The Political Economy Series – ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Brexitannia: The Faces and Voices of Brexit

First shown at London’s East End Festival in June of 2017, Brexitannia was the very first documentary about Brexit. It is a striking and deeply pensive film, in contrast with the Brexit movie reviewed in the previous article. Brexitannia (2017) is a superb documentary that is remarkable for its sensitivity, balance, and the ability to […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Ghost Exchange: Complexity, Velocity, and Risk

Increased complexity leads to increased risk. Stock markets run by algorithms, creating virtual markets that even the experts have difficulty explaining. The “flash crash,” “dark pools,” and “high-frequency trading”—what do they all mean? Throughout 2018, and now into 2019, we have witnessed some extreme volatility on stock markets, sometimes with swings so huge that many […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Robert Reich’s “Inequality for All”: A Documentary Review

Why is there growing inequality in wealth distribution in the US? Is inequality inevitable? If inequality is inevitable, can it be useful? Can inequality become a problem? If so, when does inequality become a problem? How can a society reduce problematic inequality? Which model of growth should the US be emulating? What are the keys […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Documentary Review: “Inside Job” is Still Relevant

“Even as the crisis unfolded, we didn’t know how wide it was going to spread, or how severe it was going to be. And we were still hoping that there would be some way for us to have a shelter, and be…less battered by the storm. But it is not possible. It’s a very globalized […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Documentary Review: “The China Hustle” is a Problematic Cautionary Tale

What if the Chinese “economic miracle” were proven to be, like so many other alleged miracles, a mass of illusions? What if savvy American investors were actually shown to be quite naïve and gullible, even after everything suffered by so many during the 2008 financial crisis? What if American politicians were revealed to be sleepy […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

6 Documentaries for the 2016 US Presidential Election

This is an idiosyncratic selection of what I consider to be some of the most important reports and documentaries released during the 2016 US presidential election campaign, with direct reference to some of the maximum stakes and vested interests behind the maintenance of the current “global (dis)order”. Collectively they address the groundwork of the globalist […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Review of a Film by Michael Moore: “Where to Invade Next” (2016)

Having seen almost all of Michael Moore’s films to date, I have no difficulty in applauding “Where to Invade Next” as his best film yet. I may have many disagreements with Moore, on his allegiance to the Democratic Party, his past support for Obama, his ties to MoveOn, and his occasional glossing over the pro-war […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

What is the society you are dreaming of?

What is the society you are dreaming of? “A society where you are able to survive.” “To be able to survive, not only me, but everyone.” Survival, as a dream. Talk about being reduced to “bare life,” where even Doctors without Borders comes in and declares there is a humanitarian crisis in Athens itself, and […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Landscapes of Emergency

Landscapes of Emergency is the title of a new short documentary film by Ross Domoney, produced by a Sussex Anthropology project on Public Order in Athens that has just been released. It provides a look at securitization, the imposition of a state of emergency on Greece in the wake of various efforts to control dissent and impose […]