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Updated by Kendra Brea Cooper on Apr 09, 2014
Headline for The Medium and the Message: 4 films that explore storytelling in different ways
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The Medium and the Message: 4 films that explore storytelling in different ways

Expression can come in many different forms. These films have plots that offer a specific way of telling a story.

Almost Famous

JOURNALISM
William Miller hustles his way onto the tour bus of rock stars StillWater and nails down a writing job for Rolling Stone. Every writer knows the feeling of not being completely sure where the story is going. William struggles with his bias and friendships with the band members while the magazine wants controversy. He basically fakes it until he makes it. While journalists are encouraged to not become attached to their interviewees, it is William’s complex relationships with the band members and band aids that become the most important part of his article.

Pump Up the Volume

RADIO
Mark Hunter hosts a pirated radio station as an obscene DJ named Hard Harry. When one of his listeners commits suicide, he sets out on a mission to take down the corrupt principle of his high school. While the FCC seeks to shut him down he encourages other students to start their own radio stations and speak their truth. Through the use of pirated radio and anonymity, Mark finds a voice outside the control of authority.

The Bang Bang Club

PHOTOGRAPHY
This film is based on the true-life experiences of photojournalists in apartheid South Africa. They compete for photographs of one of the most compelling and brutal times in history. The four photographers tell the story through the camera lens and contemplate moral questions in dark rooms. Taking a photograph of grief and pain feels exploitative. The photographers struggle with the camera as an extension of themselves and their humanity.

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8 Mile

8 Mile

MUSIC
Eminem plays a version of himself as Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith Jr. B-Rabbit is an aspiring rapper that uses his life experiences in his music. During the rap battles, complex arguments are crafted with a beat. You might not like the content but you have to respect the skill it takes to freestyle. For some, this is poetry.