Robots is an animated science fiction comedy about material values, consumerism, and perseverance. Young robot Rodney Copperbotton follows his dream to become an inventor and leaves his home for the big city to meet his idol Bigweld whose company hires inventors and provides robots with spare parts. Upon arriving, however, Rodney learns that Bigweld has […]
This beautiful story follows the multigenerational Colombian family Madrigal. Similar to the magical house they live in, the children and grandchildren of this family possess magical gifts that they use to help their community. However, granddaughter Mirabel has no magical powers of her own, making her feel inadequate and out of place. When their magical […]
This Black Mirror episode deals with the ethics of talent shows, consumerism, surveillance, and sensationalism.It features a system making people ride stationary bikes in order to earn “Merits”, a digital currency. Living in a room plastered with monitors they are forced to watch commercials or pay Merits if they want to skip them. When main […]
Based on the novel by John Grisham, this legal drama film deals with racism, rape, and the American legal jury system. A ten-year-old Afro-American girl is raped and beaten up by two white men who are arrested but will probably walk free. Upon hearing that, Carl Lee, the girl’s father in a mood of rage […]
This dystopian short story deals with the definition of justice, justification of killing, killing as entertainment, racial profiling, and also hints at the effect watching acts of violence might have on children. Isaiah works as an actor in an entertainment park where people can buy experiences of committing acts of violence firsthand including gunshots. All […]
In his autobiography, Edward Snowden describes his life: his first encounters with technology and the following enthusiasm he developed for coding and the internet. He talks about his career and the process up to his groundbreaking revelations in 2013 about the spying activities and large-scale data collection, especially of the NSA. The book gives valuable […]
This Postmodern utopian/dystopian novel is about artificial intelligence, religion, genetic engineering, and coping with death and guilt.Klara is an Artificial Friend sold to the sickly girl to help her cope with the loneliness and help with her daily challenges. Klara narrates the story and has a remarkable observational capability particularly noticing the little things. Because […]
A dystopian novel on the difference between freedom and security, surveillance, brain-altering surgery, and the power of mind and imagination. In the near future, the rust belt states are reigned by anarchy. Most people have lost their jobs and homes, the streets are not safe and there is a constant threat of being mugged, raped, […]
The dystopian sequel of The Handmaid’s Tale explores the experiences of three more characters regarding Gilead and its regime. It includes the accounts of Aunt Lydia and the two daughters of the narrating handmaid of the first book. It explains the views of someone who happened to be witness to the government takeover and is […]
This painting has become on of the most famous symbols of Romanticism. The wanderer is the embodiment of the traveler from Romantic poetry looking for nature and the sublime. The Rückenfigur as a typical Romanitic picture motif represents the yearning for a unitiy of man and nature in contrast to industrialised cities and growing poverty. […]
This movie explores poverty in regard to social class differences, as well as identity construction, gender stereotypes, and homosexuality. Billy Elliot is an 11-year-old boy of poor family background. His father and brother are miners who stick to clear gender roles. When Billy is sent to take boxing lessons, he witnesses a ballet class and […]
American Pictures is a collection of approximately 22,000 photos revealing racism, segregation, social hierarchies and white supremacy. The powerful pictures of Danish photographer Jacob Holdt were not taken with an artistic intention but rather to capture the hardship and brutal reality of America in the 1970s. Holdt’s work portraits life in ghettos ranging from poverty, homelessness […]
The cartoon “American Dream Helper” by Steve Greenberg, published in the Marin Independent Journal in November 2001, critically investigates a contemporary version of the American Dream and outlines that the pursuit of happiness can only be achieved in reality, if one just adds enough money. Based on the scenery, a woman longing for a life of material […]
This is a film navigating ideologies, manipulation and the big question of free will. In a world full of crime, the project PreCrime by a specialized police department in Washington DC seems to offer a convenient solution. “Criminals” are arrested and convicted before commiting the crime they are accused of, based on predictions of psychics […]
This short fiction from the period of Restauration and Enlightenment tells the story of the life of the African prince Oroonoko. His grandfather, the king, marries his grandson’s love and a fiancée who is sold into slavery for participating in an uprising against the king. When Oroonoko is aboard a ship towards Europe, he is […]
This modern novel describes a dystopian version of the year 1984. The world is ruled by three totalitarian superpowers with the book focusing on Oceania. The people are under constant surveillance and anyone opposing or even criticising the regime is eliminated together with all records of existence. Only thinking about another life or reality is […]
Based on a true story, this novel is set in a 1960s reform school in Florida. 16-year-old Elwood Curtis has always admired Dr. Martin Luther King and plans on enrolling in a local black college. However, an accident leads to Elwood being sent to the “Nickel Academy”, where he meets his fellow inmate Turner. At […]
This novel explores the history of sexual abuse in connection to the catholic church that was uncovered in Ireland. Odran Yates has dedicated his life to priesthood and the church. His devotion is challenged however, when revelations about child abuse emerge that destroy the church’s public image. And although he is at first reluctant to […]