The Plan: That Came From The Bottom Up
Synopsis
""It’s an insult to our skills and intelligence that we can produce a Concorde and not enough powerful heaters for all those old-age pensioners who are dying in the cold." A worker at Lucas Aerospace eloquently sums up the core problem of contemporary Western society – one that caters to the interests of a wealthy few. He’s one of the designers of the ambitious strategy proposed by the workforce, in 1976, to shift their company’s assets to manufacture socially-useful products, which was ultimately undermined by both the government and corporate interests.
Director Steve Sprung brilliantly draws their story into the present, delivering it with great intelligence, clarity and civic commitment. 'The Plan: That Came From The Bottom Up' is a gripping essay, reflecting on the dark consequences of capitalism on society and proposing an encouraging alternative for a troubling present. "(LFF Brochure)
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2018 - Documentary Competition - World premiere
Details
- Year
- 2018
- Type of film
- Features
- Running time
- 212 mins
- Director
-
Steve Sprung
- Producer
- Luis Correia
- Executive Producer
- Sylvia Stevens, Peter Day
- Editor
- Steve Sprung
- Screenwriter
- Steve Sprung
- Director of Photography
- Ralph Bosch, Steve Sprung
- Sound
- Nuno Carvalho
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Portugal, UK coproduction
An LX Filmes (PT), Faction Films (UK) production
Faction Films
Sylvia Stevens26 Shacklewell Lane
London
E8 2EZ
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Director: Hannah Berryman
Year: 2024
A landmark feature documentary about astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle.<br /> Eileen’s incredible journey starts with her smalltown beginnings, sees her smash through many glass ceilings, and culminates in four dramatic space shuttle missions, the last being possibly the most dangerous and most important of them all.<br /> At its heart the film is the moving human drama of one family, where a mother’s extraordinary career takes us straight to the big philosophical question of what is the level of acceptable risk in human endeavour? <br /> This film celebrates Commander Collins’ trailblazing NASA career which opened the way for women to become spacecraft pilots and commanders, and proved a perfect riposte to a previous generation of male astronauts who thought there was no place for women to lead the way in space. <br /> Official Selection DOC NYC 2024 - World premiere<br /> Official Selection CPH:DOX 2025 - European premiere

Director: Miranda Peyton Jones
Year: 2022
A film which attempts to navigate bereavement following suicide. Through animation, archival footage, and sound, director Miranda Peyton Jones guides us to the heart of her grief, love and loss. The voices of her family and her father’s music underscore this deeply personal, powerful, and poignant film. Royal Television Society Awards 2022 - Winner - Best Documentary Official Selection British Documentary Film Festival 2023 Official Selection British Animation Awards 2024

Director: Janire Najera and Matt Wright
Year: 2023
Embark on a cinematic experience where art, music, and environmental advocacy seamlessly converge.<br /> An immersive documentary film about the extraordinary journey aboard the 70-ton sailing ship, Arka Kinari, ingeniously transformed into a cultural platform to amplify the urgent call for action on the climate crisis.<br /> Delve into the inspiring voyage across oceans of musicians Filastine & Nova, connecting distant shores through the unifying language of music and art to raise awarenessabout climate resilience on a global scale.