As we enter the year 2021 we have come to witness that so many citizens across the globe are grappling with their issues and trying to find a solution to them. The coronavirus pandemic is currently the biggest of all issues; many people losing their job, then not being able to get jobs elsewhere. The entire world seems to have come to an eerie halt but luckily things at a tortoise’s pace are coming back to a situation of normalcy. But there will still be few pertinent problems that should not be overlooked any longer.
The one issue which tops the list is the environmental issue. The consequences of the problem are so big that it can cripple the entire humankind. There are environmentalists who keep doing their best to make aware of the ignorant ones.
The entertainment industry has wrapped our eyes and ears so tight that visual storytellers of environmental videos do not even reach us. Here is a list of documentaries you must not miss out on.
- The Boy Who Saw More ( 2019)
This film is directed by Shaktiraj Jadeja and Pankaj Singhji. The film throws light on the beauty of Ladakh’s deep mountain valley. It is about a young schoolboy Nordon, who lives in Ladakh and investigates the gems which have been hidden in the deep valley.
The short film also talks about the amazing work the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust is doing its best by educating the local folk and also the children of the region.
On World Environmental Day, this film was featured by the Wildlife Conservative Trust.
- The 11th Hour (2007)
This documentary film features Leonardo Di Caprio who tells us about the state of our natural environment that we have turned it into. This video talks of global warming, deforestation, the extinction of species, and the dreadful depletion of the oceans. This documentary film also features Mikhail Gorbachev (former soviet leader), also, Stephen Hawking and many other acclaimed environmentalists, scientists, and politicians
- Tapped (2009)
It dives into the topic of plastic and examines the different financial and ecological impacts plastic waste bottle industries do.
- Soil Solutions to Climate Problems (2015)
This video was released on the 27th of November 2015, narrated by the famous journalist Michael Pollan who argues how soil is the secret ingredient to solve the “ too much carbon in the air ” problem. It disagrees with the blame we put on our farmers for the negative impact on the environment. Instead, it narrates how agriculture can pull us out of the environmental problems.
- Plastic Pollution Coalition – OPEN YOUR EYES (2016)
This short documentary is narrated by a very well-known face and a notable member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition- Jeff Bridges. “ Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists “ – Jeff Bridges. He tells us about plastic which cannot be digested by Earth and how its use as plastic bottles, in packaging industries, is only harming us more by poisoning our bodies and killing wildlife as a result; overwhelming our planet. He warns the viewers how much single-use plastic is costing our planet as it only deepens our dependency on fossil fuel by which as of now, we are experiencing climate changes.
- Shores of Silence – Whale Sharks In India ( 2002)
This eminent landmark film was directed and produced by Mike Pandey. It was the first film shot about the Indian waters. Some of the largest fishes of the ocean are found in India, Africa, and Australia. In India, hundreds of sharks are slaughtered which I am sure will give you goosebumps when you do watch this documentary. Reason being: liver oil for waterproofing of boats and trawlers. This film was so impactful that it drew the attention of the Indian Government who later had to pass a legislature to ban fishing of large fishes like the whale shark and declared them as endangered species under the Indian Wildlife Act 1972. It even won 11 prestigious awards including Green Oscar in 2000, National Award For Best Adventure And Exploration Film 2005.
- How To Let Go Of The World And Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change (2016)
This environmental film directed, produced, and starred by Josh Fox consists of one-third doom and gloominess and two-thirds are wide-eyed optimism. Josh Fox decides to leave home to go across continents only to confront ugly truths and the bad effects of climate change. In this documentary, you’ll find a complicated mix of both tragedy and inspiration.
- Chasing Coral (2017)
Coral reefs are dying at an unprecedented rate. The Great Barrier Reef is retreating while corals elsewhere also are bleaching away as a result of the warming of oceans. A team consisting of divers, photographers, and scientists goes out on an ocean adventure to reveal to the world the mystery behind dying coral reefs.
- No Impact Man (2009)
This documentary is about an author, Colin Beavan, who along with his wife and child went completely green for a year meaning to create no trash, causing no carbon dioxide emissions, no pouring waste into water ( detergent), no elevator, subway, plastic, air conditioner, TV or even buying anything new. In his drastic attempt to produce no waste in the environment the camera catches the toil he had to go through.
- More Than Honey (2012)
Directed and written by a Swiss filmmaker, Markus Imhoof the documentary film is a class on biology and the social behavior of bees and their ruthless exploitation in the industrial agricultural age. This is by far the most thoughtful and also informationally comprehensive movie about the challenges that bees face today.
