You are here:

This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth

Name: This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth
Director: Yung Chang
Released: 2019
Duration: 109 min

Representation Score

8.1/10

Excellent

2019

Director

Yung Chang

Runtime

109 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This documentary succeeds as a sophisticated critique of traditional power structures. By prioritizing voices from the Global South, it effectively disrupts the Western media's tendency to homogenize non-Western populations and challenges the dominance of state-sanctioned truths. While the film provides a high level of progressive value through its deconstruction of historical narratives, it remains limited in its scope regarding specific identity-based struggles. The focus on geopolitical reporting means that LGBTQ+ and disability-centric narratives are largely absent. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its ability to move beyond the 'observer' cliché. It presents complex actors within their own histories rather than treating them as mere victims of conflict.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not focus on LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives. Instead, it centers on geopolitical reporting rather than identity-based social movements.

How does This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth portray gender?

Fair

The story revolves around Robert Fisk, a male figure in a male-dominated field. However, the film includes diverse interviewees, providing a range of voices beyond the main character.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth?

Excellent

The film highlights lived experiences in the Middle East and global conflict zones. It gives a significant role in driving the story to individuals in the Global South, breaking away from Anglo-centric stereotypes.

How does This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth represent religion and culture?

Excellent

Rooted in post-colonial critique, the film challenges Western institutional narratives. It prioritizes the perspectives of those affected by Western foreign policy and intervention.

Does This Is Not a Movie: Robert Fisk and the Politics of Truth include disability representation?

Fair

The film addresses the psychological and physical impacts of war but does not specifically focus on disability. Trauma is discussed through a broader lens of conflict.

Present on Screen

Disrupts Anglo-centric stereotypes by centering non-Western perspectives and lived experiences.
Provides a significant role in driving the story to individuals in the Global South through archival footage and interviews.
Offers a deep post-colonial critique of Western foreign policy and institutional narratives.

Limited or Absent

Lacks specific focus on LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives.
Does not provide ability to act-driven portrayals of neurodivergence or physical disability.
The central narrative remains anchored to a singular male authority figure.

Official Synopsis

For more than forty years, British journalist Robert Fisk has reported on some of the most violent conflicts in the world, from Northern Ireland to the Middle East, always with his feet on the ground and a notebook in hand, travelling into landscapes devastated by war, ferreting out the facts and sending reports to the media he works for with the ambition of catching the interest of an audience of millions.

How are these scores produced? →