'Paradoxically, we can't really learn that much about socialism or communism or the future from Marx. We can learn a great deal about how capital works.' - Marx historian David Harvey
When the communist systems of the 20th century crumbled, many thought that was the end for Karl Marx as a serious thinker too. But the last few years have seen a reawakening of interest in Marx's work - in particular for his analysis of the nature of capital and the forces it unleashes.
Concentrating on commodification, alienation, and the fetishization of money and credit, WHAT IF MARX WAS RIGHT argues that Marx is more relevant now than he has been in nearly a century. Have we gotten Marx wrong by focusing on the Communist Manifesto instead of on his still-cogent critique of how capitalism works?
Featuring former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, small farm activist Vandana Shiva, economist Thomas Piketty and Marx experts Mary Gabriel and David Harvey, among others.
"A captivating epic... a major contribution to economic and social reflection." —Le Monde (France)
"Brings clarity to confusion, makes complexities accessible, and produces a clear narrative of a system that seems opaque to most people." —Journal du Dimanche (France)
"Masterly... is going to revolutionize our vision of the economic world." —La Vie (France)
"In first look CAPITALISM seems like the economics class you should have skipped.... but in a second look CAPITALISM is the seminar that you must take in the second semester ... the point of view is very different and surprising, the result is an impressive, visually rich series.” —Israel HaYom (Israel)
"Should not be missed! Combines highly educational explanations of concepts, economic history and contemporary life, to create a series of documentaries, each of which it is difficult to stop watching!" —Alternatives Economiques (France)
"10 Stars! A truly captivating series that delves into history, philosophy, investigates four corners of the planet, and stimulates the viewer with a re-examination of the basic concepts that define our lives." —Globes (Israel)
The series was chosen as one of the ten best programs in France in 2014.
Citation
Main credits
Clarke, George T. (narrator)
Ziv, Ilan (film director)
Ziv, Ilan (film producer)
Ziv, Ilan (screenwriter)
Nahon, Bruno (screenwriter)
Nahon, Bruno (film producer)
Cadieux, Paul (film producer)
Other credits
Director of photography, Phillipe, Bellaiche; editor, David Le Guerrier; original music, Robert-Marcel Lepage.
Business; Business Ethics; Business and Economics; Economics; Economic Sociology; Europe (West); Globalization; Historiography; History (World); Labor Studies; Philosophy; Political Science; Political Theory; Politics; Sociology
Keywords
; "Episode 4"; Icarus Films; capitalism; communism; Karl Marx; Yanis Varoufakis; Vandana Shiva; Thomas Piketty; Mary Gabriel; David Harvey; economics; ,doc; history; politics
Distributor: Icarus Films
Length: 53 minutes
Date: 2014
Genre: Expository
Language: English; French
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
Interactive Transcript: Available
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