In this beautifully photographed tour de force of original thinking, Academy Award winner, Jeff Bridges shares the screen with scientists, profound thinkers and a dazzling array of Earth’s living creatures to reveal eye-opening concepts about ourselves and our past, providing fresh insights into our subconscious motivations and their unintended consequences.
Living in the Future's Past shows how no one can predict how major changes might emerge from the spontaneous actions of the many. How energy takes many forms as it moves through and animates everything. How, as we come to understand our true connection to all there is, we will need to redefine our expectations, not as what we will lose, but what we might gain by preparing for something different.
Scroll down to learn more about this ground-breaking film, read reviews, access the Instructor's guide, and view the film in its entirety.
For Instructors: The study guide can be used to suit various classroom situations and discussions depending on the age of students and length of time devoted to discussing the concepts in the movie.
Part 1 For Discussion Starters: students watch the film, and then read two reviews (included in study guide).
1) Ask students if they agree with the assessment in the review or ask students to write their own reviews.
2) What was something they thought was important, interesting, unique or surprising in the movie?
3) Why do you think the movie is called ‘Living in the Futures Past’?
4) We have provided a glossary of terms in the film. Which parts would students most like to explore further?
Part 2 of the guide provides a summary background on the main themes from the movie.
Part 3 is a glossary of vocabulary terms that are either new or are used in a new context in the film.
Part 4 is a list of questions to discuss and consider – we have provided too many to fit into a single class session - individual instructors can select a few to focus on that fit their class.
Part 5 the movie weaves together many scientists and other experts who sequentially explain aspects of human behavior, energy and environmental issues. Since so much was packed into a 90-minute movie, many of the statements in the film require longer explanations and context. Several of the people involved in the film have provided additional information as a summation of their role in the movie and their respective expertise. Where possible we have provided hyperlinks in BLUE to their work.
Part 6 provides a bibliography for further reading, links and a list of additional materials that can be used to delve deeper in these interrelated topics.
Part 7 Director Susan Kucera and actor Jeff Bridges’ Academic Pilot Project *All quotes from the film are in GREEN
