The term “peacemakers” was not just a generic label. In the late 1970s, a clandestine network of activists called The Peacemakers used cinema as a vehicle for propaganda—screening subtitled films that exposed the horrors of war in the Soviet Union, Vietnam, and South America. Their method was simple: take a documentary, add precise English subtitles that highlighted human stories, and circulate the film in underground venues across Europe.
The group kept a master list of titles, each annotated with a code. The phrase “top” at the end of the string was a directive: look at the top entry of the list. peacemakers01720penglishesubsvegamoviesnl top
Maya managed to locate a copy of the association’s ledger in the library’s special collections (her grandfather’s old workplace). On the first page, the top entry read: The term “peacemakers” was not just a generic label
001 – “The Silent River” (1971) – Subtitled by P. English – Distributed by Peacemakers (NL) 001 – “The Silent River” (1971) – Subtitled by P
The “P. English” was a pseudonym for Peter English, a British journalist who fled to the Netherlands after his reports on the Vietnam War were censored. He became the chief subtitler for the group. The film “The Silent River” was a harrowing account of the Mekong’s devastation, never released publicly—only shown in secret screenings.
Effective peacemakers possess certain key qualities. These include:
Peacemakers play a vital role in fostering understanding and reconciliation among conflicting parties. They work tirelessly to address the root causes of disputes, whether they be social, political, or economic, and strive to find solutions that satisfy all parties involved. By doing so, peacemakers help to create a more harmonious and stable environment.