8 Documentaries and films on environmental issues you must add to your watch list

Climate change, global warming, deforestation, etc., have become a reality of our lives today. Although their impact seems to be in the distant future, it isn’t. We’ve all read about environmental issues, but how about we watch what is happening in the world around us? Some of the best creators and filmmakers have attempted to bring us closer to nature and teach us how to conserve and protect it.

Here’s a list of the best documentaries and films that will urge you to make a difference:

1. David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

This documentary is about David Attenborough, a 94-year-old naturalist, who walks the audience through this long and successful career. He focuses on how the biodiversity of the Earth has degenerated over the years. He takes us on a journey from Pripyat to the African Serengeti to help us see the state of the world first hand. He sheds light on the state of wildlife on Earth and gives the audience solutions to restore biodiversity.

2. My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher is a fantastic documentary that captures the friendship between filmmaker and diver Craig Foster and a common wild octopus. The documentary is filmed under the waters of False Bay near Cape Town. The documentary allows viewers to track every movement of the octopus, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Foster later explains the encounter he had with the octopus and how it translates to the relationship he shares with his son, who is also a marine life enthusiast.

3. The Ivory Game

The Ivory Game deep dives into the poaching of elephants for ivory and the unsustainable trading of wildlife commodities. The documentary follows undercover filmmakers who investigate China and Hong Kong’s multi-million-dollar ivory trade industry. The documentary also deals with the repercussions of this trade and the corruption that fuels it. The audience is also warned about the impending extinction of elephants in the next decade if no action is taken.

4. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

This film focuses on the impacts of animal agriculture like deforestation, water pollution and soil erosion. The film calls the industry a destructive one and states that it is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. We also gain insight into the reluctant responses of leading environmental organizations to discuss the issue openly.

5. The Day After Tomorrow

Although this film doesn’t seem like one that deals with environmental issues since it is an apocalyptic action movie in the realms of science fiction, it is a commentary on the disruption of the North Atlantic Ocean due to climate change. The film aims to convey to the audience that human actions are transforming the climate, which will lead to the inevitable wrath of nature.

6. Before the Flood

This documentary is based on climate change and gives viewers a sneak peek into its impact on the world we live in. It inculcates a sense of urgency to save the planet among viewers and gives them solutions to the problem too. The documentary deals with the issue of carbon tax; a concept rarely dealt with in the media. The focus is also on climate change denial among politicians and multi-million-dollar companies in the United States.

7. An Inconvenient Truth

This documentary film aims at educating the masses about global warming. The director, Davis Guggenheim, follows Al Gore on a series of lectures. The former presidential candidate raises awareness about climate change and calls for immediate action to curb its disastrous effects on the environment.

8. Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral is a documentary cautioning viewers about the increasing rate of vanishing coral reefs across the world. A team of experienced divers, scientists and photographers take it upon themselves to discover the reason behind the phenomenon and reveal underwater mysteries to the world.