The Power of the Powerless (2009)

• 75%
• 2009
• Documentary
• Cory Taylor

Sometimes we are forced to choose between self-interest and the greater good. Under pressure at critical moments, we make choices that define who we become. People who remain silent when their government persecutes and imprisons those trying to peacefully reform it, not only make a regrettable choice for themselves; their decision is passed down to future generations. How remarkable it is then, when those who were persecuted, rise up and not only overcome tyranny through non-violence, but forgive those who abandoned them in the crucial moment. Â"The Power of the Powerless,Â" narrated by Academy® Award winner Jeremy Irons, is a film that deals with this poignant subject by telling the inspiring real-life story of dissidents like the playwright, Vaclav Havel; the struggle against tyranny during the communist era in Czechoslovakia; and young people who provided the final impetus to bring down CzechoslovakiaÂ's communist regime during the Velvet Revolution of 1989. The film also investigates the relevance of the Velvet Revolution today and asks why a majority of young Czechs know nothing about it. The Power of the Powerless is the winner of the Sacramento Film Festival Documentary Feature Audience Award and the Mexico International Film Festival Golden Palm Award.