Call and Response
"Justice is what love looks like in public." Cornel West, Call and Response (Fair Trade Pictures)
As I write this article, the top 3 grossing films in America are High School Musical 3: Senior Year (they made a THIRD one of those?), Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Saw V. Now, I like dancing and decapitation as much as the next guy, but I figured I'd take a few minutes of your time to talk about a decidedly different type of film.
Call and Response is billed as "The first feature rockumentary to expose the world's 27 million most terrifying secrets." It's been called "eye-opening" (Seattle Times) and "noble" (Variety). The Washington Post called it "a documentary with its heart and its outrage in the right place" and the LA Times said the film "deserves attention". The movie features exclusive performances from a wide variety of artists like Moby, Switchfoot, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, and Five For Fighting, as well as commentary from such modern-day luminaries as Madeleine Albright, Kevin Bales, and Cornel West. Produced by first-time filmmaker Justin Dillon, this independent movie is showing in major theatres in over 22 American cities, coast to coast.
What is the movie about?
Slavery.
Perhaps now you can see why it didn't make the Top 3.
Should you consider yourself in the more sheltered section of society, there's a chance that the topic of slavery puts you in mind of the American Civil War and the Underground Railroad. You might think that slavery is as outdated as Abe Lincoln's beard. If that's the case, and you want it to stay that way, do not read the following section.
There are more than 27 million known slaves in the world today, more than at any other time in recorded history. The slave trade made over $32 billion last year alone, which is more than Google, Starbucks, and Nike...combined. This is the call. What will be our response?
The idea behind Call and Response is to declare this truth and wait for us (an audience, a nation, a generation) to respond. Once we become aware of these facts, we have no choice but to respond. Our only choice is how to respond. We can respond by justifying this as a needed trend in global economics. We can respond by pursuing further education on the issue. We can respond by joining the modern-day abolitionist movement, or we can respond by ignoring the issue completely. In any case, we must/will respond.
I know that this film is both impacting and insightful, but I know this only through the eyes of others. I haven't been able to see anything but the trailers on their website. Understandably, it hasn't played in my hometown of Moncton, New Brunswick. But it could. It could play anywhere that people express the desire to educate themselves and others. If you happen to be reading this article and live in the Moncton area (and you want to help bring this film to town), email me at CallAndResponse@marcjolicoeur.com. If you're interested but you live in another part of this great land of ours, you can send an email directly to the producers at bringit@callandresponse.com. Even if you're not interested in bringing the film to your town, I urge you to visit www.callandresponse.com to familiarize yourself with the issues.
Warning: Once you go to the site and click on links like "33 Responses" or "Take Action", it's very possible that your life will never be the same. You may stumble into a virtual spider web of information and opportunity on sites like www.chainstorereaction.com (a site dedicated to getting pledges from brand names guaranteeing their products are "Slave Free"), www.slaverymap.org (a site that allows people to post noted incidents of slavery revealed by the police and news organizations), and www.betheresponse.com (a social networking site with a much larger goal than sharing pictures). You may find that you're no longer willing to turn a blind eye.
Of course, many of us will continue to ignore this issue. Some of us blatantly so. Others will start off with the best of intentions, signing all the petitions and trying to watch any film they can get their hands on that exposes the issue. They'll tell all their friends about it, but, in time, they'll tire of the scene. They'll become frustrated by the lack of perceived progress, or by the idea of paying twice as much for their sneakers. I may find myself in that lot, though I hope and pray that's not the case. We should never become tired of doing good.
I'd like to leave you with the quote listed at the top of this article. "Justice is what love looks like in public." Isn't that what we want? Love? Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr. Phil, The Beatles, The Jonas Brothers....whoever you're listening to. They're all talking about Love. But Love is often a naked idea, difficult to distinguish. This movement is about dressing Her up and showing Her off. The movies and the websites aren't end results in and of themselves. They're merely tools, empowering society to put Love into Action. Remember: The call has been placed. Our only remaining decision is how we'll respond.
How will you respond?