RESISTANCE CINEMA Presents “CAPITALISM HITS THE FAN” Professor Richard Wolff on the Economic Meltdown. Media Education Foundation, Producer & Director Sut Jhally, written & presented by Richard Wolff, 2009, 57 minutes
WHEN: Sunday April 19th, 1:15pm
WHERE: Community Church of NYC, Gallery Room 28 East 35th st. @ park ave.
ADMISSION: Free, donations appreciated
It has long been an understood policy at RESISTANCE CINEMA that we avoid films that are merely lectures. No matter how distinguished the speaker and how much he or she may have to say that is valuable, we have always preferred films that are cinematic and offer a compelling and stimulating visual experience to accompany the message. With CAPITALISM HITS THE FAN we break with the rules and make an exception. The economic crisis is upon us and despite the abundance of expert analysis and explanations that permeate all the media, certain fundamental root concepts remain vague and unexplored.
With breathtaking clarity, renowned University of Massachusetts Economics Professor Richard Wolff breaks down the root causes of today's economic crisis, showing how it was decades in the making and in fact reflects seismic failures within the structures of American-style capitalism itself. Wolff traces the source of the economic crisis to the 1970s, when wages began to stagnate and American workers were forced into a dysfunctional spiral of borrowing and debt that ultimately exploded in the mortgage meltdown.
By placing the crisis within this larger historical and systemic frame, Wolff argues convincingly that the proposed government "bailouts," stimulus packages, and calls for increased market regulation will not be enough to address
the real causes of the crisis, in the end suggesting that far more fundamental change will be necessary to avoid future catastrophes. Richly illustrated with motion graphics, this is a superb introduction designed to help ordinary citizens understand, and react to, the unraveling economic crisis.
Richly illustrated with graphics and charts, this is a superb introduction that allows ordinary citizens to comprehend, and react to, the unraveling crisis.