Advocacy of 4IR Agenda in Selected Feature Films: An Analysis of Aneesh Chaganty’s Searching and Nicholas D. Johnson & Will Merick’s Missing

Abstract

A film contains images that are projected on the screen to generate chimera of movements. It is a 
visual story-telling type of entertainment which can also serve as a tool of edification. Film is also 
used to probe vital social issues. It is deployed to make the audience take note of a development, learn 
about a new culture, and experience dissimilar perspectives on a given subject matter. Genre of films 
include; historical, science-fiction, comedy, drama, thriller, drama, adventure, crime, gangster, horror, 
western and musical. The genus of film that brings controversial discourse to the consciousness of its 
audience is referred to as advocacy film. Advocacy film also allows its audience to examine issues 
from different perspectives. Existing studies on films with advocacy are mostly documentary films. 
However, scant attention has been paid to advocacy feature-length films. Guided by Emerson Kim’s 
Media Advocacy Theory, this study investigates how the Fourth Industrial Revolution agenda were 
established in Aneesh Chaganty’s film; Searching and Nicholas D. Johnson & Will Merick’s film; 
Missing. The study concludes that film is not entertainment only; it could also serve as a means to 
display/situate social, political, cultural, economic and technological discourses in the age of industry 
4.0.