09 Apr 5 Eco-Documentaries that Mirror the Reality We Live in
Here are 5 documentaries that help educate, inspire, and translate thought into action.
1. 2040 (2019)
If we embrace the best of what already exists, what would the world look like for our children in 2040? Actor/Director Damon Gameau tells us a multitude of stories of those helping to regenerate the world through renewable energy, alternative transportation, women empowerment, and more. He takes on the character of a cool teacher who makes learning fun and emphasises that everybody can make a difference.
Starring: Damon Gameau, Eva Lazzaro, Zoe Tuckwell-Smith, and Davini Malcolm
Director: Damon Gameau
Focus: Climate Change
Rating: 88%
Runtime: 1h 32m
2. Mission Blue (2014)
Mission Blue features the legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, and environmentalist Sylvia Earle and her life mission to protect the Earth’s oceans from threats such as pollution, overfishing and climate change. She travels the world to help humans become more aware of how our activities cause harm to the oceans and steps we need to take now.
Starring: Barbara Block, James Cameron, Michael deGruy, Sylvia Earle
Director: Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens
Focus: Ocean Life
Rating: 95%
Runtime: 1h 35m
3. Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (2014)
This National Geographic documentary tells the story of TV host and filmmaker Angela Sun’s journey to Midway, one of the most remote regions on Earth. What could have been a tropical paradise turned out to be an island filled with plastic waste that is threatening the lives of birds and other animals. This investigative piece calls out to scientists, legislators, industries, and advocates to shed light on society’s plastic consumption and its detrimental consequences.
Starring: Lewis Goldsmith, Wallace J. Nichols, Angela Sun
Director: Angela Sun
Focus: Plastic Pollution
Rating: 88%
Runtime: 57min
4. The Cove (2009)
In this exposé, a group of activists led by dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry look into the brutal killings of dolphins at the Taiji National Park in Japan. The documentary unveils the terrible reality beyond the dolphinaria and how these malpractices affect human health.
Starring: Ric O’Barry, Mandy-Rae Cruickshank, and Charles Hambleton
Director: Louie Psihoyos
Focus: Marine Life
Rating: 85%
Runtime: 1h 32m
5. Blackfish (2013)
This documentary tells the story of Tilikum, an orca who was torn away from his family and the ocean life at age 2. With shocking footage, expert interviews, and touching testimonials, director Gabriela Cowperthwaite pieces together the life of the performing whale who killed several people while in captivity. Blackfish challenges viewers to consider our relationship with nature and ask ourselves how much we really know about life under the oceans.
Starring: Tilikum, Dawn Brancheau, Samantha Berg, and Jeffrey Ventre
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Focus: Marine Conservation
Rating: 89%
Runtime: 1h 30m
These are just some of a number of films made to document the increasing seriousness of the issues faced by our planet. The world needs us, and the first thing we can do is be more aware of what is happening. Let these films lead us to make resolutions for a healthier tomorrow.
Reem is the content executive at plasticfreeuae and the go-to source for everything sustainable in the UAE who strongly believes that mindsets can be changed through words.
