Superheroes

I saw the movie, "Iron Man", a few days ago. My kids are going to see this movie some day when they're older and, like most kids, they'll be really impressed by the hero's ability to fly at supersonic speed and shoot missiles out of his arms. But I hope that's not what makes them think of this guy as a hero. I hope they see him as a hero because he's using his extraordinary powers to help save people.

I once showed Josie an edition of Forbes Magazine featuring the top philanthropists in Asia. I told her, "These are superheroes." She looked at the photos of the businessmen and women and looked up at me quizzically. Where were their superhero costumes and capes? I explained to her that these people couldn't fly or knock down buildings, but they had extraordinary powers - money, fame - and they were using their powers to help save people. I don't know if it registered, but maybe some day it will.

Here are some of my heroes: Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Chris Gardner. What do these people have in common? They're all rich and famous. But that's not why I admire them. All of these people are using their wealth and fame to do a lot of good for a lot of people they don't even know. They're all incredibly smart; smart enough to make a truckload of money and smart enough to use that money to help others.

Maybe they're doing all their charity work for self-serving purposes. Who cares? If Oprah wants to set up foundations to boost her own public image and win her a positive place in history, good for her. But if these foundations help underprivileged children get an education and opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have, then good for the world.

Here's another superhero movie I'd like to see: "Homeless FC".  It's a documentary about a soccer team made up of homeless people in Hong Kong. Nobody leaping over tall buildings or saving the world from villains, but I've read a bit about the film and it sounds like a movie about heroes.   [I'm going to see the film on May 17 or 25.  If you're in Singapore, come with me.]

The two directors are ex-colleagues of mine.  This is their third documentary.  The first two were about East Timor and Cambodia.  They're now working on a documentary about a shoeshine boy from Kenya who wants to ride in the Tour de France.  These two directors work on shoestring budgets to tell the stories of people who are insignificant by most of the world's standards.

When I think of superheroes, I think of qualities that make me feel there is hope in the world because they exist.  

I'm so glad people are making films like this and telling stories about people like this. I think there's hope in the world because people like this exist.  (I'm talking about the documentaries, not "Iron Man".)