Jean Charles de Menezes: mediation, memory and beyond
The Centre for Memory Studies and Post-Conflict Cultures and The Centre for Media, Politics and Communication Research (CMPCR) invite you to this unique opportunity to delve into the complexities surrounding the tragic case of Jean Charles de Menezes. Join us at the University of Nottingham for insightful discussions on how the media coverage of the main event (the shooting/killing) at the time impacted the legal case, influences present memories and how current work, such as the TV show "Suspect", on Disney+, can contribute to the creation of new memories.
Guest speakers:
Harriet Wistrich (Centre for Women's Justice) - The legal case, media coverage and activism.
Harriet is the solicitor who represented the family of Jean Charles de Menezes in their legal battle for justice and accountability. With over 25 years of experience, she worked for many years with the renowned civil liberties firm, Birnberg Peirce Ltd. and is the winner of the Liberty Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award 2014, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2018 for public law and Law Society Gazette personality of the year 2019. Harriet has also acted in many high-profile cases, including on behalf of women who challenged the police and parole board in the John Worboys case.
Mike Brown (Disney+) - The challenges of adapting traumatic memories - notes from research and production
Mike is co-producer of the new Disney+ drama "Suspect: The shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes", and was also responsible for developing the project and overseeing the research.
Ali Rocha (Disney+) - Mediating traumatic memories - bridging the gap between the family and the production
Ali is a journalist and producer, and worked in the production of the new Disney+ drama "Suspect: The shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes". She was responsible for all the mediation between Disney and Jean's family.
Stuart Price (De Montfort University) - The media coverage and uses of security and resilience discourse
Stuart is Professor of Media and Political Discourse at De Montfort University and Director of the Media Discourse Centre. He wrote about Jean Charles de Menezes's case in detail in his work Worst-Case Scenario? (2011), in which he analyses the strategic uses of security and ‘resilience’ discourse.
Patricia Armani - Jean Charles de Menezes' cousin. Patricia shared a flat with Jean at the time of the shooting and is a fierce activist in the struggles for justice for her cousin.
A round-table discussion will follow, and the main topics discussed will be:
media narratives and their impact in the fight for justice;
media narratives and the shaping of enduring memories;
activism and memory activism;
adaptation for TV: the challenges of adapting traumatic stories and how film and TV can help to fill the gaps and retell stories to address media misrepresentation;
