Books are a gateway to learning and shape our thoughts in profound ways, unlike most other mediums. Yet, sometimes what a good book does over a few days, a good movie can do in a few hours.
Movies and documentaries have, for a long time now, been a source of alternate learning for many. And if you prefer this medium for consuming knowledge and entertainment, we have good news for you!
As the sustainability movement gains momentum and urgency, the entertainment industry has stepped up to participate in the conversation. By using compelling narratives, doing in-depth research, using high-quality photography, and traveling to remote corners of the planet to bring the most inaccessible discoveries to our screens, they have contributed greatly to raising awareness and making the movement global.
We’ve put together a list of 12 movies and documentaries that will make you rediscover your love for nature, whet your appetite to know more about our wondrous planet, and reinforce the urgent need to preserve it!
One of the first docu-movies to draw public attention to the devastating effects of global warming was Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. In this engrossing take on the climate crisis, the former US Vice President presents facts and warnings about how soon the global scenario could change.15 years later, his observations still stand true.
Recently, in 2017, Al Gore also released a follow-up movie- An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power where he looked at the measures being adopted to address the challenges.
If you haven’t watched it already, we recommend you make this film your starting point for delving into the issues we face today.
2. Night on Earth (2020)
This isn’t just another documentary on wildlife or nature. Night on Earth is a revelation, full of awe-inspiring moments that leave you with wonderment. This six-part series shows viewers what the wildlife wakes up to while the rest of us sleep.
In a unique narrative, narrator Emmy-winning actor Samira Wiley talks about the night as though the audience has never stayed up past 9 pm. It combines daytime and night-time footage to reveal the behaviours of different species, even the ones we think we’re familiar with.
While it’s hard to pick one favourite, the Zimbabwe segment filmed by series producer Bill Markham comes highly recommended by most critics, and we agree!
3. Chasing Coral (2017)
You may have heard this before. Coral reefs play a huge role in protecting our oceanic ecosystems around the world, but face the threat of extinction as a direct consequence of increasing carbon emissions.
Chasing Coral follows a concerned team of experts who set out to cover the “coral bleaching” phenomenon up close in an attempt to increase awareness about the calamity that may affect our world in numerous ways.
This documentary inspires viewers into taking action, by making a case for activism. By making us re-evaluate our impact on the environment, the movie advocates for change at all levels.
4. RiverBlue (2016)
The fashion and textile industry is one of the largest global polluters. At present, we generate around 9 million tonnes of textile waste. RiverBlue is a docu-film that travels the world with famous river environmentalist Mark Angelo while exploring the devasting effect of the fashion world on our rivers.
Narrated by clean water advocate Jason Priestley, this is a reality check on the fashion industry’s impact on the planet. It shows how the toxic chemicals used in manufacturing garments are polluting rivers in China, Bangladesh, and India, and making the water unsafe for the local communities.
To know more about the fast fashion industry and the impact it has on the environment, here is a list of must-read books for your reading list.
5. Before the Flood (2016)
The Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio is known not just for his acting prowess and legendary performances, but also for championing the cause of the environment. The environmentalist DiCaprio takes his mission a step further in Before the Flood.
Grabbing attention from the start, he appears in front of the camera and talks to us directly. The actor, who is also the UN Messenger of Peace, spent two years studying the causes and effects of climate change across the world. In this telling tale of eco-damage, he covers it all, from the melting glaciers in Greenland to deforestation in Indonesia caused by the palm oil industry and more.
The film concludes with DiCaprio appealing to world leaders: “You are the last best hope of Earth. We ask you to protect it. Or we—and all living things we cherish, are history.”
6. Kiss the Ground (2020)
Adapted from a book by the same name, Kiss the Ground is sub-headed as “How the food you eat can reverse climate change, heal your body & ultimately save our world”. This pretty much sums up the core of what the on-screen adaptation also portrays.
It talks about the soil’s capacity to sequester carbon, and how this natural carbon sink could be the key to reversing the effects of climate change.
Kiss the Ground has garnered more than two dozen accolades from across the world, including Best Picture and Best Documentary at the London Independent Film Awards as well as Best Feature Documentary at the Venice Film Awards. Watch it if you haven’t yet!
