You've Been Trumped

'You've been Trumped' tells a true story that should make everyone very angry indeed. Donald Trump proposes building a new golf course in Scotland; the potentially lucrative nature of the deal lies in getting planning permission to build where otherwise would not be allowed. He duly gets permission, and it's hard to avoid concluding that the man's ego, reputation and bombast are actually his company's key assets: that he can get the opportunity to cash in on the change of use when a better (but less well promoted) proposal would have been automatically rejected (in fact, Trump's proposal only got through after the Scottish government specifically intervened to over-rule the local planners). But let's assume the development is economically justified. We still live under the rule of law; and it's natural to hope that the police would be on the side of the little guy threatened by the force of overwhelming money. But not a bit of it: we see how, when Trump disputes his boundary with a neighbour, the police come to protect not only Trump's property, but also his freedom to damage his neighbours'; while the film-maker gets himself arrested for doing nothing illegal but simply for documenting this unequal fight. That the authorities refuse to appear in the film to justify their actions makes the point eloquently. It's sad (in my opinion) that the beautiful dunes at Balmedie have been destroyed; but even more alarming for the side government is ultimately on to be so starkly revealed.

I've been following developments on this blight on the landscape from the beginning. Scotland has more than enough golf courses and not one of them is more beautiful than the natural landscape it replaces. Scotland may be the home of golf but that doesn't mean it should be covered in courses.

Trump cares only about money (hey, he's a hugely successful businessman) and has no concept of other people's right to feel differently from himself. His comments about the residents, in particular his vitriolic description of Michael Forbes and his property (which looks no more an eyesore than any working farmland) are vile and despicable. The man is so out of touch with what Scotland wants and is so ignorant about the country that he actually thinks his course will be on the west coast! If he had his way though, it would probably stretch between both coasts.

It's always quite sickening to see sycophantic pandering to guests on chat shows at the best of times, but to witness David Letterman's fawning and ignorance (no doubt down to zero research and not wanting to risk the sensitive Mr Trump - after all, he could be a future President!) was cringe-worthy.

Michael Forbes comes across as a decent, down-to-earth individual, not the near-Neanderthal Trump would have you believe him to be. In fact, he is clearly quite eloquent for a "simple" out-of-towner.

To lose such a unique and significant Site of Scientific Interest all to help line the pockets of Trump is shameful in the extreme, and the Scottish Government should hang it's head for bowing to this megalomaniac of the business world. They also appear to have highly influenced the Police handling of the situation. I'm not one to shout "Police state" or "1984" but it's hard not to feel Grampian Police are failing in their remit to protect the public's interests.

It's already an emotive issue but the documentary was very moving and had me switching from anger to disbelief and not so very far from tears, partly due to my love of Scotland and also to the human spirit on show in defiance of Trump's continued empire building.

How does a golf development that is both deeply opposed by many and flawed by a business plan filled with wild guesses get built? Bullying, power, deception and lies.

This documentary highlights all that is wrong with Donald Trump when greed, wealth and power supersedes the opinion and will of the local people. It is astonishing to see the appalling behaviour of Mr Trump, the Scottish Government (P.S. After watching this, if you're Scottish, you may decide to never vote SNP again) and the Grampian Police force.

This real life story is immensely heartening and portrays the very real human emotion and struggle of the local residents involved whilst also exposing the extreme bias towards Mr Trump's development by the authorities.

This documentary should be compulsory watching for planning authorities, politicians, anyone with an interest in preserving our natural landscapes, students going into the construction industry (to appreciate the gigantic mistakes of Mr Trump and ensuring they are not repeated in the future), law enforcement authorities (to appreciate that there are more sides to a story than one and to listen and think before taking action) and all those who seek a strong cause to back.

I do hope this film receives the credit it so deserves by some award or another. Spectacular journalism can be found aplenty and the courage by them and others is commendable.

The residents are true local heroes in this quite literal David and Goliath story. This is a film that evokes all emotions from sadness and anger (at Mr Trump and the Scottish Government) to happiness and joy at seeing the human spirit in people banding together.

Please watch this documentary. I won't go into the details of it as it would takeaway from the raw feelings you'll feel when watching.

Donald Trump is an internationally famed entrepreneur who is also a very successful businessman. His vast business empire has made him a billionaire in his native United States and he wants to build a golf resort. He wants to build it on a site of special scientific interest on the Aberdeenshire coast (Scotland). This documentary plots his total disregard for the environment and the local residents in his efforts to achieve his goal. He is not alone in this; despite the local council turning down planning permission on environmental grounds the Scottish Parliament overturned the decision. Trumps claims that what he's doing will preserve this fragile environment appear (at best) misled as we see the systematic destruction of the dunes and the harassment of local residents.

All this is seen primarily through the eyes of the few local residents that border the resort. He even uses the police to harass the team making this documentary. There is also testimony from environmental groups and even an economist; all indicating that this is a bad thing. It all seems very unbalanced until the end where we learn that neither Trump nor his representatives, the Grampian Police or the Scottish Government wanted to contribute to this film.

I love the way its shot with hand-held cameras and even amateur footage from one of the residents slipped in. There is also some vintage film showing how life was on the coast in days gone by and quite a lot of news footage. The biggest triumph for me though was the use of footage from Bill Forsythe's film 'Local Hero'. Anthony Baxter cleverly draws parallels between the (fictitious) situation in the film and the situation facing the residents around the site. A real eye-opener into how big business is conducted these days and it's not pretty. Mr Trump does not come out of this well and, on the evidence shown, deservedly so.

SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.4/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

Not being a great fan of the documentary feature I was rather ambivalent about this David and Goliath tale. However, after its screening at the Shetland Film Festival UK film critic Mark Kermode recommended it partly as righteous exposition of the power of money over local communities and also as a real life twist on the Local Hero (1983) story - a feelgood film from Scottish film maker Bill Forsyth. Clips of Forsyth's movie are included in You've Been Trumped to underpin the message and Forsyth watched the film at the Shetland Film Festival giving his full support to the documentary maker, Anthony Baxter.

What we get is a film that not only angered me because of the insidious support of the UK and Scottish governments for this outrageous project but the bullying and illegal activities of the local policeforce, who should be charged with assault, illegal arrest and detention of the film maker. We are aware of the arrogance, lying and bullying of Trump who uses his money to get what ever he wants with impunity, but for the small people - the local constabulary, to be in on this is beyond reproach.

The treatment of the local farmers and residents by Trump is astoundingly arrogant and without precedent. This is a foreign national riding roughshod over a local community, with the support of local, and national governments, and it is the colour of his money and promise of jobs that it was clear wouldn't appear that sold it to the politicians.

Baxter's film making is quietly confident as he shows us Trump's lies and his vitriol towards the local people. Trump treats Baxter, as he does the local people, with contempt, yet Baxter shows the local residents as people, initially confused by what's happening to their homes, evolving into a mutually supportive network.

Baxter's ending evokes moments from Forsyth's film, and reminds us that perhaps there will be a happy ending. It would be nice to think that a film as powerful as this can make a difference, but I feel that unfortunately there are many Americans like Trump who see the UK as just another country to be colonised by their big money regardless of the wishes of local communities.