Shadow Of The Holy Book

Finland / Switzerland / Denmark / United States / Germany, November 2007
FILM, Documentary, 90 min.

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directed by
Arto Halonen
Written by
Arto Halonen, Kevin Frazier
Status
In distribution

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.

credits

World Premiere
November 2007
Original Version
English, Turkmen (english subtitles),  colour, 35mm, 90 min.
Production
Art Films Production AFP Oy, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Kamoli Films, ITVS International, YLE TV2, TV2 Danmark, SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Producer
directed by
Arto Halonen
Written by
Arto Halonen, Kevin Frazier
Cinemato­graphy
Hannu Vitikainen
Editing
Samu Heikkilä
Sound Design
Martti Turunen, Samu Heikkilä
Music
Timo Peltola

World Sales / World Rights

World Sales
Films Transit International Inc.

Awards

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Festivals

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