Films on literature, music, art, history, society and more. Top up your ideas! The films in the Academy media library form the core of the site effort to nudge folk towards 'being cultured.' In our eyes 'being cultured' just means knowing a bit more about how the world works, how human beings work together best, what it means to be a worthwhile person in a general as well as a particular sense. There is no creed on offer. It's not a religion. There are no absolute answers. But quite a few folk have done it before us so we need to look back as well as we can and use their experience. We need to read their books and look at what they created. The astonishing resource of easily available films like these on your smartphone or screen means that getting cultured is open to millions whereas before it was only a tiny minority of folk 'born lucky' at the top of society you might say who had the chance. They didn't always take it! Make sure you do.. Get going!
The French writer Voltaire was born the son of a prominent lawyer and from his earliest days showed a precocious literary talent. He wrote plays and novels and historical and philosophical works and his outspokeness constantly landed him in trouble with the authorities. He spent much of his enormous talent excoriating the Catholic priesthood which had so much influence in his day though he continued to believe in a god who ultimately ran things. (a god who thought like he did probably!) He became one of the leading liberal voices of the enlightenment and he has had a world wide influence ever since. The film traces his fascinating (and often amusing)life and is followed by an overview of his works. AM029HD20 VOLTAIRE 2020 35'48
