Surviving Progress: A New Documentary Film Of The Future

Posted by Charmaine Blake on Apr 11th, 2012 in Documentary | 0 comments

Surviving Progress: A New Documentary Film Of The Future

Surviving Progress is a new documentary film that talks about humanity’s ascent and how it is measured with the speed of progress. This new documentary film also discusses the possibility that progress is actually pulling us downwards. This film will give audiences an in-depth look at how progress was actually tallied through the course of history. Surviving Progress was shown in theaters last April 6th 2012. The film is a joint endeavor by film directors, Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks. They also created the screenplay for the film with a distinct topic that will help people realize their vision with the help of executive producer: Martin Scorsese. Let’s take a look at how critics rated the documentary film “Surviving Progress”

“Surviving Progress: A Reality That Should Open Our Eyes

You’d be well advised to stock up on your antidepressants before watching Surviving Progress,Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks’ not exactly uplifting documentary. Inspired by Ronald Wright’s book A Short History of Progress, the film convincingly and concisely argues that the technological advancement upon which we’ve been relying is possibly cementing our destruction.

Not that all of the talking heads on display necessarily share that apocalyptic view. “We are entering an increasingly dangerous period in our history,” declares Stephen Hawking in his artificial voice. “But I’m an optimist.”

Well, that’s a relief. But most viewers may not come to the same conclusion after listening to notable experts from a variety of fields comment on the dangers of overpopulation, overconsumption, the destruction of our natural resources, the rapaciousness of capitalism, and our cultural decline as evidenced by the Twilight movies. Well, not really that last one.

There have been a plethora of similarly apocalyptic documentaries in recent years, but few with the pedigree of this one, which counts Martin Scorsese among its executive producers. Among the subjects weighing in are author Margaret Atwood, talking about the dangers of debt; anthropologistJane Goodall, who points out that human beings are the only species who seem intent on destroying their own home; Simon Johnson, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, who comments that “It’s in the DNA of bankers to take massive risks, to pay themselves ridiculous salaries and to collapse; and Vaclav Smil, a global energy expert who sums up the solution fairly succinctly: “We have to use less.”

As with many films of its ilk, Surviving Progress takes on more than it can comfortably handle, veering haphazardly from subject to subject — one minute the disappearance of the Amazon rainforests, the next the danger of scientists attempting to alter genetic codes — without really examining any of them in satisfying depth.

But it certainly provides plenty of food for thought along the way. And if it makes you too upset, check out the recently published, well-reviewed book, Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think, which presents exactly the opposite argument. “

The entire article can be read at The Hollywood Reporter.

Read the latest documentary film “Bully” right in this blog

Charmaine Blake loves movies, musical theater listening to music and taking pictures of anything that she finds interesting. She is a voracious reader and writer, and enjoys her time writing for New Movie Launches. Charmaine loves spending time with her pets and currently has a Siberian Husky, a toy poodle and a cat.