Poverty, Inc.
| Poverty, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Matheson Miller |
| Written by | Michael Matheson Miller Jonathan Witt |
| Produced by | Michael Matheson Miller |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Poverty, Inc. is a 91-minute documentary inquiry into the nature of human flourishing and the effects of the multibillion dollar poverty industrial complex erected to promote it. The film challenges current perceptions of global charity and promotes entrepreneurship as an effective alternative to alleviating world poverty.[1] The film was made by the Acton Institute.
Production and synopsis
The filming started in 2010. Directed by Michael Matheson Miller and drawing from over 200 interviews filmed in 20 countries,[2][3] Poverty, Inc. explores the neocolonial power dynamics embedded paternalism underpinning the predominant modes of assistance, which often situate “the poor” (i.e. “the other”) as the objects of charity rather than as the active protagonists in their own stories.
The film has the tag-line, “Fighting poverty is big business, but who profits the most?” One of the things the film looks at is charitable institutions and their role in fighting poverty. It questions whether aid institutions themselves are sometimes a hindrance to fighting poverty.[4][5] The film features Herman Chinery-Hesse, Hernando de Soto and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammad Yunus.[4] Also featured in the film are Bill Clinton and Bono.[3]
Critical reception
Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "As if poverty weren't a challenging enough phenomenon unto itself, time has revealed that good intentions by outsiders can in many cases make the problem worse — a cruel irony that serves as the basis of Michael Matheson Miller’s Poverty Inc., an easy-to-understand docu-essay with a tough-to-accept message, especially as it implies that some aid organizations may actually be cashing in on their concern."[6] And about the director: "Miller avoids the manipulative tricks of lesser filmmakers, presenting his argument with lucidity and reason. Whereas others give without thinking, Poverty Inc. provides genuine food for thought."[6]
Jessi Cape of the Austin Chronicle wrote, "This is a not a sappy documentary – it is all about data: tax loopholes, jobs, geopolitics, property rights, gender issues, rule of law, and much else."[7]
Justice Network, an anti-human trafficking NGO, commented, "It's a raw look at what we're doing wrong and what could be done right."[8]
Liberal economist Jose Caraballo-Cueto wrote in the Huffington Post that the film relies heavily on anecdotes, committing "what economists call the fallacy of composition."[9]
Awards
- Anthem Film Festival
- FreedomFest Grand Prize
- Documentary Feature, Excellence in Filmmaking
- Audience Choice Award, Feature length[10]
- Bahamas International Film Festival
- Chagrin Documentary Film Fest
- Emerging Filmmaker Award[13]
- Docutah Film Festival
- Best Picture[14]
- FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia
- Emerging Filmmaker Award[11]
Official selection
- Austin Film Festival 2014[15]
- Chicago International Social Change Film Festival 2014[16][17]
- Leeds Film Festival[18][19][20]
- San Luis Obispo International Film Festival[21]
- Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival[22][11]
- World Unite Film Festival[20]
- Afrika Film Festival - Leuven 2016[23]
See also
References
- ^ Harger, Jim (November 13, 2015). "Acton Institute film about poverty wins $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award". Grand Rapids Press. MLive. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ The DePaulia Provocative documentary ‘Poverty, Inc.’ premieres at Chicago International Social Change Film Festival
- ^ a b Denver Film Society Poverty, Inc.
- ^ a b The Austin Chronicle Austin Film Festival: Poverty, Inc. Doc uncovers ugly truths in the booming global-poverty aid industry By Jessi Cape, 8:00AM, Wed. Oct. 29, 2014
- ^ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel On Self-Governance, Why Free Food and Used Clothing Won't End Poverty By Peter A. Giersch April 26, 2015
- ^ a b Debruge, Peter (November 18, 2015). "Film Review: 'Poverty Inc.'". Variety. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
- ^ Cape, Jessi (2014-10-29). "Austin Film Festival: Poverty, Inc. : Doc uncovers ugly truths in the booming global-poverty aid industry - Screens". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
- ^ Justice Network (2017-10-23). "What if our approach to poverty is broken?". Justice-network.org. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
- ^ Caraballo-Cueto, Jose (September 19, 2017). "'What's Wrong With 'Poverty, Inc.'? A Critical Review'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World Anthem Film Festival: List of Nominees & Award Winners July 18, 2015
- ^ a b c The SIMA Collection POVERTY, INC. Festivals & Awards
- ^ WorldEventz Bahamas International Film Encore
- ^ Chagrin Documentary Film Fest 2014 Award Winners
- ^ The Spectrum Film festival Desert Valley Times 8:49 a.m. MDT September 9, 2014
- ^ Austin Film Festival 2014 FILM SCHEDULE Archived 2014-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Chicago International Social Change Film Festival 2014 schedule
- ^ The SIMA Collection FESTIVALS & AWARDS
- ^ cafe.allhallowsleeds.org.uk Poverty, Inc.
- ^ Leeds International Film Festival POverty, Inc. Archived 2015-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b The SIMA Collection Poverty, Inc. Festivals & Awards
- ^ San Luis Obispo International Film Festival San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Archived 2015-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Thessaloniki Documentary Festival 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Newsletter #498 (3/14/2015
- ^ "Filmavond - Afrika Film Festival - Poverty Inc". Stad Leuven. Retrieved 25 February 2019.