Are collapses of complex societies inevitable or dependant on how they respond to their problems?

When faced with the disastrous consequences of their actions, why do some societies fail to solve their problems even when the effects are so clear?

If we are the source of our troubles, then surely we are also the ones in control of them?

Do we need new technologies to solve our problems or do we 'simply' need the political desire and determination to implement solutions already available to us?

Director:   Daniel Mendoza  (their other films)
Producer:	Genre:  Comedy / Satire
Country:  United Kingdom	Copyright Year:  2008
Original Format:  other video	Color Type:  Color
Sound Type:	Length:  00:08:15
Original Language:  English	Subtitle Language:
Other Info: The enigmas of past societal collapses in human history have always held a fascination for me due to the possible parallels with the world in which we are living in now. The film's narrative was further inspired by Jared Diamond's ambitious book: "Collapse - How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive", and in particular Diamond's fascinating quote: "What did the Easter Islander who cut down the last palm tree say while he or she was doing it?" I believe parallels between the issues which contributed to the collapses of the ancient Mayan, Greenland Norse, Anasazi, and Easter Island civilisations can be drawn with our current interconnected global society. The film: "90-Day Focus" was created in order to highlight the following issues: • The consequences of the inadvertent destruction and overexploitation of finite resources • The problems of the insulation of the elite from the consequences of their actions • The 'tragedy of the commons' involving clashes over finite resources between individual interests and the common good • The 'common good' is unlikely to be achieved with the typical 'Economists vs. Environmentalists' debate, as the frequent blaming of corporations ignores the ultimate responsibility of the public for creating the conditions in which allow unethical businesses to profit • The reluctance to solve significant problems due to conflicts of interest • The vulnerability of societies at their 'peak' when impact outstrips resources • 'Psychological denial' where people deny their perceptions in order to maintain their sanity, even if the reality of these decisions may prove fatal • Whether modern technology will solve our problems or create new problems faster than it can solve old ones • The need to make radical changes and reappraise core values which are no longer beneficial and are now clearly damaging • The likelihood that the most serious risks that our society faces are not problems beyond our control, but problems which we are creating ourselves The animation's title: "90-Day Focus" is an informal phrase which refers to the short-term reactive thinking that tends to guide the policies of some governments: focusing on problems which will only cause disaster within the next 90 days, and is essentially intended to pose the question: are collapses of human societies inevitable, or are they dependant on how people (governments, businesses, and the general public) respond to their problems?
Music: Steve Carson (UK) http://www.imflieger.net/deutsch/kuenstlerinnen/stevecarson/
Film Website:  http://www.dan-mendoza.com/

Upcoming Screenings
Venue/Organization	City	Country	Date

Screening History
Venue/Organization	City	Country	Date
AS220	Providence	USA	2009-01-20	Event Details
NTSC Project	San Antonio	USA	2008-12-12	Event Details

Microcinema Interview/Article:

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