THE HUNGER GAMES
2012, Lionsgate

Following on our Jennifer Lawrence Oscar nominee theme, here’s a follow up to my earlier post regarding The Hunger Games.  While The Hunger Games (2012) is primarily a coal movie because of the imagery from district 12 (a coal mining district), hydroelectric power also makes an appearance.  Near the 28^th minute, as the train passes through the boundary of the Capitol District, it passes a hydroelectric dam.

The dam seves as a source of wealth while also standing as a monument to the Capitol’s power.

Such is the case in the real-world, too: governments and political leaders often erect dams as monuments to their power.   And, those dams, by providing clean electricity, can help create wealth.

The use of coal mines and hydroelectric dams to characterize the poor district 12 and the powerful Capitol District regions, respectively, highlights a real-world disparity.  Throughout the world, those who mine fuels tend to be poor, while those who generate and consume electricity tend to be rich.  As coal mining and poverty go hand in hand, so do electricity and wealth.