It’s so easy for Governments to blame the recession on stagnant job growth, lower spending, and smaller budgets, but when youth unemployment continues to spiral in countries like the UK and Spain, it’s a terrible shame not to invest in future talent that could turn the economy around.
Still from Slumdog Millionaire
Let’s take the concept of a young university graduate with a passion for creation, who’s sitting at home with no job, and ‘no future’. Well, that future could be turned around, and that of his entire community of friends if he/she were given the chance to make their first film with the help of some government subsidies (They do exist like the BFI In the UK, but is it enough?). What happens with high unemployment? Crime rates go up, businesses suffer, people get depressed, health care costs go up, bright minds flee to another country, or worse, give up on life.
Making a film sparks creativity, gets people together, creates synergies amongst groups of people with all kinds of backgrounds. This event in itself not only boosts community spirit, but people can learn skills from each other. There’s an educational benefit, as well as putting people back to work, even if for a short period. That ‘hope’ could take these young people to the next level. It would give them incentive to push harder, to find ways to make money and not to give up so easily. Films can also bring people together by the stories they tell, and it’s an increase in investment that could make all the difference, and actually put people back to work because they find a way to become innovative.
It’s really the era for entrepreneurship and for young people to take control of their lives. Although I am just speaking on the context of a film production, this is so true for many other areas of the economy. I do accept that there are Government schemes in Europe and the US for film production, but the private sector could also contribute in other ways to support skillfull young people who are just looking for a start.
I hope studio executives reading this, or producers with a little extra cash, can consider to donate some of their profits to young people who are today suffering the most from this recession when it is them who could change, and innovate new ways to make economies grow. If you don’t water a plant, what happens to it? It dies.
