Ok the title of the blog is a bit out but some films have changed countries in a big way. Film has a chance to show the worlds problems in a different way to TV or newspapers
Some films over the last 20 years have really changed the country they were made in. It starts with independent films as they more than most have nothing to lose when portraying a country or city. Due to lack of money or even interest they have made the film and got it on the big screen. Once on the screen it then will be subjected to the review of the world's media.
When a review is made it will tell the reader where it was made and what it is about. This at times is a story in its self. A few films I like that have showcased the problems of the country to the world had a massive impact on the country on a political status. When a film does well financially it is a success but the following few films I will detail were not just a cash generator they seem to hit on the worlds media and political minds and help to make changes that live on even now. It is easy to place documentaries in this list but I have chosen feature films that have been made in the last 20 years. Enjoy.
Trainspotting (Scotland 1996)
As a Scot it was pretty much a must see film. But to me it was more a documentary, I am not stupid I know drugs exist and I know where they take em and all that. But this film had a massive impact in the whole of the UK. It was at its release talked about in parliament and even talk of banning it as it glorified drugs. But it did do one thing very well and that was to embarrass Scotland around the world. Forever Scotland was the kilt wearing haggis eating nation with a colourful football support and the shortcake tin image. Not anymore, we have a big drug and alcohol problem that has existed for years and was always brushed aside. Also the housing shown in the film was a real wake up call to the UK. Some of the scenes were deliberately shot in Glasgow as the slums were so bad in Glasgow. The reality is Edinburgh bore the brunt of blame in the state of the housing shown in the film. But it was not just Edinburgh but the whole of Scotland that needed to be changed. More money was then put into changing the boarded up slums and at times demolishing them completely. It did help and at times worked well, some streets were no go areas and now are populated with people again. The drug side of the film has been addressed but that will never change in this country. Scotland has a greater per-head use of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in this country than almost any other. And even on a list of worst countries in the world for taking drugs Scotland is fifth after Iran, Costa Rica, Russia, Afghanistan and Mauritius. So still work to be done then.
Bus 174 (Brazil 2002)
This was a true story and so true it was shown by the news channels live on TV in Brazil. On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. This is more of a documentary as it does have real footage of the incident and includes many people who were held hostage on the bus. Ok this is not a big film with a plot or anything but some of the hostages felt they were in the middle of a prank or a move for TV. Brazil has a TV culture much like what Japan has with mocking people on live TV as the big shows. So when hundreds of cameras turn up the hostages get a feeling of it may be a scam. The hostage taker even at one point shouts out a window about it being "real shit". The man who took them hostage was a local man who had lived on the streets and slums of the city from boyhood. The film focuses on Sandro do Nascimentoand his childhood of growing up and also gets the hostages to talk about this as well. What this film shows more than anything else is the utter uselessness of the police. They stand aside the whole time and do nothing, as if they just don't care. The police did say that they would have used force if the cameras were not present but that would have resulted in the deaths of many of the passengers. With the police being so corrupt and badly trained they have no skills in this type of crime and that is what is on show in the film. You see this at the end when the criminal is talked into surrendering and a police officer tries to shoot him and misses only to kill a passenger instead. Even Sandro do Nascimento was killed but only later on when the police threw him into a van. His official death was caused by asphyxiation (aye right). The officers who took him into custody were charged with murder; after jury trial they were found not guilty. The shooting of the woman was recorded as accidental.
With the incident making headlines only in Brazil the film was a worldwide hit in independent cinemas. The world asked questions and Brazil had to hang its head in shame. They have been doing what they can to stop corruption and the city does have more help for street kids. The film really does show what the city was capable of.
City of God (Brazil 2002)
Back to Rio de Janeiro again and this time a film that was adapted from a book. The film shows what life is like for kids in a slum on the outskirts of the city. Most of the cast were from real-life favelas and only one actor was a professional. Most people would know the slums of the city were full of crime and not a very nice place to live. Life is hard and no jobs means most live in utter poverty. Again most people know poverty attracts crime and again drug problems are rife in the slum. What shocked people about this film were the crimes the kids commit, murder is the big one and with a very young boy shooting as if he has a toy gun. Again the police are shown in a bad light and the part of the film that shows how the police treat the street kids is a real nasty piece of work. But true. After the film the world took notice as the film was nominated for four Academy Awards and was awarded many awards in other countries. The reality then hits many people as the police do go out and shoot kids in the street, thinking they are cleaning the city of criminals. The film touches on this and done more than any charity could have done in bringing this to the news rooms of the world. Again after the film many charities and countries show their disgust at the killing of the orphan children. The government did react and have done so very well. Winning the 2016 Olympic Games shows how far the city has come in under a decade. More police stations were introduced in a way they were more like community centres so that the locals get more involved in the policing of the city. Murders are down by half from when City of God was made. Kids can now play in the street where before it was the kids who ruled the street.