7. Minimalism (2016)
Covering one of the primary principles of sustainability, Minimalism is a docu-film that makes an argument in favour of a low-consumption lifestyle.
The protagonists of the plot, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, meet like-minded individuals around America while promoting their book and discussing the effects their new lifestyles have had on their happiness and well-being
Prompting you to re-evaluate how you feel about consumption, this brilliant work will have you asking yourself some deep questions about the way you shop and use things. To a great extent, it also has you considering the ‘people over possessions’ philosophy of life.
8. Don’t Look Up (2021)
Don’t Look Up is an apocalyptic dark comedy that is a biting satire on the apathy and ignorance in society towards climate change. This star-studded movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, along with Johan Hill and Meryl Streep, is a story of two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization.
The movie uses the comet and the impending doom as a metaphor for the climate crisis while taking subtle digs at the government, political, celebrity, and media indifference to the climate crisis.
Funny, hard-hitting, and poignant, all at once, this one is a Must-Watch, both for its entertainment value and its urgent message!
9. Blue Planet II (2017)
A sequel to the BBC series of 2001, The Blue Planet, Blue Planet II, narrated by the iconic nature historian and TV presenter, David Attenborough in his inimitable style, examines the natural history of the world’s oceans and takes the viewer on a journey of the complex dynamics of the marine life.
Featuring mesmerizing photography and never-seen-before footage, this series is sure to fill you with wonder at the astonishing variety of species that live underwater.
The series also highlights the impact of pollution and climate change, and the urgency to protect marine biodiversity.
Closer Home
We can’t talk movies and not talk Bollywood!
While the Indian film industry is famed for its action-packed mass entertainers, it has also given us meaningful cinema on environmental issues that offer a uniquely Indian perspective and make for a worthwhile watch.
While the Indian film industry is famed for its action-packed mass entertainers, it has also given us meaningful cinema on environmental issues that offer a uniquely Indian perspective and make for a worthwhile watch.
Here is our pick of Hindi eco-cinema that is thought-provoking and compelling viewing.
10. Kadvi Hawa or Dark Wind (2017)
A film inspired by true events, Kadvi Hawa tells the tale of the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. In this film, the village of Mahua is shown to be affected by scanty rainfall, barren land, crop failure, and climate change.
The issue of farmer suicides, driven by the piling debt cycle, is also brought to focus. This movie is a realistic depiction of the impact of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of the poor and ordinary people who have not contributed to the global climate crisis but are bearing the brunt of its effect.
Kadvi Hawa won a special mention in the 64th National Awards.
11. Bhopal Express (1999)
Though this movie dates back to 1999, it has made it to our list for its continued relevance.
The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 is imprinted on the mind of every Indian, and the health and environmental implications of this disaster continue to play out even now.
Bhopal Express takes a closer look at this catastrophic event that killed more than 8000 people. The drama, which unfolds through the eyes of a young couple, highlights how the irresponsible and callous actions of large corporations can affect the lives of ordinary people and have irreversible and tragic repercussions.
12. Irada (2017)
This film is an eco-thriller set against the backdrop of thermal power plants in Bathinda in Punjab.
The plot revolves around the daughter of an ex-army officer who is diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. The reason for her illness and that of many villagers is found to be toxic chemicals in the groundwater.
Touching upon groundwater poisoning, Irada, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Divya Dutta, portrays the effects of unbridled capitalism and selfish corporate motives taking a toll on the environment and health of people.
One Earth, One Home
All life on Earth is an ode to co-existence. Caught up in the humdrum of daily life, we lose sight of the beauty around us and fail to reflect on how interconnected all life is. We don’t fully appreciate that if worms did not till the soil every day, if birds and bees didn’t pollinate plants, our life on Earth would not be the same! This knowledge alone is reason enough to respect and conserve every species that inhabits our planet.
Our list of movies and documentaries is a reminder of all the beauty that’s at stake and of the urgency of action needed to mitigate the climate crisis, to preserve the home that belongs to all of us!
Note: All images courtesy of IMDB
