#070 I Shop Therefore I Am
In the 1920s Edward Bernays wondered how he could remove the negative connotations associated with the concept of propaganda, and deploy it in times of peace. In search for an answer, he turned to his uncle Sigmund Freud’s philosophy – of humans being driven by their subconscious desires. Bernays introduced his new concept of ‘public relations’ to American corporations which could use it to make people want things they didn’t need, by linking mass-produced goods to their unconscious desires.
This film program looks at the world where a consumerist way of life and obsession with possessions is slowly driving us towards an uncertain future. We have found ourselves in a time when our way of life is not sustainable anymore, when we are facing increasing inequalities between social groups and most importantly, our environment is undergoing changes we can’t foresee. How can we reverse this trajectory if our economies’ cornerstone is based on constant growth? Could the paradigm shift proposed by Kate Raworth be the answer?
Films in this programme
(UK 2004, 05:41 mins)
(UK 2016, 07:04 mins)
(EC 2007, 8:00 min)
(DE 2009, 3:43 mins)
(SE, 2008, 1:57 mins)