I saw this documentary the other day at the cinema and can definitely recommend it. Its far from the sensationalism and factual innacuracies of Moore films: but I did have some criticisms of it. For example, in one scene they interview 2 parents or a baby who have been made homeless asking "do you think the Wests perception of your country as being economically prosperous is correct?" (LOL) Another scene the song "Something Inside so Strong" is played over archive footage of a mass protest/revolution in Venezuela which is just stupid. And lastly, Pilger's (naive?) admiration of Hugo Chavez is suspect -hailing him as the ultimate hero without any criticism. It also makes the point that criticisms of Chavez as censoring the media are incorrect; which is ironic seeing as he recently banned a load of media companies.
All in all- its informative and reasonably captivating. Despite its bias it doesnt pretend to be otherwise and if 90% of the films claims are 100% true, it wouldn't suprise me.
IMDB [ QUOTE ]
Award winning journalist John Pilger examines the role of Washington in America's manipulation of Latin American politics during the last 50 years leading up to the struggle by ordinary people to free themselves from poverty and racism. Since the mid 19th Century Latin America has been the 'backyard' of the US, a collection of mostly vassal states whose compliant and often brutal regimes have reinforced the 'invisibility' of their majority peoples. The film reveals similar CIA policies to be continuing in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The rise of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez despite ongoing Washington backed efforts to unseat him in spite of his overwhelming mass popularity, is democratic in a way that we have forgotten or abandoned in the west. True Democracy being a solid 80% voter turnout in support of Chavez in over 6 elections.
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