IMPACT OF FILMS ON SOCIETY
Not many artistic art forms have the capability to influence society such as film. For years, films continue to leave their mark on society. It is easy to see how cinema influences society, in all aspects of our lives. Not only does it influence fashions and customs, but in some cases, we can detect a trend in the face of certain types of political or economic events. Perhaps this points us to other possibilities, considering that the cinema is not only a means of entertainment but that it could also become a way of making ourselves better people.
“ We are like the actors in a play. The divine has designated us with the roles in life without consulting us. Although we cannot control the role assigned to us, our concern should be to play the assigned role as well as possible and refrain from complaining about it. Wherever he is and in any circumstance, he delivers an impeccable performance (Epictetus, Manual de vida).
“Life is nothing but a shadow in motion; a bad actor who struts and fidgets for an hour on stage and then is never heard from again: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of noise and fury, which means nothing” (Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V , Scene V).
Listed below are ways we believe cinema has influenced society:
Cinema and language
It is common to find the influence of cinema in popular language.
The name of the garment known as cardigan comes from the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, in which one of the characters wears that garment.
The word paparazzi comes from the name of the journalist named Paparazzo who appears in Federico Fellini's La dolce Vita, and so we can find many other cases.
Cinema and society
In the second half of the 20th century, environmentalism has had a lot of influence. According to some sociologists, the 1942 film Bambi was a kind of catalyst due to the effect that the death of the protagonist's mother had on children at that time.
Cinema and crises
In times of crisis, the leisure industry grows in the face of the need for evasion and, within it, the cinema.
In the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, the great genres of cinema emerged: adventure films, musicals, gangster films, comedies, and, above all, horror films.
Cinema also helps convey positive messages. One of the most successful films of the time was Walt Disney's The Three Little Pigs, which was screened as a short between feature films. People came especially to see her. The wolf was still a metaphor for the Great Depression, and the three little pigs showed different ways of facing it and defeating it.
Cinema and politics
In 1933, Hitler came to power. Nazi Germany turns the film industry into a powerful propaganda medium for Nazism. We can remember the phrase of the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels: "If a lie is repeated enough, it ends up becoming the truth." What we see in the cinema is a lie, but we easily end up believing it.
Communism also uses the cinema. Lenin said: "Of all the arts, the cinema is the most important for us."
Nowadays, not much has changed, as movies are still considered one of the most effective ways of promoting political messages.
Cinema and spirituality
The need for explanations transcendent to our life is also reflected in the cinema.
After the enormous massacre of the Second World War, films are produced that reflect a kind eternal life: The mocking spirit, How beautiful it is to live !, and The bishop's wife.
In fact, Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest directors of all time considers the film to be a spiritual endeavor.
However, one can argue that many modern-day films, and those from the second part of the twentieth century, portray the characters devoid of spirituality, on a conquest to colonize the world of our imagination, the world where the significance of spirituality is ignored.
ELON PRODUCTIONS: THE FILMS WE PRODUCE
At Elon Productions, our goal is to produce films that will leave an impact on society. We don’t take every project, but we focus on the stories that we know are going to take our audience on a personal journey. Our films focus exploring themes such as existential, spiritual, and love.
Over the past of couple of years, we’ve produced the following films.:
WAR CELLAR - 2019
Set in Rome during the end of World War II: An American soldier and an Italian woman must find a way to trust one another in order to survive.
TAILOR SHOP - 2021
A tailor relives the memories of an old love as he prepares to retire and sell the shop that he has once called home.
The Keys - 2021 - In development
After locking his keys and wallet in a car, a young man's attempt to retrieve them back becomes a far more sinister journey.
Learn More
The Keys - HomePage
Do you have a film, you think is worth making? Or do you want work with us? Let us know!