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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did "Shadow of the Holy Book" say to the light? You're always casting me aside.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shadow of the Holy Book
Directed byArto Halonen
Written byKevin Frazier
Arto Halonen
Produced byArto Halonen
StarringArto Halonen
Kevin Frazier
Farid Tuhbatullin
Ruslan Tuhbatullin
CinematographyHannu Vitikainen
Timo Heinänen
Arto Halonen
Edited bySamu Heikkilä
Music byTimo Peltola
Production
companies
Release dates
  • 2007 (2007) (IDFA)
  • 29 February 2008 (2008-02-29) (Finland)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryFinland
Budget437 845,71€

The Shadow of the Holy Book is a 2007 documentary film directed by Arto Halonen. The film was written by Halonen and Kevin Frazier. It examines the totalitarian system of Turkmenistan, the Ruhnama cult that prevailed in the country, and the role of international corporations in maintaining it.[1]

The Shadow of the Holy Book examines Turkmenistan's propaganda book Ruhnama and the personality cult associated with it. The documentary reveals how Western corporations translated the work into their own languages and thereby supported the country's authoritarian regime. At the same time, the film examines how international economic agreements affect the people of Turkmenistan, who are left as the weakest party in the country's political and economic system.[1]

The Shadow of the Holy Book had its world premiere in the main competition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), after which it was widely screened at international film festivals.[1][2][3] The film was shown at approximately 100 festivals around the world.[4] These included the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) Documentary Fortnight in New York,[5] as well as Canada's Hot Docs[6] and Sheffield DocFest.[7] The film was also screened at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, where Halonen was presented with the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award in connection with a special screening of The Shadow of the Holy Book.

The film won the Grand Prix at the International Human Rights Film Festival in Paris[8][9] and the Audience Award at the Taiwan International Film Festival.[10][1] It also received a Special Jury Award at the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival in Georgia, as well as the Jurnal TV Special Award and an Honourable Mention from the jury at the CRONOGRAF International Documentary Film Festival in Moldova.[1][11] In Finland, the film was awarded a The Finnish State Quality Production Award.[1]

The film was nominated for the Prix Arte for Best Documentary of the year, as awarded by the European Film Academy. The award has been presented since 1989, and The Shadow of the Holy Book was the second Finnish documentary to receive a nomination.[12]

In 2008, the film was selected as the opening film of Mexico's DocsDF documentary film festival.[1] In 2015, it was selected as one of the 29 best documentaries of the festival's first decade. In 2020, as part of the festival's 15th-anniversary celebrations, The Shadow of the Holy Book was selected as the best film of 2008.[13]

Mikko Piela of Uusi Suomi welcomed the fact that Finland was once again producing journalistic documentaries after a long period, although he felt that Halonen's style perhaps resembled Michael Moore's too closely. Piela nevertheless believed that Moore would not have dared to tackle such a sensitive subject. In his review, he even suggested that Halonen should receive the State Award for Public Information.[14]

International Distribution

[edit]

The Shadow of the Holy Book achieved wide international distribution.[1] In Germany, the film was released in cinemas, and television rights were sold to 20 countries.[15][10][16]

One of the film's major financiers was the American Independent Television Service (ITVS), which also served as a co-producer.[1] In the United States, the film was broadcast as part of the Independent Lens program on PBS and on the Sundance Channel. ITVS estimated that the film could reach as many as 54 million viewers in the United States.[17] The documentary was also screened in American cities as part of the Community Cinema program, while California Newsreel handled its DVD and educational distribution in North America.[18][19][20]

Social Impact

[edit]

The film sparked international discussion about the role of corporations in supporting authoritarian states. During festival appearances, Halonen and Frazier highlighted connections between various countries and Turkmenistan and sought to initiate public discussion on the subject.[21][22]

During Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow's visit to the European Union, Halonen and Frazier sent him an open letter demanding the release of dissidents from prison and an end to the country's totalitarian system.[23]

In Finland, the film also influenced political discussion. Halonen raised human rights issues in discussions with the then Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb as Stubb prepared to visit Turkmenistan in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE. According to Stubb, the film and his discussions with Halonen helped him understand the situation in the country before meeting Berdimuhamedow.[24][25]

As a result of the discussion generated by The Shadow of the Holy Book, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs commissioned a study on the ethical conduct of Finnish companies abroad from Merja Pentikäinen at the Erik Castrén Institute, headed by Martti Koskenniemi. The study was published under the title Business Activities and Human Rights and served as background material for the Finnish Government's human rights report.[26] Halonen also founded the open-access Freedom for Sale website, which “informs, investigates and monitors” human rights and the activities of the business world.[17]

Book

[edit]

Based on the film, Frazier and Halonen wrote a book of the same name,[27] which was one of ten finalists for Poland's prestigious Ryszard Kapuściński Award for literary reportage.[28]

The book provided background on how Nokia Siemens Networks and Siemens had developed a more effective surveillance system for the Turkmen dictatorship to control the opposition.[29] Halonen and Frazier first made this information public in an article by Petri Sajari published in Helsingin Sanomat on February 27, 2008.[30] They subsequently discussed the issue in several articles, also calling on the government to take action to end Nokia's support for the activities of the Turkmen government.[31][32]

