Saturday Night at the Movies Stealing the sun from the day: Top 10 Eco-docs
By Dennis Hartley
Come on you world, won’t you give a damn?
Turn on some lights and see this garbage can
Time is the essence if we plan to stay
Death is in stride when filth is the pride of our home
-from “Powerful People” by Gino Vanelli
So, did you do anything special for Earth Day? I know, if you blinked, you missed it. But in case you care, it was this past Wednesday. Frankly, it almost seems counter-productive to have a once-a-year, standalone Earth “day”, because when you stop to think about it for about, oh, 5 seconds, shouldn’t every day be “earth day”? It sort of devalues the importance of taking care of our planet (since we appear to have only been issued the one, far back as I can remember). And what with the drought in California and the rising sea levels in Florida, and the snow-less winter in Anchorage, Alaska (they had to start the Iditarod in Fairbanks this year, ferchrissake) and the record snow in New England…you get the picture. At any rate, in honor of Earth Day (week), I’ve cobbled together my picks for Top 10 Eco-docs. As per usual, my list is alphabetical, in no ranking order. And, as long as you don’t print it out, this week’s post is 100% biodegradable (it’s a com-post!).
Carbon Nation-The tag line for Peter Byck’s 2009 documentary promises “a climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change”. This is either good news or bad news, depending on what you generally look for in an eco-doc. If you are looking to have your worst fears confirmed about how screwed the planet might be,or a “catch ‘em with their pants down” muckraker about the fossil fuels industry, (like Gasland) then you may be frustrated by Byck’s non-partisan approach. However, if you already “get” the part about the sky falling, yet yearn for positive news on the solutions front, this film just might inspire you. Byck traverses America, profiling people who are striving to make actual headway to lighten our carbon footprint. And that’s a good thing.
Chasing Ice- This is not a putdown: Jeff Orlowski’s film is glacially paced. Because these days, “glacial pacing” ain’t what it used to be. Glaciers are moving along (”retreating”, technically) at a pretty good clip. This does not portend well for the planet. To put it in a less flowery way…we’re fucked. After all, according to renowned nature photographer (and film subject) James Balog, “The story…is in the ice.” Balog’s fascinating journey began in 2005, while he was on an assignment in the Arctic for National Geographic to document the effect of climate change. Up until that fateful trip, he candidly admits on camera that he “…didn’t think humans were capable” of affecting the Earth’s weather patterns in such a profound manner. His epiphany gave birth to a multi-year project utilizing specially modified time-lapse cameras to capture irrefutable proof that affective global warming had transcended academic speculation. The resulting images are beautiful and mesmerizing, yet also troubling. Orlowski’s film itself mirrors the dichotomy, being in equal parts cautionary eco-doc and art installation. This is best illustrated in a jaw-dropping sequence depicting an ice peninsula equivalent in size to lower Manhattan sluicing off of Greenland’s massive Hulissat Glacier. The image handily trumps the squawking that emits from the likes of the bloviating global climate deniers featured in the opening montage, and proves a picture is worth a thousand words.
If A Tree Falls A Story of the Earth Liberation Front- According to the FBI’s definition, “eco-terrorism” is “…the use (or threatened use) of violence of a criminal nature against people or property by an environmentally oriented, sub-national group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature.” That certainly covers a lot of ground. There are a number of “environmentally-oriented” types in the federal pen right now for non-lethal actions that the government considers terrorism and that others consider heroic. So what circumstance can transform a nature lover into a freedom fighter? This is not a black and white issue; a point not lost on co-directors Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman. They focus primarily on Earth Liberation Front member Daniel McGowan, who at the time of filming was facing a possible life sentence for direct involvement in several high-profile “actions” (like setting fire to an Oregon lumber mill) resulting in millions of dollars in property damage. Holed up in his sister’s apartment, and sporting a house arrest anklet for the first third of the film, McGowan candidly opens up about his life and talks about what led him to change his M.O. from “environmental activism” to “domestic terrorism”. Don’t expect any easy answers, but do expect a well-balanced and compelling look at a complex issue.
