The Issue With Sue

It is no secret now that the world has been experiencing some turbulence regarding religion. Although the various perspectives about religion have always been problematic, matters were made worse when a film director under the name of Sam Bacile, released "Innocence of Muslims" which could be viewed on YouTube. Immediately, the movie was assaulted with aggressive anti-American responses and attacks from the Middle East which resulted in more than 17 tragic deaths, including the U.S ambassador to Libya.

Due to this violent feedback, an actress from the movie, Cindy Lee Garcia, has sued the film’s producer and YouTube as well, claiming that the reaction of movie has caused her to receive death threats which eventually made her an invalid caretaker for her grandchildren. Still, the movie has also caused problems in other aspects of Garcia’s life, such as being fired from her job since her employers now believe she poses a threat to those around her.

Garcia decided to sue because she states that she was tricked into making the film; she claims that the filmmaker tricked her into taking a role in the movie by assuring her that the movie was actually an adventure story set in ancient Egypt.

The actress wants all her association to the movie to be cut immediately before further problems in her life arise, since she feels that her reputation and image has been tarnished.

I thought this article was important because it shines light on the treatment certain actors are exposed to after one of their projects fails. Although one constantly reads and hears about a movie hitting rock bottom in the box attention, no one truly pays attention to the actual people behind the movie. Yet, this article accomplishes the opposite because it makes the readers understand just how powerful certain effects are regarding elements as influential as movies which is the idea that originally attracted me to the article in the first place.

As a high school student, this impacted me because I was able to connect with the issue that Garcia faced. Everyone cares about the manner in which they present themselves to others and so as a society, everyone tries to keep that image as true as possible. Yet, Garcia claims her image was changed, giving off a negative vibe, which is not fair since she had no control over such action.

As a future filmmaker, this piece of information impacted me because it made me realize the risk involved in producing a controversial movie. Although I am sure the director did not mean to evoke such a powerful response that eventually lead to deaths and riots, he must have wanted some sort of reaction and emotion since every story has a theme. Yet, this article only put the main problem more into focus, giving me a warning about voicing my opinions and views about a delicate subject such as religion.

As a consumer, this impacts me because now I am interested in watching the film. When I first head of the riots and chaos in the Middle East, I never imagined it would be a voluntary attack against Americans over one simple film. I have not yet watched the movie, but after hearing how it is affecting history, I am more eager to watch the movie to determine myself if the movie really is as horrible and offensive as the attackers claim it is.

After reading this article, multiple questions quickly sprang into my mind. I wondered what the director was feeling after witnessing all the madness that erupted after showing his movie. I am sure he did not expect this kind of reaction and so it must have shocked him greatly, as well as realizing the lawsuit filed by Garcia. I also ponder about Garcia’s views on all the whole situation; at what moment did it fully hit Garcia that the movie she worked on caused her life to be threatened, pushing her to file a lawsuit against the producer and YouTube?

Cindy Lee Garcia Sues