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This is a Russian version of a French film from mid-2000s "Revolution.com"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3QxDgft148

French version with Spanish subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqPQGVBBYlc

It shows how US government and government-sponsored NGOs organize "color revolutions" in several countries. Large part of the film (which does not deal with Russia proper) has been shown on Russian state TV. The film shows quite rare and unexpected footage which shows things I would not expect from a non-staged film.

  • The film shows US and pro-US politicians and activists to openly explain their technique at overthrowing the governments and subverting the army. One US expat in Kyrgyzstan openly admits that it was his work to overthrow the government. The organizers of the color revolutions in different countries are shown to attend the same seminars organized by US special services. One episode shows a blackboard with a list of countries where revolutions are planned, with dates.

  • The film shows quite surprising footage when the color-revolutionary activists from different countries discuss financial matters, divide funds and their spendings, admit loyalty to the United States. In some frames the leader of the Georgian revolution evidently appears under drugs. I do not know how it became possible to compel somebody to discuss money or appear intoxicated under camera. Still the frames do not seem to be made covertly.

  • The film shows some events strikingly in-time, not post-factum. For example, It shows the details and mechanics of Kyrgyz revololution in motion, days before it and just after, and preparation to the Ukraininian revolution just two months before it happened, as if the creators of the film knew exactly the time when the revolution is to come, which suggests some prolonged (for years) coordination with perpetrators.

  • It also shows some politicians in quite surprising situation, for example it shows McCain to abuse the Kyrgyz foreign minister by telephone just before the revolution and shows that minister just after the conversation saying that Kyrgyz people were not ready for democracy. It also shows Georgian president Saakashvili after his speech asking the US intelligence officer whether he said all correct, and an American expat who became a Georgian education minister after the revolution, admitting how much they spent for the revolution to come. In no frame the perpetrators make any objections to the shooting despite being shown unpleasantly and harshly accused by the narrator (for example McCain is directly accused in intervening in internal affairs of Kyrgyzstan for the cited call).

Given all the above I wonder how it became possible to make all those people not only agree for an interview but expose themselves in unpleasant situations to a group that is harshly critical of their actions, show them in the course of their real work, before, after and in the process and explain their covert intentions.

I also wonder why I nowhere could find not only an English version but also any reference to this film in English.

Given all the above I would ask

  • Whether this film is staged and if yes, to what degree?

  • Whether it is a hoax?

  • Whether it is somehow fabricated?

  • Why it is quite unknown?

UPDATE Some of the context

  • 15:30 Mike Stone from US state-funded organization Freedom House, 10 days before the revolution, shows a typography where they print 6 anti-government newspapers and a book on how to make revolutions "From Dictatorship to the Democracy" (which includes the technique on how to subvert the army). A plaque on the wall indicates "United States Bureau of Democracy". All the equipment shows the labeled that it is property of US government, namely, the mentioned United States Bureau of Democracy. Mike Stone says that he calls the revolutions "green" because of money they are paid with.

  • 22:05 McCaine talks with the Kyrgyz minister by telephone, demanding they lift ban on the cited book on how to make the revolutions, and the minister promises to do so.

  • 25:30 After the revolution, activist of Kyrgyz revolution admits the help of the USA

  • 25:58 Mike Stone says overthrow of regimes is his work

  • 28:40 Bob Helvi from Einstein Foundation who also publishes the book tells some advices from the book on how to subvert the army

  • 53:40 Seminar on how to make revolutions, Ukraine, 2 months before the revolution, organized by McCane and Freedom House

  • 32:40 - summer camp in Crimea, organized by Freedom House and seminar there.

  • 35:28 new Miniter of education of Georgia, at the same time, Soros foundation representative. He says Soros foundation spent $300000 for the revolution.

  • 39:00 Meeting between Georgian and Belorussian revolutionaires (Bakeria and Lybedko). Belorussian activist says the USA senate will give them several million dollars. A representative of an unnamed US organization (possibly, Soros foundation) says they will give them 4 million for taking the power.

  • 40:08 Bruce Jackson, US intelligence officer in retire, who heads the "Foundation for Transitional Democracies" oversees a speech of Georgian president. The president asks him whether he said all correct.

