Looking past the actual crusade itself - which of course is undoubtedly hard, given the images and (possibly inflated) statistics - the goal of the film, I think, is being widely overlooked. As the narrator states at the beginning of the film - this is an experiment. An experiment surrounding social media and the impact it has, and can make, on all of our lives. Yes, these men feel that they have a vested interest in the plight of the Ugandan people, as they have spent the last decade travelling there, and given that they are film makers, used their talents to shed light on a horrific situation. However, I think that everyone has inevitably missed the larger picture here. To me, this was less about the "Invisible Children" and more about our rights as a human race and the idea that knowledge creates change. That it is possible to make a stand, as a world collective, and make change happen. No, I don't think that by donating money to this cause will go to specifically towards saving these children and the efforts in the capture of Kony himself - in the same way that I don't believe that buying a lunch bag with a pink breast cancer ribbon embossed on it will lead to the cure of breast cancer. But it might remind a woman who happens to see that ribbon to do a self exam or schedule a mammogram. It's all about exposure and awareness.
And yes, maybe the salaries of the film makers seem high to most. But I wonder, are they less deserving of a high income than say my husband, who essentially works for big oil raping the planet of its natural resources? Is it that outrageous compared to celebrities that make millions of dollars by tweeting their support for a product, regardless if that product may be harmful or inappropriate for its target audience? Or is that ok because their royalties didn't specifically come out of your pocket?
In this amazing social networking world we now live in, is it not a good thing that people are sharing on a massive scale, something other than photos with sarcastic captions and links to their favorite songs on YouTube? Isn't it a fantastic thing that people are talking less about what plans they have for the weekend and more about moving toward a global social shift in what we perceive as "power" and who actually holds the key to that "power"?
I hold faith in the human race that one day, we'll all wake the fuck up and realize that we do have a say. That knowledge is power, and regardless of opposition and naysayers, if enough people care passionately about something and make their voice loud enough to those who can facilitate change on a massive scale, then change will happen. I hope they find Kony. Not only so that he can be held accountable for the crimes he has committed against humanity, but so that the purpose of this experiment can be realized and replicated over and over again. I can only hope that when my kids get to be my age, they don't feel that they are helpless to make an impact on the world they live in, and that they've been shown the ways to instill hope and change.
