Whether you are already an active changemaker needing to rekindle the spark or are on the verge of doing something slightly crazy but meaningful, this selection of films will inspire you to make waves – and maybe take others with you by sharing the experience.
Wilding
A four-hundred-year-old estate and 3,500 acres of barren land that could no longer produce quality food or support animal husbandry, coupled with massive debt, were the shocking realities for a young couple in the UK twenty years ago.
Today, you will find a thriving family business and a land buzzing with life, where herds of old English longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, Exmoor ponies, and deer roam different habitats, and people booking safaris—yes, wildlife safaris in England.
Besides the stunning cinematography, this movie is all about trust. Trust that if allowed and nourished, nature can bounce back even from a devastating state and provide so much more value than traditional agriculture ever could.
Based on the bestselling book by Isabella Tree, Wilding takes you on an adventure at the Knepp Estate in Southern England. The journey is filled with almost too-good-to-be-real recoveries and bravery to go against the mainstream, do something unexpected and controversial at times, and find a way to bring together communities.
Turning a “biological desert” into the biggest rewilding project in Europe is proof that we can have a meaningful and beneficial relationship with nature.
Journey For Justice: Taking Climate Change to the World’s Highest Court
This Greenpeace documentary spotlights how Anjali Sharma, a law student and climate activist, travels across the Pacific Ocean on Greenpeace’s iconic ship, the Rainbow Warrior, to give voice to those most impacted by climate change.
This short film is a testament to the power of activism and embracing the law to hold polluters accountable while revealing what the climate crisis actually looks like through the eyes of local communities and Indigenous people.
The story originated from a small group of law students who formed the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change to challenge the status quo and take the climate fight to various platforms, including the International Court of Justice.
Anjali meets locals, sharing what has been happening with their homelands, their way of life, and their potential future due to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
She shines a light on people instead of numbers on spreadsheets, making it as real as it gets to spotlight how these changes affect these people.
Since its launch in July 2024, the story has reached over 30,000 viewers on YouTube and generated thousands of media appearances, drawing attention to their case while inspiring others to take action.
Slay
Looking behind the scenes of the glamorous fashion world with never-before-seen footage will make your skin crawl as Rebecca Cappelli, an award-winning French filmmaker and animal rights activist, takes you down the rabbit holes of dirty fashion industry practices.
Since its release in 2022, the movie has been labelled as the “film fashion brands don`t want you to see” as it uncovers the dark side of how fashion items are made and unravels a “harrowing story of greenwashing, mislabelling, animal cruelty and cover-ups from some of the world’s major luxury fashion brands”.
One of the questions Rebecca asks people working in fashion is whether it is “acceptable to kill animals for fashion” while relentlessly exposing issues ranging from skin trades to animal welfare and human rights”.
Besides providing an eye-opening reality of what it takes to keep the fashion industry going, such as breeding and killing 100 million wild animals at fur factories globally every year, the movie also points toward sustainable and viable alternatives that could replace current inhumane and bloody practices.
You can also find further insights and actionable steps on the Slay film website.
Watch the trailer and full movie on WaterBear Network.
Blue Carbon: Nature’s Hidden Power
A fresh-out-of-the-waves CNN film production premiered in early 2024 starring Grammy® nominated DJ and marine toxicologist Jayda G. This immersive documentary combines the universal languages of music and science into a vibrant call to action to protect the planet.
Nature-based solutions to address the looming climate crisis are gaining more attention, including blue carbon, which embraces the natural capacity of wetlands and ocean ecosystems to capture harmful planet-warming greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
“Blue carbon has such potential to help us combat climate change, as long as we listen to and learn from the stories of the people working to protect blue carbon ecosystems,” said Jayda G. “It’s made me hopeful about our future and has helped me feel more connected with mother nature. I hope that when people watch this film, they feel the same way.”
Across six countries and five continents, Jayda G uncovers blue carbon’s potential journeying from the mangroves of Vietnam and Senegal to the salt marshes of France, the seagrass meadows of Florida, and beyond.
She makes all the theories of embracing blue carbon solutions a reality by showcasing field projects that can propel us towards a net-zero future through effective carbon management.
