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PUSHBACK Talks

PUSHBACK Talks

Written by: WG Film
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Cities are becoming increasingly unliveable for most people. Costs are rising but incomes are not. Sky-high rents, evictions, homelessness, and substandard housing are common realities for urban dwellers across the planet. There is a global housing crisis. How did this basic human right get so lost? Who is pushing people out of their homes and cities, and what’s being done to pushback?

On the heels of the release of the award-winning documentary, PUSH, filmmaker, Fredrik Gertten and Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, have reconvened. Join the filmmaker and the advocate as they reflect on their experiences making PUSH and exchange ideas and stories about the film's central issue: the financialization of housing and its fall-out.

For more about PUSH and to view it: www.pushthefilm.com

For more about Fredrik Gertten and his other films: www.wgfilm.com

For more about Leilani Farha in her new role, Global Director of The Shift: www.make-the-shift.org

© 2026 PUSHBACK Talks Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Monster (in your home!)

    The Monster (in your home!)
    Jun 30 2020
    There is a Monster taking over our cities. No one knows its name, and few have seen it, but it's at the heart of the global housing crisis. In this first episode, Fredrik -the Filmmaker - and Leilani - the Advocate - provide a swift overview of the global financial actors who have taken over our homes and turned them into commodities. You’ll hear excerpts from the film PUSH www.pushthefilm.com, including Professor Saskia Sassen who talks about financialization of housing and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz who explains how pension funds emphasize monetary growth over morality.

    Produced by WG Film
    Recorded & Edited by Mikey Jones
    Music by Florencia Di Concilio
    Social Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda Bergstrand


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    37 mins
  • Why are People so Angry?

    Why are People so Angry?
    Jul 7 2020

    In this episode, the Filmmaker and the Advocate discuss the rage that is popping up in cities around the world right now and ask: WHY ARE PEOPLE SO ANGRY? WHAT'S HOUSING GOT TO DO WITH IT?

    In response to the Global Financial Crisis of '08, governments sided with the banks instead of homeowners. Suddenly people’s homes became 'distressed assets' and were purchased en masse by hedge funds to grow their capital. This ‘solution’ turned the world’s biggest private equity firm, Blackstone, into one of the world’s largest landlords. With this as a springboard, Leilani and Fredrik explore the anger sparked by inequality caused by financialization: homelessness and unaffordability in California; evictions in Spain and elsewhere; Uber drivers sleeping in their cars, and the disproportionate political power of financial elites. With clips from PUSH.

    Fredrik reveals that PUSH www.pushthefilm.com will finally be released in the US in early September!

    Produced by WG Film
    Recorded & Edited by Mikey Jones
    Music by Florencia Di Concilio
    Social Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda Bergstrand

    Support the show
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Airbnb: Friend or Foe?

    Airbnb: Friend or Foe?
    Jul 9 2020

    Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, Airbnb has had a huge impact on housing in global cities. In this episode the Filmmaker and the Advocate discuss the irony of a start-up that was originally established to help three guys pay their rent in San Francisco has turned into a 27 billion dollar business that has resulted in evictions and has decreased affordable housing stock in cities across the globe. Leilani and Fredrik also discuss some of the cities and Mayors who have pushed back against Airbnb to protect local residents and save the culture of their cities. With clips from PUSH www.pushthefilm.com

    Produced by WG Film
    Recorded & Edited by Mikey Jones
    Music by Florencia Di Concilio
    Social Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda Bergstrand

    Support the show
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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