Films and Videos about the Commons
Films and Videos about the Commons
Compiled by David Bollier and Silke Helfrich
There are hundreds of worthy films and videos dealing with issues related to the commons in one way or another – forestry, finance, water, copyright, and more. However, the number of them that deal directly with the commons as commons are fairly few. Below, some of the more noteworthy productions of the past five years. All films and videos are in English unless otherwise noted.
The Commons
A documentary film about communities all over the world re-asserting sustainable, responsible futures using ancient commons principles. The film visits cooperatives, ecovillages, commons lawyers, Occupy activists, Internet commoners, indigenous peoples, community banks and others around the world to explore how commons work for them. USA, 2015. Produced and directed by Kevin Hansen. http://commonsfilm.com
The Promise of the Commons
A beautifully produced film that focuses on natural resources commons in the global South, with special attention to land grabbing and land rights in India, Nepal, Mexico.
India/China, 2013. Length, 50 minutes. Produced by Environmental Education Media Project, with the India-based Foundation for Ecological Security. Written by environmental educator John D. Liu and directed by Patrick Augenstein. 50-minute version
20-minute version:
16-minute version:
The Commons
A left-libertarian-anarchist perspective on the commons that explains the logic of capitalism and the potential of the commons to meet needs beyond the state and market. The video features a variety of slides and a voiceover narration. USA, 2013. Produced by AnarchistCollective. Length, 36 minutes.
Script for video narration: https://theleftlibertarian.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/the-commons-beyond-the-state-capitalism-and-the-market
Peter Linebaugh: Who Owns the Commons? on The Laura Flanders Show
An interview with historian and author Peter Linebaugh on the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta and the significance of that legal document and the struggle behind it today. USA, 2015. Length, 18 minutes. Produced by GRITtv.
This Land is Our Land: The Fight to Reclaim the Commons
Author and activist David Bollier provides a survey of notable enclosures of the commons, especially in the American context, and the growing international movement to reclaim the commons. USA 2010. Length, 46 min. Directed by Jeremy Earp & Sut Jhally. Written by David Bollier & Jeremy Earp. http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=146
Short Videos
Better No More: Principles and Practices Towards the next Economy
This video provides an overview of activist movements to decomodify nature, re-imagine the character of work, liberate knowledge and democratize wealth. USA. Length, 5 minutes. Produced by Kontent Film and Edge Funders Alliance. https://vimeo.com/124550319
Mutiny! Why We Love Pirates and How They Can Save Us
Kester Brewin, a mathematics teachers in South East London, explains what our love of pirates tellsus about renewing the commons. The talk draws upon his 2012 book, Mutiny! UK, 2013. Length, 13 minutes. Produced by TEDx Exeter (UK).
A Commons Conversation
Participants in a workshop hosted by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and the German Institute for Human Rights provide a thoughtful introduction to subsistence and traditional commons, especially in Africa, with a focus on secure land tenure and food security. Germany, 2014. Length, 5 minutes. Produced by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies and German Institute for Human Rights. https://vimeo.com/109114444
Remix the Commons
The website for this collaborative multimedia project (see profile on pp. _____) features dozens of short video interviews with commoners from around the world, focusing on key ideas and practices. France/Canada, 2010 - 2015. In English and French. http://www.remixthecommons.org/en
Commons in Action
A series of short animated videos about a variety of different types of commons. USA, 2014. Each is less than three minutes. Produced by the International Association for the Study of Commons. 1. Knowledge Commons 2. A Japanese story 3. Grupo de Estudios Ambientales’ story 4. Foundation for Ecological Security story 5. Grupo Autonómo para la Investigación Ambiental’s story 6. Open Spaces Society story All videos are available at: