Experiencing Interruptions?

Sustainability: A Broken Record

How we build is how we grow and develop. It's how we establish a connection and define our history on this planet, and it's a reflection of our cultural times. We are building barriers and disconnection, wasting potential rather than feeding opportunity.

The sustainability broken record has been played enough, with a melody rooted in fear and facts, but sometimes the truth isn't enough.

So let's find a narrative that we can head towards rather than run away from; a narrative that honours the relationship we have with this planet.

Speaking with industry-leading architects and designers and using the metaphor of a broken record, we explore trends, greenwashing and our relationship with this planet and how we can make it a more substantial one.

  • Owen Riseley
    Director
  • Owen Riseley
    Writer
  • James Hakesley
    Producer
  • Roy Kimani
    Producer
  • Sam Prosser
    Producer
  • Owen Riseley
    DOP
  • Geroge Beckett
    Camera Assistant
  • Owen Riseley
    Editor
  • Jeremy Grove
    Key Cast
    Managing Director and Head of Design at Sibley Grove
  • Nico Rensch
    Key Cast
    Architect and Founder of Wunderhaus
  • Rachel Hoolahan
    Key Cast
    Architect and Sustainability Coordinator at Orms
  • Simone Suss
    Key Cast
    Founder of Studio Suss
  • John Miller
    Key Cast
    Furniture Designer and Director at MARK Product
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 28, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,600 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    C70, C-Log 2 CinemaGamut
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Barbican Exclusive Screening
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 28, 2022
    Barbican Centre, London
Director Biography - Owen Riseley

Starting my career in 2017, I had limited connections in the film industry, but I was driven by an innate curiosity to understand the different stories of this world. I later realised that this is exactly why I love cinema.

After college, It was important to me to gain as much real-life, industry experience as possible, so I worked on anything I could, broadening my skill base and making as many connections as possible.

I began building my experience as a production runner and an extra on big films, meeting new people from all walks of life and fuelling my passion for storytelling.

I soon landed my work experience programme at CUBE, a fast-growing, award-winning video production agency, based in Maidenhead. Since then, I have progressed to Creative Producer, overseeing my own ambitious team.

Both CUBE and I have grown rapidly, and I've enjoyed taking opportunities to work across large-scale and innovative campaigns for global brands, as well as lead on both national and international projects.

At CUBE, we do so much more than just video. We create bold, captivating content that gets brands, big and small, noticed. And gets them results! Managing the creative from start to finish.

The success and ambition of CUBE is what enabled me to direct and edit Sustainability: A Broken Record, and without them, the production wouldn't have been possible.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Working at CUBE; an award-winning production agency, I quickly became embedded within the A&D community, and found myself regularly interviewing industry-experts about the topic of sustainability.

I kept hearing the same things being said time and time again. The same fearful remarks and factual consequences, and I couldn't help but wonder why nothing was really changing.

Sustainability is defined as 'fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations'.

Without compromising!

Not to compromise our children's future is hardly a memorable or inspirational message. It's not inspiring to stay the same, and it's not inspiring to be less bad.

Michael Braungart famously said: "If I was to ask you how your marriage was and you said sustainable I would feel sorry for you".

The most important relationships in our lives shouldn't be sustainable - they should be substantial. And the relationship we have with this planet is pretty damn important.