About this Event
Feature Documentary Screening - Part of the Activists Without Borders Film Festival
About the Film
The Cost of Growth is a powerful independent feature-length documentary exploring the hidden costs of our global economic system. The film connects local struggles against extractivism in Serbia, Italy, and Sápmi with broader debates on justice, democracy, and war.
Through intimate storytelling and investigative depth, it reveals how people across Europe are resisting destructive projects and false “green” solutions - while building genuine alternatives rooted in cooperation, care, and solidarity.
Key Themes
- Who truly benefits from economic growth - and who pays the price?
- The human and ecological costs of extractivism.
- How the climate crisis is intertwined with inequality, exploitation, and power.
- What an economy based on justice, democracy, and well-being could look like.
Why See It
This independent documentary challenges the myths of endless growth and invites viewers to imagine new possibilities for our shared future. It’s a timely, thought-provoking journey through the frontlines of resistance - and a celebration of grassroots movements shaping a fairer, more sustainable world.
Director Biography
Thomas Maddens is a documentary filmmaker and activist. After a decade of making crisis documentaries for organizations like the United Nations and UNICEF, and pioneering virtual reality storytelling to document genocide for Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, his work has continued to explore social justice through innovative cinematic storytelling—from creating wheelchair-accessible mosh pits in VR to filming and editing Myendo, a powerful film about reproductive rights and endometriosis that changed the law in Belgium. The Cost of Growth is his feature-length directorial debut.
Part of the Activists Without Borders Film Festival
The Activists Without Borders Film Festival celebrates impactful storytelling that drives social and environmental change. Join us for a day of inspiring films, discussions, and collective reflection on how creativity and activism can work hand in hand to transform our world.
Find out more:
Activists Without Borders Film Festival
The Cost of Growth Film
Activists Without Borders (AWB) is a UK-based organisation dedicated to defending human rights, protecting nature, and supporting frontline activists worldwide. Through campaigns, education, and advocacy, AWB works to bring global attention to urgent issues and inspire action for justice and change.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Pavilion, 143-145 Oxford Road, Reading, United Kingdom
GBP 3.94
