During the last ten years, a great number of documentary films on the ecological crisis have contributed to public discourse and education on the necessary and urgent efforts to reverse climate change. The following is a selection of recent productions ranging from a contemplative outlook on creation to conservation efforts and the intersection of ecological and economical crises. We encourage you to view these films and discuss their impact on your worldview and actions.
Planet Ocean (Documentary, 2012, France)
Dive into our planet’s greatest mysteries with a team of international underwater cinematographers as they explore the breathtaking bond between humanity and the ocean.
The Salt of the Earth (Documentary, 2014, France)
For the last 40 years, Sebastiao Salgado has been traveling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever changing humanity. He has witnessed the major events of our recent history; international conflicts, starvation and exodus. He is now embarking on the discovery of the wild fauna and flora, of grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.
Tomorrow (Documentary, 2015, France)
Showing solutions, telling a feel-good story… this may be the best way to solve the ecological, economical and social crises that our countries are going through. […] Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent, together with a team of four people, carried out an investigation in ten different countries to figure out what may lead to this disaster and above all how to avoid it.
Planet Earth II (Documentary, 2016, UK)
David Attenborough returns in this breathtaking documentary showcasing life on Planet Earth 10 years after the first series Planet Earth. This series celebrates the amazing variety of the natural world in this epic documentary series, filmed over four years across 64 different countries.
What are we waiting for? (Documentary, 2016, France)
Ungersheim’s city council launched in 2009 a program for participative democracy, baptized “21 actions for the 21st century”, and comprising all aspects of everyday life: food, energy, transportation, housing, money, work, and schooling. This documentary has been filmed over four seasons during the crucial year of 2015, where the transition program was almost fully completed.
Earth seen from the heart (Documentary, 2018, Canada)
Scientists, writers and artists join Hubert Reeves and Frédéric Lenoir to sound a warning: biodiversity is under threat. While some humans are responsible for this crisis, others, in growing numbers, are tackling it head on and forging solutions. In this film dedicated to future generations, they remind us that life in all its forms is a fascinating and touching mystery.
This Mountain Life (Documentary, 2018, Canada)
After months of preparation, Martina and her 60 year-old mother Tania embark on a 6 month, 2300 km journey from Squamish, BC to Alaska through a relentless mountain wilderness. Shot in cinematic detail, This Mountain Life is a riveting portrait of human passion set high in the peaks of British Columbia, Canada.
This list is taken from the Summer 2020 issue of the ad vitam webzine “Laudato Si’: Caring for Creation and future generations”.