It can be argued that the Grecian dramatists endowed posterity the greatest contributions of Western Civilization: the tragedy. Tragedies speak to the special condition of the human soul. For millennia, prominent thinkers have underscored the importance of the tragic poem. Notably, in Aristotle’s Poetics, Aristotle extols the dramatic act of tragedy to be the paragon of poetry. He believed that through watching the tragedies, the masses would be purged of their emotions.
The legacy of the purgative power of tragedy is demonstrated in the films of our era. Because of modern technology that substantially brings the emotionally rich stories to the visual forefront, today’s movies can achieve significantly more catharsis than the Greek plays.
As a proponent of social justice, I believe that the systemic violence reaped upon the African American community is a great modern tragedy. I ironically believe that using fictional dramas that depict real scenarios to be the way to achieve constructive national discourse and catharsis.
Aristotle also was a philosopher who thought about communication, specifically the means of argumentation, thus giving rise to the Aristotelian appeals: logos, reason, pathos, emotion, and ethos, the speaker’s credibility. Aristotle believed that logos was the most necessary component of a persuasion.
I believe the most effective way to captivate an audience is a dramatic and cathartic combination of logos and pathos. For my personal project, I will be writing a short film centered around nonviolence. In my short film, the protagonist must grapple with the aftermath of her family member fatally shooting an unarmed civilian while in the line of duty. In this film, the protagonist will grapple internally and externally with what nonviolence looks like to her, as well as the social implications of living in a Black Lives Matter world. Included are my notes on the film. 
Hey Thalia,
I love this idea! I think it is so creative. This is such an unusual but important perspective to address. The issue of police brutality is very prevalent in today’s world, and is a conflict where every side must be understood, regardless of which one is morally correct. I also love how you connected Aristotle to your thought process, and chose the most effective way to make an impact and touch those who read or see your film.
Thank you Kayla.
Hey Lia,
As a fellow proponent of social justice, I am so excited about the topic for your project and I can’t wait to see your short film. I support the strategy of using fictional films that depict real world tragedies to shed light on injustices in our society. I think that is key to persuading the public to join your nonviolent movement. I also like that you chose to focus on police brutality in your short film because this issue is so prevalent in our community. Best of luck on your project!