SHADOW OF THE HOLY BOOK
by Arto Halonen
synopsis
This documentary investigates the morality of international companies and the dictatorship of oil-and-gas-rich Turkmenistan. These companies help give the dictatorship the propaganda support that it needs to survive. Turkmenistan's dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov, has written a ludicrous book: the Ruhnama, the Book of Soul, a key tool in the government's subjugation of human rights and free speech. Yet many international companies give their clandestine support to the Ruhnama and help suppress the country's voices of opposition and dissidence – in return for multimillion-dollar business deals.
international title: | Shadow of the Holy Book |
original title: | Pyhän kirjan varjo |
country: | Finland, Switzerland |
sales agent: | Films Transit International Inc. (CA) |
year: | 2008 |
genre: | documentary |
directed by: | Arto Halonen |
release date: | FI 29/02/2008 |
cinematography by: | Arto Halonen, Hannu Vitikainen |
film editing: | Samu Heikkilä |
music: | Timo Peltola |
producer: | Arto Halonen, Werner Schweizer, Helle Ulsteen |
production: | Art Films production AFP Ltd, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Kamoli Films, YLE, TV2 Denmark, SRF - Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse, RSI - Radiotelevisione Svizzera di Lingua Italiana, MDR Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Independent Television Service (ITVS) |
backing: | Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture in Finland, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, MEDIA Programme |
distributor: | SF Studios Finland Oy |