• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • AMD Xilinx
    • BlueBotics
    • Elite Robot
    • RGo Robotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power
hidden reserves 2

Hidden Reserves: Dispensing with death for debt’s sake

March 2, 2018 by David Edwards

Strictly speaking, Hidden Reserves is probably not an appropriate film to write about for us because it doesn’t include robots, but it’s such a good science-fiction film.

The central theme of the story is highly original, and we don’t want to give it away if you haven’t seen it, though that makes it very difficult to write about.

We suggest you watch it first before reading this, although we will minimise any spoilers. 

It’s a German-language film, so you’ll need to read subtitles unless you speak German. It contains some Russian, too, apparently, but we didn’t notice because we only speak English around here.

Financed by backers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Hidden Reserves – or Stille Reserven in its original form – is one of the best examples of modern European cinema that you’re likely to find.

It stars actors who were previously unknown to us here at Robotics and Automation News global headquarters, which is another bonus.

Personally, I like many of the actors who have become big stars over the decades. But I also like the feeling of discovering new stories and new characters, which are experiences Hidden Reserve offers.

It’s definitely weird, though – both in terms of characters and storyline.

hidden reserves 3

Filmed in Vienna, Austria, Hidden Reserves is set in an imaginary future when human beings are not allowed to die in peace – or die at all actually – unless they can afford to do so.

Yes, that’s right. The right to die has been abolished. And no, we’re not talking about the euthanasia debate, which often occurs in today’s society, where some people say an elderly or terminally ill person, or someone whose affliction makes the quality of their life so painful that they want to die and ask someone to assist in their suicide.

No. Hidden Reserves shows a world where people who are close to death, and look very likely to pass away, according to various remotely operated health monitoring technologies, are vacuum-packed within minutes and kept in cold storage in suspended animation and not allowed to die for… well, for a very long time… could be years, decades or even centuries.

They are kept cryogenically cooled, but alive, as though on a life-support machine.

There. We’ve given away the main theme. But then, that’s probably as much as you can find out through the posters and trailers for the film.

It’s quite an interesting concept and, in the film, gives rise to a rebellion or insurrection in society, where activists try and stop the authorities from swooping on people’s homes and taking people away when they are about to draw their last breath.

That last breath belongs to the government and its cronies and is going to have to wait to be exhaled.

Weird as fog.

hidden reserves 4

It’s difficult to imagine the euthanasia campaigners of today – most of whom appear to be well-meaning elderly people who want to ease or end the suffering of people whose lives have reached that stage – becoming as militant as that.

It sounds crazy but the film does a good job of showing how not-crazy the idea might be given certain prevailing societal practices.

I mean, what kind of sick mind wants to literally kidnap people and keep them in suspended animation forever?

What the authorities do with these people held in suspended animation is another question, and I’d like that to have been explored some more.

They certainly monitor their vitals and mental processes.

But the main thing is that the company at the centre of the story, and our main protagonist, played by Clemens Schick, sells death insurance.

One rich old man who can afford the right to die eloquently tells Schick’s insurance salesman, who is trying to persuade him to sign up to a suspended animation-avoidance package, that it’s nothing more than torture.

And the film seems to come down on his side, although I’m not entirely sure about that. The cantankerous old codger did look a bit like the famous political satirist whose name I seem to have forgotten now, along with the entire internet it seems.

But the fantastic imagery of the film, the ultra-high-spec offices of the life-prolonging company, the pristine condition of every colour-balanced pixel on the screen, would suggest that the filmmaker is more than a little fascinated by the possibility of such an eventuality – where we are all subject to being held in a giant refrigerator and artificially kept alive for whatever purpose the government and companies on its approved list have in mind.

In the film Minority Report, a small number of humans held in suspended animation were referred to as “pre-cogs”, meaning they have pre-cognition capabilities – they can predict events before they happen.

