The 11th Hour is coming…well, at least the movie is. We are probably more at 11:39 by now.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s new documentary is part eco-thriller and part inspirational but you will get to see it soon for yourself. The movie is coming out for widespread distribution by August 31. Interestingly enough, the message of the movie is very familiar…but unfortunately the voices of ‘experts’ dominate the movie rather than also profile the voices of youth climate activists fighting for the solutions advocated in the movie. However, I heard an awful lot about how An Inconvenient Truth focused too much on the impacts of global warming and not enough on the solutions. It is good to see a project like this come out and explore the solutions and possibilities that will be necessary to make this country carbon-neutral over the next generation.
Also, come on…you know you love Leo. Did you see him on the cover of Vanity Fair with Knut, the baby polar bear?
See the trailer, or read their press release below:
The time for action is NOW. This generation is the one that must make change, as we have very little time left. Most of solutions are available now. We as citizens, leaders, and consumers have the opportunity to help integrate these solutions into governmental policy and every day living.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The 11th Hour” is a feature length documentary
concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and their
impact on the planet. “The 11th Hour” documents the cumulative impact of
these actions upon the planet’s life systems and calls for restorative action
through a reshaping of human activity. With the help of over fifty of the
world’s most prominent thinkers and activists, including reformer Mikhail
Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Nobel Prize winner Wangari
Maathai, “The 11thHour” documents the grave problems facing the
planet’s life systems. Global warming, deforestation, mass species
extinction, and depletion of the oceans’ habitats are all addressed, and
their causes rooted in human activity. The combination of these crises call
into question the very future not of the planet, but of humanity.
However, the most powerful element of “The 11th Hour” is not a portrait of
a planet in crisis, but the offering of hope and solutions. Scientists and
environmental advocates such as Bill McKibben paint a portrait for a
radically new and exciting future in which humanity seeks not to dominate
the earth’s life systems, but to mimic them and coexist. “The 11th Hour”
calls for a future now within our grasp that is both sustainable and
healthier.
Hopefully the corporations that promote this film will be convicted by the message they are capitalizing on for profit and make changes towards sustainability. My suspicion is they won’t be. For example, I’ve recently blogged about Starbucks promotion of the eco-friendly film Arctic Tale, while they continue to lack a corporate recycling program.
Starbucks + Arctic Tale + Global Warming = Corporate Hypocrisy
I saw 11th Hour twice now. I really enjoyed it the first time. Upon watching it the second time, I realized that they fell far short of having women and youth leaders as part of the issue. Would love to see a film that represents the growing diversity of this movement.
Sum