For many, life is getting harder. Not only is it harder to make ends meet, but more and more, people are being publicly attacked for being a part of a group whether for example it be for their skin color, religion or political party (and sometimes all three). Some openly vilify and condemn people who think or act differently as “bad people” and others fight the urge to do so. We may secretly or not so secretly criticize others and believe they are “a lost cause” or not redeemable. It all serves to try to divide us and we almost instinctively become more territorial and separated from one another.
Is this the country and world that we want?
Do we just resign ourselves to a life that is more suspicious, more fearful, less trusting of others? Do we give in to that sense of hopelessness that things will never get better? Many activists already don’t think so and have taken it upon themselves to do something every day. Many others know injustice when they see it, but feel powerless to do anything about it because they feel it is either “too big” or that “people don’t change”.
So how do people change?
Well, one way they don’t change is by preaching to them and telling them why they are wrong. This usually has the opposite effect of people becoming defensive and more hardened in their position. And if you only talk to people who agree with you then nothing will ever change. What needs to be done instead is to first reach for people’s humanity and move people emotionally rather than with a lecture. When people are moved emotionally, it can get through their defenses and open them up to new thoughts. And films well made can do just that.
What do we believe about people’s true nature?
At Aspire Films we believe everyone is born zestful, curious, courageous, loving and lovable with a goodness at their core. Then along with many positive things that happen, life grinds at us – hurtful things happen, tragedies happen, accidents happen which can lead to fears welling up inside of us. Some respond to those fears by hiding in a corner, others respond by bullying. We lose some of our connections to one another and a part of our humanity is suffocated. We can get more rigid, intolerant and mistreat others as a result of those fears. “Isms” appear like racism, sexism, anti-Semitism. People with disabilities are mistreated, children are mistreated, the earth is mistreated.
So everyone has struggles that can lead to bad behavior and some would call them “bad” people. At Aspire Films we don’t quite believe that. We still believe in the core goodness of those people and while we certainly don’t condone or accept their behavior, we believe their bad actions are just the result of their particular hurtful experiences and if under the right circumstances you can tap into their humanity, their core goodness will reveal itself again. It may take a long time, but it is there.
Our film, Arise, is about just that – a notorious drug addict in a small town in rural Tennessee loses his leg in a tragic car accident (that he caused) and along with a small-town country lawyer, ends up becoming a standard-bearer for 55 million people with disabilities. For the first time in his life, the addict becomes a part of something bigger than himself and while continuing to fight off his demons, it allows his true inner humanity to come back out – to fight for what is right, not just for himself, but for many, many others no matter what the cost.
In spite of some horrible and oppressive conditions, the circumstances were just right for the addict to be transformed. That a person whom some wanted to “lock up and throw away the key” could be the one who takes a stand on behalf and for the good of millions of people – what story can be more hopeful to tell about our common humanity than that?
Art as Catalyst
And so, we believe that art is not frivolous. We believe that films which move people emotionally can be at the forefront of bringing about meaningful social change because it reaches for that humanity that we believe is always inside all of us. And if you do that enough, it buoys activists, inspires others to become active and we move towards a world and society that we all truly want and deserve. That’s why we aspire to do what we are doing and we welcome you to join us.
Sounds amazing