The Crescent Theater threw open its doors on Presidents Day, Feb. 21, 2011, for a one-time, free-admission screening of “Zeitgeist: Moving Forward” — followed by an open group discussion for anyone willing to wade into the debate the film was built to start.
Directed by Peter Joseph, the feature-length documentary argues for a transition out of the world’s current monetary-based socioeconomic system toward what it calls a “Resource-Based Economy,” framing its case around what it presents as empirical attributes of human and social survival.
A Film Designed to Spark Argument
The film is deliberately provocative. It asserts a number of contested ideas — including the Christ myth theory, alternative theories about who was responsible for the September 11 attacks, and claims that bankers manipulate the international monetary system and the media to consolidate power. Those assertions made it one of the most talked-about independent documentaries of its era, and the reason organizers planned a post-screening discussion rather than a simple lights-up exit.
For downtown Mobile, the event turned the small Crescent screen into a town square of sorts for one night: a controversial film, free admission, and an open invitation for the audience to argue about it afterward.