

We recommend, however, that if you are addressing the issue of "gun control" in America, then always show at least the Introduction and the segment starting with Killeen, Texas.

Encourage members of your audience to buy at least one copy of Innocents Betrayed so that they can see the whole program (including the interviews at the end). If money is an issue, suggest that they "chip in" to buy a copy to share. Remember that Innocents Betrayed is most powerful when the viewer is deluged with the facts and footage for 43 minutes—because under those conditions the viewer cannot easily discount the enormous evidence.