New Consciousness Review Spring, 2017 | Page 36

CONSCIOUS CINEMA

defied the odds ( and prognosticators ) by coming together to peacefully oust the despot , powerfully ushering in a new era of liberty for the country . Likewise , the engaging documentary “ Fambul Tok ” ( 2011 ) explores how opposing forces in the African nation of Sierra Leone used their collective power to come together to resolve their differences and heal old wounds in the wake of a bloody civil war , many of which stemmed from the conflict ’ s utterly horrendous atrocities . Along comparable lines on the domestic front , there ’ s “ Selma ” ( 2014 ), the film depiction of the campaign led by Dr . Martin Luther King Jr . ( David Oyelowo ) to secure equal voting rights in Alabama , a jurisdiction that systematically sought to disenfranchise minorities – and unduly sway election outcomes – an initiative that helped change the course of the nation .
As important as it is to use our collective power to effect political change , it ’ s just as beneficial to employ this strategy for manifesting things of a more personal nature . In the moving biopic “ Dallas Buyers Club ” ( 2013 ), hard-partying rodeo cowboy and AIDS sufferer Ron Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey ) is frustrated by the unavailability of alterbuy herself a new bicycle , a simple but decidedly defiant act in a nation where such tomboyish ways are frowned upon by the powers that be .
Confronting those who attempt to use their power to usurp our own can be one of the best uses of this resource , an example of which is presented in the intense domestic comedy-drama “ August : Osage County ” ( 2013 ), in which a long-bullied daughter ( Julia Roberts ) takes on her long-bullying mother ( Meryl Streep ), a clash of wills years in the making – and long overdue for resolution . That kind of defiance is also found in “ The Lobster ” ( 2016 ), the quirky , satirical comedy-drama about a middle-aged architect ( Colin Farrell ) using his personal power to combat a dystopian society ’ s dictates concerning compulsory coupling – and the draconian consequences for failure to comply .
Using our power collectively to bring about change can be particularly rewarding , benefitting ourselves and others . For example , the Chilean historical drama “ No ” ( 2012 ) illustrates how a nation under the thumb of oppressive dictator Augusto Pinochet
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