Utopia Revisited
A film by Kurt Langbein - AVAILABLE on VIDEO ON DEMAND!
Cinema -
completed

1,5 million people having access to regional, fresh and organic products; urban living with only a fraction of energy usually needed; a smartphone produced on a fair basis; a tea factory thriving under worker’s self management: 
"Utopia Revisited" is a cinematic expedition to the pioneers of a new society.

"I didn’t want to be part of the problem any longer, I wanted to become part of the solution“, Petra Wähning says about her decision to take action in the community supported agriculture. Instead of spending their money at the supermarkets, 300 consumers invested directly in a farm and get freshly grown produce for their investment.

But would such small scale activities work in big cities as well?

Petra travels to South Korea and visits the cooperative Hansalim, where small farmers provide regional, fresh and organic food for 1,5 million people. The farmers receive 70 percent of the retail price, which makes a good living for them.

Laura Gerritsen from "fairphone" is heading for the cobalt  mines in DRC Kongo. She wants to establish fair conditions for everybody engaged in the extraction of the metal. "What we buy in Europe has an impact on the producing countries, which are mostly southern countries. We want to set signals for the big producing enterprises and show them that social and ecological criteria are important for consumers, too“.

"Facing climate-change the governments have agreed upon restricting carbon dioxide emission per person to 2.5 tons a year. In Europe every person currently burns 11 tons“, states Niko Paech, a prophet of a degrowth society. Residents of the "Kalkbreite", a Zurich housing project, try to live up to this goal.

After occupying their own factory for 1336 days, former Unilever-workers are running a tea company of their own. "Now it is our business to make the cooperative run successfully and reach our goals“, says Rim Hindri, a member of the cooperative.

After the collapse of "real socialism“ and besides capitalism which inherently produces a polarizing disparity between rich and poor – Is there a model for a truly fair society?

Four people and initiatives say: Yes, there is. They have decided to go their way apart from greed and profit – and going this new way they have learnt a lot. They are pioneers of a new society.

 

AVAILABLE on VIDEO ON DEMAND!

vimeo.com/ondemand/zeitfuerutopien

 

More informations and dates on www.utopia-revisited.com 

Director: Kurt Langbein | Script: Kurt Langbein, Anna Katharina Wohlgenannt | Unit Manager: Anna Katharina Wohlgenannt | DOP: Christian Roth | Camera Assistant: Fred Bastos | Sound: Nino Pfaffenbichler, Armin Koch | Editor: Alexandra Wedenig | Assistant Editor: Julia Eder | Score: Otto Lechner, Toni Burger | Production Manager: Brigitte Ortner | Producer: Kurt Langbein

Documentary Feature | Austria | 2018
95 minutes | HD
A production by Langbein & Partner in cooperation with ORF
Supported by Austrian Film Institute and Film Industry Support Austria