The seventh annual Environmental Film Festival arrives on Thursday, May 27, at the M.V. Film Center and online. Titled “Nature as Inspiration,” the festival is held in collaboration with the Vineyard Conservation Society. Offered as a hybrid theater/online event, it will screen nine feature films, plus a short film program. The films focus on the contemporary challenges to nature. South Mountain Co. is co-sponsoring the Environmental Film Festival, and co-owner John Abrams is making a special introduction.
‘Seeding Change’
The festival begins with “Seeding Change: The Power of Conscious Commerce,” a documentary that looks at global warming, climate change, and the loss of biodiversity. These, it suggests, are the greatest threats humankind has ever faced, and they are primarily crises we have caused ourselves.
An awardwinning film directed by Richard Yelland, it examines “triple bottom line” businesses. Based on the inspiration behind a group of entrepreneurs 20 years ago, these are companies that have begun to consider their social, environmental, and financial impact on the world. “We need to evolve our economic model,” they argue.
The good news is that viewers can vote with their dollars, and choose products and brands that support their environmental values. The goal is to reduce the 50 pounds of waste people cause daily. Illustrated is the example of sustainably harvesting açai, a small, purple fruit found in the Amazon rainforests. The point is that it’s possible to have sustainability with profitability.
‘The Great Green Wall’
Friday, May 28, brings a fascinating film called “The Great Green Wall.” This documentary takes viewers 5,000 miles from West to East across the Sahel region of Africa with the music of singer and activist Inna Modja. She illustrates the creation of a green wall of vegetation intended to fight climate change and drought in an impressive, worldwide example provided by Africa.
Modja travels from Senegal to Djibouti, collecting music and stories about the efforts of African nations to fight desertification, famine, conflict, and migration. The breadth and visual impact of “The Great Green Wall” make it an important statement.
Also playing on Friday, May 28, is “Bear-Like,” a film that describes the research of David Bittner by director Roman Droux. Bittner has been studying bears for 15 years, getting to know them and understand their lives. As well as through its portraits of bears, this documentary uses the breathtaking background of Alaska to tell its story. There are moments of tension and excitement when Bittner gets too close to his subjects, or observes their fights.
Artists, gardens, and whales on Saturday
How artistic inspiration can impact the environment is the subject of “There Is a Place on Earth,” playing on Saturday afternoon, May 29. Dutch director Ellen van den Honert looks at the way artists inspired the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Viewers learn about artist Philip Sabado, who has described the environment and culture of Hawaii. Another issue examined by artists is the humpback whale, endangered by entanglement in fishing ropes.
Viewers will meet photographer and conservationist Harvey Locke at his home in Banff, Alberta. In the Côa Valley of Portugal, viewers will learn about the fascinating 40,000-year-old images of wild animals drawn on the walls inside caves. “Art speaks to us through our hearts,” says psychiatrist, poet, and author Ian McCallum.
Also on Saturday, May 29, “Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf” describes the spectacular gardens of this Dutch landscape designer. It takes the viewer on a journey to his garden on the High Line in New York, as well as others. The film explores his life and sketches as well as the environmental impact of his work.
The documentary is structured around the four seasons of the year, and illustrates the differences among the same plants according to the season. Oudolf considers his best garden Hauser & Wirth Somerset in South England, and it is one of the many he talks about and the film visits. The camera’s close-ups of garden blooms and plants in different seasons make this a very satisfying film to watch.
The right whale in “Entangled,” by David Abel and Andy Laub, is one of the most endangered species on the planet. It will be extinct in the next 20 years unless action is taken. As climate change happens, the remaining 400 right whales are moving north, already having declined 24 percent. Drones are used to see evidence of entanglement, and once they become entangled by fishing lines, these mammals die in six months. This is a heartbreaking documentary about how right whales, once 20,000 in number, have diminished to hundreds.
“Entangled” looks at the conflict between lobstermen and the right whale, leading to lawsuits requiring the reduction of vertical fishing lines from 50 to 25 percent of their use. There is hope in the reduction of entanglements and collisions, as well as the development of technology leading to ropeless fishing. In addition, the film suggests there is a way to protect right whales and keep fisheries profitable.
Filmmaker David Abel will lead a discussion at the Film Center after the “Entangled.” An awardwinning documentary maker and reporter, he has also examined climate change and poverty in New England.
‘One Ocean Film Tour,’ ‘Gunda,’ and ‘8 Billion Angels’
“One Ocean Film Tour,” playing on Sunday, May 30, will screen eight short films about ocean conservation that describe the aquatic environment through stories by ocean fans.
“Gunda,” the most compelling film of the festival, also plays on Sunday, May 30. An American-Norwegian film shot in black-and-white by Russian director Victor Kassakovsky, it follows the day-to-day life of a sow and the piglets she has given birth to. Narrated without sound except for the animal’s natural sounds, it is hard not to find this film fascinating and to reference how vibrant the animals’ lives are.
Other farm animals portrayed include chickens, one of whom has one leg but still manages to thrive. A herd of cattle is shown supporting one another against the onslaught of hungry flies. When the piglets depart in a tractor, it is difficult not to see the human reference in the sow’s looking for them with despair. No commentary is necessary.
Ben Robinson and Elizabeth Durkee of the MVC Climate Action Task Force will speak after “8 Billion Angels,” the festival’s finale, also on Sunday, May 30. It is difficult to feel positive in light of the many disturbing issues this documentary addresses. Opening with a statement by primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall about the urgent need to reduce the population on the planet, it suggests greedy humans are destroying their own homes.
Global warming is front and center, along with overpopulation. For instance, Niger in Africa has the highest birthrate in the world. Examining a series of volcanic islands, the film looks at the long-term effects of acidification. Large fish have disappeared, as well as seaweed. Overfishing is responsible for generating greater demand than availability.
Farmers discuss the growth of industrial crops, resulting in an increasing loss of the water necessary to increase harvests. The use of fertilizers leads to problems of water quality. The film also examines the incredible pollution of the sacred Ganges River. “A river is a mirror that reflects a society,” suggests one individual interviewed.
This documentary suggests the future may be bleak, but it is far from hopeless. The education of women is one of the important ways to reduce overpopulation. And in patriarchal societies, the goal is to encourage men to take responsibility for reducing population. “Action is the antidote to despair,” says one expert. “The last thing out of Pandora’s box was hope,” he says.
Information and tickets to the Environmental Film Festival are available at mvfilmsociety.com.
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