The Network (2019)

To many, it's the stuff of fiction. In a small town in Pennsylvania, a reclusive Imam is accused of running a global network that peddles influence, corrupts children and buys political favours in more than 100 countries around the globe. Not much is known about the sect. But what we do know is they operate with an unusually high level of secrecy. The Gulen network is in the business of opening schools that attract the elites of society - and also offer scholarships to gifted disadvantaged children. And in many countries, they have powerful friends - often silencing those who speak out against them. This documentary is an examination of the group, its origins and its aims. This is a story with many twists and turns, and many alternative versions of the facts. We follow presenter Andrew Wilson on a global journey that takes in the Gulen network's headquarters in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania; their global network of schools and test centres; and the hidden money trail of political influence peddling. We look at their expansion efforts in the Balkans, their quest for hearts and minds in Nigeria, and their alleged links to the American CIA. This documentary is a never before seen insight into a global and clandestine network, who some say is responsible for a bloody coup attempt in Turkey that killed hundreds of people.