District 9 and Invictus (South Africa 2008)
After Nelson Mandela was released from prison it was a huge day for the country. People really thought the country would change and hoped that Mandela was the man to do so. In 1994 he became the first democratically elected South African president. The country had elected him to help change the fortunes of the country. For many years people had an idea that South Africa was a changed nation, it was in many aspects like the way black and white people learned to live together peacefully. Finally everyone came to agree on a majority rule constitution. This constitution states that racial discrimination it is against the law. Black people were given back the vote and the country was opened up to the world again after the end of apartheid. The film District 9 was a bad blow to the country as it really showed the slums have not changed in nearly 20 years. A well-made film that depicts aliens landing in South Africa only to be treated like second class citizens. Forced to live in shanty towns on the outskirts of the city. It is a huge wake up call to the government of South Africa and it was the first time people really started to question Rolihlahla Mandelas and Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki time as Presidents of the country. The questions are rightfully asked and the country still has a shameful excessive amount of people in poverty. At about the same time as District 9 a film Invictus was out in some parts of the world. A film about the country's rugby team winning the World Cup in 1995. Black South Africans would never have supported the country's rugby team as they were looked on as everything that was bad about the white rule. The people united to support the team and then they went on to win the tournament with the captain giving an interview at the end of the match went like this,
"Francois, fantastic support from 63,000 South Africans here today?" TV anchor-man David van der Sandt said straight after the Boks had beaten the mighty All Blacks in the final. Without missing a beat, Pienaar replied: "David, we didn't have the support of 63,000 South Africans today, we had the support of 42 million South Africans."
Both films portray the country in a very different light and I do think both will do something to change the fortunes of many. Rugby in South Africa is getting more popular throughout the whole country and only time will tell if the government will do anything to get rid of the shanty towns.
Slumdog Millionaire (India 2009)
Danny Boyle is a fantastic director and has made some iconic films. One is Trainspotting this is his other ground breaking film. I was not all that impressed with this film but the world loved it. A huge international hit that has put the eyes firmly on India and the slums that the film was set. Not much of a story here but it does show the corruption in the police department and mostly on the lives of the people living in the slums. This film surprised India more than most as it was a very low budget film made by a The European Union. The sweat houses and slums of India have been shown to an international audience that had no clue they existed in a country that has been growing so well. America took to the film very well and again a whole new audience to witness the realities of the slums of India. Shocked people around the world donated money to help the kids who stared in the film. The kids in the film were not from wealth families but children who grew up in the slums. I hope this film does for India what City of God done for Brazil.
Supersize Me (USA 2004)
Directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock this film is a documentary but unlike may other is focused on the maker of the film. For once the director is the subject of the film and in this he decides to eat junk food for 28 days and see what the outcome was. To many people who know know a good bit about what they eat it is not much of a film. Many people who don't know what is contained in their food were shocked. Some fast food had such a high amount of fat, salt and sugar it even shocked the knowledgeable viewer. The guinea pig (Spurlock) was subject to sleepless nights and stomach pains. He was told not to do the experiment by his doctor but went ahead anyhow. In the end it was a great documentary that shows how bad eating fast food on a regular basis can be. In reality and not too long after the film some food chains started to reduce the about of fat/salt in the food. It was also a big shock to people in the UK as the country has a similar outlook on fast food as America. It has influenced the politicians to the point the food chains may have to advertise on the menu the details of what is contained in the meal and its calorie content. This is a real big change for the stores and one that would put of many people buying the meals as much. The film was a big hit and was seen around the world many millions and also quickly shown on the TV to an even better effect. The documentary did have a real impact on people and the companies selling the food. More laws and regulations were introduced to show people what exactly they are eating. I has helped some for now but it will take 15-20 years to see the real change.