It’s all gone way too far this prediction business. Now, if an unscrupulous pre-cog plays mind games by imagining all sorts of things happening that they themselves know is never going to happen, Tom Cruise is going to go around harassing the hell out of all and sundry for absolutely no good reason.

While some people might welcome being harassed by a movie star, the real criminals and culprits could be getting away with all sorts while Tom Cruise is checking to see whether you’re picking your nose or not.

And all because some lying, criminal pre-cog is having fun playing a game while floating in a giant jacuzzi or whatever these people do.

hidden reserves 5

In Hidden Reserves, the story seems to be that the people held in suspended animation are done so in order to have them pay off their debts. How exactly they pay off their debts I couldn’t quite work out.

Of course, some aspects of the film were predictable, but if the film had been any more original, or any darker, it probably would have had too much effect, too much power. It might have given people genuine, natural nightmares.

What is it about people’s minds these powerful companies want to monitor and learn? Perhaps they want to develop systems that would enable them to make people forget some things and remember others.

I still can’t remember the name of that journalist, or polemicist, or columnist, or whatever he was. Very famous. Now, he can’t even make the list of top 100 famous journalists.

I’m not saying I was a big fan of his or that my not being able to remember is anything more than forgetfulness on my part.

But imagine a world where people’s minds, their brains, are directly programmed, and that programming is reinforced through the media, which is mostly the internet these days.

Not only that, imagine centuries of being held in suspended animation, with some awareness – no matter how limited or weak – of your existence and what is happening to you. And then imagine an automated system which basically experiments with your mind the whole time you’re in this twilight world between being asleep and being awake, of being alive and being dead.

Ghastly.

It’s a word that that journalist might have used. Whatever his name was.

Update: Gore Vidal. That was his name.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: hidden reserves, stille reserven

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • Radial selects Covariant to automate e-commerce fulfillment with AI-powered robotics
  • Aerones demonstrates ‘first’ robot for wind turbine maintenance and repair
  • Electric Future: Two-wheels good, four wheels not so much
  • Electric Future: Battery production facilities bloom on both sides of the Atlantic
  • Electric Future: MIT showcases electric autonomous boat technology
  • Electric Future: Siemens providing software platform to support nascent electric airplane market
  • Electric Future: Stalled car revolution
  • Scythe Robotics secures $42 million new financing to accelerate production of zero-emissions autonomous mower
  • Mining robotics company Nabors acquires digital twin developer MindMesh
  • Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in on-demand manufacturing startup Machina Labs

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
    Why is My Car Key Stuck in the Ignition?
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
    Scientists have found more water in space than they ever knew possible
  • Universal Robots reports record annual revenue of $326 million
    Universal Robots reports record annual revenue of $326 million
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Mercedes-Benz becomes ‘world’s first’ automotive company to certify SAE Level 3 system for US market
    Mercedes-Benz becomes ‘world’s first’ automotive company to certify SAE Level 3 system for US market
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Berkshire Grey and Locus Robotics combine to offer ‘industry-first’ cross-platform robotic automation
    Berkshire Grey and Locus Robotics combine to offer ‘industry-first’ cross-platform robotic automation
  • Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in on-demand manufacturing startup Machina Labs
    Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in on-demand manufacturing startup Machina Labs

Overused words

ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile operations platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • Radial selects Covariant to automate e-commerce fulfillment with AI-powered robotics
  • Aerones demonstrates ‘first’ robot for wind turbine maintenance and repair
  • Electric Future: Two-wheels good, four wheels not so much
  • Electric Future: Battery production facilities bloom on both sides of the Atlantic
  • Electric Future: MIT showcases electric autonomous boat technology
  • Electric Future: Siemens providing software platform to support nascent electric airplane market
  • Electric Future: Stalled car revolution
  • Scythe Robotics secures $42 million new financing to accelerate production of zero-emissions autonomous mower
  • Mining robotics company Nabors acquires digital twin developer MindMesh
  • Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in on-demand manufacturing startup Machina Labs

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

March 2018
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Feb   Apr »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT