Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Wow! I know the Battle of Chile was one of the most important documentaries about a coup ever made (I'll not say why - watch it!), but I'm convinced this trumps it. Some film makers arrive in Caracas, Venezuela to make a film about the new president...and then a coup starts, and for some reason (probably sheer arrogance) the coup leaders let them stay. I'll not say more on the story because the twists and turns are amazing and I don't want to ruin it.The film shows how the reactionary right wing forces in the country, backed by the US sought to overthrow democracy, and call the ensuing dictatorship...democracy! As you may imagine, those same forces, and their allies in the US have condemned the film, and continue to try to destabilise the country. There are many claims about factual errors, editing choices and the like that can be found on the internet, but these are all rebutted in Rod Stoneman's (the executive producer) book on the subject. At the end of the day, whatever the claims and counter claims, the film very clearly shows how the old political elite, the business leaders and the media conspired to stage a coup (using footage from their OWN television shows!).Watch it and make your mind up

An interesting documentary. Some points...1. Hugo Chavez was elected Venezuela's president in 1998, his support largely coming from the poorer regions of Venezuela.2. In 2002, a coup briefly deposed Chavez. At the time, Irish filmmakers Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain were in Caracas, shooting a documentary about Chavez for British television. They documented these events and produced "The Revolution Will Not Be Televisd", a documentary which records history unfolding on-the-spot, outside and inside the presidential palace.3. Chavez aimed to free Venezuela from the free-market policies imposed on it by the West. Though Venezuela's oil was already state-owned, it was run for private benefit by executives who Chavez wished to replace.4. Despite being the world's fourth largest oil supplier, Venezuela is awash with poverty. At the time, Venezuelans believed that "kicking out multinational corporations" and "nationalizing local oil" would kick start massive social change. Citizens are still awaiting this change. Chavez has rallied much of the international Left with an ideal of a popular democratic revolution in which the country's poor have risen to redress deep social injustices. There is still a deep gap, however, between those idealised beliefs and the realities faced by the Venezuelan underclass. It is debatable whether Chavez has brought about any beneficial, concrete changes.5. The documentary begins by portraying Chavez's first years as president before the coup. It focuses on his popularity with the poor, and his various policies which proved popular with working class locals (educational plans, distribution of the oil revenue, grass-root democracy etc).6. Chavez was a huge proponent of education, and printed thousands of copies of the Venezuelan constitution, encouraging children and adults to study and understand it.7. When Chavez came to power, he immediately pledged to redistribute oil profits. This, understandably, made the oil companies nervous.8. A media-war broke out. The six private TV stations promptly began opposing the state-run TV station. They questioned Chavez's motives, sanity and sexual orientation.9. Without media support, the coup would not have been successful. The film makes it clear that coups rely heavily on the media to disseminate information and that news can be easily fabricated.10. Under the guise of "re-establishing democracy", the opposition silenced the state-run TV station, dissolved the National Electoral Board, Supreme Court, National Assembly and took control of the military.11. Moneyed interests, backed by the military elite and encouraged/sponsored/planned by the US and CIA, organised a citizens' march on the presidential palace to effect the coup. Snipers shot at Chávez supporters, but the private media stations edited footage so it appeared that return fire was aimed at the opposition march that in fact had been safely diverted.12. Police went on a shooting rampage against Chavez supporters, further bloodying the streets.13. Chavez, held captive, refused to resign. Of course the media/government then lied, saying he had resigned, but Chavez's cabinet members communicated the truth to the international community, which eventually got the message back to Venezuela by cable TV.14. The people rose up, pressuring the return of the president they had elected, whom only a referendum could constitutionally replace.8.9/10 - Worth one viewing. See Adam Curtis' docs.

There's no doubt: this is a great film.but it has at least a flaw: it is not about facts. most of the research has been done without even consulting anybody but president Chavez and his allies, so it's totally one-sided, and filmmakers just cast their prejudices over the Venezuelan opposition and make the world to believe them.I suggest other commentators to take a good look at Venezuelan newspapers so they don't get fooled by this enormous propaganda effort, done to please president Chavez and people who idyllically believes that there's a revolution taking place in our country.In Venezuela there's only another military fellow who wants to hold on to power as long as he can, regardless of democracy or civil rights.I strongly suggest also to see La fiesta del chivo (The Feast of the Goat), The last king of Scotland, Fall of Fujimori and Juan Vicente Gomez y su epoca so you can see what president Chavez is about.Nice work for the Irish people who made this film: just hope next time they decide to do another they reach for the truth if it's a documentary .

This movie is basically a documentary of the chronologically ordered series of events that took place from April 10, 2002 through April 14, 2002 in the Venezuelan Presidential Palace, Caracas Venezuela.The pathos of the movie is real and one feels the pain, sorrow and joy of the people who lived through this failed coup d'etat of President Hugo Chavez.One comes away from viewing this film that Hugo Chavez is truly a great historical figure. Hugo Chavez's persona single-handedly brought the Venezuelan people to overthrow the 3-day old military-installed junta and re-establish the democratically installed government of Venezuela.It is obvious from the film footage that George W Bush aided and abetted the Venezuelan coup d'etat. That the mainstream media aided and abetted George W Bush is not surprising.What is surprising is how few people has seen this movie and how few people realize the total corruption of America's mass media.It has taken only 20 years for Ronald Reagan elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in 1986 to turn America into blind and rudderless state.May Hugo Chavez open patriotic Americans' eyes to the truth and beauty of the true American vision.