A message from THE CORPORATION Producer/Director Mark Achbar, and Campaign Strategist Katherine Dodds
(Information below on how to get involved with DVD House Parties and The May 7 live online debate! Check out also http://www.TheCorporation.com/DEBATE)
Dear Corporation Supporters,
Since THE CORPORATION launched in theatres across North America we have heard from so many of you the same question: what do we do now? Of course, there's no silver bullet solution to the problems of the corporation, but Jennifer, Joel and I did end the film with some case studies and examples of resistance to corporate rule, as well as with a few URLs of groups working on the issues. This was only a start
I've now put over 8 hours of extra features onto the 2-DVD set. This "toolkit" includes a section called "What to do?" in the Q's & A's section of Disc 1, and the "Topical Paradise" on Disc 2 offers a road map to the extra info on the issues, including a wide-ranging one-hour section on "Strategies For Change." As well, there are many more weblinks listed and a DVD ROM feature that works in PCs and Macs to make those links live and clickable.
Since the film's inception almost 8 years ago, Katherine Dodds (who is featured on Disc 1 talking about grassroots marketing) has been spearheading the initiatives to connect with individuals and organizations working on the issues raised within the film. She is the force behind our website. Kat is a "social issue marketer" and my conversations with her about the potential impact of films, media, and the web began what seems like eons ago in relation to my previous film, "Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media" (made with Peter Wintonick). That film has continued to inspire activism and debate for over a decade and we hope The Corporation will have same kind of lifespan. Kat has, for many years, put issues before income and with her small team at Good Company Communications she continues to be dedicated to the mission to see that this film actually has an impact on the corporate institution itself.
But I'll let Kat explain her current Corporation DVD House Party campaign
All the best =96 Mark Achbar
PS. If you just want to buy the DVD =96 buying it from www.HelloCoolStuff.com (a recipient of "The Corporation Seal Of Approval") linked off TheCorporation.com homepage will support this, and other grassroots campaigns!
CORPORATION DVD HOUSE PARTIES AND DEBATE: HARNESSING MOMENTUM TO BUILD
A MOVEMENT
Dear friends,
As I am sure you all know the DVD is out!! And we don't need your help to sell it, because it seems to be flying off the shelves. We do need your help to ensure that this film has an impact where it is really needed =97 something that can't be measured by box office and sales reports! We need you to gather around the DVD, in your homes, (or offices) and decide what should be done about this far too powerful institution. By participating in a house party you'll also get the best deal on offer for a copy of the DVD. (Cheaper than Amazon.com) Cheap enough to give away to those you think who might need to see it!
The beauty of the house party model is that it's fun, easy to organize, and we hope effective in making a difference. I've jokingly described house parties as "the new Tupperware" =96 and the metaphor is = appropriate to an ironic twist on corporate strategies.
But this time, it's not a pyramid scheme in terms of profit motives. It's more akin to the old fashioned phone-tree, with the newer power of the web to network, to connect, and to provide an opportunity for feedback. If we can generate 1000 house parties across North America, and they have on average 10 people attending =96 then we have 10,000 people brainstorming about what we can do to effect change. If each of those 10,000 people forward the email about our campaign to 10 more well you get the picture!
But we aren't merely interested
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