Architecture Without Borders Quebec, Dark Matter Labs, Les Interstices, and RECYC-QUÉBEC are thrilled to announce the world premiere of the docu-fiction film, Les Materialistes, a participatory futurism pilot project focusing on the circular economy of construction materials in Quebec.

Combining documentary and science fiction with foresight, co-creation, and animation design, Les Matérialistes is a practical utopia that is both ambitious and tangible. It transports us to 2050 to better understand what is necessary and possible to undertake collectively to achieve a transition to a truly circular economy.

• It is worth noting that the construction industry is responsible for nearly a third of the waste sent to disposal each year. According to Quebec’s 2021 Residual Materials Management Report for the C&D sector, the sector generated a total of 3,512,000 tonnes of waste. Of this total, approximately 1,846,000 tonnes were sent to sorting centers, while the remainder, 1,666,000 tonnes, was sent directly to disposal.

• Using the “kilogram per inhabitant” formula, waste from the C&D sector (Construction & Demolition) accounts for 232 kg out of a total of 716 kg of waste eliminated annually per inhabitant.

Through a series of scenes exploring future professions, the life cycle of materials, upcoming statistics, and current and imagined actions at all levels, this project also aims to change our perspective on the real value of materials and the potential of an economy that fully recognizes it.

An integrative and participatory approach

To define the scenario, the partners invited approximately twenty varied stakeholders from the local and international ecosystem (heritage, urban planning, architecture, construction, institutions, real estate, culture, innovation, circular economy, etc.) to a participatory futurism workshop based on a portrait of current challenges and observed global trends. This film thus includes a vast number of perspectives integrated holistically.

Instead of sharing a long and boring written report that most people would find tedious, this unique co-production offers an engaging short fiction film to continue a broader conversation on the subject in a more engaging, visual, fun, and visceral way than traditional communication methods.

Provoking collective change

This project is also a general call to action for the transformation of the materials economy across all categories. The creators are also open to additional partnerships to continue the adventure of the Les Matérialistes project, for example in the context of an exhibition or a second version of the scenario that would integrate feedback from thousands of additional people, etc.

The Les Matérialistes project is also intended to demonstrate new approaches to participatory futurism and hybrid narrative practices to build collective future narratives. As we find ourselves at a critical socio-ecological turning point in our history, it is essential to reinvent our ways of creating shared imaginaries to accelerate the movement of our societies.