Prêt-à-jeter (2010)

This is the story of companies who engineered their products to fail.

Director:

Cosima Dannoritzer

Writer:

Cosima Dannoritzer

Stars:

Molly Malcolm, Marcos López Merayo, Lynn Owens

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Molly Malcolm	...	Narrator (English version) (voice)
Marcos López Merayo	...	Himself (as Marcos López)
Lynn Owens	...	Himself
Richard Jones	...	Himself
Steve Bunn	...	Himself
Markus Krajewski	...	Himself
Thomas A. Edison	...	Himself (archive footage)
Helmut Höge	...	Himself
Warner Philips	...	Himself
Nicols Fox	...	Herself
Mike Gurman	...	Himself
Giles Slade	...	Himself
Dorothea Weitzner	...	Herself
Brooks Stevens	...	Himself (archive footage)
Kipp Stevens	...	Himself

Storyline

Once upon a time..... products were made to last. Then, at the beginning of the 1920s, a group of businessmen were struck by the following insight: 'A product that refuses to wear out is a tragedy of business' (1928). Thus Planned Obsolescence was born. Shortly after, the first worldwide cartel was set up expressly to reduce the life span of the incandescent light bulb, a symbol for innovation and bright new ideas, and the first official victim of Planned Obsolescence. During the 1950s, with the birth of the consumer society, the concept took on a whole new meaning, as explained by flamboyant designer Brooks Stevens: 'Planned Obsolescence, the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary...'. The growth society flourished, everybody had everything, the waste was piling up (preferably far away in illegal dumps in the Third World) - until consumers started rebelling... Can the modern growth society survive without Planned Obsolescence? Did ...

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Plot Keywords:

planned obsolescence | light bulb | business | f rated | consumerism | 

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Taglines:

The untold story of planned obsolescence.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

France Spain

Language:

English French Catalan German Spanish

Release Date:

16 December 2010 (Spain)

Also Known As:

A Conspiração da Lâmpada

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France, Article Z, Media 3.14

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min 52 min (2011) (TV)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Alternate Versions

Shorter version, 52m52s long, edited for 1 hour slot on television. Has been broadcast on at least NRK (Norwegian Television).

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Connections

Features The Man in the White Suit (1951)

User Reviews

Amazing facts on what you already knew but never dared to ask

I love these kinds of documentaries! Those which tells you something new or tells you something you didn't know about something you've been suspecting or thinking, but get confirmed.

This brilliantly made documentary tells about a dark secret which had gone so far that we now accept it. But even worse. The whole concept of "things bing too expensive to fix, buy a new one" is a false. It's fake! Not so that it is produced to fail. No, it can last longer if you know how to do it! A printer is made for lasting 200.000 copies. Then it tells you it's life is over. It's just programmed to stop. You can download a program on your PC install it, to make your printer last another 200.000 copies.

Nasty business, you say! Well, it's in your house! See this, and get enlightened!