YEMEN 1963

“In September 1962, rebellious officers overthrew Imam El Badr in Yemen. The republic is proclaimed in Sanaa. The former ruler is presumed dead. Nevertheless, royalist tribes in the north are organizing resistance…

Yemen, 1963

In September 1962 rebel officers overthrew the Imam EI Badr and proclaimed the Yemen Arab Republic in Sana’a’. The Imam was declared dead. However, royalist tribes in the North organised armed resistance…

Kurdistan, 1964

In the spring of 1964, the Iraqi Army started an offensive against the armed Kurdish opposition. Although the Kurdish opposition groups – the conservative faction under the command of General Barzani and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (PDK)…

Southern Sudan, 1967

After Independence in 1956, the Arabic Islamic North tried to colonize the south of Sudan, where the population adheres to traditional African religions. Mass religious conversions, expropriation and genocide were the normal methods used. The Sudanese of…

North-Yemen, 1967

In 1967, President Nasser of Egypt withdrew his support for the Yemen Arab Republic, and ordered his troops home. The Royalists, thinking their hour of victory had come, laid siege to the…

Oman/Dhofar 1969

By late 1960s, there was only one Marxist-Leninist liberation movement of any importance that was waging an armed anti- imperialist struggle in the Middle East. The Arab States had imposed a news…

Peru, 1969

In 1968, so-called progressive forces within the Peruvian army staged a military coup, and came to power. They promised a revolution from the top: radical land reform, the dismantling of the oligarchy, redistribution of wealth and property, protection…

Colombia/Peru/ Brazil, 1969

Until the mid 1970s, the Church in Latin America supported the ruling oligarchies. The Church saw to it that destitute people accepted their destiny by consoling them with the promise of a better life after death. However,…

Yemen, 1970

After eight years of civil war in North Yemen the question was posed how the royalist tribes  — yet supported by Saudi Arabia — could be hindered of getting back…

Yemen, 1970

It had always been claimed that the Imam had forced all Jews to leave Yemen and that they had been airlifted to Israel. The film, however, shows that this was not the case. The Jews who had been…

Persian Gulf, 1971

After Great Britain had lost Singapore and Aden, Her Majesty’s Government decided to recall her troops from the piratical coast in the Persian-Arabian Gulf. The Emirates that had been under the protectorate of Great Britain were granted…

Sudan, 1970

Towards the end of 1960s, Israel had decided to intervene in the Sudanese civil war. The presence of Israeli military advisors in Uganda made it easier for Mossad – Israel’s Secret Service – to establish itself in south…

Persian Gulf, 1971

British troops had been withdrawn from the Persian-Arabian Gulf, yet Canadian, Australian and English mercenaries stayed on to help build up the local armies. They were later followed by technicians, development- aiders and other experts who offered…

Oman, 1971

Before it was overthrown, the Sultanate of Oman was nominally an independent state. However, the British were pulling the strings. The Commander-in Chief of the Sultanate’s army was an English general and the troops were mainly Pakistani mercenaries.…

South Yemen, 1972

During the liberation struggle two organisations, the FLOSSY and the NLF, were fighting against the British occupation troops. Mainly the petit bourgeoisie and trade unionists from the Crown Colony of Aden…

Algeria, 1972

On independence, Algeria had it written into its Constitution that all revolutionary and national freedom movements could claim political asylum. lt says: “The development of Algeria’s socialism is closely connected to the…

Yemen, 1973

Troeller/Deffarge once asked a cabinet minister in South Yemen, why socialistic ideas were so readily acceptable in that part of the Arab world. He replied: “Because we have been communists for a…

Madagascar, 1973

A peoples uprising had caused the downfall of Philibert Tsiranana’s regime in Madagascar. A progressive military had come to power. New development models were being tested and farmers were given the opportunity…

France, 1973

In 1973, more bombs exploded in Corsica than in Northern Ireland. Political movements for autonomy were astir in all the regions of France that had maintained their cultural identity. The political centre…

Algeria, 1974

The “development-trap” in the so-called Third World began with colonialization. Restructuring agriculture for cash crops destroyed the local food base and played havoc with the existing economies. This caused impoverishment in the…

