Th weekend might be over but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good movie today or any other night of the week. In fact, that's probably the best time to watch one. And though you might be thinking of a rom-com or a new superhero movie to unwind, perhaps you should keep in mind that there are other, more educational films that could be equally interesting to watch. Movies that can teach you new things about the planet we're living and its most pressing issues, all of them made with passion and creativity.
We firmly believe that this kind of cinema is worth checking out regularly, not just because they are a great way of learning but because they are great films in their own right. Don't believe us? Try one of these!
Bikes vs. Cars
Bikes vs. Cars is a film from BANANAS! and Big Boys Gone Bananas! with director Fredrik Gertten. This film explores the daily grind of traffic around the world. There probably isn't a substantial amount of cities or towns that don’t have some sort of traffic issue during the daily commute back and forth to work. In some major cities, it has almost become expected and even planned accordingly.
Such traffic isn't just a problem for impatient people. We all already know about the pollution situation related to the amount of cars on the road. With one billion cars being sold, it’s no wonder there is an issue. Combine that pollution problem with the traffic inefficiency and you have a recipe for an increasing disaster. This film, however, depicts the journey of those who are struggling to change this.
Follow along with Aline at Sao Paulo’s Ciclofaxia where the Sunday ride on Paulista Avenue is available for bicycles only. Aline likes to promote the positive benefits of cycling, but her city is infamously known to be a city where one cyclist is killed every four days.
Project:Ice
This movie takes a look at something that the average person rarely thinks about – ice. Taking a look at North America’s five Great Lakes, digital cinema allows for cameras to venture out to study and explore the past, the present, and the potential for future for these great bodies of water.
William Kleinert is the Executive Producer and Director behind this innovative film. This is a feature length film that depicts the story of the Great Lakes through the lens of ice. It tells a story of how climate change has and will continue to change the worldif we don't do anything to stop it.
Charlie's Country
Rolf de Heer is the director for this eco-friendly film picked as the Australian entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 87th Academy Awards. There was also a screening for this film in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Such possibilities came thanks to the film's audacity and astonishing direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpcfNQ6tiiE
The plot behind this is based on the main character, Charlie, an Aboriginal man. Although, he fishes barramundi fish, his spear is viewed as a weapon and taken by local police. Charlie chooses to leave his homeland as he no longer feels connected to this part of his world. Charlie’s character goes through many changes as a result and through a struggle that will certainly teach you something.
As we said above, all of these films are entertaining. However, they represent so much more than entertainment. These are real life views of what can and is happening in the environment and in the world as it relates to how we treat it. Such topics always make for some powerful cinema, so you should definitely check these movies out when you have the time.
Posted May 10, 2015
by Gabriel Posternak.
