A free screening of The End of Poverty will be shown at the UU Fellowship, Ephraim, July 20 at 7 PM as part of the monthly Movies That Matter series.

In this documentary exploring the history of poverty in developing countries, filmmaker Philippe Diaz contends that today’s economic inequities arose as a result of colonization, military conquest and slavery, with wealthier countries seizing the resources of the poor. Narrated by Martin Sheen, this absorbing documentary includes interviews with numerous historians, economists and sociologists who shed light on the ongoing conditions that contribute to poverty.

Based on a book written by Jeffery Sachs, the film marries vivid eyewitness storytelling with concrete analysis. Sachs provides a conceptual map of the world economy and the different categories into which countries fall, explaining why wealth and poverty have diverged and evolved as they have and why the poorest nations have been so markedly unable to escape the cruel vortex of poverty. The End of Poverty does not deliver its worldviews from on high: Sachs plunges into the messy realities of economies, leading his readers through his work in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, India, China, and Africa, and concludes with an integrated set of solutions to the tangled economic, political, environmental, and social issues that most frequently hold societies back.

We used to steal their raw materials, now we make them pay interests on developmental loans. Whatever the economic system, we stay rich, they stay poor. And with every passing year, they grow poorer and we richer. If that bothers you, or if you are looking for some facts about the contours of our global economic system, about who profits and who loses, this is a must-see film. Very inspirational especially at the end, in what we can do personally to help with the causes of injustice and poverty.

The Movies That Matter series is shown on the third Tuesday each month free of charge. Films are selected based on their content reflecting social justice topics. Discussion follows. The UU Fellowship is located at 10341 Hwy. 42, Ephraim.

The UUFDC Social Responsibility Committee hosts the monthly Movies That Matter series of thought-provoking topics. All films have been pre-screened. A discussion follows each movie. The movies are free and the public is welcome.