Among the many films that tackle the topic of sustainability, some stand out. Our list covers 1983-2011, and all but one are available on DVD. Some are well-known, but, truth to tell, they all should be.

Toward Living Pono (2008) Hawaii-born actor/farmer Jason Scott Lee made this documentary about the organic farming methods (no pesticides, et al.) he learned in Japan under Masanobu Fukuoka (One-Straw Revolution). The close-to-the-land approach he applies to his 25 acres of former forest land has been combined with his fishing methods (he dug a fishpond on his property with windmill).

Darfur Now (2007) This film focuses on Darfur to bring light to the problems that come with transporting food supplies for the World Food Program,. Produced by actor Don Cheadle and aided by George Clooney.

Gasland (2010) Receiving spotty distribution is this searing study of the vise-like grip of the oil/gas/shale power structure and the impact of this on finding and promoting alternative energy sources.

King Corn (2007) A study, much deplored by the corn industry, of how corn–particularly corn syrup–increases calories in human food, and acts as a toxin in corn-fed cattle. The film compares corn-fed and grass-fed beef and the revelations are startling.

Microcosmos (1996) This astounding film uses nano-cinematography to study insects and plants that are almost invisible to the human eye. Thanks to the combined efforts of French, Italian and Swiss filmmakers, he necessary ecology–the balance of life–is thus made visible. A one-of-a-kind film and a “must-see.”

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) Now with added footage, is Al Gore’s multi-media presentation on global warming, an enormously influential film. George W. may have refused to see it, but it’s estimated that most congresspersons signed on to watch.

Cool It (2010) The loyal opposition comes in the person of Danish renegade scientist Bjorn Lomborg. This new DVD, based on the book by the same title, says we are all wrong in emphasizing carbon footprint exploration, but should instead invest in renewable energy and geo-engineering. But does this anti-Al Gore speak the truth? Fascinating stuff.

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) How was the first thrust of production of the electric car nipped in the bud? And who did it? Here, the bodies are exhumed, the politics explained, the propaganda deconstructed. Why see this? Because many of the key villains are still alive and kicking, if sporadically,

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) The granddaddy of all sustainability films, Godfrey Reggio’s first of the “qatsi” trio covers the US from strip mining, to inner-city decay, to industrial waste, to pollution in a tour-de-force visual study. The title is from a Hopi expression meaning the Earth is out-of-balance. Indeed.

Disneynature: Earth (2009) This big-budget Disney entry, as much travelogue as environmental study, shows us what we are losing. Beautiful and persuasive. Parts of this, at first shown in theaters, are now appearing at random on the Disney channels. (The Discovery channel series, Planet Earth, is similar in format and style.)

Green Films

Little-known to most audiences is the phenomenon of Green Films, films in pre-production, production and post-production that leave much less of a carbon footprint.

This method of leaving less waste, and being less disturbing to the ecological balance is best explained by writer-director Chris Carter in a fulsome extra to his X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008). He describes in detail how the film, shot in Canada, used “green methods” to reduce waste and pollution.

Today, about 15 percent of films produced are Green films and are listed as such in the closing credits. Green films began in 1992 with Baraka and are now regularly produced by major studios, with ecology zealots demanding more.

Narrative (story-line) films with ecology themes are available on DVD. These include Silent Running, Soylent Green, The Quiet Earth, Prophecy, Princess Mononoke and The Road.

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