Mr. Big gets exposed once more at the Film Fest

Mr. Big is a secretive, almost unknown “sting” type of operation carried out by the RCMP. Essentially, the police spend hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars to pose as organized crime, with the sole goal of videotaping confessions.

Not only are many crimes committed along the way (many of which are, or hint at, extreme violence), but this type of “police work” is simply not allowed in the USA and UK. Much research has been done to prove that coerced confessions are simply not useful in finding out the truth and laying the blame for crime.

Mr. Big, the movie, documents the ongoing case of Atif Rafay and Sebastian Burns and Patrick Fischer as well as two cases that have been closed: Clayton George Mentuck and Jason Dix.

The writer/director/producer, Tiffany Burns left her 10 year career as a TV News journalist to make this film. Given the content, she had no option but to make it independently: government funders don’t like to expose other government agencies and corporate funders need the police to keep us all good little workers and consumers.

Her background has obviously helped her produce a hard-hitting and insightful film that will literally shock and deeply disturb you. The trailer from the movie’s website was recently posted on YouTube and it has prompted many comments.

Another shocking piece of information not included in the movie is that in 1996, then Liberal Federal Justice Minister Alan Rock ordered that Rafay and Burns be extradited to Washington State to face the death penalty. After 5 years and a trip to the Supreme Court of Canada, it is now legally impossible to extradite people from Canada to face the death penalty.

In all of these cases and many more, the only evidence used to convict these people is the taped confession, shown without the context of many months of befriending – followed by coercion and threats, which are standard procedure in the Mr. Big operations.

At least 25 of these “sting” operations take place every year: even residing in West Vancouver does not protect oneself from these police operations, which should put everyone on high alert and hopefully prod us into action.

So check out the movie’s website , see the film on Wednesday, Oct 10th, and use the energy this film gives you to at least write a letter to your MP and Federal Justice Minister, demanding an end to these police actions (hey, why not demand civilian oversight of the police, too, and a ban on police carrying guns while you’re writing).

Remaining Screenings:
Wednesday, Oct 10th @ 11:00am: Pacific Cinematheque