Devils Don't Dream!

Poetic documentary about the life of Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, idealist, guerillero and finally president of Guatemala, until a CIA conspiracy led to his downfall in 1954. This debut film by filmmaker Andreas Hoessli is at the same time an engrossing reconstruction of the conspiracy and an absorbing portrait of a forgotten head of state. Moreover, the film offers a keen analysis of the themes of power and (neo?) colonialism in a world controlled by Cold War fear and paranoia. Hoessli composed his film from witness reports by Arbenz' wife and CIA agent Howard Hunt, to name a few. Besides he could dispose of unique archive footage, like images of a meeting between Richard Nixon and Winston Churchill in which they discuss what 'should be done' with Guatemala. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)