Film awards season in the United States is a famously glitzy affair, but that's not to say the films themselves lack substance. Many of the stars and filmmakers who walk the red carpet deserve serious recognition for bringing attention to some of the issues global citizens care about most.
The contenders for this year’s Golden Globe Awards—arguably the second-biggest awards show of the season, behind the Oscars—are no exception. From economic inequality to child soldiers, several of this year’s nominated films and television series cover themes and issues that go hand in hand with the movement to end extreme poverty and build a better world.
With that in mind, here are eight nominees global citizens should be rooting for at this Sunday’s big show. In the spirit of the season, I’ve made up my own award categories to reflect why these nominees deserve global citizens’ support. (Some are sillier than others.) Let’s call them the Global Globes, shall we?
*crickets*
No? Well, I thought it was clever...
To find out who takes home actual awards, tune in on Sunday at 8pm ET on NBC to catch the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards.
But first, here are this year's Global Globe recipients:
Best Depiction of a Dystopian Future the Global Goals Will Help Avoid
Mad Max: Fury Road (Best Motion Picture - Drama)
In a nutshell: Nuclear warfare has reduced the world to a desert wasteland where resources are scarce and roving bands of power-hungry militants vie for control. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) lead a last-ditch attempt to break free of a tyrannical leader’s clutches, bringing hope to the impoverished citizens of the wasteland they call home.
The Global Citizen take: This post-apocalyptic blockbuster racked up accolades for its over-the-top visuals and superb performances, but the film’s real strength is that the dystopian world it envisions won’t be coming true anytime soon, provided the Global Goals are achieved. (Granted, it would be pretty awesome to ride through the desert on a souped-up pickup shredding on an electric guitar… I suppose there’s always Burning Man.)
For more dystopian futures we never want to see happen, click here.
Best Evidence of the Power of Journalism to Tackle Injustice
Spotlight (Best Motion Picture - Drama)
In a nutshell: In 2001, a group of reporters from The Boston Globe struck journalistic gold when they began investigating allegations that Catholic priests in the Boston area had been preying on, and sexually abusing, young churchgoing boys for years. Spotlight takes viewers inside the reporting process and shows how a local paper with big ambitions uncovered an earth-shattering coverup.
The Global Citizen take: The best journalism strives to hold those in power accountable for their actions and uncover injustice, whether it’s in Boston or around the world. That’s why journalists will be key players in helping achieve Global Goal 16, Peace and Justice—it’s also why journalists around the world are so often the targets of persecution and abuse. Spotlight is an ode to why journalism matters in the fight to build a more just world.
Best Use of Humor to Expose Economic Inequality
The Big Short (Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy)
In a nutshell: The story of how a handful of outside-the-box investors correctly predicted the collapse of the American housing bubble in 2007—and then proceeded to profit from it.
The Global Citizen take: You don’t have to know the ins and outs of Wall Street finance to understand that the world’s financial system is broken. The events depicted in this film set off a domino effect that toppled economies around the world, and the world’s poorest were the ones who paid. Worldwide, 1 percent of the population owns more wealth than the other 99 percent combined. The Big Short highlights the absurdity of it all in compelling (and frequently hilarious) fashion.
Most Gripping Depiction of the Human Cost of War
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture)
In a nutshell: Elba plays a warlord in an unnamed West African country who captures, trains, and commands child soldiers during a brutal civil war.
The Global Citizen take:A quarter-million children around the world are soldiers today. That’s 250,000 kids whose futures are in serious jeopardy due to war and conflict, and those same conflicts undermine the prospects of entire countries. Elba’s portrayal of a complex man lends emotional heft to a largely chilling film, helping draw attention to one of the world’s most unconscionable realities.
Best Shot at Cracking the Hollywood Boys’ Club
Emma Donoghue, Room (Best Screenplay - Motion Picture)
In a nutshell: Based on Donoghue’s novel of the same name, Room is a gripping account of how a mother and her young son escape the clutches of their deranged captor after years spent living in a cramped, shabby room.
The Global Citizen take: Aside from the fact that the film itself is remarkable, Donoghue earns Global Citizen accolades because of who she’s up against in the category of Best Screenplay: six men. In fact, she is the only female nominee in any individual category not specifically designated for women (not counting Ellie Goulding, whose song from the 50 Shades soundtrack was nominated for Best Original Song). Voters should choose the Best Screenplay on the basis of its intrinsic merit, of course, but Donoghue deserves credit for reminding the world that, yes, women are perfectly capable of writing a Golden Globe-caliber screenplay (contrary to what decades of Hollywood sexism might suggest).
Best Exploration of Traditional Norms and How They Change
Mustang (Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language)
In a nutshell: Inspired in part by her traditional Turkish roots, French-raised director Deniz Gamze Ergüven helms this film about a group of orphaned girls living in a remote Turkish village who must navigate growing up in a conservative society where girls are groomed for marriage from a young age.
The Global Citizen take: In societies that emphasize marriage above all else, women and girls are too often prevented from pursuing other interests and providing for themselves. Child marriage can be especially damaging. Luckily, those norms are slowly but surely beginning to fade, and the stars of Mustang beautifully illustrate what can happen when girls and women push back against the traditions that bind them.
(As an aside, global citizens everywhere should check out the rest of the nominees in the Foreign Language category. With films from countries including Hungary, Chile, and Belgium, this year’s category offers further proof that great films aren’t just made in English!)
Most Nuanced Portrayal of Diversity
Transparent (Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy)
In a nutshell: Now in its second season, this groundbreaking comedy-drama tells the story of a retired college professor (played by Jeffrey Tambor, himself a Golden Globe nominee) who has always identified as a woman. Her decision to reveal her true identity to her family, and the ways in which that decision reverberates throughout their lives, form the nucleus of this beautifully made and critically acclaimed series.
The Global Citizen take: Global citizenship starts with acceptance. With its nuanced portrayal of complex characters—all of whom have strengths and flaws—in the midst of a stress-filled change, Transparent shows what it takes to embrace the inner beauty in yourself and in others.
Honorable mention goes to Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl) for his portrayal of a Danish artist who in the 1920s became one of the first-ever recipients of sex reassignment surgery.
Best Follow-Up to a Global Citizen Festival Appearance
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama)
In a nutshell: DiCaprio stars alongside Tom Hardy in this epic tale of betrayal, survival, and bear attacks set in the 1820s wilderness of the American frontier. Directed by Alejandro Iñárritu, winner of last year’s Oscar for Best Director, this film garnered buzz for its stunning cinematography and merciless production schedule.
The Global Citizen take: DiCaprio set a high bar for himself when he appeared onstage at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival and implored global citizens to stand up for the environment, but his performance in The Revenant might go down as his most memorable performance of 2015. Best of luck to DiCaprio as he seeks a Golden Globe and his first-ever Oscar next February.
As these Global Globe winners so clearly demonstrate, cinematic storytelling has the power to champion causes and values global citizens hold dear. Tune in Sunday to see if they win the awards they're actually nominated for.