Surplus, anti-consumerist screening

about surplus:
http://www.atmo.se/?pageID=4&articleID=382

about the screening:
http://www.videoactivism.org/screenings.html
Surplus: Terrorized into being consumers

Consumer confidence has been low since September 11. A quick war against Iraq was supposed to be the only way to restore that confidence - and our happiness. But is shopping our salvation? Do we have a choice?


The world was shocked when young protesters in Seattle, Genoa and Gothenburg attacked shop windows, cars and banks.

Since then, media focus has shifted to the judicial aftermath of the demonstrations: trials, proofs, sentences, police brutality, etc.

Surplus starts during the chaotic days of the G8 summit in Genoa and sets off on a world journey seeking the answer to another question: why?

* Why is the lifestyle of consumerism a source of such rage today?
* How come the privilege of buying goods does not automatically lead to happiness?
* Why all this emptiness despite our wealth?

Surplus’ approach is to portray this issue from an emotional rather than a factual perspective: in the US, India, China, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Canada and Cuba. George W Bush’s famous \"shopping-speech\" calling for a war against terrorism that deters the nation from the fear of consumption. Castro responding with hymns to the anti-consumerist, advertising-free island of Cuba. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer preaching that the computer will give us peace on earth ‘bringing people together’ while Adbuster Kalle Lasn warns that advertising pollutes us mentally, that over-consumption is unsustainable and that we are running out of oil.