Fairy tales don't teach us that dragons don't exist. They teach us that they can be defeated.

G. K. Chesterton

Probably some are familiar with the statement that we can imagine an end of the world rather than an end of capitalism. Because this system is so inherently manifested in everyday life, ideas and cultures, there seems to be no room for a real imaginable alternative. However, they are found in our reality. They emerge, for example, as the idea of an Basic Income (BGE) or a global free knowledge platform, Wikipedia. Real utopias are institutions, relations and practices that can be developed into the world as it is created now. And contributes to a social shift towards that direction. In opposite direction to utopian theories, real utopias are concrete examples. And therein lies their power. Because what often prevents us from moving into implementation is not the lack of ideas. We have all the tools we need. But what gives us courage nowadays is this living example of using our actions to place alternatives in the cracks of outdated hierarchies. And thus to give ourselves self-efficacy as creative beings.

The documentary film "Zeit für Utopien" (D, 2018) has set itself the goal of illuminating precisely these cracks and the alternatives they come with. This for director Kurt Langbein has chosen interventions on many levels, from communal agriculture to collective housing, in order to be able to narrate the influence on individuals and their motivations. The film makes one thing particularly clear: leaving the familiar comes with losses. But also with the gain of a new community that fights to widen these rifts, turning utopian visions into reality. 

The movie screening will be moderated by the Neue Allianzen association and is accompanied by guest lecturerer Jonas Drechsel. He, the members of the association and the the visittors will conclude the evening in a relaxed round of talks. To help us organize the evening, please register informally by e-mail.

Zeit für Utopien, D 2018

Director: Kurt Langbein
Book: Kurt Langbein, Anna Katharina Wohlgenannt
Camera: Christian Roth aac
Editing: Alexandra Wedenig aea
Distributor: Langbein & Partner Media. 98 min.

- Screening on 22 June 2023
- Molkerei, Niederbarnimstraße 10, 10247 Berlin
- Admission from 7 p.m., film starts at 7.30 p.m.