Who actually creates the narratives?
Published: Sun, 01/04/26
Yesterday Iduna and I went to see Avatar, Fire and Ash, as directed by James Cameron, and yes, it would have helped to have seen the previous two films in the series. However, we managed to follow the three hour plus narrative okay. To me the whole film suggested a mash up between Moana and Starship Troopers with influences from How to Train your Dragon, the Lord of the Rings, Apocalypse now, and the book ‘The Secret Life of Trees’ by Peter Wohlleben is heavily referenced as well. A form of shamanism plays a pretty big part in the plot too. The visuals are extraordinary and highly inventive, I loved the airships towed by some kind of flying cuttlefish in which the sky traders flew from one place to another. Iduna’s favourite part was when the vicious squids arrived to turn the tide of the climatic battle and win the day for the good guys. Am I recommending this film? I was impressed and from my description I think you will be
able to decide if this is your kind of entertainment.
I have also watched the first couple of episodes of Russel T. Davis’ latest Dr Who spin off ‘The War Between Land and Sea’. This five part series seems to be another high concept piece of science fiction, albeit with BBC budget rather than the riches which Mr Cameron has to play with. What both narratives seem to have in common is themes which critique humanity through the eyes of beings at least as intelligent as us and without our materialistic greed and lust for power over all creation. The critiques are valid and even uplifting. However, is it just me, or is it odd that both stories are generated and distributed through two of the most powerful corporate narrative machines, Hollywood, and the British Broadcasting Corporation?
So, what is coming in 2026? I am not making any predictions. 2025 was largely a continuation of the previous year. Ukraine and Gaza continued. Western government debt, especially American spending, continued to grow and no one seemed inclined to do anything about it. Our government made ever increasing efforts to close down free speech and was willing to lock up anyone who supports a certain direct action group.
One of the theme’s in the Avatar movie was deciding; ‘Which team are you playing for?’ A very good and important question, which is posed by a soldier who is working for the corporation dedicated to raping and exploiting Pandora, the planet paradise on which the story is set.
Our choice of ‘side’ in any conflict will be heavily influenced by the narrative which catches our attention. A powerful film, or even TV series, which portrays humans as evil corporate raiders, and the ‘aliens’ as the benevolent sages in tune with the spirit of the natural world actually divides human beings against each other. As you identify with the gentle aliens against greedy, violent, selfish, corporate humanity you are in danger of forgetting that those who you would most like to align with don’t actually exist outside of corporate created narratives. Which may well be why these narratives are presented in the first place. I can enjoy the entertainments. I can be inspired by the stories told. However, I still need to critique my own response to the narratives I am presented with. We change the world for the better, not by identifying with imaginary aliens, but by recognising each other as human beings. We harm one
another when we see certain groups of people as ‘other’ and we are given reasons for hating members of these groups. When we actually get to know human beings from other cultures and places we usually discover that in fact we are very much like them and we have more in common than separate.
So, if human beings are capable of unity, what are the entities which seek to divide and bring conflict? Here is a definition from Google: ‘A corporation is a legally established entity that can enter into contracts, own assets and incur debt, as well as sue and be sued—all separately from its owner(s).’ Think about that for a moment, a corporation is an entity in its own right, an alien being with a great deal of power and influence over our planet.
The narratives created by such entities as Hollywood and the BBC may warn us of the dangers of corporations, but only in such a way that we hate and fear the humans we perceive as working for the corporations.
Maybe 2026 is the year when we learn how to critique our own responses to corporate narratives. I don’t know where that will take us, but it would be a start.
Regards
Graham
PS Our first event of the year will be in Salisbury on the 21st of March https://iceandfire.org.uk/salisbury210326.html
Dates and booking for Silver Forest Camps here https://www.zu.iceandfire.org/
Stavcamp will be on the first weekend of September, I will be fully updating the website soon but here are the basics and some videos and pictures from last year https://www.stavcamp.org/
Graham Butcher
21 Beaver Road
Beverley East Yorkshire HU17 0QN
UNITED KINGDOM
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