So, one of the classes I am teaching this semester is a senior capstone course focusing on human rights. Today, we had a really interesting conversation about how stories about human rights--short stories, novels, testimonios, films, etc. are one way we learn about human rights issues around the world. While that may be true, it is also the case that these stories sell. A lot. So, one of the questions I came away from the discussion has to do with who controls these stories and who benefits from them. So, for example, if someone makes a film about human rights abuses in another part of the world, I go to my local theater or a film festival to watch it, and then go home, who benefits? So, if the filmmaker is an outsider--not telling their own story--don't they have a vested interest in making a dramatic, marketable story? The owner of the production company, I assume, wants to make money on this story. Is human suffering something that others should profit from? And what about me--the person who pays to see the film? What do I "get" from this, especially if I can't (or don't want to) do something about it?
Here's an example of how art/film can be used as a way to share human rights stories:
What do you think? What do such narratives accomplish? Do they really benefit the communities that are represented? Something to think about...
Here's more information about the full film from the above trailer.
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