[The Second Take] An Era That Needs SF Movies Even More

Just Attempting to Change People's Worldviews and Reduce Prejudice Matters
SF Films Contribute to Social Evolution
Science and Technology Offer Solutions

The fundamental theme of SF movies is 'What does it mean to be human?' Scenes where the protagonist realizes their own humanity often appear. Most of the time, it involves encountering a new being and reaching inner reflection. This context is more important than what happens when meeting an alien species. Almost all works focus on how to understand and accept them. Interaction becomes possible only when a solution is found.

'Avatar: The Way of Water' faithfully follows this familiar structure. It evenly shows the perspectives of various beings. From the Na'vi tribe living with diverse cultures on Pandora, to humans reborn as similar beings (Jake Sully), humans left on Pandora and raised like the Na'vi (Spider), humans who see Pandora as a new frontier... It even highlights a potential savior who communicates with all living things (Kiri). It aims to sound an alarm against neglecting nature and narrow-minded attitudes. Few audiences take this seriously. Most are enthusiastic only about the grand spectacle and dazzling action.

Director James Cameron perceives the nature of the public while accepting it positively. In an interview with SF writer Randle Freixas, who wrote novels like 'Terminator,' he said, "About 90% of the audience who watched 'Avatar (2009)' seemed to just enjoy the beautiful scenery and adventure," and added the following.

"Even if individuals showed only slight changes, because hundreds of millions watched it, there will be significant global changes. Perhaps it added a tiny element to change people's worldview and perspective, to make them more tolerant humans, and to prevent them from voting foolishly. If so, that's a good deed."

He makes films with the belief that we must address the era we live in and the political and social situations. This approach remains valid today. Although the world has progressed compared to before, many people are still astonishingly trapped in prejudice. Some are stubborn and even dogmatic. The greatly amplified populism and isolationism prove this. Though hidden behind the bubble called liberalism, they still run rampant in many places.

SF movies contribute to social evolution simply by attempting to reduce prejudice. For example, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' emphasizes the need for change through coexistence between the tribe and the Tulkun, which closely resemble whales, and the human frontier. This is similar to how astronomer Carl Sagan (1934?1996) advocated for the popularization of science.

Unfortunately, the era of excitement over the Voyager spacecraft approaching Jupiter and Saturn has passed. The pendulum swings the other way. Fraud and fake news have spread widely, and distrust of science is rampant. Some even believe in superstition and supernatural nonsense over scientific methodology. Without understanding and respect for science, this cannot be corrected. Sufficient trust must be supported for social, psychological, and political readiness.

SF movies are the easiest way for ordinary people to understand and respect science. It is not about fantasy action stories where spaceships fly swiftly and travel to other planets in an instant. It should be works that explain what it means to create genetically modified organisms or pathogens based on science, and how to accept the habitat shifts and deaths of certain flora and fauna.

The solution to living in the Anthropocene era can only be derived by sharing such concerns. Director Cameron seems to believe so as well. "We are, in fact, causing the sixth mass extinction in Earth's history. As you know, this was caused by science and technology. And only science and technology can get us out of here."