following on from my previous post about wall-e, and leaving behind me debates with people who get offended way too easily… i thought i’d list some other awesome films and documentaries i’ve watched over the past few years which have environmental, social or political themes. most of these should be available at cool places like DVD Nouveau (there’s one in Bree Str, CT, and one in Dean Str, Newlands)
who killed the electric car?
this is about how and why the fairly successful electric cars which exsisted in the US in the 80s (i think it was the 80s, not 100% sure though) were taken out of commission. kinda scary and sad really…
the end of suburbia
brilliant! all about how f$#%d America (and much of the rest of the world, although it’s set in the US) is given the end of oil. with oil due to run out fairly soon (relatively) and at least getting harder and more expensive to get out of the ground, this documentary examines how America was built and it’s cities designed around cheap oil. this documentary made me want to run off to the country, buy a plot and become completely self-sufficient. i still want to do this, but i just don’t have the money to buy land right now.
the corporation
this is a documentary about how corporations actually fit the clinical definition of psychopaths. this is because they make decisions which no feeling person would ever make, all in the name of scoring profits for shareholders. again, a very sobering look at some frightening examples from real life.
the power of nightmares: the rise of the politics of fear
this was originally made for BBC tv, but am not sure how available it is at dvd stores etc.
from wikipedia: The films compare the rise of the American Neo-Conservative movement and the radical Islamist movement, making comparisons on their origins and claiming similarities between the two. More controversially, it argues that the threat of radical Islamism as a massive, sinister organised force of destruction, specifically in the form of al-Qaeda, is in fact a myth perpetrated by politicians in many countries—and particularly American Neo-Conservatives—in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.
on a lighter, more inspiring note:
the power of community: how cuba survived peak oil
this is a documentary about how cuba radically altered major facets of its economy and lifestyle in order to cope with the loss of oil in 1990. this was the time at which the soviet union collapsed, leaving cuba with no source of oil (having been cut off from all others by the US who was opposed to communist policies). cuba set about a massive introduction of organic farming (in cities and on all available land), mass public transport and renewable energy. it’s totally inspiring to see what we humans can do when in a crisis, but does leave one wondering if capitalist govts could effect this kind of change so quickly??
that’s about all i can think of for the moment. they’re all very exciting, so get out there and get hold of them.
