Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy Trailer 2 Released
April 26th, 2008 – The Metal Gear series has always been marked by innovation. Hideo
Kojima established and re-established himself as a pioneer by pushing
the boundaries of available technology. Technology continuously creates
opportunities previously thought impossible, and perhaps nobody in the
videogame industry has put this into effect as successfully as Mr.
Kojima.
With Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy, several dozen Italian students
have formed a production crew and created a populist Metal Gear—by fans
and for fans, as a non-profit venture. Virtually no money has been
invested in the production, because none will be earned from the film,
which is to be distributed for free over the Internet. In the true
spirit of a Kojima Production, The Hive Division created Philanthropy
with tireless devotion to their craft, characterized by the pursuit of
a perfect vision of what their work should be. And like Mr. Kojima,
they’ve used technology to make that vision a reality, albeit in a much
different manner than the man who inspired them.
Not blessed with the limitless financial resources of Konami, The
Hive Division has created a high quality film on a university student’s
budget—literally. The digital age has created opportunities for the
many that were formerly reserved for a few, and The Hive Division has
taken advantage of this at every stage. The team, organized and
directed by Giacomo Talamini, came together around their common
interest, gathered talent for the production, formed a fan base, and
will ultimately distribute their product, all thanks to the wonders of
the information age and the opportunities that now exist where barriers
once stood.
Philanthropy is—both literally and metaphorically—an homage to the
work of Hideo Kojima. In producing the film, The Hive Division
expresses one of the same themes they see in the Metal Gear series—a
shared wealth of information, for the good of all who seek it. Today,
it is possible for every individual to produce, not just consume, art,
entertainment, and meaning for the world in which they live. As a
result, The Hive Division’s structure allows them to transcend the
narrowly-focused movie establishment.
Instead of constructing itself on the conflicts contained within an
individual, or even a single culture, Philanthropy moves beyond
neighborhood issues to the topics that concern all of us, avoiding the
trends of typical Italian films. Motivation for the film springs from
The Hive Division’s desire for action/sci-fi to be taken seriously as a
genre, and to be heard as a legitimate e-mail: info@mgs-philanthropy.net
web site: http://www.mgs-philanthropy.net
source of social commentary. Philanthropy explores ideas such as
genetics, which is a recurring theme in the Metal Gear series;
memetics, the study of how culture, habits, and information evolve,
expand, and become part of our consciousness; and technology, and how
it is used and abused.
It is tempting to think of a group with such high-minded pursuits
as one that would be quite selfimportant and stuffy. Ironically,
nothing could be further from the truth. Despite the constant battle
with budget, distance, and communication issues, and even while holding
the highest of aspirations, The Hive Division manages not to take
things too seriously, and surround themselves and the whole project
with a sense of humor—perhaps the most Kojima-like traits of them all.
