A biography about Canada's great unknown environmental and social activist, Rudy Haase. Rudy was born in the USA and lives in Nova Scotia with his wife Mickey. His life's work has involved preserving wilderness in Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, and New Zealand. In Nova Scotia Rudy Haase has been active for more than four decades on many environmental issues from fighting against the clear cutting and pesticide spraying of forests to opposing uranium mining.
In 1983, fifteen Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, landowners went to court to stop the spraying of herbicides by the local subsidiary of a Swedish multinational on forests adjacent to their properties. They found that the testimony of scientists and the support of public opinion, both here and abroad, were not enough to win their case. The film shows their ordeal and the landmark Sydney trial. Concerns raised included potential conflict-of-interest situations where a government must protect citizens' health while supporting certain kinds of industry; the relative value of the political and judicial processes in mediating social problems; and the need for a public forum for debating environmental issues. The film contains outstanding footage from chemical-industry films of the 1950s and recent material about Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange.
Beyond Access takes us on a journey with young Afro-Latina ocean explorer and storyteller, Xochitl Clare, on her quest to champion equal access to the great outdoors. The film centers her discussions on the next generation of leaders and practitioners who are diversifying outdoor spaces. It also highlights the importance of allyship in ensuring that underserved and historically marginalized youth and families are able to rebuild a sense of belonging in nature.
“Let’s Do It!” is a story about how a national cleanup campaign in a small European country grew into an ambitious global environmental movement. The idea spread far and wide, bringing about new wave of civic activism in many countries. However, even good initiatives can hit rough spots. The important thing is not to lose hope. This documentary captures the passion to change the world over the course of 10 years, culminating in World Clean-Up Day in 2018. The movie also showcases how grass-root initiatives can grow and subside and how some ambitions can be defeated only to give rise to even more ambitious ones.
A growing group of Dutch people in their twenties see the earth becoming less livable. They join the climate group Extinction Rebellion and campaign to fight the climate crisis. There is little they shy away from in their struggle: nightly campaigns, high-altitude actions, and even arrests or a criminal record. Everything for a better planet.
Lynne Cherry is an author, illustrator, environmentalist, and naturalist. This documentary covers an assortment of her books and activism to save the Belt woods.
Helena is 17 years old and studies in Finland. Her father, a Swede, and her mother, indigenous Kichwa of Sarayaku, live at the heart of the Amazon in Ecuador.
On April 10, 2014, the environmental activist and president of the Junín community, Javier Ramírez, was arrested and sentenced to ten months in prison for the crimes of “rebellion, sabotage and terrorism”. A few days later, the National Mining Company entered the area accompanied by a squad of at least 200 policemen to carry out studies related to the Llurimagua mining project, in the Íntag cloud forest. Javier with I, Íntag collects Javier Ramírez's reflections after his release, his feeling of condemned innocence, the pain of living in a divided, busy and frightened community, with its social fabric destroyed.
Extremely dry soil, dead animals in the fires of Australia and other visible effects of climate change every day lead to anguish and hopelessness, for which the term environmental grief is used. One way of dealing with the crisis is to take a proactive approach to environmental protection. The heroines of the film embark on this path. With their radical but strictly non-violent gatherings in public spaces, they call for a "Rebellion against extinction" to prevent ecological collapse.
Exploring the concept of the Ecology of Emotions, this musical film portrays an inner journey through the secret garden of creativity put into frame by the nature of Iceland. Hidden Eden is a metaphor for our inner secret garden of creativity. This project bloomed during an art residency in Iceland, sparked by conversations around our shared philosophies on voice and emotional connection. The nature of Iceland inspired us to make the connection on how the landscape reflects the emotional states of creativity and how it helps manage the homeostasis of our inner emotional landscapes. This exchange between emotion and the landscape opens a space for healing. Creativity provides us with the tools to access a garden of our authentic being, nourishing and balancing us. Allowing ourselves to explore the spectrum of our emotions through the lens of our relationship with the Earth invites others to do the same. The creative process can affect our well being and is a key to human evolution.
