Futurism and Post-Futurism

After the Future, Franco "Bifi" Berardi

The rise of the myth of the future is rooted in modern capitalism, in the experience of expansion of the economy and knowledge. The idea that the future will be better than the present is not a natural idea, but the imaginary effect of the peculiarity of the bourgeois production model. [12]

Berardi speaks to the assertion that capitalism is ultimately the root of all evil. He contends that the the rise of capitalism and therefore human romanticism and dependency of commodities will ultimately be the downfall of our existence. Further,  he argues that the events of September 11th are a prime and visible example of the effects of capitalism and ultimately signified the end of a major period of the bourgeoise model. 

 http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2016125465/

Paul Virilio has shown the connection between war and speed: in the modern forms of domination, the imposition of war onto the whole of social life is an implicit one precisely because economic competitiveness is war, and war and the economy share common grounds in speed. [27]

Like war, everyday life is caught in the grips of speed and commodity. As we become more dependent on and consumed by commodities, we become more competitive, combattive and agressive by nature. We as people and society become less aware of our needs in real time and focus more on superficiality. The challenges of proletariate classes under the thumb of the bourgeoises exemplifies the struggle to free our consumption based existences from under the power of capitalism. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBYfA3zTxFE





Sense is not to be found in the world, but in what we are able to create. What circulates in the sphere of friendship, of love, of social solidarity is what allows us to find sense. [50]

As an Autonomist or Autonomist Marxist, Berardi argues that what is important in life are our human interactions and celebration of experiences and spirit, rather than our dependency and celebration of material possessions. "Social solidarity" and "Singularity" rather than "Capitalism" and "Individualization" are the keys to a peaceful existence and allows for humans to find peace. In his chapter, "The Zero Zero Decade" [54] Berardi discusses that the debt that mankind has towards imperialism and the planet. We have consumed too much. The most pressing issue right now in Western civilization is the salvaging of the planet as we have exploited its resources to a point where we are loosing control. 

Questions:

1. How can we as a species begin to refocus ourselves and amend for our exploitive nature?
2. Are futuristic utopian films and sound scores farcical? How can we change how civilization is portrayed in films?