Devil's Bargain: A Journey into the Small Arms Trade

Country: Canada
Year: 2008
Runtime: 89 minutes
Director: Shelley Saywell

Small arms have infected, and are actually killing entire countries. These weapons pose a greater threat than weapons of mass destruction, kill hundreds of thousands of people each year, and destabilize governments and societies worldwide. In Devil’s Bargain, Emmy award winning director Shelley Saywell and her team follow the guns: from the gun fairs in the West to air cargo brokers in South Africa, stockpiles in Bosnia, pilots in Moldova, and finally the gun markets and killing fields of Africa. Woven into the film is the story of the recently arrested Viktor Bout, who was the “inspiration” for the Hollywood film “Lord of War”. Bout’s client list includes major Western governments: in fact 88 percent of small arms are manufactured by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. More than two-thirds of those arms are destined for destabilized regions around the world.

Guest Speakers:

Shelley Saywell, film director