Screening & Discussion: The Century of the Self: The Engineering of Consent

Screening & Discussion: The Century of the Self: The Engineering of Consent

A part of Cherokee Street First Thursday

Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 6–7 PM | The Luminary | RSVP

 

Join us for a free screening of The Engineering of Consent (2002), the second episode of Adam Curtis’s landmark documentary series The Century of the Self.

The film traces how Sigmund Freud’s theories of the unconscious influenced public relations, advertising, and consumer culture. Sigmund Freud's daughter, Anna, and his nephew, Edward Bernays, provided the centrepiece philosophy. The US government, big business, and the CIA used their ideas to develop techniques to manage and control the minds of the American people.

After the screening, join an open discussion about the film’s relevance to today’s political and cultural landscape.

Schedule and details

  • 6 PM: Film screening

  • 7 PM: Open discussion

  • Film runtime: Approximately 58 minutes

  • Beverages and light snacks will be available; guests are welcome to bring outside food.

Free and open to the public. RSVP.

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