Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges wanted to avoid making a climate change documentary that only preached to the converted 91裸聊视频� he wanted to reach and speak to people who didn91裸聊视频檛 already care about the issue.
That91裸聊视频檚 why 91裸聊视频淟iving in the Future91裸聊视频檚 Past,91裸聊视频� produced and narrated by Bridges, deliberately avoids heaping guilt upon viewers or hammering them with warnings of impending doom, the 91裸聊视频淏ig Lebowski91裸聊视频� star said.
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91裸聊视频淚 think the fear makes you throw up your hands and feel like it91裸聊视频檚 too late, or think it91裸聊视频檚 going to trickle down from the government,91裸聊视频� Bridges, 69, said in an interview.
91裸聊视频淏ut I don91裸聊视频檛 think we can wait for the government to be enlightened with what our scientists are telling us. I think it91裸聊视频檚 got to trickle up, if it91裸聊视频檚 trickling anywhere. I think we all have to take action.91裸聊视频�
The film is part of a rising tide of documentaries that aim to wake up viewers to the realities of climate change. But as governments, companies and individuals remain reluctant to act, it91裸聊视频檚 fair to question how much of an impact movies can have.
Bridges wanted 91裸聊视频淟iving in the Future91裸聊视频檚 Past91裸聊视频� to take a fresh approach. When he first discussed collaborating with director Susan Kucera, he said he felt there were enough climate movies that pointed fingers and told audiences they were in dire straits.
The pair discovered they were interested in why humans as a species were responding the way they were to climate change. As a result, the film interrogates how evolution, history and psychology have shaped our reaction to the unfolding crisis.
Bridges likes to use a metaphor inspired by one of his heroes, Buckminster Fuller, who invented a small rudder called a trim tab that helps turn a larger rudder on a ship. The tab symbolizes how the individual is connected to society, he said.
91裸聊视频淲e all can make a huge difference, just like that little rudder on the big rudder,91裸聊视频� Bridges said. 91裸聊视频淲e can all do it in different ways. I91裸聊视频檓 in the movie business, so I make movies.91裸聊视频�
The film showcases a wide range of prominent scientists and authors. Yet one of the most refreshing voices is former Republican congressman Bob Inglis, who argues caring about the environment is not at odds with a conservative or religious identity.
91裸聊视频淗e has this idea that if you91裸聊视频檙e going to go to a group of people who are self-identified in one way, who better to talk to that group than someone from that group?91裸聊视频� said Kucera. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e still kind of tribal that way, and so that91裸聊视频檚 what he does.91裸聊视频�
The beautifully shot film will screen this week as part of Elements Film Festival at Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Telus World of Science. Also screening are local films including 91裸聊视频淐oal Valley91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淧lastic Beach91裸聊视频� and international features such as 91裸聊视频淨ueen Without Land.91裸聊视频�
Carol Linnitt, who co-founded online news outlet The Narwhal and directed 91裸聊视频淐oal Valley,91裸聊视频� said documentaries allow storytellers to delve deeper into an issue and often the outlet91裸聊视频檚 films reach an audience far beyond its regular readership.
91裸聊视频淲e live in a fast-paced, attention-driven world these days. Often, the dry written word sitting static on a page may not be what91裸聊视频檚 going to do it for a lot of people,91裸聊视频� she said.
Of course, it also matters who sees these films. Bridges said he was excited to be working on a curriculum that would allow his movie to be taught in schools, where it would encourage kids to take action and use their imaginations to solve the problem.
Keith Scholey, series producer of the lush Netflix nature documentary 91裸聊视频淥ur Planet,91裸聊视频� said the filmmakers created a website, OurPlanet.com, to give viewers more details about solutions, and they91裸聊视频檙e also screening the show for global decision makers.
91裸聊视频淪o far, we have been able to present 91裸聊视频極ur Planet91裸聊视频� to the World Economic Forum in Davos and next week will do the same to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We think we have already started to bring about change,91裸聊视频� he said.
Still, humans are so notoriously apathetic about climate change that one environmental psychologist has catalogued all the reasons people don91裸聊视频檛 take action. Robert Gifford of the University of Victoria describes them as the 91裸聊视频渄ragons of inaction.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭he less polite word might be excuses or justifications,91裸聊视频� he deadpanned.
He said common 91裸聊视频渄ragons91裸聊视频� include: 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 only one person. Why should I do anything if my efforts don91裸聊视频檛 make a difference?91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the government91裸聊视频檚 job, not mine.91裸聊视频�
Environmental films are more likely to make a difference if they are quiet and serious, such as Al Gore91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淎n Inconvenient Truth,91裸聊视频� as opposed to over-the-top Hollywood fare that will just make viewers roll their eyes, Gifford said.
The most important factor in persuading people to care about climate change, however, is to demonstrate how it intersects with an issue they care about, such as their health, children or local community, he added.
91裸聊视频淭here is no magic message for everybody.91裸聊视频�
Laura Kane, The Canadian Press
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