Elevating nonviolent narratives in Hollywood

Close your eyes and think of the word “war” or “gun violence.” What’s the first image that comes up? Maybe it’s news footage of the wars in Gaza or Ukraine. Or maybe it’s a scene from a movie like Hotel Rwanda or Bridge on the River Kwai, or a shoutout in any number of crime and cop dramas.

Scripted storytelling, with its ability to get up close and personal with human emotions and struggles, also has a powerful influence on our perceptions of the world. And with news outlets increasingly politically siloed, perhaps Hollywood has a better chance of shifting perspectives than journalists do.

Our guest Kate Folb is director of the Center for Hollywood Health and Society, a project of the Lear Center at USC Annenberg. Hollywood Health and Society (HHS) provides expert guidance for screenwriters, producers and actors about issues from HIV, to immigration, to gun violence. They have projects on the threat of nuclear war and the impact of military expenditures on our lives and wellbeing. In this interview Jamil and Kate discuss how HHS gets Hollywood writers to think differently, as well as shows and movies featuring compelling heroes without guns that you should be watching.

Series and films mentioned in this episode, in order of appearance:

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

The Cleaning Lady (Fox)

Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount Plus)

Arrival (Paramount Pictures)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)

Madame Secretary (CBS, available in the US on Netflix)

Getting Bombed (YouTube)

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The Making Peace Visible podcast is hosted by Jamil Simon and produced by Andrea Muraskin. Our associate producer is Faith McClure. Learn more at makingpeacevisible.org

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