Backstabbing for Beginners

Drama, History, Romance

The film follows the real life corruption scandal in the UN Oil-for-Food Programme, a programme to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to boost its military capabilities.

Directed by: Per Fly
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Theo James, Belcim Bilgin, Jacqueline Bisset
Produced by: Lars Knudsen, Nikolaj Vibe Michelsen, Jay Van Hoy, Malene Blenkov
Written by: Daniel Pyne, Per Fly
Based on: Backstabbing for Beginners: My Crash Course in International Diplomacy by Michael Soussan

Music by: Todor Kobakov
Cinematography: Brendan Stacey
Edited by: Morten Giese

Production companies: Creative Alliance, Eyeworks Scandi Fiction, Hoylake Capital, Parts and Labor, Scythia Films, Waterstone Entertainment
Distributed by: A24, DirecTV Cinema
Release date: January 18, 2018 (Denmark), April 27, 2018 (United States)

Running time: 90 minutes
Country: Canada, Denmark, United States
Language: English

Cast

Theo James as Michael
Ben Kingsley as Pasha (fashioned after Benon Sevan, the actual head of the United Nations' Oil-for-Food Programme)
Belçim Bilgin as Nashim
Jacqueline Bisset as Dupre
Rossif Sutherland as Trevor
Rachel Wilson as Lily
Brian Markinson as Rasnetsov
Aidan Devine as Cutter
Daniela Lavender as Ruth Zekar Kal
Peshang Rad as Hassan
Kardo Razazi as Abhek

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