Where have all the utopias gone?
Before anything can be realized, it has to be imagined. The first step in any process is the visualization of what the end result might look like. Looking at movies today, representing the myths and stories of our times, I wonder, where all the utopias have gone…
We have a whole genre of Sci-Fi. We have tons of movies about robots taking over, evil aliens, space wars and evil empires. But where are movies that paint the picture of a future that is sustainable, where we live in harmony on this planet, without nations or wars, without governments or armies, without wasting money on a huge military-industrial complex, where people are not poisoned with plastic food and laugh tracks every day of their lives while being worked to death in useless and unproductive cubicle jobs that have little to do with their natural gifts and talents, where we overcame the global challenges the UN just published in their State of the Future 2007 report ?
[two of the items above I think could be easily helped by legalizing all drugs and prostitution - it would take a chunk out of international crime and ultimately allow women to step up and demand a different place in society]
The solution lies in imagination. First, we have to imagine, then we can create. As children we are taught to worry and fear, but rarely are we encouraged to dream and imagine a positive future. We need to have film makers who dare to step outside the common themes of fear, lack, guilt and shame – making up the ego – and dare to create works of art that inspire each and every one of us to do something about bringing forth a different future (rapture is not an all too pleasant notion).
And each of us can help as well. By imaginig brighter futures for ourselves and for our environment, by creating personal utopias, we can begin to create more joy, love and creativity. By smiling at strangers we can improve the state of this world…
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