Money or Life. Happiness and Children Are Priceless.

Money or Life. Happiness and Children Are Priceless.

The documentary feature film Money or Life. Happiness and Children Are Priceless is being developed on the premise that audiences will contribute their perspectives to its themes and stories. The two-minute teaser offers an impression of how politically hard-to-digest topics can be addressed in a pointed and entertaining cinematic way. It analyzes our society through a very personal question: Can one still, in good conscience, bring children into the world today?

Sofia is asking herself this question. Much about her life seems ideal: she has a great partner, a beautiful apartment, and a permanent job. So why should the thought of motherhood trigger panic? But that is exactly what happens. And it becomes clear that there are good reasons for it.

Globally, the rule is: the wealthier a society is, the fewer children are born. Why do highly developed societies struggle so much with children? Why are child poverty, social division, and ecological problems increasing, even though no one wants that?

Money or Life. Happiness and Children Are Priceless, teaser, 2 min., for the documentary feature film (in development) from René Harder on Vimeo.

Especially during the coronavirus crisis, we are clearly experiencing what otherwise tends to remain hidden: the more universal an interest is, such as raising children, the harder it is to enforce political demands because there is no lobby behind it, unlike football or the automotive industry.

Perhaps children are not the problem, but the solution? As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that the social developments in which children are seen as getting in the way are urgently in need of correction: unlimited growth, acceleration, and the steadily advancing capitalization of even the most intimate areas of life lead not only to ecological catastrophe, but also to social catastrophe and ultimately to the personal catastrophe of every individual. Children’s needs for time, love, security, and healthy nutrition, their desire for education, for a future, and their strong sense of justice are not the problem, but rather represent a major opportunity for development for society as well as for each individual: a life is good only if it is also good for children.

Help us in the search for connections, explanations, and solutions; send us your questions, tips, and theses. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook:  /Geld_oder_Leben_Film or www.geld-oder-leben-film.de

The teaser was funded by nordmedia – Film and Media Society of Lower Saxony / Bremen mbH.

About OVALmedia

For 20 years, Lilian Franck and Robert Cibis have been making films together in various genres. Their group of companies, based in Berlin and Cologne, OVALmedia focuses on documentary feature films for cinema (e.g. the award-winning “Pianomania,” successfully released in 25 countries, and the film about universal basic income, “Free Lunch Society”). Their editorial approach is also their calling: helping people understand their society better.

 

About the authors

René Harder, born in 1971, grew up in Konstanz. He studied directing and acting. Since 1999, he has worked freelance in theatres in Hamburg, Görlitz, Leipzig, Konstanz, and Bonn, as well as in film and television (ZDF/NRD/arte/ARD) as a director, author, and actor. René has received scholarships, including from the Robert Bosch Foundation. Since 2008, he has been Professor of Acting and Project Development, and from 2008 to 2016 he was Head of the Performing Arts Department at Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter near Bonn. His films have been shown at renowned festivals (Locarno, Yamagata, Montreal, Edinburgh, and many others) and have won awards. René is the father of 5 children.

Sofia Harder was born in Hamburg in 1996 as René’s eldest daughter and also grew up there. In 2014, she completed her schooling and began training as a remedial education caregiver. After completing this training and gaining a year of professional experience, she is now pursuing her questions through a degree in economics at Cusanus University of Applied Sciences for Society and Transformation.

With
Christian Felber
Jürgen Borchert
Tobias Weber
Sofia Harder

Hennes Bollmeier
Josephine Bollmeier
Philipp Jagels
René Harder
Yasmin Klara Wolf

A film by
René Harder

Screenplay
Sofia and René Harder

Funded by nordmedia – Film and Media Society of Lower Saxony / Bremen mbH

With support from seed digital vision

Special thanks to

Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, Management Office, Yellow Design Pforzheim, Critiano Crivitillo and Karl Harder

© oval Media, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/die.unsichtbare.Hand.will.keine.Kinder/

The trailer online.