What does this have to do with international development? Not much but a little more than you think. Hi and welcome to my blog. You can find more about me here and why I started the blog here. Why should you keep reading my blog? Because I am, on occasion, quite the interesting fella. Today, My intention is to share how to enjoy a movie guiltfree: 2 Key Lessons From Enola Holmes for Development. Hang in there.
Basically, I am sharing how I convince myself to enjoy a movie guiltfree as an “adult”. One who is trying to create more purpose in my 9-7; scrambling for more hours in the day to learn more, balance demands from family and friends, and trying to live a baby-girl life (even though I may have wasted 2 hours on social media today). It’s a no judgement zone, please. But, does that sound familiar? If that’s you, hello friend! Rest and relaxation are important so don’t let anyone guilt you.
One of my guiding principles in 2021 is to be intentional about finding ideas in unlikely places. Thanks to Malcolm Gladwell’s “What the Dog Saw”, I am choosing to convince myself that everyone and everything has a story to tell – something interesting about them. It is this newfound optimism and curiosity that led me to these 2 key lessons from the movie Enola Holmes. I hope you enjoy them. Ps: You can still enjoy the post even if you haven’t watched the movie; I make loose references and there are no spoilers.
Post Map
#1 “You’re being emotional. It’s understandable, but unnecessary.” Sherlock/Enola Holmes
This phrase sounds and feels mighty impactful – and it is. On some level, it reminds me of “Having a heart for the poor is easy. Having a mind for the poor—that’s the challenge.” A quote from the 2014 documentary, Poverty Inc., which explores the assistance systems put in motion by non-governmental charitable institutions and corporations. Basically, it highlights the redundancy of their efforts and the unintended consequences of charity on local economies. See the trailer below.
Often in international development, the plight of the poor and less privileged evokes an emotive response. That’s understandable when the fly-on-the-cheek pictures of black and brown babies are plastered across donation paraphernalia. But it is marketing – a part of the equation to raise money. While it is good to appeal to our humanness, it has not always been as useful.
The complexity of poverty and the political nature of poverty alleviation requires a little less heart and more mind. When we think about how the Asian Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, etc), China and the lot, managing to improve their fortunes, it wasn’t pity that revolutionised their economies. It was strategic, intentional and iterative policy procedures. Read more here.
“I am a little confused…”
Basically, the next time you are discussing the plight of homelessness and you feel bad, push past that feeling to identify what can feasibly and practically be done. What does it look like to solve the problem?
Or, if enough pictures and the emotion-laden videos touch your heart to pay $200 for that little girl’s school fees, that’s sweet. Consider inquiring more about what it takes to provide an education and learning experience – school uniform, food, transport, health, etc. “Does she have enough light to do the homework at home?…you catch my drift. Answering those questions go a little bit more than a cheque and deuces – and that’s where the value is.
The world needs people that care. But, even more than that, it needs people whose care is focused on actually making an impactful – longlasting impact.
#2 “Politics doesn’t interest you because you have no interest in changing a world that suits you so well”.
Well, where does one start with that? I felt this statement.
First, in the movie Enola Holmes, the man that is Sherlock Holmes really tried it at this exact point
Sherlock Holmes, the man – white – that he is, could not wrap his head around the extreme lengths the suffragettes had to go for the right to vote. Thus, when Edith, a friend and a part of Lady Eudoria Holmes’ dangerous squad, gathered those words and flung them at Sherlock, it stung. For him, and for us. We felt it for him.
Second, the phrasing “things will never change” hurts; for Enola Holmes as for ‘developing’ countries
“Things will never change”; “politics is politics”. Or worse, “The poor keep themselves poor because of A, B, C and cousin Y.” It’s the lack of nuance for me.
It’s false because for one, when we look at the examples from Asia, things did change. And that’s because they made the decision to change. The culture of popular welfare that prioritises the wellbeing of others (community, the masses) helped. So did the desire to show (cap)ability and compete with others. Rwanda, for instance, is not without faults. Nevertheless, all can see how a laser-focus on growth and development is gradually putting the country on a trailblazing path.
