From Screen to Society: How Cinema Shapes Economic Choices

• Cinema not only reflects society’s aspirations but actively shapes them, influencing how individuals define success, lifestyle, and fulfilment.
• As these aspirations translate into spending and lifestyle choices, they collectively drive economic patterns, making the economy a reflection of human desire.
• The true question is not just what people aspire to, but whether those aspirations create long-term value for both individuals and society.

Cinema and the economy share a close and evolving relationship, each influencing and shaping the other over time. The economy provides the resources that make film production possible, while cinema reflects the values, aspirations and patterns of behaviour present within the society that sustains it.

The entertainment industry functions as a significant engine of economic activity, generating commerce across content creation, distribution, licensing and exhibition. Its impact extends well beyond the screen, supporting interconnected sectors such as hospitality, travel, construction and manufacturing, while also contributing indirectly through cultural influence and tourism.

One of the most visible examples of this influence can be seen in the way shooting locations evolve into tourist destinations. The exposure films often draw attention to places that might otherwise remain unfamiliar, creating new streams of economic activity for local communities.

The film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, for example, inspired many to travel to Spain and experience the La Tomatina festival, while The Lord of the Rings trilogy significantly transformed tourism in New Zealand. People do not travel to these locations simply because they have seen them—they travel because they desire the experiences those places have come to represent.

Cinema does more than promote destinations— It also reflects what societies come to value. Across genres, stories present experiences that audiences begin to internalise, often associating success with visible markers such as wealth, lifestyle and status. Characters are frequently portrayed striving to earn, protect and multiply money and even, at times, taking shortcuts to obtain it. Over time, these patterns repeat so consistently that they begin to feel normal, and what is normalised gradually becomes desirable.

In this way, cinema operates as a subtle yet powerful influence on aspiration. It projects certain ways of living as desirable, shaping how individuals imagine a fulfilling life should be.

While this process appears external, it also works at a psychological level. When a film ends, the impressions it leaves behind often remain, prompting reflection. People begin to measure their own lives against what they have seen, asking themselves whether what they currently have is enough or whether life could be more.

Such reflection does not remain abstract. It informs collective behaviour. As individuals begin to act on what they aspire towards, their choices—what they spend on, prioritise and pursue—collectively contribute to economic activity. In this sense, aspiration gradually shapes desire, which influences consumption and, in turn, shapes the economy itself.

The economy is therefore not only a system of production and exchange, but also a reflection of collective human choice. What people desire determines what is produced, and cinema plays a significant role in shaping those desires.

Cinema allows individuals to observe not only what they want, but also what they admire and what they are drawn towards. With this awareness, everyday financial decisions begin to take on greater meaning. Choices such as whether to spend or save, to compare themselves to others or remain content, and to accumulate for oneself or contribute to others’ prosperity are not merely personal preferences. When repeated across millions of individuals, these decisions act as signals that influence broader economic patterns.

As the middle class expands and discretionary income increases, the capacity to pursue aspirations grows. Travel, lifestyle choices and consumption patterns evolve accordingly, and cinema continues to adapt alongside these shifts—both reflecting changing desires and shaping them further.

At the same time, some films present a different possibility for humanity. Movies such as Schindler’s List, Super 30, Patch Adams, The Secret Garden and Swades illustrate an alternative use of resources—one that extends beyond personal gain to improve the lives of others. These narratives demonstrate that when individuals are empowered, they often go on to contribute positively, both economically and socially, creating a ripple effect that benefits the wider community.

This represents a different kind of aspiration, one not driven by comparison, but by empathy. When the intention shifts from accumulation to contribution, goals begin to evolve—from seeking more for oneself to creating value for the whole, and from short-term satisfaction to long-term fulfilment.

As aspiration evolves, what audiences choose to watch also begins to change. Cinema, in turn, transforms with this shift in perspective. Economic growth then comes to be understood not only in terms of expansion, but also in terms of balance, sustainability and collective well-being.

Real wealth, therefore, is not only defined by what individuals possess but by how those resources are used. When it is recognised that the entertainment people consume can shape thought and influence behaviour, greater mindfulness toward the content we consume becomes essential. As cinema shapes what people desire, and aspiration shapes the economy, an important question naturally arises:

Are the aspirations we pursue creating long-term benefit—for ourselves as well as for society as a whole?

Ananda Mathews

Ananda Mathews, known professionally in the film industry as Matthew David, DOP, is a Mumbai-based cinematographer and author residing in Goa. He engages in spiritual counselling and social service alongside his Guru Ji, Divine Colonel – Ashok Kini Ji (as named by President of Bharat, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam). His first book, In Quest of Guru and the forthcoming Living Science explore the journey of human transformation. Views expressed are the author’s own.