قصة حياه معمر القذافي - 4000 يوم من العمل السري
“The Life Story of Muammar Gaddafi — 4,000 Days of Secret Work.”
Title / Work Origin:
القذافي ورحلة 4000 يوم من العمل السري (“Gaddafi and the Journey of 4,000 Days of Secret Work”), which is a written work published in 1999 by شعبة التثقيف بملتقى رفاق القائد (“The Education Section of the Leader’s Comrades Forum”). Even as the video is in Arabic, you will hardly hear any spoken words, as this was the purpose from the beginning. A must watch for anyone interested in Gaddafi and Libya!
The project “4000 يوم من العمل السري” was conceived to highlight the crucial, often hidden period of Gaddafi’s life before he came to power. It aims to show how years of underground work shaped his vision, character, and leadership.
In 2001, a decision was made to produce a documentary about his pre‑coup years. A group of writers and artists was commissioned to create this film under the title “4000 Days of Secret Work.”
The film is intended to offer a fresh and intimate look at Gaddafi's formative struggles—not just political moves, but the emotional, psychological, and human aspects of living under constant secrecy and risk.
Filming took place in locations meaningful to his early life, including the deserts around Sirte and the city of Sabha.
The creative team interviewed people who had known him in his youth—schoolmates, staff members, supervisors from his school in Sabha. These witnesses shared anecdotes and personal memories to bring that era to life.
One particularly vivid scene that often gets mentioned involves Gaddafi allegedly fleeing during a demonstration and hiding in a bread oven (a tannour) before being arrested. This kind of moment is used to illustrate both the danger and the resourcefulness required during his clandestine years.
The documentary frames the final day of this 4,000‑day journey as symbolic and liberating: the moment when secret organizing transitions into open revolution.
The film does more than recount political events; it aims to capture the sacrifices, the inner resolve, the uncertainty, and the faith involved in revolutionary preparation.
It lets audiences appreciate the magnitude of what it takes to move from secrecy to revolution, and how that hidden period tested the will, loyalty, and perseverance of those involved.
By focusing on lesser-known details and eyewitness voices, it invites a more nuanced, empathetic understanding of Gaddafi’s early trajectory.
