Abstract:

How can American workers compete with their counterparts in Third World countries who work for 30 cents an hour? Shoes, clothings, cameras, cars, computers, formerly produced in the West are now made in developing countries. Filmed in Indonesia, Venezuela, Egypt and Nigeria, Battle of the Titans poses tough economic questions while showing the correlation between economic deprivation and political unrest. Professor Paul Kennedy of Yale University points out that 45 million new jobs are needed each year in the Third World to keep up with population growth. This will cause increased unemployment in the U.S. Trade barri-ers would cause the "have not" countries to become unstable. Then, radical leaders might unleash sophisticated weaponry against the West. The film traces the development of mega-cities where rich and poor are dramatically polarized. Lagos grew from a sleepy capital of 300,000 to a teaming city of 9 million between 1970 and 1990. Such urbanization happened in Europe two hundred years ago except now the pace is greatly accelerated. This thought provoking film will stimulate discussion in economics, international relations, development, labor and public policy. Association for Asian Studies, 1995 First Prize, North South Media Encounter, Geneva, 1994 Prix Europa, 1993