Free Money 2022

Directed by Lauren DeFilippo

In the Kenyan village of Kogutu, we watch the arrival of a group of visitors representing the charity GiveDirectly. The NGO agents gather villagers to introduce a program that will give every adult member a universal basic income (UBI), the equivalent of $22 per month, for a test phase that will last 12 years. Their community is one of hundreds targeted in several countries, backed with $30 million of funding. Free Money follows what happens in Kogutu over three years to study the consequences of the project, both intended and unintended.