filmanthropy

Grab your popcorn before this blog post starts — you won’t want to miss what Jonathan Wolfe (senior writer at Case) has to say about the growing synergy between film and social change. And this is far from his first take. Look for more of Jonathan’s thoughts on “filmanthropy” in the future. Thanks! —Kari

I keep seeing posters and previews for American Teen, a new documentary that promises to be the real-life version of “The Breakfast Club.” It follows the lives of four high school seniors living in a small town in Indiana, each of whom represents a classic teen archetype – the prom queen, the jock, the geek, and the artsy girl.

This film interests me not only as a cineaste but as someone now tasked with better understanding what it means to be a “Social Citizen.” Will this film accurately portray what it means to be a Millennial teenager? And will it address, even tangentially, the way communication is changing as technology advances?

I’ll have to see the movie for the answers to those questions, but I’m also interested in the growing number of films – both fiction and documentary – that are moving beyond mere entertainment in an attempt to educate and inspire. Read more »