WILD THINGS follows a new generation of environmental activists that are mobilising against forces more powerful than themselves and saying, enough. Armed only with mobiles phones, this growing army of eco warriors will do whatever it takes to save their futures from the ravages of climate change. From chaining themselves to coal trains, sitting high in the canopy of threatened rainforest or locking onto bulldozers, their non-violent tactics are designed to generate mass action with one finger tap. Against a backdrop of drought, fire and floods; we witness how today’s environmentalists are making a difference and explore connections with the past through the untold stories of previous campaigns. Surprisingly the methods of old still have currency when a groundswell of school students inspired by the actions of 16-year old Greta Thunberg say, ‘change is coming’ and call a national strike demanding action against global warming.
A reflection on anarchism and labor, ANCIENT SUNSHINE marks a path through the struggles of climate activism and coal extractions in the American West.
The Amazon plays a vital part in regulating the planet's temperature. Yet, last year, forest destruction in the Brazilian Amazon soared by 85 per cent. Illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture are decimating the land. With huge profits to be made, the Amazon is a dangerous place to ask questions. Despite the threat, the Amazonian tribes want the world to hear their message.
Face à un énorme projet de construction de bassines d'irrigation dans le marais poitevin, un collectif d'écologistes s'acharne à prouver la catastrophe écologique annoncée.
Les Balkans abritent les dernières rivières sauvages d'Europe et une faune abondante et des écosystèmes sains et intacts. Ces rivières sont "Les Intactes", propres, vierges et sans barrage. Avec plus de 2 700 petites et grandes centrales hydroélectriques prévues ou en construction dans les Balkans, la corruption et la cupidité détruisent les derniers fleuves à courant libre d’Europe. Suivez le Balkan Rivers Tour, une équipe tapageuse de kayakistes d'eau vive, de cinéastes, de photographes et d'amis qui ont décidé de défendre les rivières, voyageant de la Slovénie à l'Albanie pendant 36 jours, naviguant en kayak sur 23 rivières dans 6 pays pour protester contre les barrages et montrer au monde les rivières secrètes et sauvages des Balkans. Le film rend hommage aux citoyens ordinaires et aux militants locaux qui se battent pour défendre les rivières et vise à faire connaître le sort de ces rivières, en montrant un nouveau style de conservation de la nature amusant, énergique et efficace.
Deep in the jungle of Central Vietnam, lies a magnificent underground kingdom. Hang Son Doong which translates as “mountain river cave”, is the largest cave passage in the world and a place of spectacular beauty. With more people having climbed Everest than visited Son Doong, its pristine charm has remained undisturbed for millions of years. In 2014, Son Doong’s future was thrown into doubt when plans were announced to build a cable car into the cave. With many arguing that this would destroy its delicate eco-system and the local community divided over the benefits this development would bring, the film follows those caught up in the unfolding events. Beautifully shot and scored, “A Crack In The Mountain” is a powerful exposé about how both good and bad intentions can ultimately lead to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders being trampled for money. As well as inspire those who care about our natural heritage to fight to protect it.
“An Imminent Threat” follows a fisherman activist, Yngve Larsen, who fights against oil and gas drilling activities in north of Norway. Will Yngve succeed in avoiding the extinction of many species of fish and thus irreversible damage to our planet?
Loin des yeux du monde dans l'environnement le plus inhospitalier de la planète, deux points de vue opposés se disputent le contrôle. D'un côté, la soi-disant flotte de recherche japonaise exploite ouvertement des milliers de baleines dans le seul sanctuaire baleinier international au monde. De l'autre, le Sea Shepherd, une marine de guérilla volontaire financée par les citoyens du monde. Défendre - Conserver - Protéger se déploie alors que trois migrations annuelles très distinctes ont lieu dans l'océan Austral froid et furieux ; la flotte de chasse à la baleine japonaise illégale ; la flotte anti-chasse à la baleine de Sea Shepherd ; et les baleines...
This BBC documentary chronicles the life of folk/soft-rock singer John Denver through his rise with The Chad Mitchell Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, his subsequent stardom, his popularity decline, and his tragic death at age 53.