Movie Report

Watch a movie relevant to world food issues and write a 2-3 page typed report on it. 

What to watch:  Your movie can be a feature film (like Hotel Rwanda, or Gandhi) or a documentary (like An Inconvenient Truth).   It can be set in the present or in the past.  You can watch the movie in the theatre, on television, or on a DVD or video.  The ISU library has a large collection of feature films and documentaries available for viewing free of charge.  There are many movies that have relevance to world poverty and hunger.  Almost any movie whose focus is an impoverished developing nation will work, even if the story is mostly about the elite and powerful in that nation, rather than the poor.   There is a wide latitude in what you can pick that will inform you about the world, and those who are least powerful: the poor in developing nations.

Your report: Briefly outline the movie but primarily focus on issues of hunger and poverty revealed in the movie.  In your analysis, be sure to use at least two scholarly references in addition to at least one other reference.  Your analysis should include discussion of issues such as: Who was poor and hungry and why?  Were they “invisible” to the main characters in your movie? How was political and economic power denied to the poor via land ownership, employment opportunities, slavery, war, conquest, genocide, repression, etc?   Who controlled agriculture, industry, the ability to make a living?  How did women fare?  The environment?  How did religion or ideology play a role?  How did the government play a role? What historical implications, or implications for the future did your movie reveal?  What ethical implication did your movie reveal? What was your reaction to what you saw?  What did you learn?  Do you agree with the point of view of the movie?  Do you recommend the movie?

Your report must include at least one ethical argument.  Address whether an issue is or is not morally acceptable, giving a reasoned argument based on an ethical theory or principle.

Grading Rubric:

A:  Engaged, thoughtful presentation of the issues revealed by the movie and excellent analysis of the social, ethical, political, economic, and environmental implications of it.  Report integrates and interrelates the movie with other concepts and ideas covered in class relating to poverty, ethics, agriculture, women’s status, etc.  Scholarly references are used to back up the analysis. 

B:  Good presentation of the issues revealed by the movie and analysis of the social, ethical, political, economic, and environmental implications of it.   Does more than a minimal job of integrating and interrelating the movie with other concepts and ideas covered in class relating to poverty, ethics, agriculture, women’s status, possible policy changes, etc.  Scholarly references are used to back up the analysis.