Synopsis

A Quest for Meaning tells the story of an impromptu road-trip undertaken by two childhood friends looking to understand the causes of the world’s crises and to find a way to bring about change. Neither fiction nor non-fiction, neither fully objective nor overly sentimental, this film is above all a road-movie revealing the profound aspirations of a whole generation, in search of wisdom and common sense…   Through the words of activists, biologists, philosophers, or guardians of ancestral traditions, Marc de la Ménardière and Nathanael Coste invite us along on their questioning of the world, and present us with alternatives that are already building the world of tomorrow.   An inspiring, life-changing journey that renews our confidence in our capacity to bring about change, within ourselves and within society.

 

Director's statement

The documentary project A Quest for Meaning stems from the growing realization, among citizens across the world, that Western society is trapped in a downward cycle leading us to destruction, injustice and frustration rather than harmony and well-being. The pressing need for financial profit has taken over, to the detriment of the common good, and of common sense. This predatory mentality has now become the norm, and is casting a shadow on the future of all.   To get out of this downward spiral, it’s not more knowledge, more technology, or more economic growth that we need. What we need is more common sense and more insight - in a word, more wisdom.

When we bring conviction and selflessness to our goals, we are bound to get results. Each one of us can go after his or her dreams in their own way and discover what “makes them tick”.   We make a lot of choices based on fear and conformity. School prepares us for a life in little boxes but doesn’t care enough about who we really are.   The search for meaning is of course a very personal, private approach, but we wanted to open the debate and say “it doesn’t matter”, everybody lives with these questions. I find it pretty healthy to talk about these questions together.      

Why this choice?

This film questions our way of life, our way of thinking and our way of consuming.   Through their discoveries and their encounters during their journey, Marc and Nathanaël invite us to think about what makes sense to us.   A good opportunity to assess the situation and reconnect with our inner selves so we can understand what happiness really means…