Story
We’re all familiar with the destructive power of media – war propaganda, Nazi filmmaking and brainwashing entire countries. The positive power of media is much less explored, and two filmmakers set out to collect information from unsung heroes, legendary psychologists and Hollywood heavyweights.
While the two filmmakers travel across the globe to connect the dots in a detective-style storyline, we get to learn about the traumatizing events that brought them on this journey. Tobias had a near-death experience in 2012 that sent him on the mission to create films that could positively transform the world. Robert ___________________________________________________.
Their journey spans from uncovering the radical changes that telenovelas made in Mexico – changing entire population patterns, moving millions of people to learn to read, and transforming the culture of an entire nation.
They encounter legendary psychologists who could erase phobias within days of showing simple film clips to children. Their journey ends in Hollywood, where legendary filmmakers make it clear: Movies are powerful, and filmmakers are standing at the brink of a new paradigm – an entire continent that waits for discovery.
Interviewees
Confirmed:
Project Status
Planned:
- James Cameron
- Steven Spielberg
- Joshua Oppenheimer
- Jeffrey Skoll
- John S. Johnson
- Tom Shadyac
- John Lasseter
- Michael Bay
- Werner Herzog
- George Clooney
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Michael Moore
- Laura Poitras
- Wachowski Sisters
- Trey Parker & Matt Stone
Social Impact
Films are behavioral role models, and the majority of the film industry is blissfully unaware of the power that films and TV shows have on our society. The entire DNA of Prodigium Pictures runs on this model of social impact.
Some facts on the cinema that changed the world:
New York State High School Graduation Rates
74 %
38 %
33 %
Black students in the state of New York are roughly half as likely to graduate high school than their white counterparts.
Source: Manhattan Institute (2006)
Bachelor's Degrees for Rich VS. Poor
54 %
10 %
Out of all bachelor’s degrees earned in 2014, more than half went to the richest quartile of students, while only 10% went to the poorest quartile.
Source: Pell Institute (2014)
Suspension from K-12 Schools, Nationwide
2 %
10 %
5 %
18 %
In K-12 public schools in the U.S., Black girls are 5 times as likely to be suspended as white girls.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (2014)
Partnerships
We are actively looking for partners – companies, universities and non-profits that support impact education in the film industry. We’d love to partner up for outreach, co-hosting panels, capital support, distributing information and making the film accessible for the next generation of storytellers once it is done.
Please reach out to us – we will find a way to work together and support your efforts through our film.
Team
“Cinema of Change” is based on the work that we begun in 2013 when two filmmakers teamed up to create a magazine and podcast dedicated to exploring the social impact of films. www.cinemaofchange.com was launched to provide events, panels, magazine articles and expert-level podcasts to connect the scientific study of media impact with the entertainment industry, and provide a centralized platform for this knowledge.
The documentary is a co-production between LA-based Aletheia Films and Prodigium Pictures.
Directing for over a decade, Robert has completed hundreds of projects ranging from commercials to documentaries to feature films. He has directed and produced documentaries with Jane Goodall, Harvard law professor Roberto Unger, and actress Mariel Hemingway. His most recent documentary, “7 Days in Syria” played at over 50 film festivals, including Britain’s House of Lords. Robert focuses on the creation of entertainment that makes an impact on the world.
Tobias is an Austrian filmmaker with more than 13 years of experience in creating digital visual arts. He is an expert in physical production on independent film projects in which has helmed more than 100 in various leadership roles. Tobias co-founded the magazine “Cinema of Change”, and co-owns LA-based Prodigium Pictures LLC, specializing in social impact entertainment.