Togo, 1974

Education is considered a precondition for progress and development. However, in most Third World countries schools do not serve the purpose of integrating children into the local society. In fact, schooling drives…

Tanzania, 1974

Since 1967, Tanzania is attempting a fundamental change in its educational system. lt is being adapted to the real needs of society as envisioned by President Nyerere’s specific concept of socialism -…

Gabun, 1975

Despite their political independence, most countries of the so-called Third World still find themselves playing the economic role allotted to them by the former colonial powers, as suppliers of raw material. Gabon,…

Gabun, 1975

The medical system was another of the many institutions that was inherited from the colonial powers. Taking Senegal and Gabon as examples, the film shows why this
system cannot cater to the needs…

Iran, 1975

In the mid 1960s, Iran made a tremendous effort to transform the country into a modern industrial nation. The Shah launched the “White Revolution”, funded by oil. Highways, factories, seaports and air…

France, 1975

The port city of Marseille was of vital importance for France’s colonial expansion. The colonial era is over, but the international division of labour that it created continues. It is responsible for…

France, 1975

On an average, 75 million hectolitres of wine are produced in France per annum. However, only 55 million hectolitres can be sold on the market. The surplus – mainly cheap wine from…

Mexico, 1976

In the early 1960s, Ivan Illich from Austria and Valentine Borreman from Belgium founded the “Centro Intercultural de Documentacion” (CIDOC) in Guernevaca, Mexico. The purpose of the centre was to question the…

Bretagne, Alsace, 1976

France is one of the most centralistic states in Western Europe. Over the centuries, practically all political power had been wrested away from the various regions. Regional cultural autonomy was systematically…

Canada, 1976

The James-Bay Project in the Northern Canadian province of Quebec was to become one of the largest hydraulic power stations in the world. For the indigenous inhabitants of this area, the Cree…

Eritrea. 1977

Since 1961 the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) has been fighting the illegal annexation of the country by Ethiopia, whose Emperor, Haile Selassi, needed the strategically important coastal region. It was landlocked…

Ivory Coast, 1977

Christianity was once the most important ally of colonial expansion. It played a vital role in the destruction of indigenous cultures and helped to integrate the colonised countries into global markets.…

Spain, 1977

One of the most pressing problems of Spain’s internal politics is the movements for greater regional autonomy. The Basques, the Galicians and the Catalans, all of whom have their own language, culture,…

Somalia, 1978

Two-thirds of Somalia’s population are pastoral nomads. Ever since the colonial period, they have fallen on bad times. The severe drought in 1975 put them into dire straits, and yet the nomads…

USA, 1978

The industrial nations are proud of the constantly increasing life-expectancy of their citizens. However, this civilization does not know what to do with its 65-year-old pensioners, who are condemned to an unproductive…

Bolivia, 1978

The Spanish conquest and colonization of the Inca Empire began in the 16th century. As a consequence, the Indians lost their village communities and common land. For centuries, they had worked as…

Canada, 1979

The film “No where to go – the Indians in Canada” made in 1976 dealt with the effect that the James-Bay-hydraulic-dam-project was going to have on the Cree Indians who lived in…

Tunesia, 1979

The industrial nations are not only exploiting the Third World for its raw materials. Ever since wages and the cost of social benefits have gone up in the North, industries are now…

Iran, 1979

In our film “The White Revolution”, we showed what happens when a Third World country blindly follows Western development models. Throughout the series ” In the Name of Progress “, we pointed…

Brazil, 1983

Brazil’s example was often offered as proof that technological progress and economic growth sufficed to overcome so-called underdevelopment. But Brazil’s industrialization had to be paid for in US-dollars. To foot the bill,…

USA, 1984

Deep in debt, 2000 farmers in the United States of America are forced to abandon their farms every week and 100.000 families lose the means of their livelihood every year. They simply…

Sumatra, 1979

Most societies are male-dominated. Women play a lesser part. The man’s claim to supremacy is justified by all sorts of religious, mythical, and biological theories. Not so, with the Minangkabau on the…

