Lake County Democratic Party: Second Sunday Cinema

Second Sunday Cinema

Second Sunday Cinema’s Free Film for February 14^th is “The Corporation”

On Thursday, January 21st, 2010 the US Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision that has caused widespread alarm. It gives corporations in this country the right to contribute just as much money as they want to elect the politicians of their choice. Here’s what the New York Times’ editorial had to say the next day: “As a result of Thursday’s ruling corporations have been unleashed from the longstanding ban against their spending directly on political campaigns and will be free to spend as much money as they want to elect and defeat candidates. If a member of Congress tries to stand up to a wealthy special interest, its lobbyists can credibly threaten: We’ll spend whatever it takes to defeat you.” Even the Wall Street Journal was appalled.

In response to this decision, Second Sunday Cinema is screening a highly-regarded documentary, “The Corporation” as its free film for February 14th. It won the 2004 Audience Choice Award at the Sundance Film Festival and 26 International awards.

Witty, stylish, provoking and sweepingly informative, “The Corporation” explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time. Since 1907, the corporation has been legally considered to be a person like you or I. (Only bigger, and with much more money.) Taking its status as a legal "person" to its logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist's couch to ask, "What kind of person is it?"

The answer appears to be, neither very nice nor very sane. The Corporation includes interviews with 40 insiders and critics - including Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Howard Zinn, Vandana Shiva and Michael Moore - plus true confessions, case studies and strategies for change.

As always, the film is totally free and our venue as always is the Clearlake United Methodist Church at 14521 Pearl Ave. near Mullen in Clearlake. Our doors open at 5:30 and the film starts at 6 PM. Following the film, there is always time to hang out and talk. More information is available at 279-2957.