An Inconvenient Truth- I re-watched this on cable recently; I hadn’t seen it since it opened in 2006, and what struck me is how it now plays less like a warning bell and more like the nightly news. It’s the end of the world as we know it. Apocalyptic sci-fi is now scientific fact. Former VP/Nobel winner Al Gore is a Power Point-packing Rod Serling, submitting a gallery of nightmare nature scenarios for our disapproval. I’m tempted to say that Gore and director Davis Guggenheim’s chilling look at the results of unchecked global warming only reveals the tip of the proverbial iceberg…but it’s melting too fast.
Koyannisqatsi-Released in 1982, this is a profound, mesmerizing tone poem for all the senses, and one of those films that nearly defies description. It’s the first (and best) of a film trilogy. The title is taken from the ancient Hopi language, and describes a state of “life out of balance”. There are likely as many interpretations of what the film is “about” as there are people who have viewed it; if I had to make a broad generalization, I would say it’s about technology vs. nature, and mankind’s ongoing roughshod trampling of Mother Earth. But you’ll have to experience it for yourself (if you haven’t already!). Director Godfrey Reggio, cinematographer Ron Fricke and composer Philip Glass appear to have born to work together on this project; the result is sheer artistic perfection. I must have seen this film at least 30 times, and I’ll never tire of it. Reggio followed up in 1988 with Powaqqatsi (worth watching, but comes off a bit like a coffee table book variation of its predecessor) and the well-produced yet curiously uninvolving Naqoyqatsiin 2002.
Manufactured Landscapes -A unique eco-documentary from Jennifer Baichwal about photographer Edward Burtynsky, who is an “earth diarist” of sorts. While his photographs are striking, they don’t paint a pretty picture of our fragile planet. Burtynsky’s eye discerns a terrible beauty in the wake of the profound and irreversible human imprint incurred by accelerated modernization. As captured by Burtynsky’s camera, strip-mined vistas recall the stark desolation of NASA photos sent from the Martian surface; mountains of “e-waste” dumped in a vast Chinese landfill take on an almost gothic, cyber-punk dreamscape. The photographs play like a scroll through Google Earth images, as reinterpreted by Jackson Pollock. This one is a real eye-opener!
No Impact Man- Sometimes, it takes another guilty liberal to make a guilty liberal like me feel, well, guiltier; and filmmakers Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein succeeded in doing so in their 2009 film, documenting the efforts of blogger/author Colin Beavan to spend one year making as little environmental impact as possible. Operating under the supposition that there are more than a few well meaning, self-proclaimed “environmentally conscious” wags out there that don’t exactly practice what they preach (and humbly considering himself to be among them) Beavan set out to put his mulch where his mouth is. He convinces his dazzling urbanite wife, Business Week writer Michelle Conlin (a classic NYC neurotic) and their toddler to join in as well. So how does a family of Manhattanites pull it off without leaving their metropolitan cocoon? The paradox provides rich narrative compost for the filmmakers, and they cultivate it well.
Oceans- In their magnificent nature documentary, directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud wisely avoid hitting us over the head with cautionary rhetoric about mankind’s tendency to poison the precious well of life that covers three-quarters of our planet with pollution, overfishing and unchecked oil exploration. Any viewer, who becomes immersed in this stunningly photographed portrait of the delicately balanced aquatic ecosystem, yet fails to feel connected to the omniverse we cohabit with it (and a resulting sense of shared responsibility), has something missing in their soul. Or as the great Jacques Cousteau once said…“We forget that the life cycle and the water cycle are one.”
Queen Of The Sun- I never thought that a documentary about honeybees would make me both laugh and cry-but Taggart Siegel’s 2010 film managed to do just that. Appearing at first glance to be a distressing, hand-wringing examination of Colony Collapse Syndrome, a phenomenon that has puzzled and dismayed beekeepers and scientists alike with its accelerated frequency of occurrences over the past few decades, the film becomes a sometimes joyous, sometimes humbling meditation on how essential these seemingly insignificant yet complex social creatures are to the planet’s life cycle. We bipeds might harbor a pretty high opinion of our own place on the evolutionary ladder, but Siegel lays out a convincing case which proves that these “lowly” insects are, in fact, the boss of us.
