Earth Protectors (2023)

Opis: As a leading environmental artist, Anne de Carbuccia has for the last decade artistically portrayed and documented human-caused threats to the planet, including drought, plastic oceans, species extinction and endangered cultures. Her feature-length documentary, Earth Protectors addresses our need to adapt as a species to the Anthropocene: the new era in which the impact of humans overwhelms natural cycles with fires, floods, pollution, super typhoons and a deadly virus that has paralyzed our planet. A burning planet and a silently spreading disease provide incontrovertible evidence for the necessity of systemic change. On her expeditions around the world creating her art installations, Anne meets a new generation of women and men who are working to save our planet and is inspired by their commitment and their achievements. Her narrative recounts the stories and the diversity of these young protagonists whom she calls "Earth Protectors". The film takes us on an emotional journey, crossing the continents to meet these change-makers who have dedicated their lives to our planet and who are adapting by inventing new ways forward. We meet Lili in the Yucatán, Tashi in Upper Mustang, Dasha in Siberia, Mariasole in Italy, Alexandria in New York, and Jared in the Peruvian Amazon. They are fighting droughts, protecting reefs, helping climate refugees and defending the Amazon; and all of them are contributing to create a new system. They form a collective of citizen empowerment and their voices become one voice in the film.The obstacles faced by these Earth Protectors are contextualized by Dr. Julie Pullen, a prominent earth scientist, who has collaborated with Anne for many years. Their exchanges in the film provide relevant information and remind us of the leading role science must play on the path to adaptation. Anne also addresses the social tensions linked to this transformational period from climate refugees to the environmental youth movement. She weaves together the stories of the Earth Protectors like a patchwork, with impactful images and interviews. The film shows us that the threats posed by the Anthropocene are all interconnected and cannot be dealt with individually. Solutions can only be found by collective and global action. Earth Protectors gives hope and inspires us all to act. It also amplifies how modern technologies can work for the planet rather than against it.While filming this documentary, Anne and her crew (along with the rest of the world) are confronted with the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis brings focus to the film's message and highlights the importance of both our connection to our planet and of trust in science.