O58

For the 50-year commemoration of the worldfair of 01958 in Brussels, Expo '58, looking back would not suffice. The anniversary celebrations took place under the motto: "Back to the Future".

Agence Future talked with 20 witnesses of the Expo about their visions of the future then and now. For the resulting video document, entitled O58, amateur archive 16mm and 8mm footage, slides, photo's and collectables of the time were found to illustrate the seniors' stories. The interviews were recorded in the cinema of MuHKA_Media, where the video also premiered on April 21st 02008.

The 7 minute trailer gives an impression of the document. The quote at the end of the trailer is the Dutch translation of part of the foreword by Kenneth Boulding to Fred Polak's "The Image of the Future". Here is the original English version:

"The human condition can almost be summed up in the observation that, whereas all experiences are of the past, all decisions are about the future. The image of the future, therefore, is the key to all choice-oriented behavior. The character and quality of the images of the future which prevail in a society are therefore the most important clue to its overall dynamics."