Following Halonen and Frazier's revelations concerning Turkmenistan, Nokia Siemens Networks’ controversial telecommunications surveillance deals with the Iranian government also came under public scrutiny. The system was used to spy on dissidents in Iran.[33][34][35][36][37]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Pyhän kirjan varjo (Shadow of The Holy Book)". Elonet.
  2. ↑ "Amsterdamin dokumenttielokuvafestivaalilla kilpailee paljon suomalaiselokuvia". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  3. ↑ Uusitorppa, Harri (2007-11-06). "Suomalainen dokumentti perää suuryritysten vastuuta". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  4. ↑ Sirpa, Pääkkönen (2010-11-26). "Arto Halonen sai Helsingin kulttuuripalkinnon". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  5. ↑ "MoMA's SECOND ANNUAL DOC MONTH LINE-UP FEATURES DOCUMENTARY FORTNIGHT, THE 8TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF NONFICTION FILMS The Museum of Modern Art - Department of Communications. February 1–February 28, 2009" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "Shadow of The Holy Book". DSCHOINT VENTSCHR FILMPRODUKTION. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Wendy. "Sheffield Doc/Fest unveils early selections for Nov line-up". Screen. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  8. ↑ Heli, Suominen (2009-03-18). "Pyhän kirjan varjo palkittiin Ranskassa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Pyhän kirjan varjo sai ihmisoikeuspalkinnon Ranskassa". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  10. 1 2 Pentikäinen, Merja. / Yritystoiminta ja ihmisoikeudet. Helsinki: The Eric Castren Institute of International Law and Human Rights, 2009. 163 Sivumäärä (Research reports / Erik Castren Institute of International Law and Human Rights; 26/2009)
  11. ↑ "CRONOGRAF - Home". cronograf.md. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  12. ↑ "Pyhän kirjan varjo ehdolla parhaaksi dokumentiksi". ts.fi (in Finnish). 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  13. ↑ "Llega a Cineteca Nacional el ciclo «10 años mirando al mundo», preambulo a la decima edición de DocsDF". mex4you.net. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  14. ↑ Piela, Mikko (2013-12-19). "Elokuva-arvio: Pyhän kirjan varjo". Uusi Suomi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  15. ↑ Mies ja elokuvakamera – väläyksiä Arto Halosen Uralta. Media-lehti, Syksy 2012. Media Desk Finland.
  16. ↑ Arto Halosen dokumentti sai levitysyhtiön Yhdysvalloista, Helsingin Sanomat 11.9.2008
  17. 1 2 "Pyhän kirjan varjo laajaan levitykseen - Dokumentista tehty kirja paljastaa Nokian ja Turkmenistanin suhteita". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  18. ↑ "Shadow of the Holy Book". ITVS. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  19. ↑ "California Newsreel - SHADOW OF THE HOLY BOOK". newsreel.org. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  20. ↑ History (2019-06-24). "The David Parks Memorial Film Collection - Carleton College". www.carleton.edu. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  21. ↑ THE UNITED STATES AND TURKMENISTAN – SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS shadowoftheholybook.net. 12th of February, 2009.
  22. ↑ GERMANY AND TURKMENISTAN: SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS shadowoftheholybook.net. 14 Tammikuuta 2009.
  23. ↑ "Pyhän kirjan varjo: Elokuvan lehdistömateriaali" (PDF). Freedomforsale.org.
  24. ↑ Stubb, Alexander; Hämäläinen, Karo (2017). Alex. Otava. p. 129. ISBN 978-951-1-31393-9.
  25. ↑ Arto Halonen vaatii Stubbilta toimia Turkmenistanissa. Maailma kylässä. 19.5.2008.  
  26. ↑ "Yritystoiminta ja ihmisoikeudet | Helsingin yliopisto". www.sttinfo.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  27. ↑ Halonen, Arto; Kevin, Frazier (2008). Pyhän kirjan varjo. Like Kustannus. ISBN 978-952-01-0197-8.
  28. ↑ Antti, Majander (2011-04-02). "Pyhän kirjan varjo menestyy Puolassa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  29. ↑ "Mielipide | Asevienti Turkmenistaniin on täysin moraalitonta". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  30. ↑ Sajari, Petri (2008-02-27). "Nokia käy kauppaa Turkmenistanin diktatuurihallinnon kanssa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  31. ↑ Sundbäck, Veli; Kivinen, Lauri (2008-02-28). "Emme tingi eettisistä toimintaohjeistamme Turkmenistanissa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  32. ↑ Moisio, Aleksi (2008-02-27). "Nokia: Turkmenistanin verkko laajenee eettisesti kestävällä pohjalla". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  33. ↑ "Nokia-Siemens delivers equipment for Turkmenistan dictatorship's cellular network - Freedom for Sale". freedomforsale.net. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  34. ↑ Arto, Halonen; Kevin, Frazier (2008-03-04). "Yritysten eettiset toimintaohjeet on tarkoitettu toteutettaviksi". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  35. ↑ Virtanen, Jenni (2008-03-04). "Elokuvaohjaajan ristiretki: Varoitimme Nokiaa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  36. ↑ STT (2008-03-05). "Aktivistit vaativat Nokiaa palauttamaan Tekes-rahat". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  37. ↑ Taloussanomat (2008-03-05). "Elokuvaohjaaja vaatii hallitusta painostamaan Nokiaa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2026-08-21.
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