The Shock Doctrine
Short Film Aims to be More Than a Plug for a Book
Iain Millar, The Montreal Gazette, September 14, 2007
Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is articulate and passionate, almost bouncing up and down in a hooded top and sneakers that make him look younger than his 45 years. Canadian author and political activist Naomi Klein is calm and considered, pausing for thought before answering questions. Somewhere in the background, Jonás Cuarón, Alfonso's son, is giving TV interviews and having his picture taken.
The three combined to make The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, a short film - part publisher's promo, part Internet-savvy viral video - to accompany Klein's book of the same name. The book argues that governments introduce repressive legislation at times of national and international crisis.
Cuarón Sr. and Klein were interviewed last week at the Venice Film Festival, where their collaboration was in the short films competition, Corto Cortissimo, and where Jonas's first feature, Año Una, was also shown.
Millar: How is the six-minute film more than just an advert for a book?
Cuarón: Thanks to the money that we got from Penguin, we were able to do it. But for me that's irrelevant. What is relevant is what the film is about. They saw it as a promotional tool for a product. But from the get-go, from my first conversation with Naomi, I said I'm not interested in a trailer. I don't want to do a trailer.
Klein: Everybody's hot on viral video and they (Penguin) decided - and I think it's smart - that rather than buying ads, they would make an advertisement, a trailer. So they got a bunch of proposals from advertising companies and young filmmakers, and I read all the proposals and they all felt like ads to me. So I nixed the whole thing, and I called Alfonso.
Cuarón: I said "I'm writing, I'm busy, I'm crazy, I'm not going to be able to deliver. I can't." Then I read the book and I called her and said, "This is important, you have to do it properly. This is something that has to be delivered in a very strong way." I said, "I'm still very busy, I don't want to let you down, so I'm not going to be hands-on, I need people that I trust, that I believe can bring this through."
(Jonás) was reading the book and said "Wow, this is amazing!" and I said, "Yes, I'm looking for somebody to do it." I said, "I have to meet with Naomi, do you want to come?" It was organic immediately and the information started flowing. I put together the rest of the crew, my collaborators from Children of Men. Everybody did everything for free. You don't do promos for free, you don't do commercials for free.
Klein: The original idea was strictly promotional but I feel like it stands on its own. ... What's exciting is that we may see a real revival of short film.
Cuarón: Everybody can pirate it, download it, give it to their friends, do whatever they want to do. It's not a commercial product in that respect.
Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is articulate and passionate, almost bouncing up and down in a hooded top and sneakers that make him look younger than his 45 years. Canadian author and political activist Naomi Klein is calm and considered, pausing for thought before answering questions. Somewhere in the background, Jonás Cuarón, Alfonso's son, is giving TV interviews and having his picture taken.
The three combined to make The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, a short film - part publisher's promo, part Internet-savvy viral video - to accompany Klein's book of the same name. The book argues that governments introduce repressive legislation at times of national and international crisis.
Cuarón Sr. and Klein were interviewed last week at the Venice Film Festival, where their collaboration was in the short films competition, Corto Cortissimo, and where Jonas's first feature, Año Una, was also shown.
Millar: How is the six-minute film more than just an advert for a book?
Cuarón: Thanks to the money that we got from Penguin, we were able to do it. But for me that's irrelevant. What is relevant is what the film is about. They saw it as a promotional tool for a product. But from the get-go, from my first conversation with Naomi, I said I'm not interested in a trailer. I don't want to do a trailer.
Klein: Everybody's hot on viral video and they (Penguin) decided - and I think it's smart - that rather than buying ads, they would make an advertisement, a trailer. So they got a bunch of proposals from advertising companies and young filmmakers, and I read all the proposals and they all felt like ads to me. So I nixed the whole thing, and I called Alfonso.
Cuarón: I said "I'm writing, I'm busy, I'm crazy, I'm not going to be able to deliver. I can't." Then I read the book and I called her and said, "This is important, you have to do it properly. This is something that has to be delivered in a very strong way." I said, "I'm still very busy, I don't want to let you down, so I'm not going to be hands-on, I need people that I trust, that I believe can bring this through."
(Jonás) was reading the book and said "Wow, this is amazing!" and I said, "Yes, I'm looking for somebody to do it." I said, "I have to meet with Naomi, do you want to come?" It was organic immediately and the information started flowing. I put together the rest of the crew, my collaborators from Children of Men. Everybody did everything for free. You don't do promos for free, you don't do commercials for free.
Klein: The original idea was strictly promotional but I feel like it stands on its own. ... What's exciting is that we may see a real revival of short film.
Cuarón: Everybody can pirate it, download it, give it to their friends, do whatever they want to do. It's not a commercial product in that respect.
