Debtocracy

This thought provoking documentary accurately describes the Greek debt crisis by adopting a point of view and then relentlessly showing data and interviews to support it. The success here is that it actually manages to gather enough data and interviews to be transformed from an annoying propaganda from the filmmakers to an interesting propaganda from an existing minority that believes that there are alternative ways to deal with the Greek debt.

An important choice in this process has been not to hide its political origin and destination. Debtocracy never claimed to be an objective account of the reasons that lead to the Greek debt crisis nor even tries to find people that disagree with the point of view it presents. On the contrary its depth comes from pointing out the global appeal of that specific point of view.

I noticed that the other reviewers didn't like the documentary because they have political disagreements or believe that propaganda can never be interesting. But this poignant film can be put against the familiar media propaganda and can thus help everybody reach their own conclusions.

If you have been following the course of popular American political documentaries of the last decade by journalists/filmmakers like Michael Moore, Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki and Charles Ferguson you will be especially happy with this first Greek addition to a movement that despite its propaganda elements has brought social thinking to the monotonous discourse of news media.

Hmm...it pains me to say this - but this documentary tell me nothing of factual value.

I will desist from commenting on the production values as I know this was done on the cheap and put out there for free - however, better documentaries have been done for less - and with greater impact.

Now, when I watched this program, I couldn't help thinking that this documentary is akin to feeding a death row inmate, his final supper of zero nutrition burger and Coke - as in, it might satisfy a craving, but will not make the inmate's situation any better - especially so when the metaphorical death row is the severe financial crisis that the less fortunate proles are experiencing, while the party seems to be going on for a fair proportion of the middle class Greeks.

The crises in Ellada (and Portugal, Ireland, Spain so far) cannot be explained away using subjective and spurious notions of odious debt, Debt Audits, Ecuador etc.

All this document would do, if it were successful, is to give the credulous viewer false hope.

If Greeks really want to get to the nub of the problem, they should first do some honest soul searching, then mobilise and search for a leader with integrity and then get this new leader to sort out internal corruption, starting with tax evasion and finger pointing.

Loosen the grip that the corrupt church has on your souls and rationalise your existence - this might help you to get to the real root of the problem - the darkness within our own souls! God is not going to sort this mess - only you, sans your politicians...

... took me half an hour to get angry. actually it starts off interesting with trying to get a connection to the financial crisis - but in the end there is no link (like there should be, since Greek banks had been hit hard by the subprime-crisis).

then there is a discussion of political failures made in Greece throughout the last decades and even toetipping into the euro.

But then all the sudden there is this big bad IMF and EU and all those mean neoliberals. sorry, but this is just to simple and in the end - yes - boring left wing propaganda.

Everybody knows that washington consensus failed, but still, as Juncker said: In a situation like this, no one ever was before and therefore no one really nows the right way. But getting the household back in check must be an aim and more than trying to save AND pumping money in is hardly possible.

so i have to continue waiting for a good and not the one-sided documentary about Greece or the euro-crisis in general.

I must say I did enjoy the history tidbits littered throughout the documentary. As for the debt crisis in Greece, it seems to be the same all over the world, and this documentary highlights the other governments as much or more than the Greek government. What this documentary highlights is really something that happens over and over again, yet it's opinions here are portrayed by a small number of Greek persons, more so from excerpts of other nations similar issues. The music at the credits was my favorite part. Also, I had to watch this with subtitles, I could not find an English dubbed version.