Synopsis
With around 1400 billion tons of carbon dioxide trapped in the lower atmosphere and the invention of napalm, pesticides, and radioactivity, man has irrevocably changed Earth. Using extensive archival footage, this documentary tracks how man has exploited the planet for his own gain and to the detriment of the natural world, over the last two centuries.
A word from Tënk
Identifying clearly the causes that have brought us to this Anthropocene era is the first step towards another world; however, reviewing the historical articulations between them, in this globalized industrial era, is fundamental. Without overwhelming us, this film sets out a chronology of human actions over the last three centuries, a scene-by-scene account of the far-from secondary role played by coal, deforestation, oil, chemicals, pesticides, industrial and individual over-consumption, etc. The effects have outweighed the forces of globalization. The effects have surpassed geophysical forces and created undeniable impacts on terrestrial ecosystems leading this Anthropocene era to unfold.
I, therefore, thank the artisans behind this film for reiterating these historical milestones and emphasizing that these are not mere details of history, but the result of univocal, hegemonic thinking that fuels the scenes of progress. No regime other than capitalism has been so devastating to biodiversity; humans have eaten and are eating the Earth without an end in sight.
Concurrently, let us draw on Donna J. Haraway (Living with Trouble, 2023) who seeks to "calm the storm and rebuild peaceful places" while inviting us to face the trouble we've created; which this film achieves brilliantly.
Sylvie Lapointe
Filmmaker
