On October 22 at 9 pm ET on TVO and tvo.org, TVO presents the World Broadcast and Online Premiere of TVO Original Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies. The feature documentary from filmmaker Larry Weinstein asks the question: why are we so easily seduced by propaganda?
“We are inundated by information from multiple sources and it’s increasingly hard to tell what is true and who to trust,” says John Ferri, TVO Vice President Current Affairs and Documentaries. “TVO Originals like Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies provide important perspectives on issues that matter, and this film is a highly relevant invitation to think critically about the information we consume.”
Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies explores the history and evolution of the art of persuasion. From ancient cave paintings to Twitter feeds and deep fakes, Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies traces the effective use of art by religious figures, politicians and marketers, and crafts a persuasive study of the mechanics behind propaganda. Contemporary artists, including Kent Monkman, Shepard Fairey and Ai Weiwei, analyze their politically motivated work, creatively co-opting the conventions of disinformation that have permeated their respective cultures.
“Propaganda has always been with us but now it is more pervasive than ever,” says filmmaker Larry Weinstein. “I made Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies because our blind acceptance of it, and perhaps our lust for it, is damning to the human race and to our planet. I wanted to give voice to that idea and at the same time see the problem through the eyes of artists – many of whom regard themselves to be propagandists.”
Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies will be available to stream anytime across Canada on tvo.org beginning October 22 at 9 pm and will rebroadcast on TVO October 24 and 26 at 9 pm.