How to Start a Revolution

Plot Summary

As waves of revolutionary spirit sweep the world, one man’s ideas continue to inspire, mobilize and unite protestors, giving them the tools to topple authoritarian regimes. Quiet, unassuming, and softly spoken, 83 year old Professor Gene Sharp is celebrated by revolutionaries and feared by dictators. So what are his ideas, how have they spread from his tiny Boston office, and how are they actually used on the ground? With exclusive footage and unprecedented access, this film shows how Nobel Peace Prize nominee Gene’s controversial book ‘From Dictatorship to Democracy’ has been used against dictatorships from Serbia to Ukraine to Iran, climaxing in its use in the Egyptian revolution and the ongoing Syrian uprising. We see how the book’s 198 strategic 'weapons' of non-violent direct action have brought dramatic results, and why it has become the standard manual for anyone wanting to start a revolution. Through exclusive interviews with Gene, his associates and the revolutionary leaders he has inspired, this film goes behind the scenes of revolutions, showing the sheer force of non-violent people power. With revealing footage filmed covertly in Egypt and Syria, it explores how social media can now be used to threaten dictators. This is the inspirational story of the power of people to change their world, the modern revolution, and the man behind it all.