The Light Bulb Conspiracy

The Light Bulb Conspiracy, also known as Pyramids of Waste, is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Cosima Dannoritzer. An international co-production of France and Spain, the documentary thematizes the planned obsolescence of industrial products for commercial reasons.

Synopsis
The film documents planned obsolescence in industrial production, i.e. the deliberate limitation by manufacturers of the lifespan of their products in order to thereby secure the sale of replacement and follow-up products. In addition to describing concrete examples, the film also deals with the economic and ecological consequences of consumer society. Among others, the French economist and philosopher Serge Latouche has his say as a representative of the concept of degrowth.

Documented examples

 * The Centennial Light is considered to be the longest-lasting incandescent lamp in the world. It is used as evidence of collusion among incandescent lamp manufacturers in the Phoebus cartel, one of whose aims was to limit the average lifespan of lightbulbs to 1000 hours.
 * The market strategy of Alfred P. Sloan, president of General Motors from 1923 to 1937, is used to illustrate the entry of planned obsolescence into the automotive industry.
 * In the context of the Great Depression, Bernard London proposed in his work Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence that all products be given an expiration date, after which they would have to be turned in to a government agency and destroyed. In this way, consumption was to be stimulated and jobs created.
 * The Narva brand light bulb, which is also very durable, is treated as further evidence of the existence of planned obsolescence in modern light bulbs.
 * Particularly resistant nylon pantyhoses are said to have been made more short-lived for the purpose of faster wear by using inferior material.
 * The Epson Stylus C42UX inkjet printer is said to issue a defect message after a certain number of printed pages, whereupon further use of the printer is prevented. This lock, which is said to be caused by a chip specially present for this purpose, could be switched off with the help of special software.
 * The battery of the iPod Classic is used as an example of planned obsolescence in modern consumer electronics.

International versions
The film screened internationally at numerous film festivals as well as on television and was broadcast on German television several times on Arte and Phoenix starting in 2011. In the same year, it ran as a side event at the European Commission's Green Week.

Internationally, it was shown with the following titles:


 * Catalan: Comprar, llençar, comprar
 * Czech: Žárovková konspirace - Příběh plánovaného zastarávání
 * Danish: Glødepære-konspiration
 * English: The Light Bulb Conspiracy
 * Finnish: Hehkulamppuhuijaus
 * French: Prêt-à-jeter
 * German: Kaufen für die Müllhalde
 * Hungarian: A Villanykörte Összeesküvés – A tervezett elavulás története
 * Italian: Il complotto della lampadina
 * Norwegian: Garantert kort levetid
 * Polish:Spisek żarówkowy
 * Portuguese: A Conspiração da Lâmpada
 * Russian: Заговор вокруг лампочки
 * Spanish: Comprar, tirar, comprar
 * Swedish: Glödlampskonspirationen
 * Turkish: Ampul Komplosu

Awards

 * Best Documentary in Science, Technology and Education Award of the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) 2010, China
 * Best Documentary, Spanish Television Academy Awards, 2011
 * Best Film, SCINEMA 2011, Australia
 * Best Feature Documentary, Filmambiente 2011, Brazil
 * Maeda Special Prize, NHK Japan Prize 2011
 * Ondas Internacional 2011, Spanien (Mitgewinner: Joan Úbeda, Executive Producer)
 * Special Jury Mention, FICMA 2011, Spanien
 * Best Popular-Science Film - People and Environment 2012 (Russia)
 * Best International Film - Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) 2012 Malaysia
 * Prix Tournesol for Best Environmental Documentary Film - Festival du Film Vert Suisse (Lausanne)
 * Hoimar-von-Ditfurth-Preis of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe for best journalistic performance, Ökofilmtour 2013
 * Finalist, Focal International Awards 2011, London, U.K.
 * Finalist, Magnolia Awards, Shanghai International Film Festival 2011, China
 * Finalist, Prix Europa 2011, Berlin

Literature
Three years after the premiere of the film, the documentary was published as a book.


 * Cosima Dannoritzer, Jürgen Reuß Kaufen für die Müllhalde. Das Prinzip der geplanten Obsoleszenz. orange-press, Freiburg (2013) ISBN 978-3-936086-66-9