1979: Big Bang of the Present (2019)
Deng Xiaoping's economic and political opening in China. Margaret Thatcher's extreme economic measures in the United Kingdom. Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution in Iran. Pope John Paul II's visit to Poland. Saddam Hussein's rise to power in Iraq. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The nuclear accident at the Harrisburg power plant and the birth of ecological activism. The year 1979, the beginning of the future.
Directors: Dirk van den Berg, Pascal Verroust.
![]() |
Haideh Daragahi as Self - Literature Professor (1979) |
![]() |
Shahin Nawai as Self - Biologist (1979) |
![]() |
Chahla Chafiq as Self - Student (1979) |
![]() |
Chris Niedenthal as Self - Photojournalist (1979) |
![]() |
Leszek Balcerowicz as Self - Economist (1979) |
![]() |
Stanisław Ciosek as Self - Politician (1979) |
![]() |
Alfred Wierzbicki as Self - Student (1979) |
![]() |
Hanna Suchocka as Self - Jurist (1979) |
![]() |
Roger Garside as Self - Diplomat (1979) |
![]() |
Wei Jingsheng as Self - Political Dissident (1979) |
![]() |
Chas Freeman as Self - US DoS Official (1979) |
![]() |
Charles Moore as Self - Political Journalist (1979) |
![]() |
Michael Heseltine as Self - Politician (1979) |
![]() |
Roy Hattersley as Self - Politician (1979) |
![]() |
David Owen as Self - Politician (1979) |
![]() |
Lech Wałęsa as Self - Shipyard Worker (1979) |
![]() |
Jan Berris as Self - Press Liaison (1979) |
![]() |
Eva Quistorp as Self - Activist (1979) |
![]() |
Helmut Schmidt as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Jimmy Carter as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
James Callaghan as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Ruhollah Khomeini as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Pope John Paul II as Self (archive footage) |
![]() |
Deng Xiaoping as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Margaret Thatcher as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Leonid Brezhnev as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Saddam Hussein as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
![]() |
Leopoldo Galtieri as Self - Politician (archive footage) |
| Directing | Dirk van den Berg | Director |
| Directing | Pascal Verroust | Director |
| Writing | Pascal Verroust | Writer |
| Sound | Delphine Thelliez | Sound Editor |
| Production | Pascal Verroust | Producer |
| Camera | Frederik Walker | Camera Operator |
| Sound | Mathieu Descamps | Sound |
| Production | Dirk van den Berg | Producer |
| Writing | Dirk van den Berg | Writer |
| Camera | Sven Klöpper | Camera Operator |
| Crew | David W. Lesch | Technical Advisor |
| Editing | Frédéric Vidal | Editor |
| Production | Valérie Canton-Pont | Researcher |
| Camera | Olivia Furtwängler | Camera Operator |
| Production | Olivia Furtwängler | Associate Producer |
| Sound | Delphine Thelliez | Sound Mixer |
| Editing | Christophe Gautier | Color Grading |
| Crew | Frank Bösch | Technical Advisor |
| Production | Nico Di Biase | Production Director |
| Crew | Christian von Behr | Commissioning Editor |