The Price Of Kings: Oscar Arias (Coming Soon)

For those of you who have been watching what the series of leadership documentaries The Price Of Kings have been coming up with the last few months, this third upcoming film focusing on the life and work of Oscar Arias comes as no news and you’re probably already looking forward to it. But for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, check it out. The first two productions from London-based studio Spirit Level Film were two ground-breaking, light-shedding and inspiring documentaries on the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and the other side of the coin, the Israeli President Shimon Peres. This time, focus shifts from the Middle East to South America and the third film of the 12-part series comes into focus on the life and leadership of the ex-President and Nobel Prize laureate, Oscar Arias. The Price Of Kings: Oscar Arias is due to be released in Autumn 2012.

Oscar Arias Sánchez, the politician who joined the National Liberation Party (PLN) in 1962 and served as an economic advisor and minister until he became elected to the National Legislative Assembly in 1978, served as President of Costa Rica twice, from 1986 to 1990 and from 2006 to 2012 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his great contribution towards ending civil wars among Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Oscar Arias took Costa Rica into the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), and then later went on to receive the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism and to become a trustee of Economists for Peace and Security. In 2003 he entered the Board of Directors of the International Criminal Court‘s Trust Fund for Victims and is also a member of the Club de Madrid, the organization that works towards strengthening democratic institutions.

The third film will follow the same researching and filmmaking style as the previous two and all the information will be revealed to is audience through a series of interviews of people close to the Costa Rican ex-President, both in his private and professional life. However what has made the first two films of the series, The Price Of Kings: Yasser Arafat and The Price Of Kings: Shimon Peres so refreshing as documentaries and engaging as films, is the fact that the information given always covers both sides, people who have been against and people who have favoured each leader’s decisions and actions. Everything is told, claimed, announced, supported and rejected by people who have taken part in each leader’s life and plenty of stock footage is provided to accompany the numerous interviews. This is what allows the viewer to be included in the story, to shape his own opinions and draw his own conclusions.

In The Price Of Kings: Oscar Arias Richard Symons, the founder of Sprit Level Film, works again alongside Joanna Natasegara and together they produce and direct yet another highly compelling documentary on leadership which interviews the ex-President Oscar Arias himself, his younger brother and Costa Rican lawyer Rodrigo Arias, his sister Cecilia Arias together with her daughter Christina Arias, the former President’s daughter Sylvia Arias, the politician, diplomat and long-time friend Adriana “Mimi” Prado, Arias’ protégé and friend Kevin Casas-Zamora, the President’s personal assistant Mariangel Solera, the Costa Rican politician, president of the Banco Popular and good friend of Arias Francisco Antonio Pacheco, politicians Eduardo Lizano, Rolando Arraya and Leonardo Garnier, academics Jorge Vargas Cullel and Constantino Urcuyo, and secretary general of National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP) Albino Vargas. Once again, plenty of facts will be given, stock footage will be presented and opinions from all sides will be expressed. However conclusions will be left up to us to draw.

The Price of Kings: Yasser Arafat at Unsung Films
The Price Of Kings: Shimon Peres at Unsung Films

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Unsung Films has copies of the first two films to give away! For your chance to win, simply answer the following question:

In which year did Shimon Peres, Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin jointly win the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East?

a) 1960
b) 1994
c) 1989

Please email your answers to info@spiritlevelfilm.com with the subject title ‘Unsung Films DVD competition’.

The competition will close on June 4, 2012. Good luck!