The propaganda film that wasn't (but still is).
Wait a minute, a mockumentary pretending to be a real propaganda movie to deconstruct the mechanisms of propaganda by the means of propaganda? An undercover release via YouTube as a calculated part of the viral campaign for a guerrilla film that is sailing the seas of consciousness under a false black flag? A made-up but nonetheless disturbingly accurate and hard-hitting critique of western society and civilization, allegedly through the eyes of a north korean Professor of Psychology, which deliberately contains some glaring factual inaccuracies but also many bitter truths?
Uh, err... wow, let me stomach this first.
What one really has to admire is the messed-up genius behind director Slavko Martinov's first work, which he reportedly assembled literally without any budget, over the course of eight years. Not only because the movie is beautifully crafted in its mixture of fact, fiction and... yes, propaganda, but also because this has to be the most intelligent viral campaign that I've seen so far. How successful and relevant it is can be easily measured by the fact that while I write this, there are still discussions taking place where this movie is viewed and argued as "authentic" from both sides, despite the fact that its true nature has been revealed many months ago and there are even IMDb and Facebook entries for it. But anyway, I'd predict that people unaware of its true origin will continue to do so for years to come, because this reflects exactly the kind of "research" many people do before stating their opinions - none.
By the way, when asked for the inherent message of his film, this is what Marinov had to say: "Question everything; everything you read, see, or hear. It's a simple thing and everyone is capable of doing it."
I can only subscribe to that.
10/10
Uh, err... wow, let me stomach this first.
What one really has to admire is the messed-up genius behind director Slavko Martinov's first work, which he reportedly assembled literally without any budget, over the course of eight years. Not only because the movie is beautifully crafted in its mixture of fact, fiction and... yes, propaganda, but also because this has to be the most intelligent viral campaign that I've seen so far. How successful and relevant it is can be easily measured by the fact that while I write this, there are still discussions taking place where this movie is viewed and argued as "authentic" from both sides, despite the fact that its true nature has been revealed many months ago and there are even IMDb and Facebook entries for it. But anyway, I'd predict that people unaware of its true origin will continue to do so for years to come, because this reflects exactly the kind of "research" many people do before stating their opinions - none.
By the way, when asked for the inherent message of his film, this is what Marinov had to say: "Question everything; everything you read, see, or hear. It's a simple thing and everyone is capable of doing it."
I can only subscribe to that.
10/10
- Jack_McSchmock
- Mar 4, 2014