The Corporation (film)
- Maude Barlow: Self
- Noam Chomsky: Self
- Peter Drucker: Self
- Samuel Epstein: Self
- Milton Friedman: Self
- Naomi Klein: Self
- Michael Moore: Self
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Self (archive footage)
- Vandana Shiva: Self
The Corporation is a Canadian documentary from the year 2003. The film analyzes the behavior of large companies in business. He comes to the conclusion that such companies met in general all the criteria for a psychopath when evaluation criteria would be applied to human behavior. In addition, it is argued that such a comparison quite have his permission - because companies are equated as legal persons legally mostly with people (natural persons). One of the essential aspects of the film is that large companies pursue only their own interests and in principle any interests other people - especially people - into account. The film was written by Joel Bakan legal scholars and produced by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott.
Action
The film analyzes the actions of large companies from the standpoint that they legally "persons", in this case, legal persons are - this, however, by message of the film, only since the late 19th century, when the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court the United States, business enterprises as legal persons have the same rights as humans acknowledged as natural persons. This legal construction have since then developed almost worldwide. For the actual development of the instrument, see Legal person, for the situation in the United States, which is the film to see why company law of the United States.
Assuming analyzed the filmmakers now the actions and behaviors of a series of real existing large companies ( corporations) in a manner as if this were actually people enjoying facilities used by doctors and psychologists to assess the mental state of a patient's DSM -IV - guidelines served as a benchmark. Were evaluated while only actually happened one and documented through media reports activities known companies, mainly from the United States, with the result that all investigated corporations - viewed as people - meet the criteria of severe mental disorders. The interviewed for the film, Robert D. Hare, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and FBI consultant, concluded that a profit -led group would equate clinical aspects a psychopath.
After the causes of this circumstance searching, the film provides a brief historical outline of the history of corporate legal forms, with the result that the development to the documented in the film irresponsible behavior with the replacement of the personally liable for his company 's records by the anonymous corporation was initiated when no one is liable for the actions of the company as a whole really.
Other topics include: Smedley Butler and the 1933 attempted coup against Franklin D. Roosevelt; the privatization of the municipal water supply in Bolivia by the Bechtel Corporation in 2000 and the resulting protests in Cochabamba.
The film also includes interviews with prominent critics of capitalism, such as Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Michael Moore, Vandana Shiva and Howard Zinn on the one hand, on the other hand also opinions of well-known managers such as Ray Anderson, as well as views of Peter Drucker, Milton Friedman and other advocates of the free market economy such as the Fraser Institute. Furthermore, Dr. Samuel Epstein is interviewed on the company Monsanto, which drove the controversial growth hormone Posilac to increase milk production.
Background information
The film was shot in Celebration (Florida ) and Vancouver ( Canada).
The documentary was broadcast worldwide on television as a three-part series and is available on DVD. In addition, the original English version can be downloaded for free and legally via the BitTorrent network. The documentation is also available with subtitles on Youtube available.
Reviews
The well-known to be very friendly to business magazine The Economist wrote about the film: " Both camps of the globalization debate should take notice. The Corporation is a surprisingly rational and intelligent attack on the most important institution of capitalism. "
Awards (selection)
- Reached in 2003 Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott third place People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- 2003 The Corporation was awarded at the Vancouver International Film Festival as the most popular Canadian film.
- 2004 Jennifer Abbott and Mark Achbar won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
- 2005, the film won a Genie Award for best documentary.