Audiences Ask Why Poverty?, This Week on Global Voices

Posted on November 26, 2012

Why Poverty? is a groundbreaking film series featuring a simultaneous global broadcast of documentaries, online shorts, and interactive discussions. Why Poverty? focuses on the question: Why do a billion people in the world still live in poverty?

Why Poverty? was created four years ago by STEPS, a group of broadcasters and producers who created a series focusing on HIV in South Africa (STEPS for the Future) and the multi-part documentary series Why Democracy? For Why Poverty?, STEPS and other broadcasters collaborated to create an international media event that would showcase films about poverty and engage a global debate on issues revolving around poverty. 

Spearheaded by STEPS Producer Don Edkins, BBC Storyville Commissioning Editor Nick Fraser, and DR (Denmark) Commissioning Editor Mette Hoffman Meyer, the project now involves over 70 international broadcasters who will broadcast and transmit the films during the month of November and reach over 50 million people. ITVS is the US partner for Why Poverty? and has already broadcast the premiere film, Mona Eldaief and Jehane Noujaim’s Solar Mamas on November 5th, followed by Alex Gibney’s Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream on November 12th on the PBS series Independent Lens. The remaining 6 films will be broadcast on the Global Voices series on the World Channel during the week of November 26.

Why Poverty? features 8 documentaries and an additional 30 shorts ranging from one to five minutes, all distributed on the Why Poverty? site and on the ITVS YouTube channel from September onwards. Before Why Poverty?, ITVS was involved with the series Why Democracy?.  As the US partner, ITVS has distributed the films for Why Democracy? on public television as well as on the Sundance Channel and other broadcast venues. For Why Poverty?, the eight films will all showcase on public television, either on Independent Lens or on Global Voices. See all the documentaries and online shorts, please visit the Why Poverty? website.

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