Purpose: A Wellbeing Economies Film – Review & Key Takeaways

What if the economy wasn’t measured by endless growth but by the wellbeing of people and the planet? The documentary Purpose explores this alternative — and how we could achieve it.

Produced by Omnipolis Media in collaboration with Florida Film, Purpose premiered at the Wellbeing Economy Forum in Iceland on June 11, 2024. Since then, it has been screened globally, including a virtual event on February 26, 2025, where the Sparx team joined like-minded changemakers, social purpose leaders, and advocates. The screening concluded with a dynamic Q&A with Director Martin Oetting.

Keep scrolling for our key takeaways, including how the current economic system may be working against us, the challenges of integrating wellbeing approaches into policymaking, and how we can help drive meaningful change.  

Tackling the Central Question

Purpose contributes to ongoing conversations about impact investing and economic reform by asking one key question: “What is the purpose of the economy?” 

To explore this, Martin follows two individuals: Katherine Trebeck, who initiated the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo), and Lorenzo Fioramonti, who helped establish the alliance then won a parliamentary seat in Italy to drive change from the inside. Sparx has had the pleasure of learning from and collaborating with Lorenzo in The Wellbeing Economy issue of Make The World Better Magazine, with co-collaborator Dr. Victoria Hurth. 

As everyday citizens continue to face growing threats to their finances, including US/Canada tariffs, this film comes at an opportune time to present an alternative to the way our economy serves us.

Redefining the Role of the Economy

Our current economic system is driven by the traditional GDP model, where financial growth is often used as the primary metric for success. This model fosters the narrative that increased wealth and productivity are synonymous with a “better life” but fails to place value on important aspects like mental health, personal fulfillment, and the sustainability of the planet. As Lorenzo argues, if we continue tirelessly serving the economy to increase GDP, it ultimately undermines overall wellbeing. In his words, “The economy is manmade. We can make it, unmake it, make it again,” but we can’t do that change to people or the planet.

Developed 30 years ago as an alternative to GDP, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) focuses on the quality of progress, not just the quantity. For example, it adjusts for things like environmental degradation and unpaid labour. But, due to factors such as political resistance and limited awareness, it has yet to replace GDP as the primary economic measure. 

Pushing for Change at the Highest Level

Katherine and Lorenzo are working to create wellbeing economies that prioritize social connections, environmental sustainability, and long-term prosperity over financial gains. Through their international alliance, Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) and its involvement in the creation of the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo), they aim to bring wellbeing approaches into policymaking and create an alternative to the G7 Summit. However, they must navigate a complex governmental landscape to do so. 

It’s no surprise that policymakers tend to favour traditional growth metrics like GDP. For decades, it’s offered a clear-cut way to compare “success” across countries and served as a tool to achieve electoral goals, so the idea of transitioning to a more multifaceted wellbeing approach is met with significant resistance.

Katherine and Lorenzo’s journey highlights the hurdles associated with pushing for change at the highest level. But despite these challenges, the movement continues to gain momentum. A pivotal moment in Purpose occurs when Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland, delivered her TED Talk in 2019, titled “Why governments should prioritize well-being.” This talk, which received a standing ovation, helped bring the WEGo mission to a global audience. 

Key Takeaways

Through global examples and leadership, Purpose demonstrates that change is possible. Here are some of our key takeaways:

• Costa Rica is making significant strides toward a wellbeing economy by prioritizing social wellbeing over GDP growth. President Rodrigo Chaves is a strong advocate, mentioning the term “wellbeing” 14 times during his inaugural speech on May 8, 2022, as noted in Purpose. These are not just small steps — they’re leading to meaningful change.
  
• Systemic change starts with education. While serving as Minister for Education, Universities, and Research in Italy, Lorenzo implemented sustainability and wellbeing in the national education curriculum. Despite facing internal resistance, his ideas sparked global conversations about reshaping education to empower future generations. This education can happen both inside and outside the classroom, through resources like Beyond Profit: Purpose-Driven Leadership for a Wellbeing Economy, co-authored by Lorenzo and discussed here, as well as Make The World Better Magazine.
  
• Collaboration among nations is needed for meaningful change. The Wellbeing Economy Governments show how impactful collective action can be when pushing for change. Countries at the forefront of the wellbeing movement, like Iceland, Scotland, and New Zealand, are coming together to share resources, knowledge, and expertise, setting important international standards that can inspire others and drive progress. 

Despite the challenges and roadblocks, Katherine and Lorenzo remain steadfast in their mission. They continue to redefine how an economy can serve us, instead of the other way around, and shift the perception of what a “better life” means — one that’s not defined by GDP growth alone.

We all have a role to play in this movement. By supporting wellbeing initiatives, attending purpose-driven events, and advocating for policies that focus on the health of people and our planet, we can help build the economy we need. As Katherine puts it, we must create a system that allows “our planet to survive and for people to thrive in the 21st century.”