Opening 24 Oct 2013
Directed by:
Heidi Ewing
Writing credits:
Peter Bull, Alex Gibney, Jeremy Chilnick, Morgan Spurlock, Eugene Jarecki
Do you normally get freaked out when you hear the word “economics” or maybe even roll your eyes and think “boring”? Well think again. This collection of short documentaries began as a book written by economist Steve D. Levitt and writer Stephen J. Dubner. Since the book sold over four million copies and was translated into 35 languages, the obvious next step was to make a film.
They explore the bizarre side of economics with amusing antidotes and funny descriptions. We get the inside view of how human behavior reacts through the basic laws of economics. Some of the topics which are explored are: when choosing a name for a child does it have an effect on its future? Can cheating occur in the secret realm of Sumo wrestling? Do teachers cheat on state exams and if so how can they be caught? The film brings several conclusions which are achieved in an exciting and comical way. It is hard to know if some of these hypotheses, which are based on America demography, would actually work on an international level. It’s definitely a film that makes you think about your decisions in life and maybe how to do it better. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)
