Ayn Rand & The Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged

Published in 1957, objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand's seminal novel Atlas Shrugged quickly became one of the most popular and yet controversial books of all time. Set in an unspecified future time frame -- which Rand referred to as "the day after tomorrow" -- the novel depicts a dystopian America in chaos, hallmarked by politicos and businessmen who squelch individual achievement, corrupt governmental regulation, and dozens of other ills. Rand uses the epic-length novel to defeat the concept of altruism, and argue that self-sacrifice and murder are equivalents of one another. This documentary from Chris Mortensen explores the individual predictions of Atlas, providing systematic evidence for the notion that our contemporary, early-21st century world has become a virtual mirror of everything that Rand predicted in the late '50s.