''Something of value''

If you do not want to lose something of value, then watch this short animation! In this timeless piece, the narrator explains the risks of espionage and the many innocent ways in which information is gathered and pieced together by hostile intelligence. It tells the story with abstract sketches while ominous music, evocative of a science fiction drama, plays in the background. NATO is not mentioned by name and the narrator alludes to the “threat from outside”, adding to the eeriness of the entire piece. 

Truly experimental in style, this animation was developed as a NATO security training film and was produced in 1980.

Transcript “Something of value”

Once upon a time in the not too distant past, during a period of chaos, into this threatening and uncertain world, there came a group of men and women who were joined together by a common belief in freedom. They wanted to create a better world in which they could live in peace, a world in which there would be a place for a diversity of ideas and opportunity for everyone.

At first it was just a dream, but it became something of value. It was not easy. In fact, it was very difficult for what they were building was designed to last. Each of the builders had an important job to do and they did it very well.

The work of building something of value went on over many years.

Each day what they were building grew stronger. They created more opportunities to build a better life for more people.

There were those who did not live within the structure, who did not like it, who were afraid of it, who did not understand it. They were afraid it would grow too strong that the ideas it contained would spread and change them. So they hoped it would fail and they wanted it removed, but they did not know how to bring it down because they could not discover what held the structure together.

As time passed, as those who designed and built this place grew older, as others took up the task of improving and enlarging the structure, they all began to forget that the threat from those outside still existed. So the guardians of the idea who lived and worked inside and who enjoyed the peace and freedom they had created, were warned about those who threatened to destroy what they had built. They were all asked to protect the secrets of this structure so that they and their children could continue to live in peace within its sheltering walls. They were warned about the threat from outside. They all agreed and promised to be careful. Some took the warnings very seriously. But not everyone. Some thought it was all a waste of time and others believing they did not know anything important, simply shrugged and went about their business. Some were too busy in fact to pay much attention to what was going on, and others simply said they were too busy. After all, these problems had little or nothing to do with them. They were busy improving the place in which they all lived.

He was talking to someone who is cleared. He was asked a simple question that could have been answered yes or no, but he has decided that he has a few more things to say. He's answering questions that were not even asked, and he goes on and on, and on.

She was just making conversation with our closest friends. After all, how could the little she knows be of any interest to anyone outside? And besides, if you can't talk about your work, what can you talk about?

He is talking with his boss about something important and his boss isn't the only one who's listening.

He is feeling depressed. His boss criticised him today and all his friends sound so important so he lets them know that he's important too. Anyway, what he says doesn't mean much to anybody and it makes him feel much better.

She is feeling wonderful. After all, she's with a very good friend whom she trusts and so she talks just a little too much.

He has permission to carry important papers to a conference, but he's not worried because he's always very careful. And he doesn't even know anything has been lost. Each individual piece of information by itself meant very little. However, when joined together with other little seemingly unimportant pieces of information, the secrets of the structure began to emerge, and there were those who found it very interesting, and very useful.

One day, they used what they had learned. And now, what had been so carefully built over so many years is gone. Those who lived within it and benefited from its protection are also gone.

Whose fault was it? That’s hard to say, after all nobody really knew very much or told very much, or did anything very wrong. But they have all lost something of value.