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SHADOW OF THE HOLY BOOK

by Arto Halonen

synopsis

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.

international title: Shadow of the Holy Book
original title: Pyhän kirjan varjo
country: Finland, Switzerland
sales agent: Films Transit International Inc. (CA)
year: 2008
genre: documentary
directed by: Arto Halonen
release date: FI 29/02/2008
cinematography by: Arto Halonen, Hannu Vitikainen
film editing: Samu Heikkilä
music: Timo Peltola
producer: Arto Halonen, Werner Schweizer, Helle Ulsteen
production: Art Films production AFP Ltd, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Kamoli Films, YLE, TV2 Denmark, SRF - Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, RTS - Radio Télévision Suisse, RSI - Radiotelevisione Svizzera di Lingua Italiana, MDR Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Independent Television Service (ITVS)
backing: Finnish Film Foundation, AVEK, The Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture in Finland, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, MEDIA Programme
distributor: SF Studios Finland Oy

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