Power Trip

Directed by Paul Devlin, USA, 2003, 85 min.  

This top-notch, surprisingly humorous documentary provides insight into today's headlines, with a graphic, on-the-ground depiction of the challenges facing globalization of multinational companies in emerging markets. When an American energy company buys the formerly state-run electricity company in Tbilisi in the Georgian Republic, a comical clash of culture combusts. In the years since the fall of the Soviet Union this unstable region has had any number of financial problems and civil war. The residents of the region, many of which make an average of $15 per month, were in no mood to pay $24 per month to an American company for the privilege of something they used to get for free. The story is told over two years of electrical outages, blackouts, corrupt politicians and a host of creative, yet highly dangerous, illegal connections.

This film is an Interfaith Award competition documentary finalist.  

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., TV

Friday, Nov. 21, 5 p.m. TV