As the first film I’ve seen at the Hot Docs film festival, I sure made an interesting and though provoking pick.
You’ve Been Trumped is about Donald Trump’s efforts to build a golf course in Scotland, a move that upsets the locals, who are in danger of losing their homes.
As someone with partial Scottish heritage (my dad was born and raised there), I was quite shocked at Trump’s lack of respect for the natural beauty of the country and it was even more shocking to see the destruction of the many dunes in the area, as construction on the golf course begins.
In addition to following the locals, many of whom lived in the area for generations, the film uses many guerrilla filmmaking methods to track the progress of the golf course construction. This gets the film’s director in trouble on many occasions and one scene even sees him getting arrested.
Another interesting touch is how the events are contrasted with the film Local Hero (a personal favourite of mine), which also dealt with a corporation developing in a Scottish town (albeit with a much happier ending).
It was definitely a thought-provoking film, especially when you consider how much power Donald Trump has in the world. To find out more, check out the film’s Facebook page.
9/10
