Terre des hommes(?): Who We Were

“We were the ones who knew, but did not understand, full of information but lacking insight, brimming with knowledge, but lacking experience. So we just kept forging ahead, unstopped by ourselves.”

Roger Willemsen

What will future generations think of us in a historical context? In the spirit of Willemsen's legacy, will they look back on us with despair? The film WHO WE WERE observes the current state of the world, accompanied by six intellectuals and scientists who reflect on the present and postulate about the future.

Producer, director and writer Marc Bauder follows his interviewees into the depths of the ocean, to the top of the world, and out into the far reaches of space. Together, they explore the incredible capabilities of the human brain, a global economic summit, the legacy of colonisation, and the feelings of a robot.

This inspiring look at our world offers a hopeful message for us all: Who we are is in our own hands, if we recognise our connectedness, our commonality, and the meaning of 'we'.

WHO WE WERE is an intense encounter with six important contemporary thinkers and scientists: Alexander Gerst (astronaut), Dennis Snower (economist), Matthieu Ricard (molecular biologist and monk), Sylvia Earle (oceanologist), Felwine Sarr (economist, sociologist and philosopher) and Janina Loh (philosopher and critical posthumanist).

Director: Marc Bauder