This an insightful essay-style documentary by Frenchman Antoine Vitkine, which puts the current events in Libya into perspective by examining the motivations behind the actions of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi - a man whose peculiar appearance belies savvy negotiation skills. Gaddafi was born in a tent in the Libyan desert. This Arab nationalist gained notoriety at 27 after toppling King Idris I. He has since went on to survive several revolts, military strikes and embargoes while showing a knack for playing to Western interests, namely geopolitical security and oil reserves.
It's not a surprise many of the interviews about hidden dealings are tainted by realpolitik. These personal accounts from key players are a fascinating foray into the diplomatic world of riddles, theatrics and hidden agendas. I would even go so far and say it's a must watch for everyone that wants to get a deeper understanding of what happens in Libya these days.
Over all, it's well worth the one and a half hour it demands. It gets a little minus for bad production, and for using great amounts of clips with low quality, and land down on a solid 4 out of 6.
