Johan Grimonprez, VS 2016
language: english – subtitles: dutch
Shadow World uncovers the business of global arms trade – the business that counts its profits in dollars and its losses in human lives.
In the aftermath of every war rumours pop up of bribery, conflicts of interest, and unethical pursuit of profit. A shadowy world of arms traders, corruption, greed, bribes, and backrooms. But also of politicians, secret services, military commanders, and world leaders whose moral compass has completely gone wild. Their only objective appears to be to prolong the war as long as possible and to make money, regardless of human and moral costs.
Through testimonies of research journalists, arms traders, lobbyists, politicians, and insiders, Shadow World shows how international arms trade threatens democracy. Not only in the nations that those arms are used, but also in the West, where they are produced.
Film maker Johan Grimonprez (Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y, Double Take) seamlessly interweaves talking heads, archive material, and philosophical contemplations into a powerful argument against this world of shady backrooms and a plead for more cooperation, transparency, and dialogue. Like historian Howard Zinn once said: “That war controlled our past, does not mean it should be part of the future.”
“uncompromising exposure of what is really behind the arms trade business” – Cineuropa
“Smart, hard-hitting and possibly too intellectual for many” – Variety
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