MOVIE REVIEWS FOR FILMS USED ON TBB’S GAP YEAR PROGRAMS
TBB offers a series of movie reviews on some of the many films we use during the course of the curriculum on our gap year programs abroad. Movies have been chosen because they offer unique insight into international development issues and inspire us each to be proactive agents of change. If you are interested in exploring some of the ideas TBB students engage during the programs, pick up a few movies and follow along!
Baraka
Directed by Ron Fricke
There is no narration, and there are no actors. Yet, this full-length film speaks volumes about our global society. Fricke creates a story line and message by utilizing impressive cinematography of global cultures and heritage sites that are both familiar and unfamiliar to even the most traveled viewer. (Read review)
The Corporation
Directed by Mark Achbar & Jennifer Abbott
The corporation as an economic and social entity has evolved over the last 200 years. Its influence over global politics and its reach through the products created touch the daily lives of virtually everyone on earth. Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott set out to analyze the legal, social, economic, and political standing of corporations. (Read review)
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Directed by Chris Paine
In 1996 Ford leased a limited number of the EV1 to drivers in California. A fully electric vehicle, the car received impressive ratings from users, was quiet, had no emissions, and was fast. By 2006, Ford had taken all of the cars it had leased back and quietly destroyed them. Chris Paine’s documentary peels back the layers of politics and economics that inspired Ford to create the EV1… (Read review)
Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination
Directed by Chad Heeter
Chad Heeter directed Two Million Minutes to compare how India, China, and the US are educating their respective next generation of workers. The high school experience of two students from each of the three countries is captured in an effort to illustrate a stark contrast the work ethic of the Indian and Chinese students and that of the US students. (Read review)
The Killing Fields
Directed by Roland Joff
Roland Joff’s The Killing Fields provides a look into the experience of those who fled from one of the quieter genocides of the 20th century, that of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Though a Hollywood drama and not a documentary, the film depicts the deeply challenging situations that seem all too common in genocides: outsiders and members… (Read review)
The Future of Food
Directed by Deborah Koons
Deborah Koons explores the technological development of food systems over the past 60 years and the changes that may lie ahead. The film critically analyzes the relationships among small farmers, large agro-business, government regulators, policy makers, and consumers on both the domestic (US) and international levels. (Read review)
Pandemic: Facing AIDS
Directed by Rory Kennedy
Pandemic: Facing AIDS aims to give a human and local face to HIV/AIDS. Rory Kennedy’s documentary provides a look into the daily lives of five people living with HIV/AIDS on five separate continents. The film provides a powerful balance of examining the root causes of the individuals’ infections and the challenges of attaining treatment with the effects of the illness on the infected, his/her family, and the broader community. (Read review)
Ghosts of Rwanda
Directed by Greg Barker
Greg Barker’s Ghosts of Rwanda offers a unique look into one of the last genocides of the 20th century. Through interviews from virtually all sides of the Rwandan genocide – the victims, bystanders, heroes, and genocidaires this episode of the acclaimed em>Frontline series on PBS explores how and why genocides happen. (Read review)
The Devil Came on Horseback
Directed by Ricki Stern & Anne Sundberg
The genocide in Darfur is considered by some to be the greatest international tragedy of the past decade. As a former Marine, Brian Steidle joined the African Union forces in Darfur as a contractor in an area of conflict. What he observed and captured on his camera had a profound effect upon him. He was a witness to genocide. Stern and Sundberg’s documentary chronicles Steidle’s difficult journey from gaining consciousness of the genocide to raising awareness in the international community, particularly in the US. (Read review)
Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?
Directed by Frank Popper
Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart provided us with the inspired notion that the democratic system, for all of its shortcomings, still provides opportunities for champions of what’s right. Frank Popper’s documentary Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? strives to put this notion to the test.issue. (Read review)