The problem of poverty

A series of documentaries on ABC2 this week offers a fascinating look at the multi-faceted problem of poverty

A series of documentaries on ABC2 this week offers a fascinating look at the multi-faceted problem of poverty

IT'S staggering to think that, despite all the wealth in the world, millions of people continue to go to sleep at night hungry, homeless and with little hope of release.

But, while we're all familiar with pictures of starving children in Africa or desperate refugee camps in Palestine, how much do we understand about the realities of living in poverty? What is poverty and how does it shape people's lives?

This week, more than 70 international TV broadcasters, spanning more than 180 countries, will attempt to answer these questions and more with a series of five documentaries, screening nightly from Monday-Friday, which aim to confront an estimated audience of 500 million people with the question: Why poverty?

"From questioning the cult of celebrity endorsement to investigations into the inequities of global trade, these films, from some of the world's most celebrated filmmakers, offer a range of perspectives on poverty," says ABC2 Controller Stuart Menzies.

"This will ... hopefully start a new discussion about world poverty."
The docos will explore a variety of topics, including the American wealth divide, celebrity ambassadors, political corruption, education, life expectancy and more.

For Bosse Lindquist, the Danish director behind Give Us the Money, which airs on Tuesday and looks at the cult of celebrity ambassadors, the project threw up a few surprises.

"When this series came about, one of the commissioning editors suggested looking at celebrities and I thought, `Why would you want to look at celebrities when you are dealing with development issues'?," Lindquist tells TV Guide.

"Then it dawned on me that they are actually really important because they've become such a big part of politics these days."

Lindquist does confess that, prior to filming, he had low expectations of just how dedicated celebrities are to the cause of poverty and was suspicious of their reasons for being involved.

What he did discover on speaking to ambassadors such as Bob Geldof, Bill Gates and U2 lead singer Bono was pleasantly surprising. "It's heartwarming - they did impress me as very thoughtful and extremely well-read and hard-working people who actually have effected change when it comes to health and education," he says.

Lindquist says a conversation with ex-US President George Bush was a revelation.

"I was very surprised to learn that (he) wasn't just the 100 per cent warmonger that I saw him as, but also has a genuine personal wish to do something really big and good in Africa."

Lindquist hopes that viewers watching the Why Poverty? docos will find their expectations challenged also.

"The main point is that it's not hopeless," he says. "Things can get better. It's not a lost cause, which you might think when you see pollution, poverty, all the rest - there's another side to it.

"That was the most important thing for me."

Why Poverty?, Monday-Friday, 9.30pm, ABC2