  • 43:00 Belorussian revolutionary leader Lybedko discusses money in McCaine's International Republican Institute. In this place there is t-shirt with a list of planned revolutions.

  • 45:00 Bruce Jackson's headquarters in Washington. He meets with Georgian revolutionary leader Bakeria (who became advisor of Georgian president after revolution), and with two Russian anti-Putin activists who say they came to learn how to make revolutions. The narrator cites Bruce Jackson to say Russia is the next target for the revolution.

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    What is the proof that those in the movie are in fact the "revolutionaries" and not paid actors or agents provocateur from Russia's side? Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
    – DVK
    Jan 29, 2012 at 2:46
  • @ they are known politicians
    – Anixx
    Jan 29, 2012 at 5:10
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    Political documentaries are generally not history. They don't use the techniques of history, even of contemporary history, and they aren't based on documentary records of the past; but, rather, gaining access to contemporary records and interviews with practicing figures. Migrate to politics, strip of the "historicity" replace with "facticity." Jun 4, 2013 at 1:55
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    Interesting, I was not aware of this movie. Is this why various countries (eg: Russia, Egypt) have been going after NGO's lately? It just looked completely nutty to me, but if folks have been watching and believing this movie, it suddenly makes sense.
    – T.E.D.
    Jun 17, 2013 at 14:33
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    +1: I am really a bit disappointed by the reactions here. The question is about the validity of a movie, not about if you personally like the content of the movie. Do not shoot the messenger ! Oct 14, 2014 at 0:25

1 Answer 1

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The original French film is called "Revolution.com - USA: The Conquest of the East".

The first evidence I could find of this film is a 2007 Pravda story with the headline: "USA spends over 100 million dollars on coups in former USSR". Pravda presents the French film as truth, and concludes with this assessment: "The French filmmakers do not say, where exactly on the post-Soviet space the next revolution will occur. They believe, however, that the USA is preparing coups on the entire territory of the former USSR."

The Pravda article does not link to the film, and I could not find an English version anywhere. The filmmakers are not named, nor is their distributor. The film is not linked to in the Pravda article. However, further searching revealed that the French agency CAPA was involved in making the original film. CAPA reacted strongly to the edited version shown on Russian television, filing a lawsuit against Rossia, a Russian TV network:

CAPA CEO Herve Chabalier told Agence France Presse that “we intend to initiate a court case against the Russian state channel and its authorized representative MCG Programming Limited.” He said that “We hold that the film was cut by at least six minutes. The film, shot by the Frenchwoman Manon Loizeau (whose name was cut from the Russian version), tells not of an American conspiracy, but of the people who support the democratization of the countries of the former Soviet area.” Chabalier continued that “The Rossia channel intentionally distorted the content to fit its political goals. It was not a coincidence that the documentary film was shown on the same evening as the harsh suppression of an opposition demonstration [the March of Those Who Disagree].”

It would seem there are two versions of the film, and there is a serious difference of opinion as to the veracity of the second version.

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  • Indeed, I already mentioned that the Russian TV showed the cut version with the entire part that dealt with Russia proper removed. But the full version is available in the Internet and is linked from the first post.
    – Anixx
    Jan 31, 2012 at 18:23
  • The removed part also included a Gleb Pavlovsky's interview where he said that pro-Putin "Nashi" movement was created to prevent the color revolution. This interview is quite surprising similarly to the style of rest of the film: Pavlovsky being a pro-Putinist political technologist quite frankly and cynically explains that this pro-Putin party is just a political instrument against the inspired from abroad revolution. This is also strange how they managed to obtain such concessions from him (but after viewing the whole film it does not surprise much).
    – Anixx
    Jan 31, 2012 at 18:33
  • By the way it seems the original sound track was in English.
    – Anixx
    Jan 31, 2012 at 18:36
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    I have not been able to find the full French version anywhere. You mentioned in the question that a "large part" of the film was shown on Russian TV, which is not the same as saying that a selectively-edited version was shown. Since the original film was shot by the French CAPA crew, it would seem that questions about how that film was made could best be answered by them. I haven't found any evidence of them discussing the film, other than their dispute with Rossia. Jan 31, 2012 at 19:45
  • They showed the version without the final part which deals with Russia. On Youtube one can see the film with that part included.
    – Anixx
    Jan 31, 2012 at 19:51

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