Search - National Geographic - Ambassador: Inside the Embassy on DVD

Outside The Embassy

Mark Byron | Orlando, FL USA | 05/25/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Having worked in an Embassy, this National Geographic documentary does a marginal job of encapsulating the top level mission of an Embassy as seen through various Ambassadors, but the title is certainly misleading. Other than a brief glimpse of a hapless junior foreign service officer working in the consular office and an Ambassador's residence, all you see is the 'outside' of the Embassy. The rest of the State Department functions and other agencies that make up an Embassy are simply ignored in favor of one dimensional political intrigue. For example, the US Ambassador to Guatemala is shown as an overly strong figure lecturing the President of Guatemala about corruption in his impoverished country, but nothing is said about the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) role in providing hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid to assist Guatemala. Assistance programs are a big part of the Embassy's mission in developing countries, but the good folks at National Geographic chose to ignore this important element. While the film is useful for those want to get an Ambassador's viewpoint on how they approach the job, don't expect to learn anything about an Embassy and the film is too topical and is already out of date."

Disappointing documentary

Stefano Baldi | 01/30/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I do not think it really explains what an Embassy does and what and Ambassador is and represents. It is a rather confusing presentation of different situations and experiences. Unfortunately there are very few films or videos on diplomacy, that is why this DVD can still be a useful tool for those interested in diplomatic activity."

Love it!

whea-wix | USA | 01/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Our school uses this National Geographic video extensively in our Foreign Policy unit. I am glad to see it here!"