{"id":26,"date":"2013-01-21T20:29:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-22T01:29:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-03-26T09:45:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T14:45:16","slug":"movies-that-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/k-tock.com\/?p=26","title":{"rendered":"Movies That Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"

A week or so ago, I was shown a video<\/a> featuring Julia Ormond<\/a>‘s Advocacy NGO, ASSET<\/a> (The Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking). In the video, Ormond outlined the plight of the many millions of people around the world who live in slavery– many of them children.<\/p>\n

Child labourers, child soldiers, child sex workers.<\/p>\n

It was eye-opening, showing the true evil that lurks in the human heart.<\/p>\n

It got me thinking about how we can make the world a better place. A place where these sort of evils are, if not eliminated, at least reduced.<\/p>\n

Can the movies we make change the world for the better?<\/p>\n

Samuel Goldwyn said, “If you want to send a message, use Western Union.” And there is a ring of truth to that. People watch movies to be entertained, not to be the target of preaching. Not to mention that movies with an agenda are usually pretty dull. Uninteresting, because the message overpowers the story.<\/p>\n

Then there is the other side of the coin. Does writing a story set against a backdrop of war involving child soldiers belittle the plight of those involved? Is it wrong to write a movie that profits, even if it does highlight the evils of the situation?<\/p>\n

Does a story involving child sex workers demean and objectify? Can a movie cry out on behalf of those who have no voice?<\/p>\n

Would anyone watch that sort of a movie? It is a business, after all. Money must be made. But what of those who are exploited without the world even knowing of their situation.<\/p>\n

I don’t have answers for these questions. And until know, I didn’t even have the questions.<\/p>\n

I don’t want to ignore the cruel reality that there are millions of people in this world who must prostitute themselves or kill or labour if they hope to see another morning.<\/p>\n

And although I don’t see them, although I don’t know them, although my life is far removed from them, their plight is my responsibility. For if not me, if not you, who will speak for them?<\/p>\n

And there is little that speaks louder than a story– a story with power, a story that resonates, lodging in the mind, compelling a response.<\/p>\n

Can the movies we make change the world for the better?<\/p>\n

I hope so.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A week or so ago, I was shown a video featuring Julia Ormond‘s Advocacy NGO, ASSET (The Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking). In the video, Ormond outlined the plight of the many millions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,33,34,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asset","category-change","category-julia-ormond","category-movies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t