Environmental Documentaries
Below is a curated list of videos and environmental documentaries which we hope will both educate and inspire you to make the change to a more sustainable lifestyle. We plan to grow this collection over time and welcome suggestions for new and interesting videos you want to see added.
One Brown Planet Projects
A list of all the projects that One Brown Planet has worked on. You can also find these on our Youtube channel.
TedXYouth@TES
Beach Cleaning - The Movie
The World's Largest PlasticTurtle
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TedXYouth@TES
Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. Waste activist Mark Blackburn challenges the way we deal with trash. He works to highlight how our established model of consumerism is devastating the environment and our health. Working with people from all across Asia, he is re-imagining the way we consume, beyond the “gratification of now” towards a more sustainable future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx -
Beach Cleaning - The Movie
Such an awesome day beach cleaning at Koh Rin in Thailand 2015. Big big thanks as ever to Gwyn from Dive Tribe -Thailand and Project – Koh Rin Island for organising and helping out and of course Matias Berra and his crew from il-mato.biz for the film clip and editing. Hopefully, you are inspired for the next event in August/Septemeber withSarah Collie and Gwyn Mills. Please don’t forget to like us at One Brown Planet and let’s keep this good thing going! http://onebrownplanet.com/beach-clean... #plasticpollution #beachclean #thailand -
The World's Largest PlasticTurtle
The making of the world's largest waste plastic sea turtle is the culmination of a 2-year project. Using only industrial and domestic waste plastic this giant 4m turtle was designed and made by artist Annie Hsiao-Wen Wang. The turtle was made in the hope that it will bring attention to the issues turtles and other sea life endure every day as we continue to pollute our oceans with plastics and much much more. To read more about the background of this story and what motivated Annie to spend 2 years making this turtle as well as other stories please go to www.onebrownplanet.com. Also visit Annie's website at: www.anniewangartist.com
Free Environmental Documentaries
A collection of beautiful, inspiring and powerful environmental documentaries discussing some of the challenges the planet is facing today.
Losing Tomorrow
Life is One
Midway, a plastic island
Forest Man
Of Forests and Men
PLASTICIZED
Green
Origins
Home
Planet Ocean
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Losing Tomorrow
The film is both a poetical film on the biodiversity of the Indonesian tropical rainforest and an insight into the logging industry in Indonesia. The first part of the film is centered around the character of a large male orangutan as it gently roams in the forest, allowing the audience to discover the amazing biodiversity that is part of the orangutans’ habitat. (This first part is actually identical to my first film named Tears of Wood). The second part of the film is about the timber industry, the pulp and paper industry, and land conversion for palm oil plantations. The film also puts the onus on the working conditions of the local population. Not only is the logging industry destroying the rainforest, it is also exploiting the « little » people who have no choice but to accept poorly paid and dangerous jobs. Filmmaker Patrick Rouxel -
Life is One
“Life is One” is the story of three orphan sun bear cubs from Indonesia and their return to the wild. The story is told by the foster parent of these cubs who accompanied them to their independence. The viewer is placed in total immersion with the bears in the rainforest and discovers how beautiful, joyful and energetic they are. The film is a tribute to life on earth, a reminder that we are all connected and that we owe respect and compassion to those we share the planet with. This film was completed on Sept 20th 2016 and is not yet available for streaming online, but will hopefully soon be showing on television around the world. In the meantime please watch the teaser. A film by Patrick Rouxel 52 min - 2016 -
Midway, a plastic island
Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean (CNN) -- The distance from humanity yawns out in front of you when you stand on the pale sands of this tiny Pacific island. Midway Atoll is just about the furthest piece of land from civilization and its constant engine whir, data and jostle. Standing on the island's remote shoreline brings a calm and humility -- until you look down at your feet. By Nick Paton Walsh, Ingrid Formanek, Jackson Loo and Mark Phillips -
Forest Man
Since the 1970's Majuli islander Jadav Payeng has been planting trees in order to save his island. To date he has single handedly planted a forest larger than Central Park NYC. His forest has transformed what was once a barren wasteland, into a lush oasis. Humble yet passionate and philosophical about his work. Payeng takes us on a journey into his incredible forest. A co-production between: Polygon Window Productions: polygonwindowproductions.com Title Media: http://www.titlefilms.be -
Of Forests and Men
