John Perkins was a prominent member of the top-secret team of “economic hit men”, who used fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, military coups and murder to create the global American empire after World War II. After a long internal struggle between his guilt and the fear of telling the truth, Perkins meets the daughter of an assassinated president and speaks out in front of an angry Latin-American audience.
Based on rare propagandistic material, film-noir style reconstructed sequences and exclusive filmed confessions of best selling author John Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, The Secret History of the American Empire) this fascinating documentary sheds light on the unknown mechanisms used by the rulers of the modern world, the roots of Islamic terrorism, and the reason why most of the world’s population lives in poverty. The definitive answer to President Bush's question "why do they hate us?"...
A Documentary by Stelios Koul
John Perkins' first reaction after watching the film
"I'm deeply impressed -- a very powerful and beautifully done film. I think it will be considered a classic, watched for decades to come by anyone interested in the history of the last 1/2 of the 20th century.
It tells the story of empire -- and the impact on the entire world -- in a compelling easily-understood way.
I was shocked by the magnitude of your production and your commitment. …The file footage of (Ecuador’s ex president) Roldos and (Panama’s ex president) Torrijos brought me to tears. I had never seen most of it before. The way you integrated the Ford Motor Co ads with the Baghdad attack and Robert McNamara is masterful. As were the scenes of poverty inter spliced with those of opulence. The Standard Oil movie absolutely blew me away.
I am honored to have inspired you and your great crew. You are a master!"
(from an e-mail to director Stelios Koul)