Summary
This documentary film arose from our own disillusionment with the current economic system. The present-day economy seems to be designed to generate increasing profits for large corporations instead of ensuring people’s access to the goods and services they need to enhance their well-being and productivity.
Greed and scarcity is breeding division and inequality. Something has to give. This film represents our search for another way, a new system that can address and eliminate the social problems of inequality, poverty, racism, war, and ineffectual politics. We need your help to make sure this film can show people that what may seem like a fantasy is not only possible, it is already becoming a reality.
Laurie Simons & Terry Sterrenberg
We are a married couple (35 years) with a passion for filmmaking. You may be familiar with our previous two documentary films: The Healthcare Movie and NOW IS THE TIME: Healthcare for Everybody. We learned a lot in making those films about how the motive to make profits has superseded the notion of taking care of people. It has taken over the American dream and left many of us struggling to make a living.
We became acutely aware that when we paid for our apartment rent, our car payments and our health insurance, our money was going to big corporations like real estate conglomerates, banks, car dealerships, and health insurance companies that kept changing their rules, and could raise prices at any time.
It became clear to us that the injustices of the healthcare system in the U.S. just illustrated the much bigger issues with the economic system itself.
Our economy is broken
Many of us don’t feel safe. We don’t trust each other. Some people don’t trust the government. There is something we long for that is outside the everyday grind of traffic, shopping, and television watching. Something important, meaningful, and fundamental has been lost in the everyone-for-themselves mentality that has gripped America since the days of the wild west.
Most of our food travels over a thousand miles to reach us, and is a trucker-strike away from being unavailable. Many of us work long hours, and come home exhausted, and then we watch TV commercials that tell us we are not good enough unless we shop for more “stuff”.
Today’s news reports and movies and TV shows paint a grim forecast of a future with increased divisiveness and militarization.
This New Documentary
OUR New Economy presents the story of our search for a positive vision of the future.
Many people think that changing to a sustainable lifestyle will mean going backwards. In this film, we set out to make a case for how we can incorporate new technologies, develop shared prosperity, and move toward a future where life for everyone far outshines anything we have in the present.
Our intention is to show how we can actually manifest the quality of life and feeling of safety and connection that we hunger for.
OUR New Economy presents the idea that a solution is possible, if we are willing to consider changing our concept of “development” from suburbia and shopping malls to communities of people who take care of one another.
One story we will tell is about Mayor Ron Higgins, who has stepped forward to bring to his municipality a never-before-attempted economic strategy based on the "One Small Town* concept - to prove how a community can look after its own needs.
In this crazy world of negative imagery and divisiveness, we all want to do something to make a difference, to make an impact. What we can do is filmmaking. Our ultimate objective in making this documentary is to create a new and positive vision of the future.
We invite you to be part of the journey. You can help, by supporting OUR New Economy.
What We Need
In this Indiegogo Campaign, our goal is to raise $18,000 for start-up costs to film inspiring examples of the actual evolution of a new economic system that leads to thriving communities and shared prosperity for everyone.
Achieving high production value is important to us. This means hiring cinematographers who use state of the art cameras, and having great sound and music. Additional expenses will include editing, special effects, graphic design, animation, sound engineering, color correction....you get the idea.
What You Get
If you can help, we will offer you preview screenings, downloads and DVD’s for yourself and your friends and family, the opportunity to have personal phone and video-chat conversations with the filmmakers, your name in credits, and for our associate producers, the chance to participate in the making of the film itself.
Any and all funds raised will help us move forward with production of OUR New Economy.
The Impact
The documentary OUR New Economy brings a vital message of hope into a world that seems dominated by fear and divisiveness. We invite you to share with us in shaping this new vision of the future.
Risks & Challenges
One of the challenges we face is to create a grounded and realistic vision of a transformed future that supersedes traditional ways of thinking. Not by creating a Utopia, but by redesigning a small town, a society, and eventually a planet that takes responsibility for meeting everyone’s needs, and produces a lifestyle for everybody that reflects abundance instead of scarcity.
Your input and feedback is important to us.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean you can't help:
- Get the word out and make some noise about our campaign.
- Use the Indiegogo share tools at the top of this Campaign page!
Thank you for your support!
* Click HERE to watch a short video describing the One Small Town project idea.