Aurora Meneghello and Serge Bakalian
As college degrees have become more essential to gaining employment in the United States, college enrollments have increased. So, too, has student borrowing. The following film trailer for Default: The Student Loan Movie (2011) takes a critical look at the student loan industry and follows several borrowers as they attempt to change a system they claim has saddled them with crippling debt. The film was produced by Serge Bakalian, a San Francisco-based activist, and directed by Aurora Meneghello, a photographer and environmentalist. You can watch the entire twenty-seven-minute film on the film’s Web site at http://www.defaultmovie.com/.
Topics for Critical Thinking and Writing
The purpose of film trailers is to entice audiences to see movies. How does this trailer for Default try to grab its audience? Is it successful? Why, or why not?
Just as an argument in print uses evidence to support its claims, so does an argument presented in a film. What are the types of evidence you see presented in this trailer? How does each piece of evidence contribute to the overall argument in favor of student loan reform?
Although this trailer presents a lot of evidence in favor of student loan reform, it doesn’t show its audience any counterarguments. What are some possible counterarguments you think the filmmakers could have addressed?