For this year’s Blog Action Day I am posting a list of outstanding films (in no particular order) that I have come across over the years, and which treated the subject of poverty in manners that provoke thought, dialogue and action.

Isle of Flowers (1989) – An 11-minute film from Brazil by Jorge Furtado which traces the path of a tomato from garden to dump through an extremely unbalanced socioeconomic system, leading to the Isle of Flowers, where the city’s waste accumulates, where the pigs are raised, and where human beings try to find food. The bizarre collection of images and monotone narration raises seemingly irrelevant facts which eventually culminate to expose a shocking reality. It was chosen by the European critics as one of the 100 most important short films of the century.

Turtles Can Fly (2004) – This Iranian/Iraqi film by writer/director Bahman Ghobadi speaks to us from a surprising angle, at first neither confronting nor condoning the political agendas of either opposing side in the American overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s government. Instead, it settles quietly into a Kurdish refugee camp in the border of Turkey and Iraq sometime before the invasion. It then recreates with sincerity the psychological and physical state of a particular people who – despite being affected severely – remain neglected amidst the mainstream controversies of our time.

Darwin’s Nightmare (2004) – Hubert Sauper filmed this by himself with a video camera in “Fish City”, Tanzania, site of the second-largest lake in the world, Victoria. It unflinchingly documents modern-day people living under the most degrading conditions – the result of a man-made chain that has deformed the parameters of “survival of the fittest” to somehow include a species possessing rational and spiritual faculties: human.

The Corporation (2003) - Amidst the structural ocean of sequences in this refined, humorous and modernistic documentary, there is an engaging duality between the film’s characterization of the corporate entity, and the consistent stream of interviewees who represent those brave enough to speak against or on behalf of that entity. The 40 plus spokespeople become the multitudinous voice of the film, looking its audience frankly in the eye. Far from being a unified chorus of critics, they are in essence the diversified conscience of today’s people, at least a section of the influential ones. Knowing the prevalent philosophies on the world’s economic systems, in this case through expert opinions about the epitome and byproduct of that economy, is an important step toward realizing its flaws and arguing for an alternative.

ABC Africa (2001) – Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami documents, with handheld mini-DV cameras, the efforts of Ugandan women to educate the orphans of AIDS and war. Here is a film about a land afflicted by depravation and suffering… full of kids dancing, singing, joking and making funny faces at the camera. As with most of his films, Kiarostami’s perspective is unsentimental, as he passively observes the unfoldment of what is at first mundane; but after long, persistent (even tedious) observation, proves to be astonishingly beautiful. One of the most memorable scenes shows an electricity blackout, and for several more minutes, the filmmakers in complete darkness struggling to find their way around.

Nobody Knows (2004) – Four children in Japan are left at home by an irresponsible mother, who disappears for progressively longer periods of time, until she finally does not return at all. Hirokazu Koreeda directs a naturalistic and gently paced film, where the tragedy of social degradation slowly sinks into the audience’s conscience, as they witness the kids subsisting on sums of money the mother periodically sends in the mail – but has no tact to deliver herself. It was filmed over the course of a year, adding a level of realism as the children grow noticeably older with the passing of time.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) – Godfrey Reggio’s way of illustrating the significance of this film’s title (“crazy life, life in turmoil, life out of balance, life disintegrating, a state of life that calls for another way of living”) is gradual, starting with what could be seen as a celebration of nature and the achievements of human ingenuity. His choice of shots, however, soon makes it obvious that technological advance, as seen by a distant yet intimate observer, has been the source of much chaos and suffering.

Born Into Brothels (2004) – A documentary about the children of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red light district, where photographer Zana Briski went to take pictures, but ended up teaching photo classes, and eventually starting the non-profit organization Kids With Cameras. An endearing and hopeful portrait of grassroots initiatives and the potential that children have for raising themselves out of poverty and degradation when their innate capacities are brought out through art and education.

Roger and Me (1989) – Michael Moore’s breakthrough documentary feature, illustrating with sarcasm and irony, the negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith’s summary action of closing several auto plans in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs and economically devastating the city.

Bus 174 (2003) – By telling the life story of Sandro, who grew up to hijack a bus in Rio de Janeiro, this documentary addresses a range of Brazil’s social issues: the plight of the homeless, the horrid conditions of prisons and the inadequacy of the juvenile shelters that one interviewee calls “the storeroom for junior human beings”; the disorganization of the police force in the face of a hostage crisis, and their general corruption and propagation of injustice… problems which are all interconnected in a way that no fictional narrative could handle effectively.

Salaam Bombay! (1988) – Mira Nair’s tough portrayal of children living in the streets of Mumbai, India, and living from one frustrating situation to the next. Most of the young actors in the film were actual street children, driven to perform with incredible naturalism and earnestness. The director established the Salaam Baalak Trust to rehabilitate them, and others in their situation.