Category Archives: Film

Coming to theatres today, Friday, October 30: THE PRICE WE PAY

Harold Crooks’ investigation into the impact of corporate tax havens debuted at Toronto last year. It went on to screen at Vancouver, Planete+ Doc, Open City, and CPH:DOX, among other events.

Covering similar terrain as 2012’s WE’RE NOT BROKE, but taking a more international perspective, Crooks’ film looks at the origins and widespread employment of tax havens by multinational corporations in places like the Cayman Island, the Bahamas, and even Canada and Ireland. While the companies are well within their legal rights, and stand by the oft-used justification that they are legally obligated to maximize profits for their shareholders, critics rightfully call this behavior what it is: corporate tax avoidance. The film explores the economic impact of offshore finance, not only in making the rich richer, but in keeping tax revenue out of circulation, jeopardizing federal financing for social services and other public projects. While restricting himself to too many talking heads, Crooks occasionally livens up the proceedings with some fiery footage of congressional and parliamentary hearings that try to take the likes of Google and Amazon to task. The film also presents potential correctives, like the proposed Robin Hood tax on financial transactions, but the prospect for real change looks daunting in the face of infuriating corporate legal, political, and economic muscle.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, October 30: THE ARMOR OF LIGHT

Abigail Disney’s look at the intersection of evangelical faith and gun rights made its world premiere at Tribeca. Other fest screenings have included Traverse City, AFI Docs, Hamptons, Galway, Montclair, and SF Jewish, among others.

Disney’s directorial debut sees her taking on two hot-button conservative issues that oddly aren’t typically linked: abortion and gun rights. Wondering how it is possible to hold both the belief that all life is sacred and that one has the right to bear lethal arms, the perhaps too tentative but thoughtful film focuses on an evangelical minister who has wrestled with what he sees as a contradiction. Reverend Rob Schenck, a long-time pro-life activist, was raised in a secular Jewish household before converting to Christianity, and was among the mass of evangelicals who switched political affiliations in the wake of Ronald Reagan, forming his Religious Right conservative base. Despite his leanings, Schenck has ruffled fellow conservatives and evangelicals by taking a stance for gun control after witnessing the too-frequent occurrences of mass shootings in recent years. Disney follows the reverend as he meets with other conservatives, questioning the morality of putting firearms before Biblical strictures against killing. Joining him as a secondary character is Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, who features prominently in another documentary this year, 3 1/2 MINUTES, TEN BULLETS, underscoring the racial element that often haunts pro-gun rhetoric. In a smart move, recognizing the need to reach out to audiences beyond the already converted, Disney is offering free tickets to NRA members at select venues throughout the country.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 27: GTFO THE MOVIE

Shannon Sun-Higginson’s look at the hostile treatment of women in gaming debuted at SXSW this Spring. It went on to screen at DOXA, IFF Boston, Global Visions, and SF DocFest.

I previously wrote about the doc upon its VOD release here.