Yann Arthus-Bertrand was appointed by the United Nations to produce the official film for the International Year of Forests. Following the success of Home which was seen by 400 million people, the photographer began producing a short 7-minute film on forests made up of aerial images from Home and the Earth from Above television programmes. This film will be shown during a plenary session of the Ninth Session of United Nations Forum on Forests (24 January - 4 February 2011) in New York. It will be available to all from February 2 – for free – so that it can be shown worldwide -
PLASTICIZED
PLASTICIZED is an intimate account of a first-hand journey aboard the Sea Dragon with the 5 Gyres Institute on the very first scientific expedition, focused on plastic waste, through the centre of the South Atlantic Ocean. An eye-opening story about the institute's global mission to study the effects, reality, and scale of plastic pollution around the world. To find out more about the film, head to: www.plasticizedthemovie.com Go to 5gyres.org to learn more about the topic of oceanic plastic pollution where you can also become part of the solution. Contact info@lutmanfilms.com to find out about the use of the film PLASTICIZED for education. PLASTICIZED is available with English closed captioning as well as Russian, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. -
Green
Her name is Green, she is alone in a world that doesn't belong to her. She is a female orangutan, victim of deforestation and resource exploitation. This film is an emotional journey with Green's final days. It is a visual ride presenting the treasures of rainforest biodiversity in Indonesia and the devastating impacts of logging and land clearing for the palm oil plantations and the pulp and paper industry. A film by Patrick Rouxel -
Origins
Four years in the making, Origins is a stunningly ambitious new documentary that challenges us to reevaluate our existence in the modern world, and embrace the simplicities that defined the beginnings of our species. "I believe to understand our present and to map our future, we have to go back in time," says Alan McSmith, an ecology instructor and a key interview subject featured in the film. Like McSmith, Origins argues that the keys to survival for both the human race and the planet that surrounds us can only be understood by looking back on the origins of our species nearly 200,000 years ago. From the vast plains of Africa to the microbes that live in our gut, Origins illustrates that the forces that compromise our potential to thrive are only outmatched by our capacity to provoke profound and positive change. The fundamentals of that change can be gleaned from a simple study of our ancestors. The first humans established the evolutionary building blocks that have proven most meaningful to our continued survival as a species. They nurtured a respectful and harmonious connection to nature, developed an uncanny ability to adapt, and constructed the tools needed to ensure that all of their basic needs were met. In the face of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, those basic needs have remained unchanged, yet our modern technologies often imperil the very elements we rely upon to nourish and sustain us. We are more isolated from our natural environment than ever before, and that dynamic has resulted in an unparalleled number of chronic health concerns, a deteriorating planet, and increasingly severe obstacles for our children and grandchildren. The purity of our existence has been threatened by temporary comforts. Pesticides, hormones and sugars have eradicated much of the nutritional content in the foods we eat, compromising our immune systems and leaving us more vulnerable to disease. Monstrous pollution and toxicity levels represent perhaps the greatest threat to civilization, and their negative effects can be witnessed in forms as varied as the sunscreen we apply to our skin and the air that we breathe into our lungs. While the challenges facing us might seem insurmountable and complex, the solutions are anything but. Brimming with passionate and persuasive testimony from a distinguished panel of experts in fields ranging from anthropology to medicine, Origins shows us that the power to reverse the tide of destruction is as simple as eating clean foods, rejecting a sedentary lifestyle, and embracing the circle of life in which we all play a part. These revelations make Origins truly inspiring and essential viewing for all audiences who are anxious to make their own change in the world. Produced by Pedram Shojai @pedramshojai -
Home
Directed by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and narrated by Glenn Close, HOME takes you on a visually stunning, spectacular voyage around the world. It is a unique film that approaches the current debate about climate change from a whole new angle, giving viewers the opportunity to see for themselves how our earth is changing. Going well beyond the scientific reports, charts and graphs, this film is an inspiration that speaks to our hearts and touches our souls. Spanning 54 countries and 120 locations, all seen from the air, the film captures the Earth’s most amazing landscapes, showcasing its incomparable beauty and acknowledging its vulnerability. HOME is a compelling emotional reminder of what is at stake: the Earth, in all its beauty, and the people who live on it. HOME is the first major film about climate change that has been made using only aerial photography. The film marks artist and activist, Yann Arthus-Betrand’s feature film directorial debut. HOME is a non-for-profit film