By USC MISC (Media Institute for Social Change)
In addition to talking about the quality of filmmaking and acting, films competing for Academy Awards are always scrutinized for their impact. “It’s always gratifying to see the Academy recognize films that convey messages of social change,” says Michael Taylor, executive director of the USC MISC (Institute for Media for Social Change) in the School of Motion Picture Arts. Several of the films nominated this year focus on real-life social issues.
This is MISC’s list of Oscar-winning films that are influencing important social change discussions.
after sun — Depression (Best Actor)
The portrait is set during a father-daughter vacation to a Turkish resort and focuses on the impact of untreated mental illness on relationships and life trajectories.
Quiet on the Western Front — Anti-war (Best Picture, Best International Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, and 6 other categories)
A new adaptation of German World War I veteran Erich Maria Remarque’s famous novel shows how heroism turned to despair and the young men trusted to the front lines of the conflict paid It depicts the high cost of war.
everything that breathes — Environmental Protection/Conservation (Best Documentary)
With the message that “everything that breathes should not be differentiated,” this documentary explores the rescue of injured kites, smog-stricken birds, and other human-created conditions that threaten New Delhi’s ecosystem. It follows one’s brother.
Avatar: Water Path —“Environment” (Best Picture Award and 3 other winners)
James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Avatar further focuses on the consequences of humanity’s destruction of the environment and the decline of Earth as a habitat.
Everything, Anywhere, All at Once — Representative works (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and 5 others)
While there are plenty of little lessons about kindness, immigrant rights, environmental protection, and a dozen other issues (call it what you will), this movie stands out as a glaring example of what Hollywood has been missing out on due to its lack of It will be remembered. of diversity.
hole out — Climate Change (Best Short Documentary)
Scientists have braved the harsh Siberian Arctic to document the devastating effects of melting sea ice on walrus migration. Animals are being pulled out of the sea and onto dangerous beaches after losing the ice shelves they used as resting places.
life — Aging (Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay)
What does it mean to live a fulfilling life? Faced with a devastating diagnosis, an elderly London bureaucrat seeks joy from those around him.
martha mitchell effect — Gaslighting (Best Documentary Short)
Gaslighting, especially in controlling outspoken women, is at the heart of the story of Watergate whistleblower Martha Mitchell. Martha Mitchell is portrayed as mentally insane due to allegations of government corruption. The film also focuses on how mental illness is stigmatized in society.
Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” — Anti-Fascism (Best Animated Feature)
Del Toro uses stop-motion animation to center the idea of ”disobedience as a virtue,” using the classic story of a puppet who dreams of becoming a real boy, to bring him to the rise of Mussolini. embedded in fascism.
sea beast — Propaganda (Best Animated Feature)
This sea adventure embraces the idea that the stories we are told are not necessarily all true. Ostensibly just a children’s movie, it makes us think about the impact that current political practices like book bans and anti-woke laws have on adults.
stranger at the gate — Islamophobia (Best Documentary Short)
About what’s possible when we dare to build relationships that challenge our worldview, this film tells the unlikely story of a former Marine who intended to kill a Muslim but ultimately converted to Islam. It’s a story about conversion.
love triangle of sadness — Class and Wealth Inequality (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay)
What happens when all the hierarchies we accept in society are turned upside down? This satirical black comedy depicts the extreme distribution of wealth, class, and resources, both in intimate relationships and in society as a whole, in real life. Examine it using larger characters and situations.
whale — Fatphobia (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress)
While the film itself doesn’t tackle the issue head-on, it has spurred discussion about how fat people are portrayed in the media as depressed gluttons who are ashamed of themselves and their appearance. . Criticism also extends to the fact that none of the film’s main creators are fat.
women speaking — Gender Inequality (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay)
Women in religious communities, already disadvantaged because of their gender, are debating how to respond to egregious sexual abuse: doing nothing. Stay and fight. Leave. The ensuing conversations about these choices provide rich, emotional explorations of power, morality, forgiveness, authority, and the experiences that can be determined simply from gender identity.
About USC Others
MISC aims to be a leader in advancing thinking, discussion, and experimentation about how to best leverage different forms of media to maximize social impact. In addition to content creation, MISC provides industry education, original research, and events for Hollywood, and offers a film minor in Media for Social Change to USC students. www.uscmisc.org.