''Occupy Love'' is a 2012 documentary film about the

Occupy movement The Occupy movement was an international populist socio-political movement that expressed opposition to social and economic inequality and to the perceived lack of "real democracy" around the world. It aimed primarily to advance social and econo ...

directed by Velcrow Ripper. The film premiered at the 2012 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Overview

''Occupy Love'' argues that the

Arab Spring The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...

, Occupy movement, ''

Indignados The anti-austerity movement in Spain, also referred to as the 15-M Movement (Spanish: ''Movimiento 15-M''), and the Indignados Movement, was a series of protests, demonstrations, and occupations against austerity policies in Spain that began aro ...

'' and other movements all form part of a single global movement. The film's central question is: "How could the crisis we're facing become a love story?" Ripper comments: "This isn't a flaky ideal or some kind of a dream. This is a necessary, very practical step forward for humanity ... This is what's needed if we’re going to turn things—these huge crises facing the planet—around." The film features figures including

bell hooks Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks, was an American author and social activist who was Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College. She is best known for her writings on ...

, Naomi Klein,

Bill McKibben William Ernest McKibben (born December 8, 1960)"Bill Ernest McKibben." ''Environmental Encyclopedia''. Edited by Deirdre S. Blanchfield. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, December 31, 2017. is a ...

Judy Rebick Judy Rebick (born August 15, 1945) is a Canadian writer, journalist, political activist, and feminist. Early life Born in Reno, Nevada, Rebick and her family moved to Toronto when she was 9. She became a socialist activist in the 1970s, joining th ...

and Rebecca Solnit. It also includes testimonies from activists involved in the movements described.

Production

The film's funding was

crowdsourced Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digita ...

. Shooting locations included

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Critical reception

Writing for '' canada.com'', Ethan Cox described the film as "Visually stunning, politically incendiary, audaciously inspiring ... a masterpiece." Alan Scherstuhl of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' praised the film's "arresting" and "often inspiring" photography, but observed it may find an unexpected audience in "rightwingers eager to dismiss everything Occupy as hopelessly naive."

References

External links

* * 2012 films Documentary films about politics Occupy movement Documentary films about the Arab Spring Films directed by Velcrow Ripper 2010s English-language films {{Poli-documentary-film-stub