Abstract
This study examines examples of diverse cinematic approaches to documenting the onset of the “anthropocene age” and efforts to slow or reverse damage to the natural world through the practice of rewilding. The Canadian documentary feature ANTHROPOCENE presents a visually stunning and at times almost fatalistic documentation of the damage being done to the planet in an essay form. National Geographic’s SEA OF SHADOWS documents the efforts of scientists and law enforcement authorities to combat the depletion of aquatic life in the Sea of Cortez in a more science and nature TV format, while the new Netflix series OUR PLANET works to create a balance between the world we have created and a vision of what was and could be in the natural world. This approach is augmented by an ambitious companion immersive virtual reality piece created with the World Wildlife Fund which has been rolled out in locations across the world. Through brief examinations of these various approaches to addressing the most pressing issue of our time, this paper addresses questions of the role in art in mobilizing public opinion and impacting international policy, the balance between presenting the “worst case scenario” and instilling hope in the audience, and the ways in which creative practice can advance and illuminate scientific solutions to the problems we face as a species.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Documentary, Ecology, Rewilding
