Movies About Climate Change

From Louie Psihoyos, starring Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones, Michael Illiff
Rated PG-13

The Cove is a powerful documentary that follows the efforts of a team of filmmakers, activists, and freedivers as they set out to expose the horrors of a notorious dolphin-hunting practice in Taiji, Japan. Led by renowned dolphin trainer and environmental activist Ric O'Barry, the team infiltrates a hidden cove using state-of-the-art techniques to document and expose what is happening there. Through stunning underwater footage and heartbreaking interviews with local fishermen, they shed light on the dark world of dolphin slaughter and the dangers of ocean pollution. The Cove serves as a powerful call to action that has sparked worldwide attention to the plight of dolphins and the need to protect the oceans.

From Gabriela Cowperthwaite, starring Tilikum, Dave Duffus, Samantha Berg, Dean Gomersall
Rated PG-13

Blackfish is a 2013 American documentary film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and produced by Manny Oteyza. The film focuses on Tilikum, an orca held by SeaWorld, and the controversy over captive killer whales. Through interviews with former SeaWorld trainers and experts on animal behavior, the film explores the consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity. It also documents the dangerous effects that captivity has had on Tilikum, who was involved in the deaths of three people. The film argues that the captive environment is damaging to the whales' physical and psychological well-being, leading them to become more aggressive with trainers and visitors to the parks. The film was a critical success, with many reviewers praising its message and Cowperthwaite's directing. It won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.

From Robert Kenner, starring Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Richard Lobb, Vince Edwards
Rated PG

Food, Inc. is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Robert Kenner. The film examines corporate farming in the United States, concluding that agribusiness produces food that is unhealthy, in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and employees. It looks at the industrial production of meat (chicken, beef, and pork), grains, and vegetables and suggests that the conglomerate control of the food industry has an adverse effect on not only the health of Americans and the environment, but also the farmers and workers who grow, process, and distribute the food. It details how large companies have taken control of the food system, leaving small farmers unable to compete and how these companies utilize their power to drive down wages, increase prices, and control the government agencies that are supposed to be regulating them. The film also examines the use of genetically modified organisms in the food supply, industrial farming practices and the environmental damage caused by them, and the use of antibiotics and growth hormones in livestock.

From Jeff Orlowski-Yang, starring James Balog, Svavar Jónatansson, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone
Rated PG-13

Chasing Ice is a 2012 award-winning documentary film directed by Jeff Orlowski-Yang. It follows the efforts of National Geographic photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) team as they document the effects of climate change on glaciers across the Arctic. The team uses revolutionary time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. In the film, Balog journeys to some of the most remote and extreme corners of the Arctic to capture a visually stunning, epic record of the world's melting glaciers. Through his education on the melting glaciers, Balog strives to educate people about climate change and its consequences.

From Rupert Murray, starring Ben Bradshaw, Roberto Mielgo Bragazzi, Charles Clover, John Crosbie
Rated Unrated

The End of the Line is a 2009 documentary film which explores the devastating effects of overfishing on the world's oceans. The film follows journalist Charles Clover as he attempts to bring attention to the issue of overfishing and its consequences. Along the way, he meets with those who are working to prevent the destruction of our ocean's fisheries, as well as those who are profiting from it. The film highlights the fact that if current trends continue, the world's fish stocks could collapse within a matter of decades, leading to devastating consequences for marine ecosystems worldwide. It also brings to light the extreme measures some countries are taking to protect their own fish stocks, such as establishing huge marine reserves, while leaving other countries to suffer the consequences of overfishing. Ultimately, the film serves as a call to action to individuals and governments alike, urging them to take the necessary steps to ensure a sustainable future for the world's fisheries.

From Davis Guggenheim, starring Al Gore, Billy West, George Bush, George W. Bush
Rated PG

From Directors: Leila Conners, Nadia Conners, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kenny Ausubel, Thom Hartmann, Wangari Maathai
Rated PG