圣书的影子

Why are some of the world's biggest international companies translating an absurd foreign


　　book into their own language, trying to hide their aims and avoid discussion about the human


　　rights and freedom of speech situation in Turkmenistan?


　　Shadow Of The Holy Book investigates the morality of international companies and the dictatorship


　　of oil-and-gas-rich Turkmenistan. These companies help give the dictatorship the propaganda support


　　that it needs to survive. Turkmenistan’s dictator, Saparmurat Niyazov, has written a ludicrous


　　book: the Ruhnama, the Book of the Soul, a key tool in the government’s subjugation of human


　　rights and free speech. Yet many international companies give their clandestine support to the


　　Ruhnama and help suppress the country’s voices of opposition and dissidence – in return for multimillion-


　　dollar business deals.


　　The film follows lawyer/author Kevin Frazier and film director Arto Halonen as they travel from Europe


　　to Turkmenistan, and all the way to the United States. The filmmakers are in search of companies


　　operating in Turkmenistan, particularly the companies that have translated the Ruhnama


　　books into their own languages, and thus supported Turkmenistan's dictatorship in the most absurd


　　way possible.


　　The film also reflects the current situation in Turkmenistan, the impact of the Ruhnama book, and


　　the ethics of the companies operating there. This is done through the dissidents and refugees,


　　many of whom have been the targets of persecution, torture, and assassination attempts organised


　　by the Turkmenistan government.


　　Turkmenistan has some of the biggest oil-and-gas reserves in the world, and this has increased


　　the greed and ruthlessness of corporate activities in the region. Well-known companies like DaimlerChrysler,


　　Siemens, Bouygues and Caterpillar praise and support the Ruhnama book, a book that


　　has destroyed the education system and has served as the centerpiece of the dictatorship. The


　　filmmakers look for corporate responsibility, and the companies duck and hide – until a couple of


　　business executives appear who are ready to talk and take responsibility.


　　The film is the story of a dictatorship, and also of the transition from one leader to the next. After


　　the sudden death of Saparmurat Niyazov, the creator of the Ruhnama book, power has transferred


　　to Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov who has, on the surface, made reforms but in terms of violations


　　against freedom of speech and human rights everything has remained the same. He has


　　also praised the Ruhnama, and used it to increase his power. Therefore international corporations


　　continue to use the same techniques to please the new leader as they did with Niyazov. The


　　shadow of the holy book continues to stretch beyond Niyazov’s grave.

中亚五国最具存在感的国家，纯正突厥风格的奢华小苏联，白皮朝鲜岂是浪得虚名

大开眼界，壮哉我大土库曼巴希！不过这两位记者也真够烦（annoying）的。

紀錄片提供了獨裁政權和西方資本主義大企業一拍即合的可能性。當然這裡有一個叫「土庫曼斯坦」的語境。而在這個語境之下，只要哪個大企業協助翻譯圣書，它就可以拿到盆滿缽滿的石油和天然氣。企業老闆亦能被封官鬻爵。