Screening of The End of Poverty? narrated by Martin Sheen – 28th February

As Fairtrade Fortnight gets underway, Tipping Point’s next film club event is Monday 28th February 8pm at the Lexi Cinema.

Philippe Diaz’s film The End of Poverty? will be followed by a post film discussion with John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want, and Andrew Simms, nef fellow.

Released in 2009 and selected for 25 international film festivals around the world, including Critics Weeks at Cannes, this is a daring, thought-provoking and timely film.

‘Diaz’s clear-eyed look at how cultures of despair and dependency are created andmaintained alone is worth price of admission’. Ernest Hardy, LA Weekly.

‘A sort of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ for global economics…a powerful description ofhow western policies since colonialism have subjugated Third World countries’. Charles Masters, The Hollywood Reporter

The film: Today, with global poverty reaching new levels because of unfair debt, trade and tax policies — wealthy countries exploiting the weaknesses of poor, developing countries seems part of this continuum. With comment from leading economic thinkers including Susan George, Joseph Stiglitz and John Christenson, Diaz takes us on a historical journey to the present day – from Europe and the USA to Latin America, Asia and Africa – in order to explain better how and why such widespread poverty exists today in the global south. And if 20% of the planet’s population uses 80% of its resources and consumes 30% more than the planet can regenerate, at this rate, to maintain our lifestyle, will more and more people need to sink below the poverty line?

Post film discussion: Who wouldn’t like to see the end of poverty? Although the rhetoric is mainstreamed, how far are we in the rich world ready to go in rolling back the systemic economic injustice done to poorer nations in our name? How much do we really care – as citizens or governments? Is buying Fairtrade enough –or is it the limit for most? How can the more complex issues that hold back many developing nations ever ‘punch through’ when it demands so much more attention – not to mention political and economic ‘sacrifice’. This event is taking place as Fairtrade fortnight gets underway and we hope post film discussion will unpack some of these questions as we explore how we citizens and consumers in the rich world can most effectively challenge and change our world for the better.

To see the film-makers’ call to action visit.

Post Film discussion and Q&A with John Hilary and Andrew Simms.

John Hilary is Executive Director of the campaigning anti-poverty organisation War on Want. John has 20 years experience in the international development and human rights sector. He has published widely on issues of international politics and globalisation, trade and investment, privatisation, conflict, aid conditionality, Palestine and Iraq.

Andrew Simms is an author, broadcaster and nef (New Economics Foundation) fellow, where he founded the climate change, energy and interdependence programmes. Andrew was a founding organiser of Jubilee 2000 debt campaign and sits on various boards including Greenpeace UK.

Tickets: Tickets cost £5 and can be purchased through The Lexi Cinema website or by calling the box office on 0871 704 2069 (£1 Booking Fee).

Tickets are free to TPFF regular givers and annual donors of more than £60.

Getting there

The Lexi Cinema is located at 194 Chamberlayne Road, Kensal Rise, NW10 3JU. It is around 7 minutes walk from Kensal Rise over-ground station and a good bus service runs from central London. The 52 (from Victoria) and the 6 (from Oxford Circus) stop directly outside the cinema. To map your route by public transport click here, and for a streetmap click here.