MONTREAL — Architecture Without Borders Quebec, Dark Matter Labs, Les Interstices, and RECYC-QUÉBEC partnered on the production of Les Matérialistes, 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, the docu-fiction film presents what the producers call “a practical utopia that is both ambitious and tangible.” Les Matérialistes transports viewers to 2050 to better understand what is necessary and possible to undertake collectively to achieve a transition to a truly circular economy.

The producers note that Quebec’s 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 tons of waste. Of this total, approximately 1,846,000 tons were sent to sorting centers, while the remainder, 1,666,000 tons, was sent directly to disposal.

Using the “kilogram per inhabitant” formula, waste from the construction and demolition sector accounts for 232kg out of a total of 716kg 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 perspectives on the real value of materials and the potential of an economy that fully recognizes it.

This project is also a general call to action for the transformation of the materials economy across all categories. The creators are open to additional partnerships to continue the Les Matérialistes project moving forward.

A French version of the film is posted below.