YES MEN FIX THE WORLD

SmartScreens ends 2011 on a high note with the screening of one of the “funniest films ever made” and the year’s top documentary film, Yes Men Fix the World, to be held at the Centre for Fine Art and Design. (CFAD)

The film is a wake-up call on the dangers of letting business rule the world. It follows the screwball activists from India to NewOrleans to New York, as they infiltrate Big Business in their quest to fix the world, one hoax at a time. It is a film with, a hundred laughs, and a powerful political punch. The US government has of course also been the target of the Yes Men.

It starts with a momentous event: when the Dow Chemical Corporation shocked the world by announcing, live on BBC television in front of 300 million viewers, that the company would finally take responsibility for the 1984 Bhopal catastrophe, and would adequately compensate the survivors. But the Dow Spokesperson was actually one of the infamous “Yes Men” who scam their way into the bastions of power by posing as corporate executives.

Readers of The New York Times got some historic news: the Iraq War was over, a cap had been placed on CEO salaries, and George Bush had indicted himself for war crimes. Copies of the fake paper delighted everyone; it seemed, except The New York Times.

SmartScreens is a Durban initiaitve which runs free monthly screenings of films on contemporary local and global issues such as the financial crisis, environmental crisis, economics, happiness, consumerism, health, food, war, freedom.

The screenings are currently held at CFAD which is run by world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator and animator Dr. Nanda Soobben. “SmartScreens is such a great idea: using films to inform, educate and engage people on the most important issues of our time in a social, friendly environment,” says Dr Soobben. “We always have good films, good speakers, good discussions and a very good time. We plan to roll out screenings in other venues in 2012 following these principles, which will lead to a growing network of more informed, engaged and active people.”

Yes Men Fix the World will be screened on December 10 at 14h00. CFAD is situated at 183 Cowey Road, Durban.