The Globalization Tapes

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Audience Member After hearing Joshua Oppenheimer talk about some of his past projects whilst discussing his ground breaking The Act of Killing/Look of Silence due, I found myself looking into 'The Globalisation Tapes' to see what was on offer. I'm glad I did as this small little film certainly has a lot to say. It's well-made and, for Oppenheimer fans, it offers some of the strange visuals and situations that you would probably expect from something involving him. This is a collaborative project, however, (not that his films weren't, of course) and so I'm not even entirely sure how much of a role Oppenheimer played in putting the film together. In any case, it certainly fits with his own work. The involvement of the Indonesian workers is really what makes this film special and particularly memorable- there's a scene where some of them sing a jokey song about the dangers of the pesticides that they use and their lack of protection from those dangers. It's a perfect example of humans adapting to their situation, in this case, one that most viewers will surely find completely horrifying and unacceptable. The film presents an overall argument around the dangers and negative consequences of global capitalism and it's here where I think it's a little weak. I certainly don't disagree with its points; I just feel that the movie barely scratches the surface of them given its short runtime. It's a bit like the Communist Manifesto in that sense- pretty compelling, but quite short too, eh? Still, this film has stayed with me and it certainly deserves more attention. It's a rare opportunity to hear from the distant people who are exploited daily in order for those of us in the West to enjoy the standard of living that we do today. It's an example of the revelatory nature of great documentary film-making. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Globalization Tapes

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