Capitain Phillips
A nation for one
The movie Captain Phillips tells us a true story about what happened with captain Richard Phillips. He and his crew were victims of Somali pirates. Only the captain was kidnaped by Somalis and later saved by US Marines. The director, Paul Greengrass, reproduces the strength of the American Empire when an American is in need of his country’s support. Tom Hanks gives life to the real captain. I confess: all Americans need to be proud of their cinema industry. They know how tell us a good story. But don’t forget, Americans are the saviors of the world.
On the other hand there is the miserable Somalia. Others North African countries are in the same situation of poverty and oppression. In Oman, the same country were Phillips’ ship cargo Maersk Alabama left, I saw young women being brought from Addis Ababa, to be housemaids. Addis Ababa is Ethiopia’s capital. Once arrived, their passports are confiscated. At that moment, they became a “modern slave.” It was the worst experience of my life. I could do nothing about it. When I saw that representation of Somalia reality, I remembered that terrible scene at the Oman Airport.
How many countries will save their citizens anywhere? I really don’t know. I thought of my country’s Army saving me in any place in the world and my answer is sadly: it will be cheaper for them if I die. But this movie made me think about it. Besides, there is a bigger problem: I’m not save inside my own Country, Brazil. It is very dangerous. I’m so sorry for the tourists that want to go to FIFA’s World Cup and Olympics Games.
Captain Phillips is a kind of story that might alienate us. Many movies show us how US has great power and can solve any problem. On the other hand, this movie can make us to think about many things: In this case a human life was the most important. Wich human life? All of them. Everywhere. In any condition. Every institution’s first and foremost goal should be to better human life and eventually to safe those in dire straits. We are blind to what is happening in poor countries. We are blind for needs, in general.
If it wasn’t about a ship’s cargo, would the US Marines have saved that life? If no material values were there -ship, containers, products-, would the US Marines have saved that life? Was that life saved just because of assets? I really don’t know.
But I’m completely jealous of this story. The Army came to save his life. I don’t know if Brazil’s Army would do it for me and others Brazilians.
