Connect with us

InterReflections (2020) | Peter Joseph

Perspective & Story

InterReflections (2020) | Peter Joseph

Some of the media we introduce to you here could be regarded as a journey.

This film, by Peter Joseph whom you may be familiar from the Zeitgeist films, is one of them.

The journey begins with a video montage of a couple and child facing catastrophe set to a musical accompaniment of Mad World.

Text scrolls next, setting the premise for the film and the tone of its central debate.

“It is an evident truth that, whatever may be the rate of increase in the means of subsistence, the increase in population must be limited by it,

To act consistently, therefore, we should facilitate, instead of foolishly and vainly endeavouring to impede, the operation of nature in producing this mortality

Instead of recommending cleanliness to the poor, we should encourage contrary habits. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more people into the houses, and court the return of the plague.

In the country we should build our villages near stagnant pools, and particularly encourage settlements in all marshy and unwholesome situations.

But above all, we should reprobate specific remedies for ravaging diseases:

And those benevolent, but much mistaken men, who have thought they were doing a service to mankind by projecting schemes for the total extirpation of particular disorders.”

– Thomas Malthusian, 1798

This is followed by Buckminster Fuller giving a lecture, pointing out the danger of this Malthusian Ideology.

What makes this film such high priority viewing is that never has there been such a depiction of the ultimate debate between the Malthusian-sympathising and the humanist-optimist.

Nor, has there been a film that portrays researchers living and studying a century into the future looking back on our civilisation and questioning how we could possibly have continued on the current trajectory.

The film stays engaging through charming character development: we meet both the dark-side and light-side characters reminiscent of pop culture narratives including that of star wars.

Then we meet three goddess-like figures in the form of not-too-distant-future-scholars presenting arguments in a way that makes you question why leadership today doesn’t look like this.

It’s a 2 hour and 45-minute journey that every single human on the planet today would benefit from boarding if we want to move into the future with a shared perspective of what is still possible for Earth inhabitants today.

Much like 2040, this film catapults us into the future and asks us to return with a clearer picture of how our actions today lead to whatever tomorrow will end up looking like.

It is imperative to our survival and every species on the planet that we do form shared perspectives on our current challenges, which is why it is crucial you now watch this film in its entirety.

Support our work

Our work is supported entirely by the readers and fans. If you enjoy my work, please consider sharing it or following me on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, or on my Website.

If you’re in a position to support my work financially you can do so using Buy Me a Coffee by clicking the button below:


Alternatively, you can contribute any amount to my Paypal:

https://www.paypal.me/zoefromearth

Another way you can support my work is by donating HOT (Holo) tokens to the below address:

0xE990413B7b03F8417d7238dB4094A69F3df1D393


(Zoe/She/Her/They/Them) Songwriter at heart and probably from birth, it was a parallel interest in place that took Zoe down the path of Architecture, Design and Planning via Events before ending up here. A weaver of worlds, Zoe uses words in music, daily life and here at Paradigm O, encouraging humanity to bend the road ahead towards a better version for everyone on this planet.

More in Perspective & Story

  • Photo of an Amanita Muscaria (red spotty) mushroom coming out of the ground Photo of an Amanita Muscaria (red spotty) mushroom coming out of the ground

    Perspective & Story

    2021: Thank you, and we will return in 2022

    By

    We wish to thank all of our readers, viewers and supporters as we step away for...

  • Solarpunk Edgedweller

    “Phoebe”

    By

    Where do I start today? Have I told you about Phoebe yet? I don’t think I...

  • A road sign that says Dead End with leaves growing around it A road sign that says Dead End with leaves growing around it

    Solarpunk Edgedweller

    Die before you Die moments

    By

    Apologies in advance if the title of this journal entry comes across as a little morbid....

  • Perspective & Story

    On Limits

    By

    To define is to limit Oscar Wilde Imagine that life is a colouring book. Most people...

  • Perspective & Story

    On Optimism

    By

    There are two kinds of optimism in the world today. Radical optimism, and controlled optimism. The...

Paradigm O in your Inbox

Liking Paradigm O content and want to receive it in your Inbox?

Enter your email below. We will never sell or share your email with anybody.

Popular

To Top