Togo, 1979

Polygamy is often considered the cause of the suppression of African perawomen. The situation of women from other cultural backgrounds cannot, however, be judged by Western standards. Traditionally, the women in Africa…

Iran, 1980

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Western press reported often that women had lost their freedom – a freedom that had been bestowed upon them by the Shah. True, certain laws had…

Eritrea, 1980

The Eritreans have been fighting against the illegal annexation of their country by the Ethiopians since 1961. In their film “Alone against the Mighty” made in 1977 Troeller/Deffarge deal with the social…

Egypt, Italy, 1980

In the Near East and in North Africa, girls can still be sentenced to death if they lose their virginity before their legal marriage.
Even today in southern Europe, virginity is fiercely…

Bolivia, 1980

Women live in extremely different conditions, depending on how Christianity has been interpreted and understood. Using two very contradictory examples from Bolivia, the film explains why.
Mennonites of German origin settled in Bolivia.…

Peru, 1981

The Campas, who live in the rain forests of the Amazon basin, have more or less retained their traditional way of life. Men and women have a clear division of labour: Women…

Peru, 1981

Rapid modernisation and an apparent emancipation from prevalent norms seem to have gripped Peru. How do women manage in this situation? Women from the upper and middle classes now have the financial…

Germany, France, 1982

A Pamphlet against Male Supremacy

This collage depicts various aspects of the patriarchal order, in which women are made into the property of men. But the patriarchal order…

Germany, 1982

The Women’s Movement

In the Middle Ages women who baulked against the authority of men were persecuted as witches and burned at the stake. They were rebelling against the…

USA, 1982

The “New Right“ Marches On

“The right of citizens of the United States to equal rights in the eyes of the law shall not be denied or abridged by…

France, 1983

Reflections on marriage

The last of the series “Women of the World” brings us back to Europe, to France.
It is all about love. The relationship between the sexes in…

Bolivia, 1984

In the first film of the series “Children of the World”, the Western concept of childhood is problematized. For several centuries the child’s world – protected and apart from the adult’s world…

India, 1984

According to Hinduism, young children are God-like creatures, who are allowed all freedom, and who are the focal point of many religious ceremonies. Particularly in rural areas, Hinduism defines life in the…

Iran, 1985

The Islamic revolution in Iran represented a clear rejection of Western values ​​and civilization. An entire people felt their identity threatened by the Shah’s attempts to develop his country along Western lines.
Turning…

West Africa, 1985

Education for the Konkomba tribes, who live in Ghana and Togo, means the handing down of values that enable the extended family to survive in the traditional physical and metaphysical world.…

Bolivia, 1985

Despite the official ban on child-labour, in most countries of the Third World children have to work to ensure the survival of their families.
For instance, in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz,…

Eritrea, 1986

For 25 years now Eritrea has been fighting the Ethiopian occupation. Despite the constant threat of Ethiopian attacks, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) has been able to set up a working…

USA, 1986

Nowhere else do so many ethnic groups exist, as in the United States of America. For a long time society was considered to be a “melting pot”, in which the American Way…

USA, 1986

For most Indians in North America, as with the Navajos, reclaiming their own cultural identity has become a matter of survival. Alcoholism, even amongst children, is one of their biggest problems. Traditional…

Nepal, 1987

To begin a film about girls with a scene depicting men dancing, may seem paradoxical, but in Nepal – as elsewhere in the world – it is the men who make the…

Honduras, 1987

One can only venture a guess as to how many street kids there actually are in Latin America: estimates fluctuate between 20 and 40 million. In Honduras, the number of children, who…

Singapore, 1987

A radical family planning programme reduced the birth rate so drastically in Singapore that the state had to take measures to get its citizens to produce more babies. The government, however, was…

Japan, 1988

In Japan, as in most countries, school is the mirror of society. The curriculum is European or American, but the way it is implemented is Japanese. During class, for instance, volunteering independent…

Mozambique, 1988

In 1975, the Portuguese pulled out of Mozambique leaving a devastated country behind. There were no trained medical doctors, no teachers, hardly any administrators or economists. Yet the FRELIMO, the ruling party…

