Bag It, directed by Suzan Beraza – Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes-single-use disposable bags that we mindlessly throw away. But where is “away?” Where do the bags and other plastics end up, and at what cost to our environment, marine life and human health? Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic world. Jeb is not a radical environmentalist, but an average American who decides to take a closer look at our cultural love affair with plastics. Jeb’s journey in this documentary film starts with simple questions: Are plastic bags really necessary? What are plastic bags made from? What happens to plastic bags after they are discarded? Jeb looks beyond plastic bags and discovers that virtually everything in modern society—from baby bottles, to sports equipment, to dental sealants, to personal care products—is made with plastic or contains potentially harmful chemical additives used in the plastic-making process. When Jeb’s journey takes a personal twist, we see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up with us and what we can do about it. Today. Right now.
No Impact Man, directed by Laura Gaggert and Justin Schein – Colin Beavan is a liberal schlub who got tired of listening to himself complain about the world without ever actually doing anything about it. Thus, in November, 2006, Beavan launched a year-long project in which he, his wife, his 2-year-old daughter and his 4-year-old dog went off the grid and attempted to live in the middle of New York City with as little environmental impact as possible. The No Impact project has been the subject of stories in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and many other national and international news outlets. Beavan has appeared on The Colbert Report, Good Morning America, Nightline, The Montel Show, and all the major NPR shows. He speaks regularly to a wide variety of audiences, is frequently quoted in the press and consults to business on the intersection of sustainability and human quality of life.
Plastic Planet, directed by Werner Boote – In the tradition of Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock, this feisty yet informative documentary takes us on a journey around the globe—from the Moroccan Sahara to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, from a factory in China to the highest peaks of the Alps—to reveal the far-flung reach of plastic. Interviews with the world’s foremost experts in biology, pharmacology, and genetics shed light on the perils of plastic to our environment and expose the truth of how plastic affects our bodies…and the health of future generations.
Tapped, directed by Stephanie Soechtig – Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? Stephanie Soechtig’s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., this timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. From the plastic production to the ocean in which so many of these bottles end up, this inspiring documentary trails the path of the bottled water industry and the communities which were the unwitting chips on the table.
Addicted to Plastic, directed by Ian Connacher – From styrofoam cups to artificial organs, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence and presence than synthetics. But such progress has had a cost. Addicted To Plastic is a point-of-view style documentary that encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic’s path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions—which include plastic made from plants—will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic.
Unacceptable Levels — Over 80,000 chemicals flow through our system of commerce, and many are going straight into our bodies. UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS presents us with the story of how the chemical revolution brought us to where we are, and of where, if we’re not vigilant, it may take us. Starring: Ken Cook, Christopher Gavigan. Runtime: 1 hour, 21 minutes.
