Noteworthy Films on Climate Solutions and Ecosystem Restoration
Here is just a beginning list of titles, there is a whole universe of films out there on the subject, many of them well worth watching. This one was put together on February 24, 2024 by Michael Pilarski, of the Global Earth Repair Foundation
The Global Earth Repair Foundation is sponsoring a Climate Solutions Film Series in 2024 and 2025 which is to include 11 showings. These will include full-length documentary movies, as well as medium-length and short films. Here are the movies which are rising to the top for us to show.
We are researching and people are giving us advice. Here is a list of movies we have compiled so far. We have been focusing on recent films. In particular, we would like to find films with an indigenous perspective and from the Global South. Do you have recommendations of other films to add to this list?
This exciting compilation of films together give a global picture of ecological solutions (and some social) to our global crises. Local and global perspectives.
In addition to this short list, we’ve also compiled a list of all the documentary-style films from our “Hall of Fame” and those are available here – https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/hall-of-documentaries/ – There are also many great, older films we will want to add to our inventory over time.
** = Films selected for showing in our Climate Solutions Film Series
* = Films under consideration for showing in our Climate Solutions Film Series
** The Climate Restorers: Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fcSHiGdZKotrailer
A series of four films by Transmediavision USA.
The first film in the Climate Solutions Film Festival
** Regenerating Life.
Trailer, 2:52
Three-part documentary film about how to cool the planet, feed the world, and live happily every after. 137 minutes.
The second film in the Climate Solutions Film Festival
** How Plants Cool the Planet
Produced by Jimmi Eisenstein.
more at https://www.youtube.com/@JimiSol
** The Biotic Pump: How Forests Create Rain
2:55. Jimi Eisenstein. Forests contribute to climate stability in many important ways, including creating regular rainfall patterns. If you are experiencing drought in your area, it may well be because of deforestation.
** Wisdom Weavers of the World
14:11.
Indigenous teachings.
* Ever Slow Green
56:00. 16,568 views. Dec 14, 2021
Award-winning documentary film about Auroville’s (Pondicherry, India) unique reforestation work.
* Common Ground
Trailer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-M4Hq0MKFA
New film by the directors of Kiss the Ground.
* Local Climate Solutions: Biodiversity & Forest Conservation in the Sierra Gorda
Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwzBpdZxuYY
The film highlights the successful conservation and climate solutions they initiated in response to the rapid environmental deterioration of their home in the Sierra Gorda bioregion in Querétaro, Mexico.
* Finding Common Ground, South Africa
The Art of Healing the Earth. John D. Liu
52:47. 403 views. May 20, 2023
A peek into ecosystem restoration in the eastern Cape of South Africa. From one of ecosystem restoration’s best film-makers.
* Organic WINS Over Chemical Ag | Paani Foundation India #3
14:04. 155,361 views Sep 5, 2023
Permaculture instructor Andrew Millison journeys to India to film the epic work of the Paani Foundation’s Water Cup Competition and Farmer’s Cup Competition. We tour the village of Pemgiri, in Maharashtra, who competed in the 2019 competition to install the most amount of water harvesting structures in a 45 day period, and competed had farmer’s groups compete in the Farmers Cup Competition in 2023. Guided by Paani Foundation’s chief advisor, Dr. Avinash Pol, we visit the work and see the effects of a watershed-scale groundwater restoration project that has dramatically improved the lives, economy, ecology and stability of this village, and experience the feeling of deep stability that comes with a healthy and abundant landscape. Paani Foundation: https://www.paanifoundation.in/
[Ed note: One of the largest restoration projects on the planet in terms of size and population involved and speed. We need things like this all over the world within their own cultural contexts. Most of the Paani restoration is done with human power and local resources.
+ Many other Andrew Millison videos. – https://www.youtube.com/@amillison
* Climate Change: The Water Paradigm
3:04. 70,289 views Sep 8, 2020. Jimi Eisenstein
In this video, we explore why maintaining a healthy water cycle may be much more important for the health of the climate than people realize. In case you are wondering,
* PATROL
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKB0-bh4VTc
2,954 views May 24, 2023.
Indigenous people in Nicaragua protecting their rainforest from cattle settlers. The government in Nicaragua is promoting cutting down rainforest to raise beef for export. Booo!
* The Return of Old Growth Forests
57:05. 107K views 4 weeks ago.
