Chavez: Inside the Coup Documentary Review
Irish Filmmakers Cover Coup Against Chavez in 2002 Doc
Aug 29, 2009
Being in the right place at the right time is a boon for documentary film makers. Such a boon was the good fortune of Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain, who had arrived in Venezuela with a small Irish TV/film crew seven months before the coup events of 2002 took place. They wound up filming a real life action/adventure that makes this a most exciting and intriguing documentary.
A Simple Documentary Was the Initial Plan
In late 2001, small Irish TV/film crew arrived in Caracas, Venezuela to do a documentary on Hugo Chavez. They were curious about the charisma and controversy of Chavez. and his rule as Venezuelan president. With all the propaganda against Chavez from Western politicians and media, they wanted to record what was really going on in Venezuela.
Chavez was the peoples' choice. It was noted that his popularity was based on the fact that he is not white, and he is not of or from the ruling wealthy oligarchy. As a young military officer, he headed a failed coup against such a ruling oligarch at that time. He was imprisoned for a while and revered as a hero by most Venezuelans.
By the time of the coup, the Irish film crew found themselves filming the crowds gathering outside and the main characters inside the Palace. One is a fly on the wall of the Palace as the coup flip flops from Chavez's capture to his return. During this three day period, the occupation of both sides with most of the participants is displayed.
Seeing Is Believing
After two years in office, Hugo Chavez managed to dismantle the wealthy oligarchs from taking advantage of what was originally a state owned oil operation. There is footage of Chavez among the poor and making a speech ensuring them the wealth of Venezuela's oil would reach even the campasinos (poor rural dwellers). Chavez himself was from the same class of people.
Venezuela is the fourth largest producer/exporter of oil in the world. So those moves made waves throughout the West. The wealthy oligarchs maintained control over the media owning five "private" TV stations against the one government TV outlet, Channel 8. What most outside of Venezuela will be surprised to discover is that Chavez permitted freedom of expression with all the TV stations both before and after the coup attempt.
By juxtaposing clips from CNN and private Venezuelan TV with USA commentaries from political figures as well as local Venezuelan opposition viewpoints, the lies most think are true are self apparent. The minimal narration is perfect because the real story versus the lies unfolds before your eyes.
There is no point indulging in spoilers here. The plot is thick and the passion of Latin American power struggling grips the heart. It's a very emotional and dramatic documentary.
Critical Acclaim is International
This documentary was nominated for 15 film festival awards in 2003 and won 12, two of which were in the USA (Chicago and Northern California) and the others throughout Europe and the rest of the world. That's significant because there are no actor/actress and other awards to hand out for documentaries. The awards are usually just "best documentary".
The Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) user rater as of this writing is 8.4 out of 10. Roger Ebert gave it his maximum four star rating. It has been shown on several TV outlets internationally, and there was talk of HBO's buying it. There is a large segment of the doc online for preview and the DVD can be ordered online, too. A must-see for anyone who likes emotionally charged action/adventure drama based on reality and truth.
 |
