Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Dir: Peter Joseph

2011

*****

Peter Joseph's Zeitgeist:The Movie questioned the truth about religion, 9/11 and the world banks and suggested how all three are connected. His follow up, Zeitgeist: Addendum, looked at the monetary system and showed how corrupt it has always been. 2011's Zeitgeist: Moving Forward asks the big question; 'what the hell should we do about it?’ The answer is simple and fantastical. The monetary system is again in question with all new experts suggesting that economics dictates trends, nature and even behaviour. I found it to be totally believable, again, all sources and facts are verifiable. The film's big guest speaker is the great Jacque Fresco. Call him a fantasist but I'd much rather live in his fantasy then the current reality. Fresco does push his version of the future, known as the Venus Project, a rather clichéd look at the future as far as the visuals are concerned but a beautiful and intelligent future as far as development and living is concerned. There isn't enough graffiti in his vision of the future as far as I'm concerned but that's me being facetious. The Venus Project, as culty as it sounds, looks pretty sensible to me. A world of equality, progression, peace, good health and no work (you volunteer) sounds great. Easy to mock but it is pointed out by several experts and clever people that if we welcome a new kind of thinking it is achievable. We now know that the cost of World War II could have paid for the eradication of the world's poverty, so when you look at it in that way, it makes sense. The idea of no currency is a hard one to get our heads around but as the film suggests, it's time for a new way of thinking, as our current system sure isn't working out for most people. It's not about politics either. Fresco condemns socialism and Communism just as much as capitalism and fascism. He is essentially calling for a new ism, or a world-wide dismissal of all isms. Actually, he and everyone involved in the film are asking for very little and what we should be doing anyway. Look out for one another, reject anything that doesn't better ourselves and progress. I'm as sceptical as one can be but to be better isn't too much of a stretch for me. The last segment of the film suggests a mass protest, a world-wide stand against the powers that be. Indeed, a revelation is probably needed but I don't think it will look like the power-point, acid-housesque graphic produced. It's fine though, message received and I like what I hear. I think there is a lot to be said for the Zeitgeist films, none of them are 100% but then no documentary is. 'Unbalanced' is a ridiculous argument when one tries to get a point across in this way, the unfortunate dream-like sequences aside, it's all based on fact, intelligent thinking and progressive thought. It's my bag baby.