Private Project

Why is Mona Lisa Smiling: The Reimagination of a Corporation.

Why is Mona Lisa Smiling? The Reimagination of a Corporation is meant to be a catalyst for intelligent discourse on the role of business in society. The film explores the shift away from shareholder primacy toward a purpose-driven, stakeholder-focused model of capitalism. Informed by the lessons and parallels between our time and the Renaissance – a global pandemic that prompted reciprocal free market relationships and expanded philosophical mindsets, fueled by the democratization of knowledge and power – the film makes the case for a more inclusive capitalism and lays the foundation for the reimagination of the corporation. The film stars a select group of CEOs and thought leaders who delve into what is required to evolve corporations and why it is essential to our collective future.

  • Joanna Durr
    Director
  • Kevin Wagner
    Producer
  • Ajay Banga
    Key Cast
  • Marc Benioff
    Key Cast
  • Chip Bergh
    Key Cast
  • Mark Bertolini
    Key Cast
  • Albert Bourla
    Key Cast
  • Brian Chesky
    Key Cast
  • Jeff Dunn
    Key Cast
  • Eileen Fisher
    Key Cast
  • Margaret Keane
    Key Cast
  • Marc Pritchard
    Key Cast
  • Ginni Rometty
    Key Cast
  • Dan Schulman
    Key Cast
  • Jim Coulter
    Key Cast
  • Rob Lake
    Key Cast
  • Noah Sanborn
    Key Cast
  • Sara Menker
    Key Cast
  • Rebecca Henderson
    Key Cast
  • William Rogers
    Key Cast
  • William Wallace
    Key Cast
  • Martin Whittaker
    Key Cast
  • Rob Lake
    Key Cast
  • John Levin
    Key Cast
  • Dov Seidman
    Key Cast
  • Keller Rinaldo
    Key Cast
  • Steven Fazzari
    Key Cast
  • Dina Powell
    Key Cast
  • Leigh Amaro
    Key Cast
  • Brad Siegel
    Executive Producers
  • Joey Reiman
    Executive Producers
  • Alan Murray
    Executive Producers
  • Brian Stafford
    Executive Producers
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Business, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Joanna Durr

Joanna was one of the original architects of BrightHouse, the world's only purpose consultancy. Over the course of her career, Joanna has worked as both an executive operator and consultant with Fortune 500 companies, giving her unique insight into both uncovering and articulating a company purpose, and also embedding it in the organization and activating it in the marketplace. Joanna was recruited to Newell Brands as the Director of Marketing for the $2.5B Home & Family business that included the Rubbermaid, Graco, Calphalon, Levelor and Goody brands. Her impact led her to become the Vice President of Purpose for the company. In addition to Newell Brands, she has worked with The Coca-Cola Company, MetLife, NCR, and The Home Depot among others. Today, Joanna leads the strategic development of the Business Film Division and oversees production of all its content at Brand New World Studios.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film is the passion project of my life because I believe so deeply that business can and must be a force for good in the world. I grew up on a farm, so I was in college before I understood the true power of the corporation; that many are more powerful than nation states.

Coming out of a two-plus year pandemic, the business community has reached a tipping point. Increasing economic and social inequality and the rapid pace of climate change led to a growing recognition that capitalism is as risk, threatening the corporation’s license to operate. Out of self-enlightened interest, the corporation must change. Now, there is a deep examination about why and how corporations should exist in society; how they must shift from shareholder primacy to creating value for all stakeholders. This shift is what the film is about.

With democratic governments around the world struggling to keep up with the pace of change and adequately address social needs, corporations have an opportunity to be true leaders of a global collective. I hope this film will encourage those in positions of power to see what is possible and take action for the good of society and themselves. And I hope it will inspire a future generation of leaders to use the free-market system to tackle the challenges of our times and create the future of their imaginations.

Fueled by human ingenuity and optimism, the Renaissance gave us some of the most remarkable innovations and beauty in history. In what feels like parallel times – their Black Plague pandemic, the self-enlightened benevolence of the Medici Bank, and the democratization of knowledge and power that came with the introduction of the printing press -- I guess I hope to remind people what we are capable of creating when we believe we can.