Minamata presents a well-crafted, character-driven story illustrating the stress and emotional toll of exposing the truth behind corporate corruption. In 1971, photographer W. Eugene Smith travels to Minamata, Japan, a coastal city devastated by mercury poisoning.
What is “cinemeducation”?
The coined term “cinemeducation” is an established method of education utilizing films to enhance the understanding of health information (1). This multidisciplinary field can provide powerful tools to establish health-related narratives through film making, disseminate medical information, and promote wellness. Moreover, research suggests that media and art-based communication is most effective when it is interactive (1-3).
There have been several innovative approaches to media productions that actively engage the audience and creates emotional connections while delivering global health topics (i.e. COVID-19 related videos). The movie ‘Minamata’ is a perfect example of this. It is a timely movie about war photographer W. Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp) who travels to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of mercury poisoning in coastal communities. Minamata disease was caused by eating large quantities of fish and shellfish polluted by methyl mercury discharged into Minamata Bay. Methyl mercury that enters the body mainly attacks the central nervous system but there are other organs that are compromised (Figure 1) (4,5). The movie itself details the emotional tragedies of the people who are affected by this environmental illness. Depp is engaging while allowing the viewers to become a part of the journey and gives the gift of story-telling in a very realistic way. The cinematography is visually stunning as well as emotionally devastating, as a backdrop to examine how humanity can often feel separated from each other and the importance of human connection. The director, Andrew Levitas, scales a stern topic like industrial pollution while delivering the story in an empathetic and heart felt manner. Essentially, the movie delivers a message about our moral obligation to protect the environment and promote the sustainable development. In addition, it highlights the fact that mercury pollution is an ongoing global problem that requires global action. While government and industries attempt to remove products containing mercury, public awareness is essential. This movie leaves the viewers feeling intrinsically motivated and inspired – inspired to do more and do better.
Scientific cinematic narratives have powerful impacts on audiences through emotion and empathy while featuring “call to action” initiatives on global health. It is recommended that filmmakers use insightful elements to engage people on a deeper, more cognitive level. Delivering a relatable portrayal and featuring people who share viewers’ identities creates an emotional connection to the film.
