Not being a great fan of the documentary feature I was rather ambivalent about this David and Goliath tale. However, after its screening at the Shetland Film Festival UK film critic Mark Kermode recommended it partly as righteous exposition of the power of money over local communities and also as a real life twist on the Local Hero (1983) story - a feelgood film from Scottish film maker Bill Forsyth. Clips of Forsyth's movie are included in You've Been Trumped to underpin the message and Forsyth watched the film at the Shetland Film Festival giving his full support to the documentary maker, Anthony Baxter.
What we get is a film that not only angered me because of the insidious support of the UK and Scottish governments for this outrageous project but the bullying and illegal activities of the local policeforce, who should be charged with assault, illegal arrest and detention of the film maker. We are aware of the arrogance, lying and bullying of Trump who uses his money to get what ever he wants with impunity, but for the small people - the local constabulary, to be in on this is beyond reproach.
The treatment of the local farmers and residents by Trump is astoundingly arrogant and without precedent. This is a foreign national riding roughshod over a local community, with the support of local, and national governments, and it is the colour of his money and promise of jobs that it was clear wouldn't appear that sold it to the politicians.
Baxter's film making is quietly confident as he shows us Trump's lies and his vitriol towards the local people. Trump treats Baxter, as he does the local people, with contempt, yet Baxter shows the local residents as people, initially confused by what's happening to their homes, evolving into a mutually supportive network.
Baxter's ending evokes moments from Forsyth's film, and reminds us that perhaps there will be a happy ending. It would be nice to think that a film as powerful as this can make a difference, but I feel that unfortunately there are many Americans like Trump who see the UK as just another country to be colonised by their big money regardless of the wishes of local communities.
