Interviews that mark an era

The enormous difficulties in finding programs on mainstream television that both entertain us and educate us about the world have turned platforms into a consolation for discovering alternatives that nourish our souls. One of the most exceptional offerings is David Frost vs., on Movistar+, a compilation of the British journalist's greatest interviews. Frost is best known internationally for his 1977 interviews with Richard Nixon, in which he persuaded the US President to acknowledge his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Frost interviewed key political leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as key cultural and social figures in contemporary history. He established a television style, raised journalistic standards, and became a highly influential figure internationally, sensitive to global conflicts and challenges.

David Frost vs. is a documentary series that collects excerpts from his most famous interviews. The episodes are dedicated to the Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Jane Fonda, Richard Nixon (of course), and Elton John. Each episode is complemented by other interviews, testimony from his children, and other personalities to provide context. Each program becomes a narrative of an era that transcends the protagonist. One of the episodes connects us in a visionary way with our most turbulent present: David Frost vs. The Middle East (David Frost on the Middle East (on Movistar+) compiles the interviews the journalist conducted over fifty years with the main promoters of peace between Israel and Palestine. There are excerpts from conversations with Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Gold Meir, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair. The program allows us to understand the origins and evolution of this eternal conflict through the voices and opinions of the personalities who have shaped the history of these two countries in constant conflict. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair are interviewed again to recall those conversations, the political context, and the pressures that often accompanied them. Other witnesses complement the story. It is shocking—and desperate—to see past events from the current perspective. Over half a century, Frost acted almost as a notary and a kind of public mediator. He served as a catalyst for political compromises in front of millions of viewers. Some archival images are moving. It is also shocking to observe the deterioration of leadership. In 2002, Frost interviewed a swaggering Netanyahu, the only one of the protagonists to lose his temper on camera. Frost asks him a key question: "The real tragedy of what you're doing is that you're trying to find a military solution, when a political solution is needed. Meanwhile, every Palestinian you kill creates a hundred more suicides. In fact, you're making the situation worse, not better. Don't you think?" The answer is almost premonitory of what we're experiencing more than two decades later. Don't miss it.