Poverty, Inc. forces the viewer to take a hard look at the multibillion dollar complex of international aid. Drawing from over 200 interviews filmed in 20 countries, it presents the uncomfortable side of charity that we can no longer ignore, and promotes awareness of the effects of international aid, an important aspect of U.S. relations with the developing world. International aid has been criticized as dehumanizing the very subjects whose lives it aims to improve through well-intentioned but ineffective interventions. The film will discuss why these interventions do not work and how they can sometimes rob the dignities of entire societies. More importantly, the subsequent Question & Answer session, led by filmmaker Mark Weber, will discuss how to design effective interventions by returning ownership and agency to local communities.

Poverty, Inc. has earned over 40 international film festival honors including "Best of Fest" for IDFA, the biggest documentary festival in the world.

This event is also sponsored by the Global Studies Program and the Student Government Board. For more information, click here or contact Lia Petrose at lgp6@pitt.edu.