SHERRY B. ORTNER, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, UCLA

Many makers and producers of film and media hope to create some kind of social or political impact with their films. As with other kinds of entities that seek to "do good" (development projects, humanitarian efforts, philanthropy), these efforts often fail to achieve their desired results, and sometimes have negative consequences. The problem is not new but is exacerbated under various conditions of the world reordered under neoliberalism. These points are developed through a study of the work of one film production company in Los Angeles.