Ruaridh Arrow’s HOW TO START A REVOLUTION profiles an octogenerian whose writings have helped inspire individuals to topple dictators around the world.
That eightysomething-year-old is Gene Sharp, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee whose books on nonviolent resistance, such as FROM DICATORSHIP TO DEMOCRACY and WAGING NONVIOLENT STRUGGLE, have proven influential from the Balkans to Tunisia. The film combines interviews with Sharp with testimony from nonviolent revolutionaries all over the world who have used his methods to try to secure freedom from repression. In our age of ubiquitous cell-phone cameras, illustrations of these techniques are provided through user-generated content on the streets during major protests for freedom.
Currently in post-production after a year and half making the film, Arrow just ran a remarkably successful Kickstarter campaign – backers nearly doubled the initial goal of $30,000. Additional information about the project and the filmmaker may be found on the doc’s website.
I’m drawn to Arrow’s project for a number of reasons – the focus on Sharp should provide a thread to unite a variety of disparate struggles around the world, and he is a compelling figure who is probably unknown to the everyday person. There have been critics who have suggested that some may be too quick to credit Sharp with the success of movements in Egypt, for example, so I’m curious to see if and how this will be addressed. Still, whether every protestor was directly familiar with his writings doesn’t invalidate his teachings and his commitment to fighting tyranny, and their ability to spread like wildfire to affect nonviolent leaders in their own individual struggles. Similarly, Arrow’s film has the potential to expose these ideas even further.
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