Filmed over three years in five countries, FREEDOM FOR THE WOLF is an epic investigation into this new regime. From the young students of Hong Kong, to a rapper in post-Arab Spring Tunisia and the viral comedians of Bollywood, we discover how people from every corner of the globe are fighting the same
struggle. They are fighting against elected leaders who trample on human rights, minorities, and their political opponents.
Philosopher Isaiah Berlin warned against this political hijacking long ago, “freedom for the wolves has often meant death for the sheep.”
Now the wolves are on the rise. Can they be defeated?
Freedom of the Wolf
Writer & Director: Rupert Russell
Executive Producers: Nick Fraser, Stephen Robert Morse, Sarena Snider, Maria Springer
89 min. Germany, USA, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kuwait, Tunisia 2017
Dialogue: English
Producers: Camilla Hall, Patrick Hamm
Festival theme: the rise of the far-right
An alliance of populists and nationalists seem intent on tearing up the fabric of the European project. Brexit is just one symptom of this rupture – but with the likes of the Lega Nord being offered cash from Putin to fund its European Election campaign, or former Trump aides Steve Bannon’s new project “The Movement” trying to create a nationalist ‘revolt’ – it is becoming ever more apparent that nationalists in Europe are getting organised internationally.
These forces breed on fear and xenophobia and are well ahead of most moderate parties in exploiting social media and disinformation to divide and polarise public opinions. Across the political spectrum, there is anxiety that a massive nationalist breakthrough this May could bring back the horrors of conflict and fascism in Europe, a ghost that many thought was buried. Are Europeans waking up to what is at stake?