As with the previous two screenings in our ongoing film series on the topic of RESOURCES, we conducted a survey to assess the audience’s reception of OUTGROW THE SYSTEM by Cecilia Paulsson & Anders Nielsson. Here, we present the first preliminary results based on the questionnaire responses.
I. THE FILM
Cecilia Paulsson & Anders Nielsson | 2023 | Sweden | 58 min | OV with subtitles
Today’s economic system is depleting our finite natural resources at an alarming rate. Outgrow the System explores how we can return to the essentials in order to design an economy that manages our limited resources sustainably.
Beyond the narrow debates of the mainstream and the teachings of traditional business schools, a wide range of new economic ideas and practices are emerging. These challenge conventional assumptions and offer new perspectives on how we might reorganize production and consumption to secure our survival as a species on this planet.
II. DATA COLLECTION
Data Collection at Harmonie Kino
Outgrow the System was screened on June 24, 2025, at the Harmonie Kino in Freiburg. Approximately 100 attendees had the option to fill out either a paper or an online questionnaire. In addition to attitudes toward alternative, ecologically sustainable economic systems, the survey also explored emotional reactions to the film.
The questionnaire had three parts: the first was completed just before the screening, the second immediately after the film, and the third following the panel discussion with experts Eva Stegen (EWS Schönau) and Nick von Andrian (University of Freiburg / KoWerk).
III. INITIAL RESEARCH RESULTS
What follows is an overview of the initial descriptive analysis of the responses. The letter “n” indicates the number of people who answered a given question. For example, “n=67” means that 67 audience members responded. All results should be considered preliminary, pending further in-depth analysis.
The survey revealed that approximately 87% of respondents consider a fundamental transformation of the economic system to be “very important” for achieving an ecologically sustainable society (Figure 1).
Figure 2 shows that 93.5% of respondents would like to become more actively engaged in promoting an ecologically sustainable economic system.
As Figure 3 illustrates, the main barriers for promoting a sustainable economic system identified were convenience (50.8%), lack of time (42.9%), and ingrained habits (42.9%).
A particularly important focus for us was how ecological economic models are perceived in terms of social sustainability. As shown in Figure 4, agreement with the statement “Ecologically sustainable economic systems are associated with greater social justice”increased significantly from 58.9% before the film to 78.6% after.
Figure 5 shows responses to the statement “I feel that I have the ability to actively contribute to the shift toward a sustainable economic system.” Here too, a clear shift occurred: agreement rose from 30.4% before the film to 50% afterward.
We also asked about emotional responses to the film. As shown in Figure 6, the majority (72.3%) reported feeling hopeful. The second most common emotion was motivation to take action (48.9%), followed by frustration (44.7%).
Whether Outgrow the System inspired viewers to become (more) active in pursuing a sustainable economy was confirmed by 77.6% of respondents (Figure 7).
Finally, one of our key research interests concerned the value of the post-film discussion. As seen in Figure 8, 84.4% of participants reported that the expert discussion added value. This supports the assumption that combining documentary films on sustainability with expert discussions is a meaningful format.
IV. CONCLUSION
In summary, our evaluation shows that Outgrow the System primarily evoked a sense of hope among the audience, along with motivation—and in some cases, frustration. The film positively influenced viewers’ perceptions and sense of agency regarding sustainable economic practices.
The expert panel discussion added value for a majority of the attendees.
We would like to thank everyone who participated in the survey!
The next step will be a deeper analysis of the collected data, along with correlation analysis. Stay tuned!
VISIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY is an inter- and transdisciplinary research project funded by the Innovation Sustainability Campus (ICN), located at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Non-university cooperation partners include Harmonie Kino, the Volkshochschule Freiburg and Greenmotions. The Freiburg environmental mayor Christine Buchheit has take on the patronage of the project.