True Wolf- It’s often said that “politics makes strange bedfellows”, but have you ever heard of a “wolf ambassador”? Before I screened Rob Whitehair’s modest but engrossing documentary, I certainly hadn’t. The film tells the story of how a wolf named Koani became an environmental activist (in a manner of speaking) and touched the lives of thousands. Born into captivity, Koani was raised by Montana couple Bruce Weide and Pat Tucker, who co-founded Wild Sentry: The Northern Rockies Ambassador Wolf Program back in 1991. The star of the show was Koani, who travelled around the country with Tucker, who wanted to dispel age-old myths about wolves. Ever cognizant of the inherent “wrong” (no matter how noble one’s intentions) in keeping such a magnificent wild creature as a pet, Weide and Tucker nonetheless overcame these challenges and found a way to make Koani’s life matter, and it all makes for an amazingly moving story.
…and singing us out, Gino Vanelli (try to get past the skintight elephant bells, chest hair and disco moves, and focus on the lyrics…also, that is one tight band backing up Gino!)
-The tag line for Peter Byck’s 2009 documentary promises “a climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change”. This is either good news or bad news, depending on what you generally look for in an eco-doc. If you are looking to have your worst fears confirmed about how screwed the planet might be, or a “catch ‘em with their pants down” muckraker about the fossil fuels industry, (like Gasland
) then you may be frustrated by Byck’s non-partisan approach. However, if you already “get” the part about the sky falling, yet yearn for positive news on the solutions front, this film just might inspire you. Byck traverses America, profiling people who are striving to make actual headway to lighten our carbon footprint. And that’s a good thing.
- This is not a putdown: Jeff Orlowski’s film is glacially paced. Because these days, “glacial pacing” ain’t what it used to be. Glaciers are moving along (”retreating”, technically) at a pretty good clip. This does not portend well for the planet. To put it in a less flowery way…we’re fucked. After all, according to renowned nature photographer (and film subject) James Balog, “The story…is in the ice.” Balog’s fascinating journey began in 2005, while he was on an assignment in the Arctic for National Geographic to document the effect of climate change. Up until that fateful trip, he candidly admits on camera that he “…didn’t think humans were capable” of affecting the Earth’s weather patterns in such a profound manner. His epiphany gave birth to a multi-year project utilizing specially modified time-lapse cameras to capture irrefutable proof that affective global warming had transcended academic speculation. The resulting images are beautiful and mesmerizing, yet also troubling. Orlowski’s film itself mirrors the dichotomy, being in equal parts cautionary eco-doc and art installation. This is best illustrated in a jaw-dropping sequence depicting an ice peninsula equivalent in size to lower Manhattan sluicing off of Greenland’s massive Hulissat Glacier. The image handily trumps the squawking that emits from the likes of the bloviating global climate deniers featured in the opening montage, and proves a picture is worth a thousand words.
A Story of the Earth Liberation Front- According to the FBI’s definition, “eco-terrorism” is “…the use (or threatened use) of violence of a criminal nature against people or property by an environmentally oriented, sub-national group for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature.” That certainly covers a lot of ground. There are a number of “environmentally-oriented” types in the federal pen right now for non-lethal actions that the government considers terrorism and that others consider heroic. So what circumstance can transform a nature lover into a freedom fighter? This is not a black and white issue; a point not lost on co-directors Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman. They focus primarily on Earth Liberation Front member Daniel McGowan, who at the time of filming was facing a possible life sentence for direct involvement in several high-profile “actions” (like setting fire to an Oregon lumber mill) resulting in millions of dollars in property damage. Holed up in his sister’s apartment, and sporting a house arrest anklet for the first third of the film, McGowan candidly opens up about his life and talks about what led him to change his M.O. from “environmental activism” to “domestic terrorism”. Don’t expect any easy answers, but do expect a well-balanced and compelling look at a complex issue.
- I re-watched this on cable recently; I hadn’t seen it since it opened in 2006, and what struck me is how it now plays less like a warning bell and more like the nightly news. It’s the end of the world as we know it. Apocalyptic sci-fi is now scientific fact. Former VP/Nobel winner Al Gore is a Power Point-packing Rod Serling, submitting a gallery of nightmare nature scenarios for our disapproval. I’m tempted to say that Gore and director Davis Guggenheim’s chilling look at the results of unchecked global warming only reveals the tip of the proverbial iceberg…but it’s melting too fast. 
