Even though news media is becoming easier to access for a cheaper price (or even for free), some, especially younger generations, may not be as interested in reading long and complex articles. However, it is crucial for people to be knowledgeable of the social issues that affect them in a way or another. So, what might be the most effective way to spread awareness of these social issues? It is a simple answer—movies. Connecting entertainment and social issues can effectively spread awareness, influencing more to stand up and take action to eliminate injustice and prejudice. Social issues such as systemic racism, police brutality, and poverty are drawing much more attention than ever before due to the abundance of online information in the era of Black Lives Matter Movement and the rapid spread of COVID-19. I believe that streaming these movies as a requirement at school will help immensely shape the views and attitudes of younger generations towards social issues. By exposing these issues through movies, more and more people will be educated in a more engaging and entertaining manner.  

One movie directed for high schoolers confronts the issue of both racism and police brutality. Titled The Hate U Give,this movie is an American drama directed by George Tillman Jr. released in 2018, which revolves around a plot where an unarmed black teenager is shot by a policeman. As the movie has a plot that is extremely similar to the case of George Floyd and other cases of police brutality and racism, the movie has a deep connection with the Black Lives Matter movement and lets audiences learn empathy for issues they may not be directly affected by. The film was based on a best-selling novel written by Angie Thomas, who was inspired by a real-life shooting incident of a young black man by police. This film not only depicts the deep-rooted racial divisions present in the modern society of America, but also delivers a important theme of friendship and strength. The movie asks these questions to its audience, especially to teenagers: What actions will you take to promote justice to the world? What can we do to dismantle white supremacy? In the film, the main character, a black woman who goes to a predominantly white school, goes through the emotional struggles of confiding in her white friends, who merely tell her that the death of her black friend could not have been helped because he was a drug dealer. The most intensifying factor of this film is that her friend who was shot does not earn justice, leaving the audience with dissatisfaction, unfortunately similar to many real-life cases. By appealing emotionally to the audience, the film successfully drills in the corruptness of police brutality and racism.

In addition to The Hate U Give, countless films revolve around the social issues of poverty as well. As the pandemic is causing millions of people to lose their jobs, the gap between the rich and the poor has been rapidly increasing in the past year globally. Some of the films that focus on these poverty issues is a japanese film called Shoplifters directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. This japanese film places a spotlight on the working poor classes of Japan. The film is about a peaceful, hardworking family that shoplifts daily in order to survive despite their unstable and low-income status. The movie also focuses on the ruthless and mindless actions of the rich and factory owners as well as the helplessness of the government, who only take into consideration their profit and their well-being. By depicting the darker sides of large-scale, money-hungry companies, the film successfully brings empathy towards the low income family, who are often demonized in society. 

With films that focus on social issues, more members of society will be able to gain awareness surrounding these problems, especially the younger generations who may be apathetic towards news. As movies are much easier to watch for large audiences, it is an effective way to expose social issues to as many people as possible. Since a lot of these movies emotionally appeal to the audience, it is a great way to persuade a large audience to act up against these social issues.  Even though it may be small steps, I believe that movies that focus on social issues have the potential to encourage individuals to take even the smallest actions such as standing up for a friend facing discrimnation due to the color of their skin. Creation of movies that expose social issues will help build a society where all people can live comfortably, with a sense of communal purpose.