As a bonus, Jayda merges her musicality with her “nature nerd” self as she strives to create a new anthem for nature by recording sounds from coastal habitats.
The full movie is available across CNN channels with plans to expand to other platforms.
Read our article about Ocean Innovations and Blue Carbon>>
Modern Goose
This award-winning Canadian film essay was released in 2023 with the intention of revealing a deeper message of continuity and connection with wildlife through following the journey of Canadian geese as they migrate and navigate by reading the Earth’s magnetic field.
The Modern Goose is described as a documentary “combining beauty, humour and profound empathy” as it shifts the perspective on how these animals straddle the territory between ancient instincts and the contemporary world.
One of the streaming channels claims, “This film will compel audiences to consider what it means to be living with these iconic animals, as we navigate increasingly shared spaces in our cities.”
Director Karsten Wall explains why he specifically chose this species for his documentary:
“Many geese have adapted to city life but still retain their migratory instincts. For Canadians, Canada geese can be both an urban pest and a majestic creature that symbolises the changes in season.
In many ways, this contradictory relationship mirrors humanity’s connection to the wider natural world: we idolise and cherish nature but obsessively try to control it to the point of destruction.”
Earthbound: Nzambi Matee
Nzambi Matee, Image: UNEP
There`s no need to introduce the plastic challenge, as an estimated 14 million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans annually, with estimates of over 170 trillion plastic particles afloat in the world’s oceans. Besides contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, plastic kills millions of animals on land and in water and has profound health implications for humans through consuming microplastics with drinks and food.
The Earthbound movie will take you on an inspirational journey that follows young entrepreneur Nzambi Matee on her quest to create value from waste by designing a pioneering technology that transforms plastic waste into sustainable paving bricks – starting with her hometown, Nairobi, Kenya, infamous for its extreme plastic pollution.
The story of Nzambi Matee is more than an entrepreneurial attempt to use innovation for good. Her infectious positive energy and willingness to take enormous risks while staying rooted in her community will give you goosebumps moments that make you want to change the world for the better.
Give it one and a half minutes to watch the trailer, and then you can decide for yourself.
Prior to the film launching in 2023, Matee was selected as one of the 2020 winners of the prestigious Young Champions of the Earth Awards, founded by Prince William.
Receiving the award, she said:
“It is absurd that we still have this problem of providing decent shelter – a basic human need. Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood. The potential is enormous, but its afterlife can be disastrous.”
Among others, actor and environmentalist Orlando Bloom contributed to this uplifting, solution-focused docuseries as one of the producers and narrator.
Brave Blue World – Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis
The global water crisis has driven families away from lands they called home for generations while threatening complex ecosystems to collapse, which would have devastating impacts.
Jaden Smith and other influential individuals, like Matt Damon, were involved in creating this engaging documentary, which focuses on innovation and solutions that can help solve one of the biggest challenges humanity faces.
Although this short film was initially introduced globally in 2020, the message is still relevant, and the work continues through the Water.org Foundation, co-founded by Matt Damon. So far, the charity has empowered more than 66 million people with access to safe water or sanitation through affordable financing.
“We envision a day when everybody has access to clean water and sanitation, and we envision that in our lifetime,” Matt Damon said about why this movie was close to his heart.
Watching this documentary, you can get a broad overview of the root causes of the water crisis alongside various opportunities to fix problems and address issues on a local level in a relatively short time.
The Brave Blue World is available on Netflix.
Besides big-screen movies like Don’t Look Up, the list of mind-blowing and soul-shaping documentaries could go on with films like Kiss The Ground, Chasing Coral, Thank You For The Rain, and Cowspiracy to inspire change and changemakers.
Headline image credit: Freepik.
The degree of my admiration for your work is as substantial as your own sentiment. Your visual display is tasteful, and the authored content is stylish. However, you appear apprehensive about the possibility of delivering something that may be viewed as questionable. I believe you’ll be able to rectify this matter efficiently.
you are truly a just right webmaster The site loading speed is incredible It kind of feels that youre doing any distinctive trick In addition The contents are masterwork you have done a great activity in this matter