PUSHBACK Talks

The Monster (in your home!)

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 JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda BergstrandSupport the show

Why are People so Angry?

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 JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda BergstrandSupport the show

Airbnb: Friend or Foe?

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.comProduced by WG Film Recorded & Edited by Mikey JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda BergstrandSupport the show

Blackstone & Oatly: Can you sell your soul and still keep it?

The Filmmaker, Fredrik Gertten and The Advocate, Leilani Farha discover that a plant-based milk company, Oatly, sold 10% of the company to Blackstone for USD $200 million. Yep, that’s the same Blackstone featured in PUSH – the award winning documentary film by Fredrik, that features Leilani. The same Blackstone accused by Leilani in her role as UN Special Rapporteur for violating the right to housing of tenants in countries around the world. And yes, Oatly is a Swedish company, from the very same town where Fredrik has lived his whole life: Malmö. He even knows some who work there. And so, The Filmmaker and The Advocate couldn’t help but take to the podcast airwaves to discuss Oatly’s decision to sell a seat at their table to Blackstone and Fredrik’s attempts to pushback. With clips from PUSH.Produced by WG Film Recorded & Edited by Mikey JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda BergstrandSupport the show

The Housing Advocate's Pandemic Prescription

The Filmmaker and the Advocate discuss the global pandemic and its direct and undeniable relationship to housing. Not only did the pandemic lay bare the global housing crisis, it has provided a once in a generation opportunity to solve it. Fredrik and Leilani discuss some of the creative new laws and policies being enacted by city governments to address homelessness and inadequate housing, and the stubborn refusal by governments to embark on the structural changes necessary to make sure all people have a decent home in which to stay.Produced by WG Film Recorded & Edited by Mikey JonesMusic by Florencia Di ConcilioSocial Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson, Maja Moberg & Melinda BergstrandSupport the show