Movies with a Message

For some, social issues mean gun control or abortion. But for
Morgan Spurlock, social issues include Big Macs and Ronald
McDonald.

Spurlock’s new film, “Super Size Me,” tackles
the weighty issue of obesity in America. It also represents a
growing trend in popular film that seeks to discuss and examine
social issues in the United States as well as the entire world.

In the film, Spurlock takes on fast food juggernaut
McDonald’s, trying to draw a connection between the fast food
chain’s global domination and the obesity problem that
plagues many Americans today. The finished product won Spurlock the
Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

“I couldn’t open up a magazine or turn on the TV
without hearing something about the obesity epidemic in
America,” Spurlock said. “When I found out about the
less-than-forwardness that (McDonald’s) had about the
manufacturing and ingredients of (its) food, there was definitely
an argument there about the connection with obesity.”

Spurlock’s film is part of the growing wave of popular
films and documentaries that have derived their subjects from
social issues in the world. These films most notably include
Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” and Errol
Morris’ “Fog of War.”

Diaky Diaz, the founder of the First Annual Artivist Film
Festival, which concluded on Wednesday, decided that with the
growing popularity of these types of films, a festival that
featured them would be a way for other new filmmakers like Spurlock
to get their work recognized.

“Today, all Hollywood has really given us is fast cars,
big booms, and no plot, which has desensitized a lot of people to
the outside world,” he said. “I think that with the
growing popularity of these films, it shows that people now want to
see an accurate representation of what’s going on.”

The Artivist Film Festival, which opened with a screening of
“Super Size Me,” also contained a collection of
activist works from the worlds of visual art and music, but Diaz
feels that the festival’s strength definitely lies in its
films.

“Film gives a visual representation to the
audience,” he said. “It gives a mirror image of
what’s really happening in today’s society.”

Spurlock echoed Diaz’s feelings about the power of film as
a tool to discuss social issues affecting the world today.

“Film is an incredibly powerful way of discussing social
issues,” said Spurlock. “Documentary filmmaking is the
one place where the only voice that matters is the
filmmaker’s because that’s the one truth.”

Part of the power of “Super Size Me” comes from the
visual documentation of Spurlock’s decline in health, as
visual images can trigger emotional responses. Television programs
around the world frequently employ the correlation.

Earlier this year on campus, the student group Bruins for Israel
used a segment from a Palestinian Authority Television news program
that depicted the de-gentrification of children. The segment turned
out to be very controversial, causing great discussion among the
student population.

“Film can be dangerous,” said Bruins for Israel
President Ross Neihaus. “It sometimes can convey strong
emotions but give very little information about its
subject.”

While Neihaus claims that the film was not specifically intended
for either a liberal or conservative audience, many filmmakers like
Spurlock have used film as a way to take a definite stance on
issues that they know will not sit well with everyone.

“The liberal audience will probably love my film,”
said Spurlock. “With the conservative audience, it will
probably depend on if they’re pro-commerce, which would make
them a little more hostile, most likely.”

While many recent films like Spurlock’s have noticeably
taken a liberal stance, Diaz still feels that it is important to
show both sides of any issue.

“We have to realize that everyone has a point of view, and
they all should be acknowledged,” said Diaz. “What we
have to do is work away from pointing fingers, and film is one of
the places that gives a filmmaker, whether liberal or conservative,
a voice.”

But the conservative viewpoint has yet to make the big splash
that liberal-minded films have made. While conservative
documentaries do exist, they may not have the same appeal because
they blend in with other programming.

“The reality is that our (society’s) programming is
already pretty conservative,” said Diaz. “The point of
our festival is to show different points of view.”

While Diaz does admit that the festival this year included more
liberal viewpoints than conservative, she hopes that next
year’s festival will have more conservative-minded films.

“Things are not just in black and white,” said Diaz.
“It’s an old saying, but ignoring a problem will never
make it go away; it will just continue to grow.”

Spurlock, whose film has already received glowing reviews and is
set to make a big impact on American audiences when it opens
nationwide on May 7, hopes “Super Size Me” will open
people’s eyes to how corporations can influence opinions.