project, produced by the French film director and producer Luc Besson (Europacorp), Denis Carot (Elzevir Films) and supported by the PPR group. HOME: AN EXCEPTIONAL EVENT More than a film, HOME was conceived as a gift to the public and has been a major event all over the globe. Since World Environment Day, June 5, 2009, when it was released worldwide across all media platforms – theater, television, DVD and Internet – more than 600 million people has watched the 118-minute film. On the day of its release, free screenings took place across 5 continents. Today, the film has been translated into many languages, broadcast on numerous television channels and seen over 15 million times on YouTube. Watch the film : http://youtu.be/jqxENMKaeCU?hd=1 If you are an NGO or a school and that you wish to organize a free screening of the film HOME, please contact the GoodPlanet Foundation: home@goodplanet.org -
Planet Ocean
A 90 minute film directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot. Can we imagine a film that would change the way people look at the ocean? Can we explain simply, to everyone, the greatest natural mystery of our planet? And lastly, can we help our children believe in a better and more sustainable world tomorrow? This is the triple challenge of a new cinema adventure signed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and editor- in-chief Michael Pitiot, who brings with him the scientific missions of TARA, a unique pool of researchers, oceanographers and biologists from several countries. Thanks to its astonishing photography, the film takes us on a magnificent and unprecedented journey into the heart of the least known regions of our planet. The film narrates the most marvelous and also the most terrifying human experiences of our time. Filmed in extreme geographical conditions all over the globe, it describes the modern Odyssey of people who go out to discover their blue planet. The film is also a plea for humanity to respect the world in which we live. It serves a noble and universal cause that will be defended at the next Earth Summit, in Rio, in 2012. If you are an NGO or a school and that you wish to organize a free screening of the film Planet Ocean, please contact the GoodPlanet Foundation : jacqueline@goodplanet.org Planet Ocean won the best cinematography award at the Blue Ocean Film Festival OMEGA This humanist initiative has received support from the prestigious watch-making firm OMEGA. The firm, which specializes in high precision in extreme environments, invented the first deep-sea diving watch. From Jacques Maillot to Sir Peter Blake, Jacques Cousteau and Dame Ellen MacArthur, OMEGA has supported exploration of the oceans for over a century. Today, OMEGA has agreed to support Planet Ocean. PRICES Best Cinematography Award, Blue Ocean Festival Audience Award, UK Green Film Festival Best Film Award Prague Festival First prize documentary section 'Save and Preserve" film festival in Russia WEBSITE OF THE OCEAN PROGRAM http://ocean.goodplanet.org
Paid Environmental Documentaries
Some of our favourite and most awarded environmental documentaries of recent times. Discussing many issues including sustainability, food waste and global warming.
Minimalism
Food Inc
Cowspiracy
A Plastic Ocean
Before the Flood
River Blue
Divide in Concord
The Clean Bin Project
Bag It
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Minimalism
A documentary about important things -
Food Inc
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. -
Cowspiracy
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, water consumption and pollution, is responsible for more greenhouse gases than the transportation industry, and is a primary driver of rainforest destruction, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion, ocean “dead zones,” and virtually every other environmental ill. Yet it goes on, almost entirely unchallenged. As Andersen approaches leaders in the environmental movement, he increasingly uncovers what appears to be an intentional refusal to discuss the issue of animal agriculture, while industry whistleblowers and watchdogs warn him of the risks to his freedom and even his life if he dares to persist. As eye-opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet, and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population. -
A Plastic Ocean
A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot on more than 20 locations over the past 4 years. Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. WANT TO SEE THIS FILM? GO TO http://aplasticocean.film/ AND JOIN OUR CAUSE! https://youtu.be/6zrn4-FfbXw -
Before the Flood
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award®-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent the disruption of life on our planet. Beyond the steps we can take as individuals, the film urges viewers to push their elected officials in supporting the use of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. “We need everyone to demand bold action from their political leaders and to elect representatives who have their best interests at heart, not the interests of corporations to perpetuate a cycle of greed and destruction,” says DiCaprio. “This documentary shows how interconnected the fate of all humanity is — but also the power we all possess as individuals to build a better future for our planet.” -
River Blue
Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, one of our favorite iconic products has destroyed rivers and impacted the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival. RIVERBLUE brings awareness to the destruction of a some of the world’s most vital rivers through the manufacturing of our clothing, but will also act as a demand for significant change in the textile industry from the top fashion brands that can make a difference. -
Divide in Concord
Divide in Concord is a feature-length documentary that follows the entertaining tale of banning bottled water in small town America. In 1775, Concord patriots fired the infamous 'shot heard round the world' that began a Revolution and defined a nation. Now a local eighty-four year-old woman has waged another seemingly unwinnable battle. For three years Jean Hill has been trying to rid the town of single-serve plastic bottles of water. Complete with strong opposition from local merchants and the bottled water industry, Jean is once again leading the controversial crusade. -
The Clean Bin Project
Is it possible to live completely waste free? In this multi-award winning, festival favourite, partners Jen and Grant go head to head in a competition to see who can swear off consumerism and produce the least garbage Their light-hearted competition is set against a darker examination of the problem waste. Even as Grant and Jen start to garner interest in their project, they struggle to find meaning in their minuscule influence on the large-scale environmental impacts of our “throw-away society”. Described as An Inconvenient Truth meets Super Size Me, The Clean Bin Project features laugh out loud moments, stop motion animations, and unforgettable imagery. Captivating interviews with renowned artist, Chris Jordan and TED Lecturer Captain Charles Moore, make this film a fun and inspiring call to individual action that speaks to crowds of all ages. AWARDS Best Environmental Documentary Feature, Atlanta DocuFest Best Feature Film, Golden Film Festival Grand Prize Best of Show, Filmshift Festival Audience Choice, Reel Earth Film Festival Best Canadian Documentary, Projecting Change Best Conservation Film, Bend Film Festival Runner Up Audience Choice Best Documentary, Tallgrass Film Festival Inspiring Community Action Award, Princeton Environmental Film Festival Blue Sky Tribute Award, Vail Film Festival MOBI Award (Journalism/Media), Recycling Council of BC -
Bag It
What starts as a film about plastic bags evolves into an extensive investigation into plastic and its effect on our waterways, oceans and even our bodies. Starring:Jeb Berrier, Jared Blumenfeld, Martin Bourque
TED Talks
The list of TED talks is endless but we have selected some of our favourites for you to view. Suggestions on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle, including a few that inspired me to act directly.
Save the oceans, feed the world!
The route to a sustainable future
Seas of plastic
Tough truths about plastic pollution
Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it
For more wonder, rewild the world
Underwater astonishments
Ocean's glory -- and horror
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Save the oceans, feed the world!
What's a marine biologist doing talking about world hunger? Well, says Jackie Savitz, fixing the world's oceans might just help to feed the planet's billion hungriest people. In an eye-opening talk, Savitz tells us what’s really going on in our global fisheries right now — it’s not good — and offers smart suggestions of how we can help them heal, while making more food for all. -
The route to a sustainable future
Worldchanging.com founder Alex Steffen argues that reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now, as the western consumer lifestyle spreads to developing countries. -
Seas of plastic
Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas -
Tough truths about plastic pollution
Artist Dianna Cohen shares some tough truths about plastic pollution in the ocean and in our lives — and some thoughts on how to free ourselves from the plastic gyre. -
Nature is everywhere — we just need to learn to see it
How do you define "nature?" If we define it as that which is untouched by humans, then we won't have any left, says environmental writer Emma Marris. She urges us to consider a new definition of nature — one that includes not only pristine wilderness but also the untended patches of plants growing in urban spaces — and encourages us to bring our children out to touch and tinker with it, so that one day they might love and protect it. -
For more wonder, rewild the world
Wolves were once native to the US' Yellowstone National Park — until hunting wiped them out. But when, in 1995, the wolves began to come back (thanks to an aggressive management program), something interesting happened: the rest of the park began to find a new, more healthful balance. In a bold thought experiment, George Monbiot imagines a wilder world in which humans work to restore the complex, lost natural food chains that once surrounded us. -
Underwater astonishments
David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean. This short talk celebrates the pioneering work of ocean explorers like Edith Widder and Roger Hanlon. -
Ocean's glory -- and horror
Photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves — as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make change.
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