Directed by Ruaridh Arrow
2011
In The Prince, Machiavel advised the man of power: if you want peace, prepare for war. Imagine now a manual, which takes Machiavel’s pragmatic approach, sheer realism and strategic edge, to create an alternative form of rebellion to war: a non-violent struggle to defeat dictatorship and establish democracy.
How to Start a Revolution will open your eyes about the existence of such a manual. The documentary traces the influence of Gene Sharp’s book From Dictatorship to Democracy on revolutions across the world. Concisely written, the book presents the practical implications of a simple, although crucial reasoning: every dictatorship has its weaknesses; if you find non-violent ways to attack those weaknesses, the regime will eventually loose power and fall.
The documentary starts by presenting the genealogy of the book: the when and how it was written. It then develops outlining the book’s major points, which are illustrated through historical study-cases. The Albert Einstein Institution – founded by Gene Sharp – is also portrayed in its role of promoter and developer of research in the area. Throughout the feature, interviews with the leaders of successful, non-violent revolutionary movements in Serbia, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt witness to the validity and power of Sharp’s ideas.
But Sharp would not agree on this point. In the Q&A session which followed the preview showing of the documentary, he stressed that these are not his ideas, these are principles that have existed before and that he only made available to others. It is by this idea of Sharp’s book as vehicle, as tool that can be made one’s own in any country of the world, that the documentary makes its stronger point. From Dictatorship to Democracy is no pre-conceived dogma to be preached to others, but knowledge which others can put in use to achieve freedom, in an independent way.
It might be for this very reason that From Dictatorship to Democracy is still strictly blacklisted and persecuted in several countries around the world. The final section of the documentary deals with the negative reception that the book has received in certain states and the fierce propaganda that has been launched at times against Sharp and his work. In a quite positive way, however, this shows that From Dictatorship to Democracy is perceived by authoritarian regimes as a real threat. While it has been said that nuclear weapons can be seen as a guarantee of peace, it is refreshing and hopeful to see that ideas can still provide an explosive alternative to war.
Next to the dynamite of Sharp’s ideas, director Ruaridh Arrow paints the portrait of an orchid lover. Almost like in a metaphor of his own theories, one sees Sharp in the persistent, careful and patient cure of his orchid garden. These strongly framed and densely coloured sequences attest to the director’s talent in producing something visually, as well as ideologically powerful. With tact and respect, Arrow successfully captured a more intimate side of Sharp, also giving us a glimpse of his professional and personal relationship with Jamila Raqib, Executive Director of The Albert Einstein Institution.
You might not have to start a revolution tomorrow. But How to Start a Revolution is a compelling movie to see.
fiamma
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