Filmmaker and founder of the Happiness Economy Foundation Since 2020 I have been committed to producing a documentary about Basic Income. Ever since Rutger Bregman talked about Basic Income sometime in 2008, I intuitively thought it was a good idea. Mainly because I have not had any education myself and I see how difficult it is to generate a good income in the Netherlands without an education.

Because of this, my passion to generate a Basic Income has only grown. I have read countless books and articles, watched videos and talked to experts around the world. Sustainability is my second passion. How do you create a sustainable society? And why are simple sustainability principles not valued in our current system?

The Basic Income discussion is mainly about poverty and reforming our social system. But I found little data and discussions about what a Basic Income does from the standpoint of sustainability at an individual level and at a societal level. In other words; could a Basic Income actually help to reduce climate change? Do people actually consume more or less with a Basic Income? What changes psychologically in them when their basic needs are met and what impact does this have on society? Are people getting more social? Will people continue to work? Etcetera. The books I’ve read by the prominent people who are especially strong socio- economically or systems- technically, constantly point to a new system in which people come first. Basic Income can be the first step in this, and that is how the link with Basic Income and a more sustainable society came about.

History
I was born in Delfzijl, a small village in the Netherlands, in 1983. Village life has brought me many good things. Always peace, enough nature in the area and life was always at a leisurely pace. When I was 27 I moved to the city and worked at KPN. After that, I was an intermediary at an employment agency for a few months. When I saw that this was definitely not my dream job (which I thought it was) I decided to look deeper and after a few years I realized that I wanted to be a filmmaker. With my love – which I have had since childhood – for psychology, social subjects, stories and the pursuit of a utopia, this was a logical evolution in what I wanted to do with my life.

I registered at the Chamber of Commerce, built up a portfolio and now I have been a filmmaker in weddings and commercials for 6 years. In 2017 I became vegan and from that moment on, climate change started to come to my mind more and more. It sounds crazy, but because I knew that I no longer contributed to one of the largest CO2 emissions sources and animal suffering, I felt a lot less powerless. But this was not enough, I wanted to do more. But that only came 2 years later. “Why don’t you make a documentary about sustainability”, my girlfriend at the time said. And that made sense. Combining your strengths, talents and knowledge in what you are good at; telling stories. Now that moment has arrived. I founded a foundation in December 2020 and through this foundation I want to produce a documentary in which we explore Basic Income as a solution to create a more sustainable society.

With this I hope to mix my passion and knowledge with a film that can inspire others around the world and hopefully lead to new insights about Basic Income and a new system in which people – and the challenges they currently face – are central. From this position, people are stronger in the workplace and stronger to do something about our changing climate.