Samsara: The Movie

For anyone out there who hasn't seen Samsara yet, just do. Go watch it. What a great movie! For those who don't know what I'm talking about Samsara is a movie released in 2011 that shows images filmed around the world to a soundtrack. Sounds pretty boring right? Wrong.

I loved this movie. So much so I watched it again recently (which I rarely do with any 'documentary'). It's interesting because with no dialogue or voice-over, no point of view is offered. So YOU are the one who decides what the movie is about.

Obvious scene juxtapositions are offered to the viewer in the forms of birth versus death, the individual and the masses and man-made versus natural creations among others, but no political viewpoints are stated. This is why I find it so intriguing when people describe this movie as "politically charged" or similar.

There are particular scenes in the movie that I find more difficult to watch due to my own political leanings: the chicken tractor (I'm vegetarian and I find images of factory farming difficult to watch) and the women in prison watching the men dance are two such examples. The latter example riles my feminist core because I wish the women were allowed out there to dance too.

However these examples show that it is MY experience, MY life history that makes particular scenes in the movie 'political' - the movie doesn't make them political I do.

So go and watch Samsara. Not only will you watch a beautiful movie and listen to a gorgeous soundtrack, you might just learn a bit about yourself too!

Cruelty Free Money: put your money where your mouth is

Recently I changed my superannuation fund to Cruelty Free Super, when I realised I had no idea where my super was being invested. Considering how unethical most corporations are you can pretty much assume that any money you have invested is being used to break the little guy and stuff the pockets of the rich (all while ruining our environment).

When you hear about ethical investments I assumed these were for rich people who had money to invest, but I realised that your superannuation (and in fact ANY money you have in a bank) is being invested on your behalf. That’s YOUR money paying for deforestation, sweatshops and intensive farming.

Personally I think intensive farming is one of our world’s most horrific practices, and it has a lot to do with why I became a vegetarian 16 years ago. To borrow a line from one of my favourite campaigns, “A world without factory farming is possible. Make it possible”. I’m not going to go into the details here, I’m just using this example as a case in point.

Is there something you feel strongly about? Perhaps you boycott a company you believe to be unethical. Are you sure you aren’t personally funding THAT company with your bank savings or superannuation? Who does your bank invest in? Where is your superannuation invested?

It’s worth asking a few simple questions to find out, and if it all feels a bit hard, then at least there is a superannuation fund you can select which you can be certain does NOT invest in:

• Child Labour
• Human Rights Abuses
• Environmental Destruction
• Intensive Farming
• Live Exports
• Animal Testing

If you want more information then go to http://www.crueltyfreesuper.com.au/. I’m not commissioned to speak on their behalf, I just happen to believe they’re a good company with a good idea: not investing in torture, abuse or destruction.

Where is your money invested?