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Discussion & Study Guide

Current Events

A film about how we respond--or don't respond--to the news

 

Synopsis

Unspeakable things occur daily in the world, but for most of us (most of the time) they are like electronic interference on the screens of our personal lives. Current Events is an essay film which explores the questions that cross our threshholds along with the nightly news.How can one see and hear immeasurable woe and suffering and find a meaningful way to respond?

Arlyck begins with the memory of his grandfather who to him exemplifies the definition of a "mensch"--a responsible person connected to the world--and he puts forth the question of what it means to be a "mensch" at the end of the twentieth century.

To sort out this question, Arlyck takes the viewer from his home in upstate New York, to Senegal,Central America, Colorado and back to the Hudson Valley, probing the demands of conscience and the ways they can be met. A serious subject and a serious journey explored with both humor and thoughtful observations on the ethical dilemnas of modern life.

Audience

Currrent Events has wide general audience appeal: nearly everyone contends in some way with the onslaught of the evening news.

For students and young people the issues raised about the relevance (and the reality) of the news to their daily lives is underscored by the segment of the film that records a group of teenagers from war torn countries that are visiting American high schools and talking with students.

For those interested in examining issues of social and civic responsibility, and social action in an increasingly "wired world" this film offers much to think about and discuss.

Topics for Discussion

 

• Does the "news" still have the power to affect your life or is it primarily static interference?
  
  
• How do you sift through the competing demands on your time, patience, compassion and resources?
  
  
• What family traditions do you draw upon in making ethical choices?
  
  
• How are moral dilemnas resolved in your own home? How are they approached in Current Events.
  
  
• Are the issues raised in segments of the film in Senegal, Central America, or Poughkeepsie substantially different from one another?
  
  
• What does it mean to be a "mensch" at the end of the twentieth century?

Suggested Readings

Epstein, Edward Jay. News From Nowhere: Television and the News. Random House,1974

Dahlgren, Peter, ed. Journalism and Popular Culture. Newbury Park, 1992.

Iyengar, Shanto. Is Anyone Responsible? How television frames political issues. University of Chicago Press, 1991.

Lapierrre, Dominique. The City of Joy. Doubleday,1985