Wag the Dog (1997) is a political satire from director Barry Levinson that follows an elaborate ruse fabricated in order to distract from a US presidential scandal. A 'spin doctor' (Robert de Niro) and a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) get together to manipulate and construct public opinion using the rhetoric of warmongering, sentimentalism, and jingoism through the immense media machinery of the USA. Through biting satire and ridiculous developments, film follows the construction of this narrative and consequently exposes the dirtiness of bourgeois politics, the highly ideological functions of nationalism and war, the farce of "media neutrality", and the real face of the ruling classes. In the present-day scenario, as yet another imperialist war wreaks havoc in the world, as the ruling classes are drowning in scandal and crime, this film becomes all the more relevant.

Join us for a screening of "Wag the Dog" on 7th April, Tuesday, at 7pm, at Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Entry is free.