Search - Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out on DVD

The Bolivarian revolution from all sides

Harriet Vane | Los Angeles, CA USA | 04/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Venezuelan revolution is unique and full of contradictions. Even among those of the left, the figure of Hugo Chavez has caused great debate and division as he has certainly achieved great things, stood up to all of the powers of the global North, and transformed Venezuela...while at the same time he is part of the military and he has also tried to draw ever more power into his own hands. What I loved most about this documentary is that it is a frank and sometimes critical look at Venezuela, combining a broad and unique set of voices ranging from street vendors to community organizers to cooperative workers to academics. It manages to show a panorama of Venezuela's realities that achieves both width and depth at the same time, and never enters the realm of propaganda.

It starts with broad enough information and background to be interesting to those who really know nothing about what has been happening there, yet also gains good depth through the interviews, making it enlightening for those who have been following events there closely. Its effectiveness comes from its broad picture view of what has happened there on a national level, moving down to an extensive look at what is actually happening on the grassroots level. The multiple interviews of Venezuelans doing the hard of work of building alternative community and economic organizations are both candid and inspiring, making it particularly useful for people doing community work here in the US.

On a final note it has subtitles in both Spanish and English so it is accessible in both languages, and as someone who is bilingual, I'd also like to say they really did an amazing job with the translations."

Ground Breaking Truth Telling

J. D. Curl | Bay Area, California | 07/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This documentary breaks new ground in getting the truth out about the grassroots revolution in Venezuela. Cutting through the smoke screen of misinformation put out by much of the US media, Clifton Ross documents the exhilarating social transformation taking place in Venezuela based on cooperatives and community self-help. This video has a deep integrity, and will change the way you see the forces transforming Latin America."

Eye-opening and inspiring!

Elizabeth Claman | Richmond, California | 07/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before watching "Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out," I thought had a pretty good intellectual understanding of Hugo Chavez's rise to power and the ways his kind of participatory democracy made it possible for many more kinds of people to engage politically than the representative form of democracy we have in the US. However, after watching this film, my understanding of what such engagement meant in people's lives grew much deeper. The film's wide range of interview subjects speaking with such candor brought the Bolivarian revolution to life for me. I found this film moving and inspiring, and I strongly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about South America in the twenty-first century. It also would be an excellent addition to the library of any educational institution, as it offers a perspective on Latin American politics that is often suppressed in this country."