I Am the People: Venezuela Under Populism

(El pueblo soy yo: Venezuela en populismo)
Carlos Oteyza | Documentary

2018 | 87 minutes | Mexico, Venezuela

In a world increasingly less transparent, where the shortcut of populism lurks to endanger democracies, I Am The People: Venezuela Under Populism compels us to ask ourselves if any society, however stable, can be considered invulnerable to a populist irruption and its consequences. Populism isn’t an ideology. It’s a way of governing.

Synopsis

In a world increasingly less transparent, where the shortcut of populism lurks to endanger democracies, I Am The People: Venezuela Under Populism compels us to ask ourselves if any society, however stable, can be considered invulnerable to a populist irruption and its consequences. Populism isn’t an ideology. It’s a way of governing.

I Am The People sets out to expose the skillful mechanisms of authoritarian power in the government initiated by Hugo Chávez and continued by Nicolás Maduro. The film uncovers the emergence of the charismatic leader at a time of crisis, and how ‒supported by soaring oil prices– he paved the way to seize institutions, polarize society, silence the media, and dismantle the production apparatus. All this, on behalf of the people.

A social historian, director Carlos Oteyza uses archive footage and interviews with experts to create views of the situation; describing the events from Chávez's failed coup to his rise and then the fall of the regime as discontent at economic failure and growing authoritarianism grows.

According to Oteyza, the documentary is not a review of the situation in Venezuela, because it is a situation that has not ended. It intends to expose how populism can endanger any democracy.

Reviews

"The most accomplished audiovisual product about the disastrous figure of Hugo Chávez Frías... a poem of horror in motion." — Sebastian de la Nuez, Hableconmigo.com

"Whoever says he embodies the people, in Venezuela, the United States, Spain, Italy or Hungary, usurps the citizen's rights and duties in exchange for a protection based on lies." — Ana Alonso, El Independiente

"A portrait and radiography of a crisis that has led to the Venezuelan exodus being described as the largest forced displacement of people in the history of Latin America." — Anna Carolina Maier, The Objective

"'Brave' is a word that defines this filmmaker, who knows that he portrays a reality rulers don't like, but he prefers not to shut up and show it." — Anna Carolina Maier, The Objective

"The analysis, supported by the voices of sociologists, economists, political scientists and intellectuals, puts the focus on the ravages of populism, the relationship with Cuba and Castroism, militarization, censorship, clientelism networks disguised as social aids, or the annihilation of the adversaries..." — Francesco Manetto, El País

"An invitation to ponder, both for Venezuelans and foreigners. The first, so that we do not make the same mistakes again, and the latter, so that they distinguish populist traits in rulers or political leaders on time, and are able to rescue democracy which, even with its imperfections, is the best system of government created so far." —Lorena Arraiz, Revista Zeta

"A reflection that brings us answers to so many questions, helps us understand how the country reached its abominable situation, and... above all, a warning, an exhortation to the peoples of the world, since the author dismantles the mechanisms of authoritarian power." —Lilian Rosales, El Fizgón Magazine

Citation
Main credits

Oteyza, Carlos (film director)
Krauze, Enrique (film producer)
Barrera, Alberto (on-screen participant)
Rosa Torres, Ana (on-screen participant)
Mires, Fernando (on-screen participant)
Zanatta, Loris (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematography, Branimir Caleta, Marcelo Castillo; editor, Israel García, Charles Ocando ; music, Álvaro Cordero.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
populism, Nicolás Maduro, Hugo Chávez, archival footage, democracy, Enrique Krauze, Decalogue of Populism, exile, politics, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,,latin american studies, caribbean american studies, island studies, latin american culture, latin american history, latin american politics, caribbean american culture, caribbean american history, caribbean american politics, latin american languages, latin american and caribbean studies, hispanic american studies, hispanic people, hispanic culture, hispanic politics,political science, micropolitics, macropolitics, political theory, political education, political movements, political thinking, political criticism, poly sci, polysci, political sci, political sciences, political history, history of politics, political systems,history, context, narrative, past, chronicle, lore, annals, historic, personal history, archive, record, saga, biography, memoir, study,south america, south american countries, countries in south america, argentina, bolivia, brazil, chile, colombia, ecuador, guyana, paraguay, peru, suriname, uruguay, venezuela, south american politics, south american culture, south american cuisine, south american education, south america in media, south american languages, south america history,activism, activist, digital activism, advocacy, advocate, involvement, militancy, militant, logrolling, striking, boycotting, championing, champion, effecting change, engagement, supporter, protest, protester, demonstrator, organizing, labor organizing, revolution, revolutionary, community organizing, effecting change, striking, labor strike, labor organizing,criminal justice, crime, judiciary, police reform, corrections, criminal law, judicial system, justice department, prosecution, judgement, criminal law, courts and corrections, corrections institutes,education, school, pedagogy, schooling, elementary education, secondary education, upper education, advanced education, education gap, learning, schooling, university, college, degrees, high school, middle school, junior high school, public school, private school, independent school, elementary school, schooling, school policy, educational equity,economics, social class, money, capital, capitalism, class, economy, prejudice, intersectionality, inequality, poverty, income gap, wage gap, class warfare, elitism, snobbery, bourgeois, poverty, upper class, middle class, lower class, nouveau riche,migration studies, migrant studies, immigration studies, refugee studies, diaspora studies, resettlement studies, settlement studies, migration, migrant, immigration, refugee, diaspora, resettlement, settlement, refugees, international migration, continental migration, resettling, settlers, settler, migrant, migrant studies, first generation immigrant, first generation immigration, new americans, new spaniards,sociology, anthropology, psychology, sociological, sociological perspectives, conflict theory, human conflicts, sociological thinking,conflict perspective, topics in sociology, sociology topics, sociology studies, social studies, people and cultures, human relations, human relationships, cultural studies, culture studies ; "I Am the People: Venezuela Under Populism"; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Guadalajara International Film Festival
History Film Festival, Croatia - Best Writing Prize
Chicago Latino Film Festival
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
Boston Latino International Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Carlos Oteyza

NATIONALITY: Mexico, Venezuela

YEAR: 2018

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.