While the name might not be familiar, you’re likely to at least be aware of some of Stewart Brand’s ideas and concepts. He is a pioneer. A futurist. A man who has always been ahead of the curve, but not always, it could be argued, travelling in the right direction. He’s perhaps most famous for editing The Whole Earth Catalogue, a counterculture magazine published regularly during the late 1960s and 1970s. Featuring an array of product reviews focused on DIY and innovative solutions.
He charted a path in fields such as environmentalism, human futurism, cyber technologies and ecology, while never really receiving the recognition he deserved. His ideas provided inspiration for many tech entrepreneurs. As an explorer of LSD culture, this proto-hippie rubbed shoulders with many of the outsider thinkers of the time. We Are as Gods brings all this together, looking at his life to date and what the future holds.
Brand is an engaging raconteur and undeniably a fascinating character, which comes across in We Are as Gods. He is also not without flaws, however. David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg’s documentary considers his work and legacy, in terms of where we are now and what is still to come. Like all mavericks, he’s not always right, but as We Are as Gods deftly demonstrates he’s full of fascinating ideas and insights.
We Are as Gods will be released on-demand in the US on 6 September.
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