Curated by:
Dr Andrea Palmioli, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, FOSE
In collaboration with:
Dr Maria Julia Trombetta, School of International Studies, FHSS, IAPS
Dr Filippo Gilardi, School of International Communications, FHSS, IAPS
Theme and Scope
The film screening series, Capitalocene Nights: Films for Action in the Ecological Age, aims to engage students with the pressing environmental, social, and philosophical challenges of our time. The screenings focus on the intertwined concepts of the Anthropocene and Capitalocene, encouraging critical reflections on humanity's impact on the planet and the socio-economic systems driving ecological transformations.
The Anthropocene refers to a proposed geological epoch that highlights the significant impact of human activity on the Earth's ecosystems, climate, and geology, marking humanity as a dominant force of planetary change. In contrast, the Capitalocene criticizes the Anthropocene by emphasizing that it is not humanity as a whole, but rather the global capitalist system —driven by profit and exploitation— that has accelerated environmental degradation and ecological crises underscoring the socio-economic systems and power structures responsible for these transformations.
To facilitate deeper understanding, the sequence is designed to move progressively from observation to analysis, and finally to abstract and philosophical reflections.
The opening section introduces viewers to the tangible effects of industrialization and urbanization through visually fascinating documentaries like Manufactured Landscapes and Watermark. These films highlight large-scale human interventions and set the stage for broader discussions on the Capitalocene.
Subsequent sections explore specific issues such as climate change and its implications, using landmark documentaries like An Inconvenient Truth and 2040, which present both challenges and potential alternatives. The third section critically focuses on the socio-economic and industrial systems underlying environmental degradation, featuring films such as Behemoth, which portrays the socio-environmental effects of industrial mining in China. The later sections invite viewers to engage with more abstract and philosophical reflections. Experimental films like Leviathan and Geographies of Solitude immerse the audience in sensory and conceptual inquiries, while works such as Koyaanisqatsi and Themroc conclude the series with radical critiques of modern industrial society and provocative visions of collapse and renewal.
Students are encouraged to critically engage with the material, question dominant narratives, and envision alternative futures for the planet.
Program
Section 1: Visual Introduction to Human Impact on the Planet (Observational & Documentary Style)
This first section provides an observational entry point with documentaries that illustrate the scale of industrial and environmental transformations. This section establishes the foundation for understanding the Anthropocene’s key characteristics such as the extensive human impact on natural systems, the alteration of landscapes through industrialization, and the profound consequences of resource extraction on ecological balance.
25th February: Manufactured Landscapes (2007) – Introduces industrial landscapes and large-scale human intervention, setting the stage for discussions on the Capitalocene.
4th March: Watermark (2013) – Expands on environmental transformation, focusing on water as a crucial resource and medium of ecological change.
11th March: Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2019) – Clearly defines the Anthropocene, providing a broad, multi-layered overview of human-driven planetary transformation.
Section 2: Climate Change and Its Future Implications (Scientific & Policy-Oriented Discourse)
This second Section explores the scientific, political, and social dimensions of climate change. These screenings transition the narrative from global challenges to actionable solutions and sustainable futures.
18th March: An Inconvenient Truth (2006) – A foundational climate change documentary that introduces key scientific data and political challenges.
25th March: 2040 (2019) – A hopeful counterpoint that explores solutions and sustainable futures rather than just presenting dystopian realities.
Section 3: Extraction, Capitalism, and Industrial Violence (Critical & Expansive Perspectives on the Capitalocene)
The third Section critically examines the drivers of environmental degradation, highlighting industrial exploitation with particular reference to the socio-environmental impacts of large-scale mining and urban expansion in East Asia.
1st April: Behemoth (2015) – A documentary that explores the environmental and social dimensions of large-scale industrial mining, providing an insightful case study of the Capitalocene. The film sheds light on the complex relationship between industrialization, resource extraction, and their broader ecological and societal impacts.
8th April: Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above (2013) – Aerial perspectives that draw inspiration from Burtynsky’s visual style capturing the conflicting relationship between human activity and the natural environment. Focusing on Taiwan, the film highlights both the beauty and the challenges of balancing development with environmental preservation.
Section 4: Sensory and Experimental Immersion into the Capitalocene (Philosophical and Conceptual Films)
The fourth Section shifts the focus to conceptual and sensory reflections, moving beyond traditional narrative structures to immerse viewers in experimental and often disorienting cinematic experiences. By challenging conventional storytelling, this section seeks to provoke deeper contemplation of the intertwined relationships between humans and non-human entities, as well as the broader ecological systems they inhabit.
15th April: Leviathan (2013) – A sensory, disorienting documentary that shifts away from traditional storytelling and immerses viewers in industrial fishing, a critical extractive industry.
22nd April: Geographies of Solitude (2022) – Explores ecological solitude, resilience, and the relationship between humans and the environment.
29th April: Root into the Planthroposcene (2019) – Introduces speculative, posthumanist perspectives that challenge anthropocentric thinking.
Section 5: Radical & Philosophical Reflections on Collapse and Future Imaginaries (Theoretical & Subversive Perspectives)
The fifth section concludes the series with films that challenge conventional understandings of progress and civilization. It presents visually stunning and thought-provoking critiques of modern industrial society, alongside radical approaches that reject societal norms and imagine a deconstructed, post-civilization existence. Together, these films encourage viewers to confront the unsustainability of contemporary systems and explore alternative futures that break free from dominant narratives of industrialization and capitalism, leaving audiences with profound reflections on humanity’s trajectory and the potential for transformative change.
6th May: Koyaanisqatsi (1982) – A visually stunning critique of modern industrial society, deepening the philosophical discussion.
25th May: Themroc (1973) – A radical and absurdist take on de-civilization and breaking away from modern capitalist life, ending the screening with a provocative statement on human progress.
Registration and Certificate of Attendance
Students are required to register for the film screening series, and those who attend at least 80% of the sessions will receive a certificate of participation jointly issued by the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Please Register here:
Link: https://forms.office.com/r/FCvpeKuHJ3?origin=lprLink
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