How Can Cinema Change the World? Essay Example

Cinema has become a powerful tool in shaping society today. It has changed people's ideologies in politics, economics, and social issues. Most people prefer going to the cinema today. It is estimated that 6.8 billion cinema admissions are recorded each year. In the UK 78% of people prefer going to the cinema that participating in other activities (Manning, 2017). Therefore, cinema has boosted the entertainment industry in terms of revenues collected each year. Most importantly, cinema has had a tremendous impact on people. The films depicted in cinemas have changed the lives of people by telling the truth in authentic ways. Most films that have the capacity of enhancing empathy, thus having an impact on society. Social and political awareness are among the major ways in which cinema has revolutionized the world. Cinema is used to sensitize people on social and political issues that can change the world. Additionally, it affects people's views about norms and traditions on gender roles. Today more women are participating in the entertainment industry. As a result, being an important woman director and role model can affect today's society. Therefore, there are numerous ways in which cinema has changed the world in terms of culture, politics, and economy.

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Cinema is can be used to create social awareness in order to change the world. Cinema in the past has been used as a tool to show how social issues such as HIV/AIDS affect society. The issue of a sexually transmitted virus was a sensitive topic to handle in the past. Therefore, filmmakers used movies to create awareness of the virus. It involved a quest to fight against stigmatization and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. For instance, the movie "Philadelphia" released in 1993, was the first film to handle the topic of HIV/AIDS. Subsequently, it dealt with the issues of homophobia. The movie changed the world by educating people about a disease no one wanted to acknowledge. Furthermore, it assisted with the discrimination of homosexuals which was another sensitive topic to discuss (Seidman, 2017). Another social issue that was tacked in cinema was homelessness. Homelessness, as it is openly acknowledged today, was a rarely talked subject in the past. When the film "Cathy Come Home" was aired in 1966, the issue became more transparent. After the movie, the very first homeless shelter was founded in the UK. Today more homeless shelters have been established around the world to cater to the growing crisis. In modern times, cinema sensitizes people on social issues such as cyberbullying, homosexuality, healthy living, and substance abuse. For instance, mental illness is has become a growing social concern. Therefore, cinema has created an awareness on mental illness through films such as Black Swan. It has assisted people in seeking help when signs of depression and anxiety kick in, thus reducing the risk of mental illness around the world.

Politics is the base of every spectrum of society. Through cinema political awareness has been achieved. Cinema can be used to sensitize people on political issues in order to change the world. Cinema has assisted people in understanding political ideologies, laws, and government structures. For instance, the film "JFK" that was released in 1991, gave birth to conspiracy theories in regard to the assassination of President Kennedy. Due to increased speculations by the public after watching the movie, the government offered access to information on the assassination. The transparency made people's more informed, thus changing the world by eliminating propaganda which would have created war. Many world policies on humanity and the environment have been established after cinema depicted inhumane laws. For example, a way-ward Pakistani law on honor killing was changed after the film "A Girl in the River" was released. The movie revolves around a young woman whose father attempts to kill her for dishonoring their family (Melnick, 2016). After the film was shown in cinemas, many people from around the world criticized the law and called for its abolition. Hence, after watching the film, Pakistani prime minister called for the amendment of the law on honor killing. Therefore, cinema has equipped people with the knowledge of politics which has made the world a safer place.

Women have been breaking the barriers on the once male-dominated entertainment industry. Today other than being actresses and models, women are also becoming film directors and producers. Cinema has changed people's view on gender roles by incorporating women in the making of films. Since there still exists stereotypes on gender roles, being a woman director puts one on the spotlight. However, this platform allows such women to educate and inspire upcoming female directors. Many women directors such as Saudi's first woman film-maker, Haifaa Al Mansour, are depicted as role models to younger women. Haifaa Al Mansour has become a source of inspiration in a county where women face many restrictions (Ciecko, 2011). Consequently, her award-winning film has affected society's view of women's rights. According to Mansour, the film had to use a female child as the protagonist because women are not free in Saudi. Hence, it raises the issue of the future of filmmaking in countries where women have no freedom. Mansour is one of the many more female directors that aim at educating society on women's rights by eliminating dubious laws and stereotyping. Therefore, in order to shape society's thinking on gender roles, more women directors are needed in the film industry. Unfortunately, women make up only 11% of the top film directors in the world. For instance, Kathryn Bigelow is the only female director to ever win the Academy Award for best director. Critics suggest that a film should be awarded based on its merits and not the director either female or male. However, being a woman director gives so many young girls in the world a role model to emulate. In assists in changing society's perception of women in the entertainment industry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the question of how cinema changes the world is no longer ambiguous. Cinema changes the world by sensitizing people on current social and political issues. The most common social issues today include; homosexuality, cyberbullying, homelessness, substance use, and healthy living. Cinema has assisted in educating people about these social issues that affect the well-being of a person and society. Political issues include assassinations, inhumane laws, and women's rights. Cinema enables people to understand different political ideologies and embrace each other. It also allows people to interact with the government to gain transparency. Women directors and role models are few worldwide but their impact on society is heavily felt. They are the driving force and voice in the fight for women's rights.

References

Ciecko, A. (2011). Cinema "Of" Yemen And Saudi Arabia: Narrative Strategies, Cultural Challenges, Contemporary Features. Wide Screen, 3(1), 1-16.

Manning, S. (2017). Cinemas and cinema-going in the United Kingdom: a regional analysis of Belfast and Sheffield, c. 1945-62 (Doctoral dissertation, Queen's University Belfast).

Melnick, R. (2016). The Faemmle Business: Laemmle Theatres, Los Angeles, and the Moviegoing Experience-an Interview with Bob and Greg Laemmle. From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood, 14, 137.

Seidman, S. (2017). Modern and Postmodern Themes in American Sexual Politics. In The Transformation of Modernity (pp. 119-129). Routledge.