Dutch Global Health Film Festival

The GHFF – for the second time organised in Maastricht – intends to bring people together around current topics in global health. Issues that affects us as individuals directly, but also represent the modern, globalised world we live in. The film ‘2040’ talks about climate change, and its direct effects on health, but moreover it is a film that brings hope. How does the world of the 4 year old daughter of the director looks like in 2040, if only we can inspire people to make a change. ‘El Susto’, the second film, is set in Mexico, but could have been filmed anywhere as it is an illustration of how we, in a globalised world are affected by the food industry with devastating effects on our health. The third film ‘Meet the Millennials’ tackles the subject of ageing and technology in East Asia, how robots replace human contact; but moreover it encourages us to think about what the concept of healthy ageing really entails. Is it in the genes or can we live forever with a little help from technology? Each film is followed by a discussion with (inter)national experts.

2040
Drawing on the best minds from around the world to focus on climate, economics, technology, civil society, agriculture and sustainability, 2040 maps out a pathway for change that can lead us to a more ecologically sustainable and equitable future. Motivated by his 4-year-old daughter and concern for the planet she will inherit, Damon Gameau embarks on a global journey to meet the innovators and change makers pioneering the best solutions already available to us today to improve the health of our planet and societies. Serious information is delivered with humour. Experts are shrunk into scenes to emphasise a point, animation makes the invisible visible and visual effects show how scaling these solutions by 2040 will positively impact our lives and our planet. 2040 is an aspirational film full of hope about the possibility to make changes that will shift the course for humanity and the planet. > Check out the trailer <
Damon Gameau, Australia, 2019, 92 minutes.

El Susto (The Shock)
Of all the traditional food and drink offerings to the dead lovingly placed on family altars during Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) one favourite beverage stands out. Its iconic shape and logo are instantly recognizable around the world, and its omnipresence at gravesides today in contemporary Mexico is no coincidence. Since the floodgates of the North American Free Trade Agreement opened Mexico up as a major market for U.S. multinational food and drink corporations, Coca-Cola has become a part of the Mexican landscape, the Mexican way of life and the Mexican way of death. Today, Coca-Cola and other soft drinks are fuelling Mexico’s leading cause of death: Type 2 Diabetes. How can the devastating impact of Mexico’s Number One Killer be overturned? And what lessons can be learned for the rest of the world? Uncovering the public health crisis caused by aggressively marketed and distributed sugary soft drinks and processed foods, El Susto ushers in a political revolution for all consumers. > Check out the trailer <
Karen Akins, United States, 75 minutes, 2019.

Meet the millennials: The New Human The robots have arrived. How will they change, or even replace, humanity? What will our future look like? DNA modification might make it possible to live to a healthy 150 years – but do we even want to? This documentary is part of Project Hello Asia, a multimedia art project that portrays the millennial generation in East Asia. The team takes us on a journey to six cities in East Asia, where they meet millennials who share their stories on camera: students and professors, robotics engineers and street artists. Meet the Millennials inspires. It connects stories of daily life, work, education, artificial intelligence in megacities. It is the story of a taboo breaking generations. Asian millennials are (re)making their way in a world built on outdated systems, institutions, and ideas. Yet Asia’s societies also seem to offer the potential for the lightning-fast change the European generation can only dream of... > Check out the trailer <
Lucas de Man, The Netherlands, 2019, 26 minutes.