Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers

by Erik Gandini & Johan Söderberg 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368314/

Year.............: 2003
Country..........: Sweden
Audio............: DD 5.1
Subtitles........: Eng/Fra/Spa/Por/Ita/Swe
Video Format.....: 16:9
DVD Source.......: DVD5
DVD Format.......: NTSC
DVD distributor..: http://www.atmo.se
Extras...........: Yes
Duration.........: 52 minutes

Menus..........: [X] Untouched, intact.
                [ ] Stripped

Video..........: [X] Untouched, intact.
                [ ] Re-encoded

DVD-extras.....: [X] Untouched, intact.
                [ ] Stripped
                [ ] Re-encoded
                [ ] None

DVD-Audio......: [X] Untouched, intact.
                [ ] Stripped tracks

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?

Erik Gandini's approach through Surplus is to portray this issue from 
an emotional rather than a factual perspective. Shot in the US, India, 
China, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, Canada and Cuba during three years. 
Surplus is the result of a complicated editing process by talented music 
composer/editor/percussionist Johan Söderberg.

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.

Surplus main man is John Zerzan, controversial philosopher whose call for 
PROPERTY DAMAGE has inspired many to take to the streets. "That is not 
violence. Sitting there doing dope and watching MTV . Then you go and get 
a job. Just schlep along. To me that is violence," says Zerzan. "We are 
terrorized into being consumers."

In November 2003 Surplus was awarded with the most prestigious prize a 
Documentary can get, The Silver Wolf at Amsterdam's IDFA, and has spread 
widely around the globe since then.

Awards 2003-2004

-First prize at the 2003 IDFA-Amsterdam Silver Wolf Competition.
-Nominated for the 2003 Guldbaggen, the "Swedish Oscar", as best documentary film.
-Award best use of sound and music at the 2004 One World documentary Film Festival, Prague Czech Republic.
-Jurys mention at the 2004 DocAviv, Documentary Film Festival, Tel Aviv, Israel.
-Second best short film at the 2004 Ecocinema International Film Festival, Rhodes, Greece
-First prize as "greatest of all productions" at 2004 FICA, the International Festival of Environmental Film, Goias, Brazil.
-Audience Award at Vila do Conte, International Short Film Festival , Portugal, July 2004.
-Two Special Mentions at the Torino Environmental Film Festival, October 2004  
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368314/


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