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Manufacturing Ignorance Poster

Manufacturing Ignorance

Tobacco, climate change, pesticides,... Never has scientific knowledge seemed so vast, detailed and shared. And yet it appears to be increasingly challenged. It is no longer surprising to see private corporations put strategies in place to confuse the public debate and paralyze political decision-making. Overwhelmed by excess of information, how can we, as citizens, sort out fact from fiction? One by one, this film dismantles the workings of this clever manoeuvre that aims to turn science against itself. Thanks to declassified archives, graphic animations and testimonies from experts, lobbyists and politicians, this investigation plunges us into the science of doubt. Along with a team of experts (philosophers, economists, cognitive scientists, political men, or even agnotologists), we explore concrete examples of doubt making and try to understand the whole process and the issues behind it.

Top Cast

  • Pascal Vasselin

    Pascal Vasselin

    Narrator (voice)

  • Fani Hatjina

    Fani Hatjina

    Herself

  • Matthias Groß

    Matthias Groß

    Himself

  • Linsey McGoey

    Linsey McGoey

    Herself

  • Naomi Oreskes

    Naomi Oreskes

    Herself

  • Stéphane Foucart

    Stéphane Foucart

    Himself

  • Catherine Collinet

    Catherine Collinet

    Herself (archive footage)

  • Stanton A. Glantz

    Stanton A. Glantz

    Himself

  • Yves Gingras

    Yves Gingras

    Himself

Overview

Tobacco, climate change, pesticides,... Never has scientific knowledge seemed so vast, detailed and shared. And yet it appears to be increasingly challenged. It is no longer surprising to see private corporations put strategies in place to confuse the public debate and paralyze political decision-making. Overwhelmed by excess of information, how can we, as citizens, sort out fact from fiction? One by one, this film dismantles the workings of this clever manoeuvre that aims to turn science against itself. Thanks to declassified archives, graphic animations and testimonies from experts, lobbyists and politicians, this investigation plunges us into the science of doubt. Along with a team of experts (philosophers, economists, cognitive scientists, political men, or even agnotologists), we explore concrete examples of doubt making and try to understand the whole process and the issues behind it.

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