We’re All Going To Die: “A mostly funny documentary”

Preppers, climate doomers, bunker-dwellers … journalist and filmmaker Ben Knight explores the world of people preparing for total social and ecological collapse in the film We’re All Going To Die, screening as part of The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center’s Emerging Filmmakers Showcase.

Showcase events, a staple at The Lindsay, are designed to encourage exchanges between local filmmakers and the public, and are free to all. Knight, based in Berlin and an alumnus of Allegheny College in Meadville, is currently touring the U.S. to promote the film.

“Supporting filmmakers throughout the region with Showcase events is a core value at The Lindsay,” says Carolina Pais-Barreto Thor, the Theater’s CEO. “We are delighted to welcome this innovative filmmaker to our Theater and offer audiences the opportunity to explore this topic from a global perspective.”

Asking the question “What would you do if the world was going to come to an end?” Knight embarks on a four-year journey from Berlin to London to Kansas to Norway to the Chicxulub crater in Mexico, to learn from those convinced humanity will soon expire.

“For anyone with eyes and ears and an internet connection, it has become difficult to ignore the global crises encroaching on us,” Knight says. “When I began this work, I thought this would make for an amusing subject for a film, but soon enough I realized that I shared many of these people’s fears myself. So the film has, somewhat unwillingly, become about my own confrontation with the world’s mortality.”

Still, We’re All Going To Die doesn’t ignore the humorous aspects of the topic, as its tagline is “A mostly funny documentary.”

On the international festival circuit, We’re All Going To Die was an Official Selection at the Košice International Film Festival in Slovakia; the Signs of the Night International Festival in Berlin; the Depth of Field, Docs Without Borders and Nature Without Borders international film festivals; and a semi-finalist at both the 2023 Rotterdam Independent Film Festival and Palermo International Film Festival.

Knight, a journalist completing his first film, has written for Deutsche Welle, the Guardian, the New Statesman, Prospect, der Freitag, and others. His articles have covered a small German town that armed the world, cults in Germany and illegal fishing in Sierra Leone, among other topics.

The 93-minute screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Knight, who will be joined by special guests Father Thomas Sorka (Moon Township, PA) and Pat Hanavan, of Pittsburgh.

Fr. Sorka is the Rector of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in McKees Rocks, a parish of the Orthodox Church in America. He’s a frequent speaker in parishes on various spiritual topics including parish revitalization, growth and leadership, and can also be heard regularly on Ancient Faith Radio’s “Ancient Faith Today Live” program.

Working as an innovative partner for local businesses, Hanavan is a creative consultant and brand strategist who runs Super Deep Creative and Some Good Print. Pat is also a co-owner of Survival Ready in Ambridge, PA, a shop that aims to “inspire preparedness through trusted products and services.”

While admission is free, those attending are asked to RSVP at The Lindsay’s ticketing page to ensure seating for all.