Surplus. Terrorized into Being Consumers
A film about consumerism that engaged audiences worldwide. Eric Gandini uses the language of music videos, propaganda, and commercial advertising to fight fire with fire against global capitalism. More important than the answers are the questions: why doesn’t the privilege of owning goods guarantee happiness? Where does the sense of emptiness come from despite our wealth? Could anarcho-primitivism be an alternative? At the heart of the story is John Zerzan, the controversial philosopher whose call to destroy property inspired many to take to the streets. “This is not violence. You sit, you do drugs, you watch MTV. Then you get a job. You just keep going. To me, that’s violence,” Zerzan says. The film impresses with originality, humor, irony, and visual virtuosity that still resonate today.
