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The Light Bulb Conspiracy
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Wikipedia article
'The Light Bulb Conspiracy', also known as 'Pyramids of Waste', is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Cosima Dannoritzer. An international co-production of France and Spain, the documentary thematizes the planned obsolescence of industrial products for commercial reasons.
Synopsis
The film documents planned obsolescence in industrial production, i.e. the deliberate limitation by manufacturers of the lifespan of their products in order to thereby secure the sale of replacement and follow-up products. In addition to describing concrete examples, the film also deals with the economic and ecological consequences of consumer society. Among others, the French economist and philosopher Serge Latouche has his say as a representative of the concept of degrowth.
Documented examples
* The Centennial Light is considered to be the longest-lasting incandescent lamp in the world. It is used as evidence of collusion among incandescent lamp manufacturers in the Phoebus cartel, one of whose aims was to limit the average lifespan of lightbulbs to 1000 hours.* The market strategy of Alfred P. Sloan, president of General Motors from 1923 to 1937, is used to illustrate the entry of planned obsolescence into the automotive industry.
* In the context of the Great Depression, Bernard London proposed in his work 'Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence' that all products be given an expiration date, after which they would have to be turned in to a government agency and destroyed. In this way, consumption was to be stimulated and jobs created.
* The Narva brand light bulb, which is also very durable, is treated as further evidence of the existence of planned obsolescence in modern light bulbs.
* Particularly resistant nylon pantyhoses are said to have been made more short-lived for the purpose of faster wear by using inferior material.
* The Epson Stylus C42UX inkjet printer is said to issue a defect message after a certain number of printed pages, whereupon further use of the printer is prevented. This lock, which is said to be caused by a chip specially present for this purpose, could be switched off with the help of special software.
* The battery of the iPod Classic is used as an example of planned obsolescence in modern consumer electronics.
International versions
The film screened internationally at numerous film festivals as well as on television and was broadcast on German television several times on Arte[https://web.archive.org/web/20121203220925/http://www.arte.tv/de/kaufen-fuer-die-muellhalde/3714422,CmC=3714270.html Prt jeter - Die Wegwerfer. Kaufen fr die Mllhalde Arte], January 23rd, 2012; accessed August 1st, 2021ARTE: [http://download.pro.arte.tv/archives/presse/3527214.pdf PDF 'Prt jeter']; accessed August 15, 2021. and PhoenixPhoenix archive (Aug. 10, 2012): [https://archive.today/20130211195800/http://www.phoenix.de/content/phoenix/die_sendungen/kaufen_fuer_die_muellhalde/509331?datum=2012-07-30 'Kaufen fr die Mllhalde', Film von Cosima Dannoritzer] (German); accessed August 16, 2921. starting in 2011. In the same year, it ran as a side event at the European Commission's Green Week.Green Week, Brssel, May 24-27, 2011: [https://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/greenweek2011/content/film-lightbulb-conspiracy.html Side event: Film "The Lightbulb Conspiracy"]; accessed on August 15, 2021.
Internationally, it was shown with the following titles:
* Catalan: 'Comprar, llenar, comprar'
* Czech: 'rovkov konspirace - Pbh plnovanho zastarvn'
* Danish: 'Gldepre-konspiration'
* English: 'The Light Bulb Conspiracy'
* Finnish: 'Hehkulamppuhuijaus'
* French: 'Prt--jeter'
* German: 'Kaufen fr die Mllhalde'
* Hungarian: 'A Villanykrte sszeeskvs A tervezett elavuls trtnete'
* Italian: 'Il complotto della lampadina'
* Norwegian: 'Garantert kort levetid'NRK TV: [https://tv.nrk.no/program/KOID28001909 'Garantert kort levetid']; accessed August 15, 2021.
* Polish:'Spisek arwkowy'
* Portuguese: 'A Conspirao da Lmpada'
* Russian: ' '
* Spanish: 'Comprar, tirar, comprar'
* Swedish: 'Gldlampskonspirationen'
* Turkish: 'Ampul Komplosu'
Awards
* Best Documentary in Science, Technology and Education Award of the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) 2010, ChinaArchive.today (Jan. 25, 2013): [https://archive.today/20130125061134/http://www.gzdoc.com/en_2010/main.asp?top_menu_id=8R008HEW9S00IU20071218023444CATE Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival, China 2010]
* Best Documentary, Spanish Television Academy Awards, 2011[https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110705/2-reemite-comprar-tirar-comprar-premiado-como-mejor-documental-academia-television/445605.shtml RTVE: '"Comprar, tirar, comprar", mejor documental del ao para la Academia de Televisin'], 5. Juli 2011; accessed August 5, 2021.
* Best Film, SCINEMA 2011, AustraliaWaybackMachine (Aug. 9, 2011): [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071532/http://riaus.org.au/articles/australia-picks-up-at-2011-scinema-awards/ SCINEMA awards, Australia 2011]
* Best Feature Documentary, Filmambiente 2011, Brazil[http://www.filmambiente.com/index.php/feature-competition.html Filmambiente, Brazil 2011]
* Maeda Special Prize, NHK Japan Prize 2011[http://www.nhk.or.jp/jp-prize/english/2011/prize_winner.html Japan Prize 2011, Maeda Special Prize 'The Light Bumb Conspiracy'], accessed August 15, 2021.
* Ondas Internacional 2011, Spanien (Mitgewinner: Joan beda, Executive Producer)
* Special Jury Mention, FICMA 2011, SpanienCinema Politica: [https://www.cinemapolitica.org/fr/film/light-bulb-conspiracy 'The Light Bulb Conspiracy']; accessed August 6, 2021.
* Best Popular-Science Film - People and Environment 2012 (Russia)
* Best International Film - Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) 2012 Malaysia
* Prix Tournesol for Best Environmental Documentary Film - Festival du Film Vert Suisse (Lausanne)
* Hoimar-von-Ditfurth-Preis of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe for best journalistic performance, kofilmtour 2013[http://archiv.oekofilmtour.de/oftarchiv/oekofilmtour-2013/preise-und-preistraeger-2013/index.html kofilmtour: Preisverleihung des 8. Festivals fr Natur- und Umweltfilme kofilmtour 2013]; accessed August 2, 2021.
** Finalist, Focal International Awards 2011, London, U.K.
** Finalist, Magnolia Awards, Shanghai International Film Festival 2011, China
** Finalist, Prix Europa 2011, Berlin
Literature
Three years after the premiere of the film, the documentary was published as a book.
* Cosima Dannoritzer, Jrgen Reu 'Kaufen fr die Mllhalde. Das Prinzip der geplanten Obsoleszenz'. orange-press, Freiburg (2013)
References
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