The future of humanity
Surviving Progress explores the dangerous paradox at the heart of modern civilization: what we call “progress” may, in fact, be leading us toward collapse.
This documentary, based on Ronald Wright’s concept of the “progress trap,” journeys through history, economics, biology, and politics to reveal how technological advancement, debt, overconsumption, and ecological destruction are threatening the future of humanity.
Ronald Wright’s bestseller A Short History of Progress inspired this cinematic requiem challenging the conventional notion of progress. Throughout human history, what seemed like progress has often had the opposite effect.
Some of the world’s leading thinkers, activists, bankers, and scientists challenge us to overcome the progress traps that destroyed past civilizations and are perilously embedded in our own.
With powerful imagery, expert commentary, and haunting parallels to the fall of ancient empires, the film invites viewers to reconsider growth, power, and sustainability. Are we too smart for our own survival—or is there still time to change course?
Directors: Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks
Cast: Ronald Wright, Mark Levine, Robert Wright, Jane Goodall, Marina Silva
Produced by: Martin Scorsese