The Power of Nightmares: The Rise of the Politics of Fear 

A series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.

Stars:

Gilles Kepel, Melvin Goodman, Stephen Holmes

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Gilles Kepel	...	Self - Historian of Islamist Movement 3 episodes, 2004
Melvin Goodman	...	Self - Head of Office of Soviet Affairs CIA 1976-87 2 episodes, 2004
Stephen Holmes	...	Self - Political Philosopher 2 episodes, 2004
William Kristol	...	Self 2 episodes, 2004
Michael Ledeen	...	Self / ... 2 episodes, 2004
Richard Perle	...	Self / ... 2 episodes, 2004
Azzam Tamimi	...	Self - Institute of Islamic Political Thought 2 episodes, 2004
Fouad Allam	...	Self - Interrogator Interior Ministry 1958-87 1 episode, 2004
Abdullah Anas	...	Self - General Commander Afghan Arabs - Northern Afghanistan 1984-89 1 episode, 2004
Omar Azzam	...	Self - Cousin of Ayman Zawahiri 1 episode, 2004
Milton Bearden	...	Self - CIA Field Officer - Afghanistan 1985-89 1 episode, 2004
Robert Bork	...	Self - Senior Member Federalist Society 1 episode, 2004
David Brock	...	Self 1 episode, 2004
Jason Burke	...	Self - Author 'Al Qaeda' 1 episode, 2004
Anne Cahn	...	Self - Arms Control and Disarmament Agency 1977-80 1 episode, 2004
John Calvert	...	Self - Islamist Historian 1 episode, 2004
Vincent Cannistraro	...	Self - Head of Counter-terrorism CIA 1988-90 1 episode, 2004
David Cole	...	Self - Professor of Law - Georgetown University 1 episode, 2004
Joe Conason	...	Self - Author 'The Hunting of the President' 1 episode, 2004
Bill Durodie	...	Self - Director International Centre for Security Analysis - Kings College 1 episode, 2004
Essam El Erian	...	Self - Senior Member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt 1 episode, 2004
Roxanne Euben	...	Self - Political Scientist 1 episode, 2004
Mikhail Gorbachev	...	Self - General Secretary Soviet Communist Party 1 episode, 2004
Kamal Habib	...	Self - Founder Member of Islamic Jihad 1 episode, 2004
Ron Hansen	...	Self - Reporter - The Detroit News 1 episode, 2004
Ali Haroun	...	Self - Algerian Minister for Human Rights 1991-92 1 episode, 2004
David Cay Johnston	...	Self - Intelligence Specialist - New York Times 1 episode, 2004
Lewis Z. Koch	...	Self - Bulletin of Atomic Scientists 1 episode, 2004
Irving Kristol	...	Self 1 episode, 2004
Michael Lind	...	Self - Journalist and Former Neoconservative 1 episode, 2004
Harvey Mansfield	...	Self - Straussian Philosopher - Harvard University 1 episode, 2004
John Molloy	...	Self - Defence Lawyer Lackawanna Trial 1 episode, 2004
Richard Pipes	...	Self 1 episode, 2004
John Prados	...	Self - National Security Archive - Washington 1 episode, 2004
Theodore Rockwell	...	Self - Nuclear Scientist and Radiation Risk Expert 1 episode, 2004
Stanley Rosen	...	Self - Pupil of Leo Strauss 1949 1 episode, 2004
Sam Schmidt	...	Self - Defence Lawyer Embassy Bombings Trial 1 episode, 2004
William Swor	...	Self - Defence Lawyer Detroit Sleeper Cell Trial 1 episode, 2004
Paul Weyrich	...	Self - Religious Activist - Republican Party 1 episode, 2004
Jack Wheeler	...	Self - Adviser to the Reagan White House 1981-84 1 episode, 2004
Paul Wolfowitz	...	Self 2 episodes, 2004

Storyline

A series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.

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Plot Keywords:

political superpower | false evidence | fabrication | fearmongering | fear | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: In the past, politicians promised to create a better world. They had different ways of achieving this, but their power and authority came from the optimistic visions they offered their people. Those dreams failed and today people have lost faith in ideologies. Increasingly, politicians are seen simply as managers of public life, but now they have discovered a new role that restores their power and authority. Instead of delivering dreams, politicians now promise to protect us: from ...

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Alternate Versions

For its second BBC broadcast in January 2005, part 3 was updated to reflect the Law Lords' recent ruling that the detention without trial of foreign terrorist suspects was illegal.

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Connections

Features Perry Mason (1957)

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Soundtracks

The Big Ship
Written by Brian Eno
Performed by Brian Eno (as Eno)

User Reviews

This documentary will probably never be shown in the United States...

I have already seen two of the three episodes of this excellent BBC documentary which the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is showing in three parts on its CBC Newsworld channel. I will see the third one tonight.

I can understand why it has never been shown in the States and why it probably never will. These three small TV hours contain way too much brutal truth for any American to endure with any degree of comfort. The parallels between the devious agendas of the American Neo-Conservatives and the fundamentalist Islamic terrorists are uncanny: same logic, same malevolent means, same reliance on fear instead of reason.

I can't understand, though, how Michael Moore' s sentimental and illogical hogwash documentaries get such a large release when a film like this one, which involves much more hard work and intelligence never gets to be shown where it could do the most good: in America.

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2004 (UK)

Also Known As:

Siła koszmarów: Powstanie polityki strachu

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min (3 parts) 157 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1