Poverty Inc.
Fighting poverty is big business. But who profits the most?
“I see multiple colonial governors,” says Ghanaian software entrepreneur Herman Chinery—Hesse of the international development establishment in Africa. “We are held captive by the donor community.”
The West has positioned itself as the protagonist of development, giving rise to a vast multi-billion dollar poverty industry — the business of doing good has never been better. Yet the results have been mixed, in some cases even catastrophic, and leaders in the developing world are growing increasingly vocal in calling for change.
From TOMs Shoes to international adoptions, from solar panels to U.S. agricultural subsidies, the film challenges each of us to ask the tough question: Could I be part of the problem?
Director
Michael Matheson Miller
Producer
James F. Fitzgerald Jr. and Michael Matheson Miller
Runtime
91 & 60 Minutes
Rights Represented
Educational Rights, International Rights
Captions Available
English
Language
English
Press
“A powerful and uncompromising film that strikes at the core of the traditional understanding of development and international assistance.”
- Andres Jimenez, Waging Non-Violence [Costa Rica]
“You made me so proud to be an African woman. Thank you for the brutal but necessary and empowering truth.”
- "Dany Masado, Health Professional [Cameroon] "
“This documentary will be required viewing for our entire team.”
- Philip Sansone, Executive Director of the Whole Planet Foundation [USA]
Festival & Awards
Official Selection – IDFA
Official Selection – Traverse City Film Festival
Official Selection – THESSALONIKI Film Festival
Official Selection – AUSTIN Film Festival
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