Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth (2013) Reviews

• An inspirational, insightful & piercing assessment individual freedom and the failures of liberal capitalism

  simbadada2014-05-19

  If art and activism are to be judged by their potential to trigger transformation, then the Lottery of Birth is a masterpiece on both counts. Visually stunning, strikingly original and quite breath taking in scope, the first installment of the independently-produced Creating Freedom series takes on some of the most pressing and fundamental questions facing progressive struggles today. While following its own carefully crafted line of argument, the film draws together a remarkable collection of interviews from progressive academics across the world in both the social and natural sciences. Many are beloved and familiar faces on the left: Tony Benn, Vandana Shiva, Michael Albert and the late, great Howard Zinn. (Rumour has it, Chomsky's in the sequel.) The interviewees are intimately lit against cold black backdrops and skillful direction has them leaning into the lens like you're the only person in the room. Beautifully scripted throughout, the film ruthlessly unpicks many of the founding myths of liberal democratic theory, scrutinising what it means to live in a system that tells people they are free, whilst embedding them from birth in vast systems of socialisation and control: at home, at school, at church and at work. Prepare to be reminded of it every time you mount an empty escalator or watch the sun set over a city skyline: it throws out clusters of deeply evocative and analogous images that will follow you round for months after you see the film, and betray the creator's background in fine arts. Taking human freedom as its core value, it shows viewers the extent to which megalithic economic, educational and political institutions cripple our liberty and cultivates a divisive culture of competitive individualism. Apparently it has been widely well-received, topping the download charts in South and North America – a remarkable achievement for such a challenging and subversive film. This success is due at least in part to the language used: universally accessible and devoid of the political-philosophical clichés that so quickly put up barriers to debate, the narrative looks down on no one. This makes for a documentary anyone willing to question themselves can engage with, whatever their beliefs. It is at once uncompromising and deeply compassionate: "History suggests that there is neither a belief too bizarre nor an action too appalling for humans to embrace given the necessary cultural influences… In an important sense, we are not born free. In fact to take our freedom for granted is to extinguish the possibility of attaining it."

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• Great Documentary

  nevproth2013-12-30

  Made me think and use my brain for a second. What I got out of this is that I need to Question more. Why? I think we question a lot of things as a child, and then we just STOP questioning. I don't know why that happens? We need to still question. Just because we are taught something doesn't mean it is right. I will question myself and others more often. I will be more patient answering my children's questions, but encourage them to seek out their own answers. I want to explore so much more. I guess I can say I'm blessed with being a female and being raised in the United States of America. I've been trained to think that way. I don't think the documentary will save the world or the human race, but it will make people think. Sometimes that is a step in the right direction.

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• Eye opener

  mohancraig2014-09-10

  I am not a hippie conformist and in fact I think they are wrong most of the time but I can admit that the window through which most of us us view the world is very narrow and I think it would benefit us all to expand our understanding of the world, this movie poses some very enlightened concepts that in my mind should be part of the regular college curricula as it is in many of the more enlightened countries around the world. After I watched the film (for free on Hulu) I decided to leave a comment but they only accept comments from face-book or yahoo although while I was reviewing the comments some guy was calling fans of the film "pinkos" which doesn't make any sense since the film expressly calls for free thought and damns closed cultures that dictate preconceived dictates. I would have argued the stupidity of his argument but I don't have a face-book account. I encourage everyone to watch this film at least once as it revolves around the quote of the once great Mahatma Gandhi "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". Nuff said.

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• Fruit of Saul Alinsky and his self loathing

  longrunsamoyeds2015-01-06

  Horrible self loathing hypocritical socialist movie assigned by self righteous egomaniac university professor, proving that those that can do, those that can't teach. Self proclaimed experts who question everything and stand for nothing. Arrogantly claiming self righteousness as they enjoy the freedoms that I fought for. Disgusting! OK I need 10 lines for a review so let me add that anyone who is interested in how the world economy really works should read Atlas Shrugged or Road to Serfdom If you are ignorant enough to enjoy this may I suggest Idiocracy and some very serious self examination. Seriously this is a really stupid movie. Grinding America down would be a much better use of your time.

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• Don't Bother!

  bschafer7102014-04-26

  Just when I think the right wing has a corner on the market on silliness, I run across a movie like this that reminds me that silliness knows no political affiliation. This is truly one of the funniest (unintentionally) movies I have watched in some time. I am proud I had the stomach to see it through. Howard Zinn asserting that he is proudly biased, then claiming objectivity. Assertions that Britain has participated in the deaths of 10 million people and that it is in the same league as Stalin, but we just don't recognized it because we are blinded by patriotism. These academics and journalists are a testament to the tolerance of western democracies, God bless them (as they say in the southern US). Please watch this and be reassured that we are all crazy.

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