Documentary Edge Festival 2012 – Future Watch

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Forecasting What Lies Ahead for Mankind

Documentary Edge Festival 2012 – Future Watch

If one of the biggest questions posed is “what is the meaning of life?”, then there should be little doubt why mankind also finds itself asking “where are we heading?” ‘Future Watch’, a spotlight section in the Documentary Edge Festival, hopes to shine a little light on where we are going, and what we can expect – for better or for worse – when we get there.

Four Horsemen sees 23 thinkers, advisors and Wall Street money-men break their silence to explain how the world turns. They lift the lid on how the global economy really works, tapping into a younger generation that senses something is wrong with the disillusionment and unhappiness far reaching in the developed world. Those interviewed explain how we will never return to “business as usual” – and how capitalism has failed. With the global economy on life support for the foreseeable future and events veering out of the control of democratic governments, Four Horsemen is a catalyst to begin a debate around the solutions we urgently need.

Population has been top of the political agenda since dominating the first Earth Day in 1970. While we cannot afford to ignore it, it's continually a sensitive topic. Mother: Caring for 7 Billion breaks a 40-year taboo to bring to light the problems of overpopulation. The film follows children's rights activist and mother Beth, as she discovers the thorny complexities of the population problem. Having adopted an African-born daughter and traveled to Ethiopia, Beth meets Zinet, the oldest daughter of a desperately poor family of 12, who has found the courage to break free from a 1000-year-old cultural barrier. The encounter changes Beth's life forever.

We enjoy enormous freedom and flexibility that technology has given us. From bringing independence to a disabled woman through a computer mouse stuck to her forehead; farmers milking their cows with robots; gamers finding it hard to straighten their hunched backs; and a South Korean eco-city exploring computerised life. But is technology taking over our lives? Are we becoming too dependent on it? It seems to be an age old question during this era of technological advancement, yet it's becoming more pertinent each day. Five Star Existence is a personal and cinematic journey as director Sonja Lindén contemplates the freedom provided by and our dependence on technology.

Work Hard, Play Hard examines the rise of the futuristic, open-plan office space; where receptions look akin to those in five star hotels and the emphasis is on the comfort of the worker, including supplying counselling, IQ and psychological tests to ensure work efficiency. But does this actually work? Take a journey through the post-industrial knowledge and services workplace where time-clocks don't exist, attention is no longer compulsory and morale remains low.

he Documentary Edge Festival runs from the 26th April - 13th May in Auckland and 17th May - 3rd June in Wellington.

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