As coronavirus unmasks America’s inequalities, watch this film with Noam Chomsky to see how we got here
In the past few presidential elections, economic inequality has been treated, at best, like an afterthought, pushed to the margins of mainstream media discussion and labeled, patronizingly, as a “progressive” issue. This time around, things are looking a lot different.
Over the past two months, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed huge fault lines in the American economy and shined a harsh light on profound economic, racial, and ethnic disparities in this country, virtually guaranteeing that economic inequality will be a central issue as the 2020 presidential campaign unfolds over the next few months.
With that in mind, we want to call your attention to one of the most powerful documentary films ever made on this subject: the critically acclaimed Requiem for the American Dream, featuring legendary dissident intellectual Noam Chomsky. At a time when it’s more important than ever for educators and activists to raise awareness about the critical issues facing U.S. policymakers, we can’t recommend this film highly enough.
From now through June 30th, we’re offering Requiem for the American Dream – along with every other film in our catalog – at 20% off.
Requiem for the American Dream brilliantly exposes how the short-term interests of corporate elites have driven massive levels of income inequality over the past few decades, laid waste to basic democratic values, and endangered the welfare of huge swaths of the American population. Combining Noam Chomsky’s rare explanatory powers with breathtaking footage, Requiem for the American Dream is at once a remarkable piece of cinema and an extraordinary teaching tool — necessary viewing at a time when the costs and consequences of widening economic inequality are being exposed like never before.
SPECIAL NOTE: As the coronavirus pandemic continues to play out and upend business as usual, we remain as committed as ever to working with you. Along with the offers we lined up last month, and the scores of educational videos we offer across a range of subject areas, we also offer free online discussion guides with exercises and in-depth assignments; transcripts of our videos; infographics and other downloadable handouts; and a variety of other classroom materials. We also urge you to check out our blog for regular updates on new releases, special discounts, interviews with the scholars and thought-leaders featured in our films, and tips for using our videos to help students think critically about the most urgent issues of our time.
“This short, sharp, smart film serves as one of the best entry points to the discussion of inequality.”
— The Hollywood Reporter
“Could very well be embraced as the final word on economic inequality in the United States.”
— RogerEbert.com
“Chomsky’s critique extends beyond left and right, resulting in a lucid analysis that’s breathtaking in its simplicity, and all the more scary for it.”
– TimeOutNy
“If you want to understand neoliberalism in the U.S. over the past 40 years, you must watch Requiem for the American Dream.”
– Dr. Robert Pollin | Distinguished University Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
“[Chomsky] melds history, philosophy and ideology into a sobering vision of a society in an accelerating decline.”
– The New York Times
