Human Extinction, 2020

Human Extinction 2030 is LaserFilm’s calendar dedicated to humankind, not the small percent that rules over the planet, but the larger percent that gets by with next to nothing. Half of the world’s wealth is in the hands of 1% of the population; everyone else is left with crumbs.

This is why I asked Bennet Pimpinella, who for years has travelled the globe shooting portraits, to capture the essence of these people. His journey took him to Mongolia, Japan, China, Bangladesh, India, Honduras and Africa — to places that, involuntarily and for various reasons, have come to be defined as among the most uninhabitable and inhospitable on Earth.

These shots portray humans capable of extreme gestures, good or bad, who are able to find resources when everything seems lost, who continue living each day despite unimaginable difficulties, who study in order to build and improve the world they live in, dreaming of a better future, resisting amidst disaster.

The United Nations has set 2030 as the deadline for reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so we have ten years to achieve the goal of sustainable development in order to secure the evolution of our species.

Along with consideration for the environment, with a focus on clean energy and climate change, there are primary social goals for humanity such as improving the health and well-being of all and reducing poverty and inequality.

I’m certain that our survival instinct will prevail: only by pursuing these goals will we discover who we are and what we are capable of.

Andrea Di Nardo, CEO of LaserFilm