Rupert Read
https://www.facebook.com/100063689705231/posts/602686761864309/The original Avatar was more than a movie. It was an event.
It was reportedly pulled from some theatres by the Chinese government for fear it could incite land revolts; slammed by the Christian right for its “anti-Americanism”; used eagerly by anti-extractivism and anti-colonialism protesters; elicited depression among those who left cinemas to face the impoverished Earth of our cityscapes; and I personally heard that it led some viewers to sell their 4x4s, leave the army and much, much more. This was no ordinary film.
After 13 years, the first of the Avatar sequels, The Way of Water, has finally hit the big screen. I hailed the original film as a powerful and timely piece of popular culture that starkly narrated and questioned the exploitation of nature for profit, and convinced viewers of the importance of resistance. The sequel is, once again, a film for our times. And one we can, and should, learn from.