All Films Are Political, Pt 2

On identity, representation, othering, perspective, and violence.

On Monday, I set the table for you. Now I want to serve you the meal.

I suspect some you are wondering, “Is this another list – the one on what makes a film political?”. And perhaps, if so, the next question is “why would we need such a list?”. Just like most of us don’t truly know how to tie our shoes correctly, open a can or a car door, we don’t know how to lift our films from good to great. We get trapped without knowing it doing the same thing that others done, thinking it is the way things are done. The system enters us and holds us back. We could be doing something different — and likely to much better results.

Do any of us need help to revise our perception -- and ultimately our actions —around what makes a film political or not? The answer is…. yes.

if i am the dinosaur, are you the sign?

You may disagree, but I am going to break it down further for you, because I think the acceptance that all films are political is the key for you to shed that false self you likely still prop up, the one that gets hurt when someone disagrees with you, or the one that thinks you have to limit what you say because they will take away the little that you’ve won to get here today. Politics is not a bad word. It is not something to shy away from. It is an aspect of humanity that is worthy of celebration.

I suspect that you need some help to shed the false self, because I needed some help to do that too. That’s my intent anyway, to help you move through quick what’s taken me a career and close to a lifetime to achieve. And I specifically talking the creative side of you; the rest, I leave you to your own on.

My agenda is to lift you up so you are taking the good you’ve already made or are in process of making, and transform it to the next level. Let’s get to the great, without having to be a genius to get there. Let’s develop the processes that allow more of us to be so merry. Let’s dig in again with this tasty subject: are all films political? Ted says yes. Shall we continue exploring now?

Identity politics may be the exception to the rule of our industry’s overt non-recognition of politics as a given. The film industry is well aware of both the positive and negative effects of representation – not that that helps anyone working in this business accept it or use it well. Yet, we use the very thing that could bring us to together, to sow fear and polarization. Not just in film by any means either. And yet we think we’ve made progress — and in many ways we have — but many would say we’ve gone too far already and maybe even driven ourselves into a ditch or a grave. I say we are making progress although it is by no means a constant.