The Light Bulb Conspiracy

Our Ecofilm on Friday, June 17th will be The Light Bulb Conspiracy, released in November 2010.

Genre: Documentary, Social Issues, Consumerism. English with Danish subtitles, 75 minutes. Written and Directed by: Cosima Dannoritzer.

In this intriguing documentary, Dannoritzer examines the negative effects of consumerism and “planned obsolescence,” which is when manufacturers make products that intentionally will not last long-term, such as light bulbs. The phrase “planned obsolescence” is based on the light bulb conspiracy which theorizes that the leading manufacturers of incandescent light bulbs have conspired to keep the lifetime of their bulbs far below their real technological capabilities. This way, the manufacturers ensure the continuous demand for more bulbs and long-term profit for themselves. The filmmaker also charts the creation of ‘engineering to fail’, its rise to prominence and its recent fall from grace. The Light Bulb Conspiracy combines investigative research and rare archive footage with analysis by those working on ways to save both the economy and the environment.