Earth Day Network has compiled a list of recommended eco-minded films, documentaries and television series that will fit nicely with any other Earth Day plans.
Social media has the ability to educate and inspire. The listed projects range from Oscar nominees to little-known gems. Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network, says, "We hope these excellent projects inspire discussions at the dinner table, in the classrooms and in City Hall and prove to be catalysts for both thought and action."
Check out one of these films today (and watch the others later)!
(Winner, Best Animated Feature - European Film Awards)
Featuring the voices of John DiMaggio, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Modine, Wallace Shawn, and James Woods. This stunning new animated adventure pits plucky, wild-haired young Mia against profit hungry developers with the future of life on Earth in the balance. One night, Mia has a premonition and sets out on a journey through mountains and jungles to find her father who has been trapped in a disaster-plagued construction site on a remote tropical lake. In the middle of the lake stands the ancient Tree of Life, watched over by bumbling forest spirits called Migoo. It is the Migoo who have been disrupting construction to protect this sacred site - and together with Mia they join in a fight to save the Tree and find Mia's father. Created from an astonishing 500,000 hand-painted frames of animation, the film is a work of art, breathtaking to behold.
*To be released in theaters nationally on 4/22
**ALL theatrical proceeds from opening weekend support Earth Day Network's Canopy Project, which is part of the Billion Acts of Green Campaign
Presented in the style of a 1950s educational film, "Let's Pollute" is a 6 ½ minute long modern satire on how pollution is our heritage and keeps our economy growing strong. After a brief history of the pollution imperative from before the Industrial Revolution to the present, "Let's Pollute" follows a nuclear family polluting its way through an average day. By connecting wasteful consumerism with its corporate allies and dire environmental consequences, the film instructs us all how to be better polluters for a better, more blighted tomorrow.
*Available on iTunes (running time 6 ½ minutes)
WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.
(Nominated for a 2011 Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature)
Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
*Now available on DVD
SAVING PELICAN 895
Nearly 9,000 birds were rescued from the oiled waters of the Gulf Coast in the wake of the 2010 BP oil spill. Saving Pelican 895 is the story of the 895th bird to be rescued and rehabilitated by a dedicated team of wildlife experts and every day people, many of whom travel the world responding to oil disasters. This tale of a single bird, and the compassionate people deployed to save him, shows how the process of saving one life restored a degree of humanity for the rest of us. Directed by Academy Award-nominated director, Irene Taylor Brodsky.
*Premiering exclusively on HBO on the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, 4/20 at 9:00pm ET/PT (check listings for re-air dates)
A moving story of endurance and commitment, Into The Cold delves into the depth of the human soul against the backdrop of the magnificent Great North. Environmental advocate, photographer, and adventurer, Sebastian Copeland, and his partner, Keith Heger, venture more than 400 miles on foot through sub-zero temperatures across the frozen Arctic ice cap with only courage and determination to see them through. Their harrowing two-month journey to the North Pole overcomes staggering conditions to finally reach their destination. In the history of exploration, few have ever successfully made this voyage - one of the toughest feats known to man.
*Worldwide DVD Release for Earth Day: April 19th, 2011; to order visit
This one-hour special features host and explorer Sam Branson, son of Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson. In what has been touted as one of the snowiest years in decades, this special takes Sam to the front lines of man's struggle with the elements, in this case, snow - where we see Sam immersed in the ins-and-outs of avalanche control as well as getting a first hand experience of what it feels like to be buried alive in snow.
*Premiering on Current TV on Earth Day: Friday, April 22 at 9:00 PM, ET/PT.
Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig's debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry and the communities which were the unwitting chips on the table. A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, this revelatory film features those caught at the intersection of big business and the public's right to water.
*Documentary now available on digital and DVD
Director Chris Malloy's journey follows Jeff Johnson to Patagonia as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins (founders of Patagonia and The North Face, respectively). Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life - and prepares for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff's life takes a turn when he meets Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature - and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it. The accompanying soundtrack, available on Brushfire Records, contains original songs by Ugly Cassanova (Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse), James Mercer (The Shins) and Mason Jennings. *Documentary now available on digital and DVD
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