Since it's the green issue this week, I wanted to highlight some of Hollywood's effort in spreading awareness on the effects of global warming and the importance to save our beautiful planet. Many films and documentaries were released that helped further the spotlight on this great cause, here are some of my picks:
The 11th Hour:
The 11th Hour a documentary released in 2007 that was created, produced, and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was released in the year in which the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations global warming panel IPCC was published, and had its premiere at the 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival. The film basically is about the state of the natural environment and how the future of humanity is in jeopardy. It details serious problems facing the planet's life systems such as global warming, deforestation, mass species extinction, and depletion of the oceans' habitats. What's exceptional about this documentary is that it offers potential solutions to these problems by calling for restorative action by the reshaping and rethinking of global human activity through technology, social responsibility and conservation. Over 50 noted politicians, scientists, and environmental activists contributed to this project, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and
physicist Stephen Hawkin.
Earth:
An epic story of adventure and excitement, Earth revolves around three animal families on a journey across our planet: polar bears, elephants and humpback whales. The film opened on Earth Day 2009 and is the first to be released under the newly created Disneynature. The filmmakers (who are also the creators of the Emmy winning documentary Planet Earth) spent a year gathering extraordinary and never before seen footage of nature at its very best. Disney did something very clever and beneficial, which was offering to plant a tree for every ticket that is sold for the film in the first week of its release. The tree will be planted in the North Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, which is highly threatened.
The Cove:
Before I say what this documentary is about, you have to check out its riveting and heartbreaking trailer! The Cove is a film by former National Geographic photographer Louis Psihoyos documenting the annual killing of more than 2,500 dolphins in a cove at Taiji, Wakayama in Japan. It was filmed secretly during 2007 using underwater microphones and high-definition cameras disguised as rocks. Actress Hayden Pannietiere from the TV show Heroes also participated during filming and what she courageously did to help stop the slaughter of the dolphins was highly publicized in the media, which positively helped garner attention to the documentary. The Cove has won thirteen awards from eleven film festivals, including U.S. Audience Award at the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival.
– Abdulla Al-Mulaifi. Images: IMDB http://www.imdb.com/
