“For over twenty years we were witness to the destructive influence that the cultural and economic imperialism of the industrialised nations had on the peoples of the so called Third World. We had known these countries before their underdevelopment – e.g.Yemen – and had seen with our own eyes how underdevelopment begins when the economy of a country is adjusted to meet the needs of a stronger economy, i.e. when it is integrated into global trade. We had studied cultures whose autonomous development had been blocked because western civilisation had been declared the measure of all things. Local rulers were ashamed of their indigenous people as long as they had not been turned into caricatures of the white man. We knew from experience that western ethnocentricity and blind faith in development rendered impossible an understanding of other cultures and were directly responsible for the political, cultural and economic chaos in the Third World.”
Impossible Independence
Algeria, 1974
The “development-trap” in the so-called Third World began with colonialization. Restructuring agriculture for cash crops destroyed the local food base and played havoc with the existing economies. This caused impoverishment in the…
The School of the Devil
Togo, 1974
Education is considered a precondition for progress and development. However, in most Third World countries schools do not serve the purpose of integrating children into the local society. In fact, schooling drives…
To Hell with School
Tanzania, 1974
Since 1967, Tanzania is attempting a fundamental change in its educational system. lt is being adapted to the real needs of society as envisioned by President Nyerere’s specific concept of socialism -…
The Plunderers
Gabun, 1975
Despite their political independence, most countries of the so-called Third World still find themselves playing the economic role allotted to them by the former colonial powers, as suppliers of raw material. Gabon,…
Rich Men’s Medicine in Poor Men’s Country
Gabun, 1975
The medical system was another of the many institutions that was inherited from the colonial powers. Taking Senegal and Gabon as examples, the film shows why this
system cannot cater to the needs…
The White Revolution
Iran, 1975
In the mid 1960s, Iran made a tremendous effort to transform the country into a modern industrial nation. The Shah launched the “White Revolution”, funded by oil. Highways, factories, seaports and air…
For Better or for Worse
France, 1975
The port city of Marseille was of vital importance for France’s colonial expansion. The colonial era is over, but the international division of labour that it created continues. It is responsible for…
The Winegrowers’ Revolt
France, 1975
On an average, 75 million hectolitres of wine are produced in France per annum. However, only 55 million hectolitres can be sold on the market. The surplus – mainly cheap wine from…
No Respect for Holy Cows
Mexico, 1976
In the early 1960s, Ivan Illich from Austria and Valentine Borreman from Belgium founded the “Centro Intercultural de Documentacion” (CIDOC) in Guernevaca, Mexico. The purpose of the centre was to question the…
Protest against Paris
Bretagne, Alsace, 1976
France is one of the most centralistic states in Western Europe. Over the centuries, practically all political power had been wrested away from the various regions. Regional cultural autonomy was systematically…
No where to go – the Indians in Canada
Canada, 1976
The James-Bay Project in the Northern Canadian province of Quebec was to become one of the largest hydraulic power stations in the world. For the indigenous inhabitants of this area, the Cree…
Alone against the Mighty
Eritrea. 1977
Since 1961 the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) has been fighting the illegal annexation of the country by Ethiopia, whose Emperor, Haile Selassi, needed the strategically important coastal region. It was landlocked…
Black Islam
Ivory Coast, 1977
Christianity was once the most important ally of colonial expansion. It played a vital role in the destruction of indigenous cultures and helped to integrate the colonised countries into global markets.…
The Basques and the Catalans
Spain, 1977
One of the most pressing problems of Spain’s internal politics is the movements for greater regional autonomy. The Basques, the Galicians and the Catalans, all of whom have their own language, culture,…
Forbidden Freedom
Somalia, 1978
Two-thirds of Somalia’s population are pastoral nomads. Ever since the colonial period, they have fallen on bad times. The severe drought in 1975 put them into dire straits, and yet the nomads…
The Grey Panthers (USA)
USA, 1978
The industrial nations are proud of the constantly increasing life-expectancy of their citizens. However, this civilization does not know what to do with its 65-year-old pensioners, who are condemned to an unproductive…
The Descendants of the Incas
Bolivia, 1978
The Spanish conquest and colonization of the Inca Empire began in the 16th century. As a consequence, the Indians lost their village communities and common land. For centuries, they had worked as…
The last Stand of the Eskimos
Canada, 1979
The film “No where to go – the Indians in Canada” made in 1976 dealt with the effect that the James-Bay-hydraulic-dam-project was going to have on the Cree Indians who lived in…
Factories for the Third World
Tunesia, 1979
The industrial nations are not only exploiting the Third World for its raw materials. Ever since wages and the cost of social benefits have gone up in the North, industries are now…
The Persian Dream
Iran, 1979
In our film “The White Revolution”, we showed what happens when a Third World country blindly follows Western development models. Throughout the series ” In the Name of Progress “, we pointed…
Bitter Sugar
Brazil, 1983
Brazil’s example was often offered as proof that technological progress and economic growth sufficed to overcome so-called underdevelopment. But Brazil’s industrialization had to be paid for in US-dollars. To foot the bill,…
The Seeds of Progress or The End of Development
USA, 1984
Deep in debt, 2000 farmers in the United States of America are forced to abandon their farms every week and 100.000 families lose the means of their livelihood every year. They simply…