The idea that poor people just need to help themselves is woefully inadequate. Exiting poverty has a lot to do with accessibility as it does availability. When you are systemically excluded from certain resources and infrastructure, you cannot simply ‘just do anything’.
Decisions about livelihood are often a delicate trade-off. One that plays on the thin line between survival and death, and the foregoing of one seemingly good thing for another. Those who think it is a will issue need to pause and rethink. Rethink their access and the dreaded word, privilege; both of which may be hindering the ability to fully understand and thus address the root causes of systemic poverty and underdevelopment.
Creating prosperity should be the priority, not just alleviating poverty.
And that, requires allies, resources and key players amplifying the voices and causes of the not so well-off. FYI, there is some privilege that comes with reading this post. You can access, read, understand, and agree/disagree with this – and that is more than many.
So it’s not really just about “awwing” and sighing, we know you care. Let’s figure out a way to have a mind for the poor as well.
Tell me, what would it look like if your contribution was truly significant?
The movie: Did I actually enjoy the Enola Holmes?
Well, I did. It felt like I was watching a children’s movie but also deeply addressing some social issues. It was an odd but enjoyable one.
In other words, despite the feminist themes, the subtle emphasis on urban-rural life differences, the suffragette history, and the interesting costumes of times past, the movie still feels like a child’s movie – like a 10-year-old type of movie. Is that a bad remark? I hope not. The world, after all, needs more childlike fascination – and play. That feels uneasy, sit with the contradiction – it’s allowed. 😊
Conclusion: how to enjoy a movie guiltfree
Watch a movie, find something or someone interesting and tease out ideas that start conversations. Like I just did. That way you can enjoy life but also make it learning. It’s a matter of perspective. Thank you, Enola Holmes, Eudoria Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the others.
Is it a stretch? No, not when it’s ‘finding an idea in an unlikely place‘.
Enough of Enola Holmes, Blinkist
I don’t think I’m as crazy about reading as some others I have encountered in the past year, or as I would like to be. As such, I won’t exactly call myself a book lover; I am a habitual book enthusiast.
That said, if you do love reading but struggle to find time to do so, Blinkist can help. It’s a fantastic resource that compresses the key points of nonfiction books into 15 minutes soundbites. You should check out. If you use the link below, you can try it for free for a short while and get 20% off when you decide to purchase a subscription. Yes, I do like you and yes, I share this link as an affiliate. That means that should you use my link, I will get some credit but at no cost to you 😊
Get 20% OFF your Blinkist subscription!
Action Items
Before you leave, may I ask you two favours?
- Tell me in the comments section if this post makes sense; as in, do you get it? I am more than happy to hear your thoughts on the actual movie, of course.
- Would you follow my Instagram page? I use that as a pictorial diary to share images I have come across, moments I captured, and some behind the scenes reels of moments I get caught in.
Noelle Wonders
Latest posts by Noelle Wonders (see all)
- Deciphering Chaos: Provocative Insights from a day at Victoria Station - December 1, 2023
- Can social impact bonds improve employment? - January 11, 2023
- No, setting more grandiose goals won’t bring us development - December 3, 2022
i really enjoyed this movie and I like the references you’ve made here. Great job, as always.
It makes sense. The fact that you made these connections is pretty cool actually. I love the idea of having a mind for the poor and not just a heart for them. It’s deep
It’s deep! 😂
Thank you
This was such a fun piece, but informative as well. I haven’t seen any of the movies referenced, but I do agree that there is a need to think past simple hand-outs that massages the ego but doesn’t really do much. I think that as you hinted, maybe we should consider how we can help “create prosperity”, rather than focus on alleviating poverty. This way I think we will be moved to engage the problem more actively and intellectually. Nice piece Noelle.
Ditto! It’s one of the concepts that was highlighted in the book Prosperity Paradox. Creating Prosperity and Poverty Alleviation are somewhat different things, or at least require different approaches. On some level, poverty alleviation is a subset of creating prosperity but only one of many options that need to be advocated for.