As I said before, I’ve seen several films that made me want to change the world, and with that I mean in a change for the better, obviously. The list looks like this at the moment:
The Corporation – an extremely thorough documentary on the history and influence of the modern multinational corporation. With several surprises, especially for those with strong views pro and con.
Life and Debt – a documentary taking a closer look at how a globalised capitalist economy has affected a small third world nation, in this case Jamaica.
Hotel Rwanda – a feature film based on the events of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. It indirectly deals with the consequences of the power vacuum of the post-colonial era, and shows the West’s indifference to the heartbreaking suffering of millions of africans.
The Edukators – a feature film focusing on three young Germans and their attempts at rebelling against a economic system so pervasive [link to article in Danish, sorry] that only through brave hope and passion can they see a different way to live.
…
I feel like I’ve forgotten some important ones, but I can’t say which. Maybe it was just Supersize Me, but everybody already seems to know that the golden arches are bad for you.
When I saw “the Corporation” at last year’s Copenhagen documentary film festival, I immediately wanted to go out and get the dvd to show the film to everybody, or at least all who would seem the least bit interested. Back then, the dvd hadn’t even been released in North America, much less Europe where most countries are still waiting for the cinema distribution deals to go through, so I couldn’t actually, legally get my hands on it.
But now, with The Corporation and The Edukators, I think that I’ve found a matching set of films that will shake people up and grab their attention. As soon as I can acquire both in proper legal fashion, I’ll be arranging proper illegal screenings near you, but until then, the best I can do is some bits and pieces I found while researching my essay on the Nike swoosh and the Eiffel Tower as empty signs.
The point being that brands are usually signs empty of meaning until streamlined through cunning marketing strategies to associate certain ideas and values with the brand. I used parts of Naomi Klein’s research on branding (a summary of which can be found here) and stumbled upon this telling song about the power of brands.
Enjoy.
