How To Change The World is a playful tapestry of stories woven around a decaying neighbourhood pub called The Junction Hotel. At the heart of the film is Max, the pub’s ageing owner, and his struggle to keep the Junction open for the sake of his loyal but diminishing band of regular customers. As part of his increasingly desperate efforts, Max renames the pub The Progress Bar, brings in young bands and introduces contemporary international cuisine. But things don’t turn out exactly as he hoped. Swirling around Max are a series of other events at the pub, from the troubled emotional life of a young Indian barmaid paying her way through uni to the appearance of two dead television journalists, whose ghosts present a news story featuring an ethereal angle on the social and political issues of the day. A disillusioned dishwasher, a juggling salesman and a creepy cleaner who believes there is truth in rubbish are among the other characters who have an impact on the unfolding events surrounding the future of the pub. Meanwhile, a wide range of customers drink at the bar and tell stories, reflect on world problems and chat about their everyday lives. Like the film, these pub conversations don’t find any easy answers to the issues being discussed. But when it comes to changing the world, things are often not as easy as they seem.