-Released in 1982, this is a profound, mesmerizing tone poem for all the senses, and one of those films that nearly defies description. It’s the first (and best) of a film trilogy. The title is taken from the ancient Hopi language, and describes a state of “life out of balance”. There are likely as many interpretations of what the film is “about” as there are people who have viewed it; if I had to make a broad generalization, I would say it’s about technology vs. nature, and mankind’s ongoing roughshod trampling of Mother Earth. But you’ll have to experience it for yourself (if you haven’t already!). Director Godfrey Reggio, cinematographer Ron Fricke and composer Philip Glass appear to have born to work together on this project; the result is sheer artistic perfection. I must have seen this film at least 30 times, and I’ll never tire of it. Reggio followed up in 1988 with Powaqqatsi
-A unique eco-documentary from Jennifer Baichwal about photographer Edward Burtynsky, who is an “earth diarist” of sorts. While his photographs are striking, they don’t paint a pretty picture of our fragile planet. Burtynsky’s eye discerns a terrible beauty in the wake of the profound and irreversible human imprint incurred by accelerated modernization. As captured by Burtynsky’s camera, strip-mined vistas recall the stark desolation of NASA photos sent from the Martian surface; mountains of “e-waste” dumped in a vast Chinese landfill take on an almost gothic, cyber-punk dreamscape. The photographs play like a scroll through Google Earth images, as reinterpreted by Jackson Pollock. This one is a real eye-opener!
- Sometimes, it takes another guilty liberal to make a guilty liberal like me feel, well, guiltier; and filmmakers Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein succeeded in doing so in their 2009 film, documenting the efforts of blogger/author Colin Beavan to spend one year making as little environmental impact as possible. Operating under the supposition that there are more than a few well meaning, self-proclaimed “environmentally conscious” wags out there that don’t exactly practice what they preach (and humbly considering himself to be among them) Beavan set out to put his mulch where his mouth is. He convinces his dazzling urbanite wife, Business Week writer Michelle Conlin (a classic NYC neurotic) and their toddler to join in as well. So how does a family of Manhattanites pull it off without leaving their metropolitan cocoon? The paradox provides rich narrative compost for the filmmakers, and they cultivate it well. 
- In their magnificent nature documentary, directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud wisely avoid hitting us over the head with cautionary rhetoric about mankind’s tendency to poison the precious well of life that covers three-quarters of our planet with pollution, overfishing and unchecked oil exploration. Any viewer, who becomes immersed in this stunningly photographed portrait of the delicately balanced aquatic ecosystem, yet fails to feel connected to the omniverse we cohabit with it (and a resulting sense of shared responsibility), has something missing in their soul. Or as the great Jacques Cousteau once said…“We forget that the life cycle and the water cycle are one.”
- I never thought that a documentary about honeybees would make me both laugh and cry-but Taggart Siegel’s 2010 film managed to do just that. Appearing at first glance to be a distressing, hand-wringing examination of Colony Collapse Syndrome, a phenomenon that has puzzled and dismayed beekeepers and scientists alike with its accelerated frequency of occurrences over the past few decades, the film becomes a sometimes joyous, sometimes humbling meditation on how essential these seemingly insignificant yet complex social creatures are to the planet’s life cycle. We bipeds might harbor a pretty high opinion of our own place on the evolutionary ladder, but Siegel lays out a convincing case which proves that these “lowly” insects are, in fact, the boss of us. 
- It’s often said that “politics makes strange bedfellows”, but have you ever heard of a “wolf ambassador”? Before I screened Rob Whitehair’s modest but engrossing documentary, I certainly hadn’t. The film tells the story of how a wolf named Koani became an environmental activist (in a manner of speaking) and touched the lives of thousands. Born into captivity, Koani was raised by Montana couple Bruce Weide and Pat Tucker, who co-founded Wild Sentry: The Northern Rockies Ambassador Wolf Program back in 1991. The star of the show was Koani, who travelled around the country with Tucker, who wanted to dispel age-old myths about wolves. Ever cognizant of the inherent “wrong” (no matter how noble one’s intentions) in keeping such a magnificent wild creature as a pet, Weide and Tucker nonetheless overcame these challenges and found a way to make Koani’s life matter, and it all makes for an amazingly moving story.