American Faust: From Condi to Neo-Condi

A damning insight into Condoleezza Rice's ruthless quest for power

American Faust: From Condi to Neo-Condi From a segregated childhood in Alabama to becoming the most powerful woman in the world, Condoleezza Rice cuts an extraordinary and enigmatic figure. This incisive documentary tells a mesmerising Faustian tale of a woman whose pursuit of power destroyed her core values and rocketed America into a fateful new direction. Leading her own defence through a series of candid interviews, this is political biography like no other.
Growing up in the heart of the Black Civil Rights resistance, Rice came of age amidst violence and racial oppression; "it was awful", she recalls. Desperate to escape, it was at university that Rice discovered her political ambitions: "I remember the exact lecture that won me over. It was about how Stalin had consolidated his power. I thought; this is terrific". Under the wing of her professor, she became a realist; "realists believe that all that matters in the world is power." She quickly abandoned her engagement to football star, Rick Upchurch, when an opportunity to work in Washington arose. "She chose power over love" he muses.

Early on in her career Rice stood out as a ruthless leader. Critics describe how as a board member of Chevron she wilfully overlooked evidence of the violent abuse of Ogoni tribesmen in her drive to expand the company. Meanwhile, she jumped back and forth from Democrat to Republican: "her goal was to always be in a seat of power". But it was her "unusual relationship" with Republican candidate George Bush that was to skyrocket her career. He quickly chose her as his National Security Advisor when he was named President in 2000, catapulting her into a position widely acknowledged to be, "out of her league".

"On January 24th 2001, I wrote a memo to Condoleezza Rice asking urgently for a cabinet level meeting to deal with an impending al-Qaeda attack", says Richard Clarke, Chief Counter Terrorism Advisor at the time. The briefing, which said multiple attacks were imminent, "did not move from her desk". The catastrophic result on September 11th 2001 led to, "a complete break from the ideas she had held for decades". Her personal quest for control became embroiled in "George Bush's idealism" and her "humble" foreign policy quickly turned into a mouthpiece for war.

According to Clarke, in the wake of 9/11 Rice repeatedly rejected CIA reports that the attacks were not linked to Iraq. Instead she endorsed "enhanced interrogation techniques" such as water boarding in an attempt to obtain information that would justify an invasion, driven blindly forward by Bush's ideals. It would ultimately lead to a downward spiral of misinformation, international torture networks and mercenaries directly employed by Rice being accused of drunkenly massacring innocent Iraqis.

"I think it was recognised by Condoleezza Rice that they had made a pact with the Devil." From the little girl who wanted to be a concert pianist to the woman accused of war crimes, this doc is a startling portrait of a life led by opportunism at any cost.


Laurel Runner up Best Documentary, Marbella International Film Festival, 2009

Laurel Nominated for Best Documentary, New Hampshire Film Festival , 2009

Laurel Nominated for Maysles Brothers Documentary Award, Starz Denver Film Festival, 2009

Laurel Golden Palm Award for Best Documentary, Mexico International Film Festival, 2010

Laurel Nominated for Best Documentary, Swansea Bay Film Festival , 2010

Laurel Runner up Best Documentary, Treasure Coast International Film Festival, 2010
FULL SYNOPSIS

The Producers


Born in London, Sebastian Doggart began his career as a journalist in Latin America, working first for the Lima Times and then the Buenos Aires Herald. After graduating from King's College, Cambridge with the top first-class degree in social and political sciences, he trained as a drama director at Central School of Speech and Drama. He then directed theater for Cheek by Jowl, Actors Touring Company and Creation. In 1997, he moved into television production, where he has produced and/or directed for FX (Thirty Days), Damage Control (MTV), Project Runway (Bravo), Face it: Bobbi Brown (Discovery), American Candidate (Showtime), ITV/Bravo ('South Bank Show' & 'Two Thousand Years'), Channel 4/TF1 ('Raid Gauloises'), Film Four/Bravo ('History of Movie Genres'), and Channel 4 ('LA Vice'). Sebastian has written one screenplay, Casanova's Return, a romantic drama. He currently lives in New York City.

Making The Film


"Film has the ability to encourage change. Look at what Food, Inc. has done to bring in new proposals for US farming regulations, or what An Inconvenient Truth did to raise awareness about global warning. I hope that our two films will help galvanize forces to hold Rice accountable, under the principle of command responsibility, for the crimes of torture that she ordered." - Sebastian Doggart

This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more info see our Cookies Policy