Égypte, 1988

En Égypte, l’éducation axée sur la religion gagne du terrain. La raison en est que les enfants doivent être protégés aussi bien contre un Islam radical, implanté dans les écoles et les…

Turkey, 1989

“Almanci” or German returned is what the Turks are called, who, having worked in Germany, go back home to start a new life. Most of the “Almanci” are on a better financial…

Israel, Palestine, 1989

In December 1987, the Intifada – the revolt of the Palestinians – began in the Israeli occupied territories. It was the Palestinian youth that spearheaded the revolt. Children and young people…

China, 1989

The state has ambitious plans for the children in the People’s Republic of China. Without questioning the socialistic principles, the new generation is expected to implement the modernization of China’s industry…

HUNGARY 1990

Hungary is at the forefront of the reform movements in Eastern Europe. The planned economy is followed by the market economy, private property is permitted again, and remuneration also depends on the…

South Sudan, 1990

In 1983, the government in Khartoum abrogated the status of autonomy for the south
of Sudan and sparked of a civil war. Two completely different ethnic and religious groups of the Sudanese…

Bolivia, 1990

Coca is grown in Chapare, on the western slopes of the Bolivian Andes. 25% of the world produce of cocaine are extracted from here. As in Peru and Colombia, the United States…

Vietnam, 1991

The aftermath of the War can still be felt in Vietnam today. More bombs were dropped on that country than they were on Europe during the Second World War. Agricultural land, industrial…

Cuba, 1991

Abandoned by its former ally, the Soviet Union, threatened by the American embargo, Cuba’s economic situation is not a comfortable one. Yet, social welfare – the mainstay of the Cuban Revolution, remains…

Yemen, 1991

Very little is known about the effect that the Gulf War in 1991 actually had on Yemen. More than a million Yemenite indentured workers were forced to leave Saudi Arabia and the…

Eritrea, 1992

After 30 years of fighting, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) finally won the war against the illegal occupation of their country by the Ethiopian troops in May 1991.
This is Troeller’s fourth…

Iraq, 1992

Ever since the Gulf War, the Kurds have made good international copy. It began, when they followed the appeal made by President George Bush to revolt against Saddam Hussein; then, when the…

Nicaragua, 1992

Children who have run away from home or who have been abandoned, crowd the streets of Nicaragua: victims of sheer poverty. Why? To begin with the civil war financed by the United…

Tadschikistan, Uzbekistan, 1993

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Central Asian Republics started to assert their own identities. In most of the Islamic Republics this ended in violence and war. The government of Uzbekistan,…

Lebanon, 1993

After 17 years of civil war, Lebanon lies devastated. The country is in shambles and in ruins. The various religious communities are now attempting to regain their influence on society. Each community…

Angola, 1993

Elections held under international supervision in 1991 did not put a stop to the civil war in Angola. Supported by the West, Savimbi’s UNITA party refused to accept its electoral defeat. After…

South Africa, 1994

Apartheid – statutory racial segregation – has been officially abolished in South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s government has decreed equal opportunities in education and in vocational training for all South African children,…

Bolivia, 1995

The Indians of Bolivia are asserting their rights, not as besotted appendages of a society that has labelled them second-class citizens, but as human beings proud of their ancestral heritage and their…

Portugal, 1995

In recent years, there has been a tremendous hue and cry about child labour in the Third World. This hypocritical concern is prompted primarily by economic interests of the industrial nations. Child…

Senegal, 1996

After years of experimenting with the Western developmental model that only brought minimal benefits to their country, and – in fact – made caricatures out of them, the Senegalese are now casting…

Brazil, 1996

There is something very wrong in the state of Brazil. The Brazilian government’s economic policies have driven millions of people into desperate destitution. The cultivation of cash crops for export has rendered…

Jordan, 1997

The Kingdom of Jordan has manoeuvred itself very cleverly through the shifting sands of religious politics in the Middle East. Until now, it has been able to keep Islamic fundamentalism at bay.…

Gordian Troeller’s reckoning at the end of the 20th century, 1999

Over thirty-six years and in one hundred films he never allowed the wounds to heal, constantly raising his voice in warning, admonishing and reminding…