The murder of Benazir Bhutto while campaigning for prime minister in Pakistan in December 2007 and the political changes her death helped bring about in the country—a nuclear power-equipped nation of central importance to American interests, located in one of the most volatile regions of the world—lend Philip Selkirk's documentary Benazir Bhutto: Daughter of Power considerable topical relevance. A solid but quite conventional profile, the film not only covers Bhutto's political career, which included two terms as prime minister (both of which ended in her removal from office on charges of corruption, and led to substantial periods of exile), but also her upbringing and education. Along the way, viewers are treated to a summary history of Pakistan from recognition of its independence in 1947 to the present—with special emphasis on the role of Bhutto's father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who served as president from 1971 to 1977 before being overthrown and executed—as well as insights into what a woman's rise to power means in a Muslim land. Combining well-chosen archival footage with extended excerpts from interviews with Bhutto, her supporters, and her critics, this is a reasonably balanced portrait. Although the bulk of the documentary was completed in 2005, a rather sketchy postscript deals with recent events, including Bhutto's assassination. Given the significance of Pakistan to U.S. post-9/11 foreign policy, this affordable program featuring solid historical background is easily recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Benazir Bhutto: Daughter of Power
(2008) 65 min. DVD: $19.98. Pathfinder Home Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 23, Issue 4
Benazir Bhutto: Daughter of Power
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: