At one time when someone mentioned documentary films, I would roll my eyes and remember secondary school films extolling the virtues to the economy of the pulp and paper mills of Northwestern Ontario, never once expanding on the environmental damage they caused. Thanks to the new boom in documentary film-making, it is becoming more and more difficult for corporations to gloss over it's environmental impact, as the movie-watching public is finally growing up.
Documentary films, while going in and out of popularity, scored an Oscar-winning, lethal hit to corporate America with "Bowling For Columbine." Gonzo film-maker, Michael Moore held up a mirror to corporate and governmental bodies, making them culpable to tragedies such as the Columbine shootings, due to the ease one can purchase a gun in the USA.
"The Corporation," a documentary which weights in at a hefty 150 minutes, reduces corporate America to a psychopath, through a step by step explanation of the history, actions and lack of accountability in big business throughout history. While lip service is paid to the idea of a corporation being environmentally sustainable, other issues touched upon were the relationship between corporations and fascist regimes, citizens of Bolivia re-taking control of their drinking water and news media preventing exposure of Monsanto's controversial drug to increase milk production.
Directed by Vancouver's Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar, this work was well researched and supported with interviews by Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Naomi Klein and a host of others in a well-edited and thought-provoking manner. After a sold out premiere the feature is currently playing throughout the Lower Mainland in a number of cinemas and is receiving accolades by the film festival circuit. Now to only get it included in the secondary schooling system curriculum.
