The Corporation

In the mid-1800s, corporations began to be recognized as individuals by U.S. courts, granting them unprecedented rights. The Corporation, a documentary by filmmakers Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott and author Joel Bakan, delves into that legal standard, essentially asking: if corporations were people, what kind of people would they be? Applying psychiatric principles and FBI... (read more) forensic techniques, and through a series of case studies, the film determines that this entity, the corporation, which has an increasing power over the day-to-day existence of nearly every living creature on earth, would be a psychopath. The case studies include a story about how two reporters were fired from Fox News for refusing to soft-pedal a story about the dangers of a Monsanto product given to dairy cows, and another about Bolivian workers who banded together to defend their rights to their own water supply. The pervasiveness of corporate influence on our lives is explored through an examination of efforts to influence behavior, including that of children. The filmmakers interview leftist figures like Michael Moore, Howard Zinn, Naomi Klein, and Noam Chomsky, and give representatives from companies Burson Marsteller, Disney, Pfizer, and Initiative Media a chance to relay their own points-of-view. The Corporation won the Best Documentary World Cinema Audience Award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Cast:

• Jane Akre
• Raymond L. Anderson
• Joe Badaracco
• Maude Barlow
• Mark Barry
• Elain Bernard
• Edwin Black
• Carlton Brown
• Christopher Barrett
• Luke McCabe
• Peter Drucker
• Dr. Samuel Epstein
• Andrea Finger
• Milton Friedman
• Sam Gibara
• Dr. Richard Grossman

Director(s):

Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott

Writer(s):

Mark Achbar, Joel Bakan, Harold Crooks

Producer(s):

Mark Achbar, Bart Simpson

Categories:

Independent Films, Documentary, Special Interest

Awards:

• 2004 - Best Documentary - The Corporation - Genie Awards
• 2004 - World Cinema Audience Award - Documentary - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2004 - World Cinema Cinematography Award - Documentary - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2004 - World Cinema Cinematography Award - Documentary - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2004 - World Cinema Documentary Audience Award - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2004 - World Cinema Cinematography Award - Documentary - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2004 - World Cinema Cinematography Award - Documentary - The Corporation - Sundance Film Festival
• 2003 - Most Popular Canadian Film - The Corporation - Vancouver International Film Festival