The Power of Nightmares (2004)

Directed by

Adam Curtis

Genre

documentary film

Country

United Kingdom

Length

1 season, 3 episodes

Rating

8.1 of 10 from 80 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A documentary series that compares the rise of neoconservatives in the United States and radical Islamists. It argues that the threat of a massive al-Qaeda network is exaggerated by leaders seeking to inspire their people.

thought-provokingsoberinganalyticalcynicalskepticalinformativehistorical

What happens

The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear is a BBC television documentary series by Adam Curtis. It mainly consists of archive footage, with Curtis narrating. The series was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom in 2004. It has subsequently been aired in multiple countries and shown at various film festivals, including the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. The film compares the rise of the neoconservative movement in the United States and the radical Islamist movement, drawing comparisons between their origins, and remarking on similarities between the two groups. More controversially, it argues that radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organisation, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is a myth, or noble lie, perpetrated by leaders of many countries—and particularly neoconservatives in the U.S.—in a renewed attempt to unite and inspire their people after the ultimate failure of utopian ideas. The Power of Nightmares was praised by film critics in Britain and the United States. Its message and content have also been the subject of various critiques and criticisms from conservatives and progressives. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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