Worlds out of time

"Worlds out of time" is an attempt to describe the global culture which is spreading at the moment. It takes a look at some of its components, among them:

The emphasis on efficiency

The rapid technological evolution

The important role of mass-media telecommunications and the way these change our relationships to time, distance and place.

The globalization of the marketplace and availability of the same consumer goods

These characteristics are set in perspective of the dangers and opportunities that are facing our planet and the human population as a whole.

The global culture seems to simultaneously contain the destruction of our living conditions AND a possible solution to problems facing large parts of humanity.

The program consists of ten short interviews, where people from many parts of the world give a description of an aspect or consequence of this global culture.

The interviews are combined with footage which underscores the words, or comments on them in subtle ways. The style is a mixture of documentary and video art. Fast, dense and informative, the style of presentation itself demonstrating the concept that the film describes.

The musical score which was composed for the film weaves music, ambience and suggestive soundbites closely to the often very abstract images.

A central part of the style is advanced 3D computer graphics, "dressing" the interviews and location shots in a framework resembling the type of multimedia interfaces that might meet a consumer of information and communication a few years from now.

The persons interviewed in "Worlds out of time" are:

The Dalai Lama, political and spiritual leader of Tibet.

Jacques Attali, former chairman of EBRD, and a prominent writer and philosopher.

Alan Kay, computer scientist, inventor of the "mouse" and "windows" interfaces, that are used on the majority of all computers.

Murray Gell-Mann, Nobelprize-winning physicist. A central figure in the community of scientists who try to evaluate the the planetâs situation as a whole in order to find sustainable solutions.

Neil Postman, Sociologist and author, a leading critic of massmedia.

Kevin Kelly, Author, editor of Wired Magazine.

Akira Asada, Japanese professor of economics, a prominent philosopher on issues of electronic communication.

Eduardo Galeano, Uruguan poet, a central figure in South American litterature.

Gene Youngblood, an early critic of electronic massmedia.

Sindiwa Magona, South African Author

Ernst Ulrich Von Weiszäcker, Director of the Wuppertal Insititut for environmental research.

"Worlds out of time" was sponsored by the Danish National Film board and the Danish Ministry of Education.

Shown on Danish Television, DR-1, and NHK, Japan.

Produced 1995 by Peter Hesseldahl and Jes Stein Pedersen.