The Crisis of Civilization

The Crisis of Civilization is a feature-length documentary that examines the major crisis that we are facing in the contemporary world. Rather than pointing the finger at individuals, governments or corporations, the film suggests that these crises are born out of a flawed global structure. Rather than problems independent of each other different causes, they are all intimately connected and all emerge from the same source.

Using animation and archival film footage, the film suggests that the world is not only changing but is going to go under a complete upheaval. All these ideas are framed in the context of a dark comedic tone, which presents its somber ideas through a smart and engaging satire.

The film presents the idea that the problems that we currently face are just the symptoms of a civilization in shambles, and that it is only inevitable that a new one takes over. Not completely overwhelmed with the doom and gloom, it suggests that this change is a natural part of life and is often unavoidable. Presenting a wide variety of topics and problems facing the contemporary world, it suggests an alternative way of interpreting and understanding these problems through systematic failures. This point of view suggests that we are not really addressing the real problems, instead working on fixing symptoms rather than the causes.

Built around ideas presented by a book by international security analyst Dr. Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, “A User’s Guide to the Crisis of Civilization: And How to Save It”, the movie is broken down into different chapters such as “International Terrorism” and “Economic Instability”, before winding down in an imagination of what this new world might be, called “The Post-Peak World”. With a lot of imagination and a good dose of controversy, this film challenges the viewers understanding of the social structures that make our society tick.

The Crisis of Civilization - Civilization crisis documentary