Much of New England’s second-growth forest is on a trajectory toward old-growth, following the mid-1800’s abandonment of cleared agricultural lands. However, there is increased pressure to manage these forests, which will stall their return to their natural state. This documentary film describes the characteristics and great importance of “old growth” New England (and other northeastern) forests. Atmospheric physicist Anastassia Makarieva explains the “Biotic Pump” theory, which describes the crucial role that natural, mature, native forests play in regulating the Earth’s winds and hydrologic cycle, and the biotic pump’s feedback loop that sustains forests in minutes 37:35 to 50:00. Environmental scientist Margery Winters discusses “morticulture”, the role of fallen logs and hollow trees in the ecology of the forest and its soil. Ed Faison, Senior Ecologist at Highstead, talks about the ecological significance of older, wild forests.
* The Story of Al Baydha: A Regenerative Agriculture in the Saudi Desert
19:47. 1,110,416 views Jun 2, 2020
The final update from Al Baydha Project Co-founder Neal Spackman, 9 years in. How desertification resulted from the loss of an indigenous land management system, and how the land has changed since all inputs to the project were ceased in 2016.
* Water Stories films by Zach Weiss.
https://www.waterstories.com/stories/films
https://www.waterstories.com/stories/videos
Greening of Eritrea
16:58. 32,476 views. Nov 9, 2015
The story of the development of an Integrated Seawater Agriculture Farm (Seawater crops, shrimp and salt products) in Eritrea East Africa.
The Last Stand
An Ecoflix film. The Last Stand examines the urgent race to save the world’s last remaining ancient forests and stop global warming. Using the flashpoint of British Columbia’s “Battle for the Trees” at Fairy Creek, examines the importance of keeping intact forest ecosystems: in North America, the Amazon and around the world.
No Trees, No Rain
1:08:37. 1,957 views. Nov 16, 2022 BOSTON
Droughts and flash floods are becoming a new normal in our warming world. What changed ? Our landscapes are losing water as people alter the environment, cut trees, drain wetlands, and use chemicals that destroy the soil. And we’re feeling the heat. By learning from nature we can improve the climate where we live. We can learn from plants and trees which provide air conditioning for the Earth. They help drive the water cycle, tame damaging wind and rain storms and even address giant heat islands over the Midwest and forest fires. Climate scientists Anastassia Makarieva and Andrei Nefiodov (Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute) and botanist Jan Pokorny (co-author of the New Water Paradigm) discuss these issues and answer audience questions. Ms. Makarieva’s work co-developing the Biotic Pump theory of atmospheric moisture transfer is of singular importance.
Sacred Alaska
An award-winning documentary that offers an intimate look into Native Alaskan culture and spirituality.
Sebastiao Salgado: From stark realities to vivid conservation
24:05. A look inside the acclaimed photographer’s black and white journey from human resilience to natural conservation. Exiled from Brazil, Salgada becomes a world-traveling photographer. See especially the 2nd half of this interview/video fhis return home to Brazil to restore 2500 sq kilometers of Brazil’s Atlantic forest. Replanting the land his father cleared and bringing back the biodiversity. Planting 3 million trees. This is an AlJazeera film so we cannot show it in our Climate Solution Film Series
Water’s Way: Thinking like a Watershed.
How the watery world of the Chesapeake Bay region once functioned and how natural elements, like beavers and trees, could help clean the water again.
Before the Flood.
Directed by Fisher Stevens, and featuring Leonardo DiCaprio (2016). Looking at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems and native communities across the planet.
Heroes of the Big Scrub: restoring rainforest in Australia
31:30. 5,453 views Premiered Oct 26, 2022
Heroes of the Big Scrub is an inspiring story of a long-term ecological restoration project. The video showcases people who understood the processes of rainforest restoration ecology, and dedicated much of their life’s work to enabling substantial recovery of this unique Australian rainforest, against all odds. This is landscape scale restoration, based on bush regeneration skills and techniques. We explore the role of natural regeneration, as well as revegetation focused bush regeneration approaches in supporting and expanding remnants. A key to the story is the enthusiasm of many community members, guided by the wisdom of trailblazers, who saw ecological succession happening in their attempts to restore lowland rainforest. We see and hear how ‘the heroes’ created strategic pathways, processes and resources so that others could follow on this epic restoration adventure.
Kiss the Ground
The Longest Straw
Sam Bodie hiked the entire length of California’s longest canal (which supplies Los Angeles). Great story. Focuses mostly on problem, less on solutions.
Again, please check out the GERF Hall of Fame “Documentary List” for more title suggestions. If you have any other recommendations for titles to include here, or additions to the Hall of Fame, let us know.
