I have been around dailykos since its Movable Type days. I have gained immeasurably by the writings and efforts by the front pagers and the community as a whole and the places they have directed my attention over the years. They have inspired me to work to make a better and more just world.
I first was spurred to work for that world by reading Progress and Poverty at age 16 at the suggestion of my father. It made a huge impact on my life.
That ember for social and economic justice for everyone smoldered until about 20 months ago...
I have a 12 year career in program development in cable television but I had an idea for a film about the origins of poverty. Using Henry George's Progress and Poverty as a jumping off point I wrote a proposal for a documentary that would address in a new way a few core question:
Why is there there so much poverty in a world where there is so much ever increasing wealth?
Why does relative poverty increase as we throw more money towards fixing it?
Is there some hidden force that works against our best intentions?...a poverty engine that we keep fueling somehow.
Does what causes poverty in Africa also cause it in the United States?
I had some ideas about this and wrote a pretty good treatment and started shopping it around by making cold calls because I had no film contacts. My fourth call was to a company in Canoga Park, California experienced in making and distributing successful feature length documentaries about political/economic issues. They had shown at Cannes and won other film awards...I was lucky to get through.
They liked the idea tremendously and said "yes" to making it. After a few months I worked to get the film essentially paid for and we started doing research and setting up interviews and shooting...
Some luminaries we interviewed...
Nobel Prize winners Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen
our own Jerome a Paris (who has some great lines in the second half of the film!)
Former Economic Hitman, John Perkins and many, many others. Lots of senior ministers and organizers and professors and historians and many incredible poverty stricken people. The crew traveled to Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela as well as going around Europe and the US for interviews.
The film is in its last stages of being edited...the two hour cuts are incredible. It is an infuriating gut punch of a film that shows the depths of poverty and its frightening cyclical nature and how it destabilizes nations and the world. The film doesn't give a silver bullet for magically eliminating poverty but shows an exciting route for reform.
I am so excited for this film. I am currently working on the sound track which is kind of blowing my mind. The film will be in theaters probably near to the election after running the film festival circuits.
So here is where I wanted to ask all of you for your help...
we have had a few working titles
Access Denied (too technical)
The Poverty Paradox ( not bad, but a bit mysterious )
Manufacturing Poverty ( again, not bad, but a little heavy ).
Besides a good title we are hoping that the film title can be repurposed into a positive sounding movement. For example the title Manufacturing Poverty is a bad name for a "movement" because we want to unmanufacture poverty.
Anyway, please post your suggestions. I cant give you anything but my thanks. Obviously we have our own lists as well but I wanted to see what you all thought. I
Also happy to chat about the film as well.