On Screen Manitoba

Originally scheduled to air on October 20, 2011, Conspiracy Rising was pre-empted hours before airing due to the unexpected death of Gaddafi. The world premiere of this fascinating documentary is now scheduled for Thursday, March 8, 2012 on CBC TV’s Doc Zone at 9:00pm ET/PT (9:30pm NT) with a repeat showing on CBC’s sister network, CBC News Net, on Friday, March 9 at 10:00pm ET/PT.

Set against the global socio-political landscape, Conspiracy Rising is a one-hour documentary exploring the trajectory of conspiracy theories, the people who promote them and the reasons why so many people believe. Combining remarkable archival footage, stunning visuals and extraordinary experts, we take the viewer inside the murky world of the modern conspiracy as well as look back at where they originated. This timely and current documentary will introduce the audience to fascinating material, outlandish claims and may even reveal truths that have been hidden for decades.

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? What's really at the root of society's skepticism of the “official story”? What type of person is it that believes a sinister and secret society is manipulating the government? These are the questions explored in this fascinating and thought-provoking documentary produced by Merit Motion Pictures, and directed by Andy Blicq (Are We Digital Dummies, The Secret World of Shoplifting, The Truth About Liars).

The number of popular conspiracy theories and the speed at which they spread across the globe is a growing cause for concern. Over 1/3 of Americans believe their government did not tell them the truth about 9/11. One third of the British population believes that Princess Diana did not die an accidental death. Belief in conspiracy pervades our modern culture and proliferates in cyberspace with thousands of sites dedicated to theories behind the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Princess Diana, UFO’s, Area 51, and 9/11. Looking at these events and others, Conspiracy Rising reveals how our society’s distrust in government and other institutions has created a culture of doubt. It examines the ways that fearful people find comfort in the order and explanations that conspiracy theories provide. Conspiracy Rising shows how conspiracy theories frequently discourage honest discourse, incite racism and persecution and, if unchecked, can threaten the most basic foundations of a democratic society.

Featuring outspoken US publisher of Skeptic Magazine, Dr. Michael Shermer, who uses scientific methods to question if there is truth behind the theories with his “Baloney Detection Kit" and British psychologist Patrick Leman, who explains the social needs for conspiracy theorists’ beliefs, Conspiracy Rising takes a hard, penetrating look at the psycho-social and philosophical roots of conspiracy theories, examining who tends to believe in them and why.