Future by Design

Documentary filmmaker, Emmy Award winning, and Academy Award nominated director William Gazecki has made this homage to Jacque Fresco, self taught architect, engineer, inventor and futurist.

About six months ago I ordered my DVD of the independent film, Future by Design. This weekend I finally got around to watching it.

The film is made from a montage of footage- a contemporary interview with Jacque, Jacque in a 1974 interview with then local Miami talk show host Larry King, a geriatric tour group walking the compound of Jacque’s Venus Project, and a combination of computer rendered and stop action modeled footage of his urban planning proposals, and other architectural concepts.

The renders, drawings and especially the models are of greatest interest. Through these one can see the incredible investment in time and thought Jacque has put into his grand design. The heartfelt craftsmanship of the true believer.

The future is not what it use to be.

The problem with most visions of the future is that they usually tell us more about the era that they came from, than they do about what will follow.

More so than any real or likely future, this story tells us of a future that exists only in the mind of Jacque Fresco. Jacque is a Utopianist. Though he doesn’t see it, his vision of the future is a uniquely mid-century Western future. A utopian vision of a centrally planned, state run society. Though I’m glad not to live in Jacque’s vision for the future, I do find it just as fascinating as it is improbable.

My grumble with most who drink from this futurist fountain is the shortsightedness of envisioning a future that has no past. Let’s discount for a moment that there would be no jobs for architects or designers in Jacque’s future, because he’s already designed it all, there are also no designers or architects in Jacque’s past, because his future vision exists within a metaphorical bubble (and sometimes within a literal one).

Any real future exists as a layer on top of both the recent and distant past, and they must coexist. On a trip to modern day Rome you will find contemporary modern architecture built near post war monuments, beside Rococo structures adjacent to their Baroque forebears, surrounded by Renaissance masterpieces, built among the ruins of Roman temples. The evolution of human civilization is embodied in the architectural edifices that we live among, and build upon, both literally and figuratively. In fact, here in New York and elsewhere in high density urban areas, developers and conservationist have recently found common ground— rather than demolition before new construction, new buildings are being built above and around existing older structures. The trend has become so fashionable in New York, that this new form of reuse is sometime employed as an aesthetic unto itself, even when conservation doesn’t call for it.

Jacque Fresco, eccentric enough to be endearing, has made a living out of doing his own thing and pursuing his passions. Anyone who has so uncompromisingly followed their own vision should be respected, admired and even celebrated. The movie might not convince you of Jacque’s vision of the future, and to Gazecki’s credit I don’t think that was the movie’s intention, but it does let you step inside the mind of Fresco, and see one possible world through his mind’s eye. Until somebody builds a Venus Project based metaverse, this film will be the closest we’ll ever get to seeing the world of Jacque’s vision. It is a film worth watching, and William Gazecki should be thanked for documenting the life and ideas of this unique individual.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Hi Chris-

I just wanted to compliment and thank you for your thoughtful commentary on “Future by Design”.

You’re one of the very few people who “got it right” as to how and why the film was made, and what value it is meant to impart.

We’re having a pretty good time getting it out there- kids seem to appreciate it the most. I had one schoolteacher tell me it was “the first positive outlook on the future some of these kids have ever had”, which was nice to hear. No, Jacque’s vision of the world as he would like it to be is not likely to occur- but at least he tried, and in the process came up with some useful ideas. He’s learned a lot, too- mostly about human behavior, and how much it can change.

Thanks again,
William Gazecki

Comments

[Johnnie]

Are you suggesting that Fresco's model's and illustrations are his literal "prediction" of the future? I don't believe he says that anywhere. Why would he suggest that there would be no Architects or designers? Now, I know he implies there would be no need for a military or advanced military technology. There would be no need *if* we adopted a resource-based economy as he describes it.

What reason would people need to goto war if there was nothing to fight over? if we all have food, no one would ever be in the situation where they needed to steal food from someone else (or money in order to acquire food). The same idea can be applied to any resource. Including oil which seems to be an eerie companion to war (if not the cause) in our present day. Did you take the film seriously or just belittled him because of his "spaceship" looking models?

To be honest, I don't personally like his use of white buildings that look like they are space ships. But if you can see through to the real intent of the film, could you see passed his eccentricities and seemingly goofy models and actually listen to the man?

He suggests a world where the million dollar attention given to the design of video games or for the advertising of Hollywood films are applied to every aspect of our lives from how speed limits can be enforced to the robots that perform surgeries. If 100% focus was applied where it should, instead of only where there is a prospect of huge monetary gain, every aspect of our lives would be safer, healthier and happier. Or we could just waste millions on developing Playstation 9 while people go hungry in 3rd world countries.

You say that you are glad you don't live in his future. Do you like our current society? Today, human interest isn't the priority, profits are the priority. And when money can't buy what an institution wants, we'll have war.

We can eliminate poverty and war right now *If* you can give up that dollar in your pocket. Ancient peoples lived without money so there is no reason a modern people cannot live without money as well.

If you listen, you'll realize that he talks about our potential, not some unattainable perfect future.

I wouldn't give this film a half hearted cheap shot about how there would be no need for architects or designers because he designed everything. Like its some kind of "fresco's 'just add water' future." Where does he pretend that he can design everything and that people can just fabricate every piece of a city from his exact blue prints? Ridiculous. He deserves better than your mediocre mockery.

-Johnnie, Lehighon, PA

[Chris]

My review was not meant to be in anyway disrespectful or dismissive of Mr. Fresco. As far as futurists go, he and his ideas are very much stuck in time, in a mid-twentieth-century era. This doesn't make his ideas unworthy of attention. I find him a fascinating individual. As the article says, anyone who has dedicated their entire life to the pursuit of their vision as Jacque so uncompromisingly has, is worthy of being celebrated. It's true, I don't agree with his ideas or his vision, but I do have admiration for his human spirit. I believe it was this aspect that the movie was created to honor, and I feel it did a good job of it.

I bought a copy of the movie. You could say it made it into my 'permanent collection.' I hope you have done the same.

Kind regards.