My Green Family. ramblings of one family's journey to green living

Some of you may not know this about Odum and I but we loooove movies and we have a pretty big collection. We watch a lot of action and sci-fi, we love a good comedy and anything by Pixar and we are huge Tarantino and Micheal Bay fans. And just in the past few years I have come to appreciate and love documentaries. I first fell in love with docs after I watched Micheal Moore’s Bowling for Columbine, I’ve been hooked ever since. I think the reason I find documentaries so captivating, especially those “call to action” docs is that they portray issues in such a brutally honest way. There is no script, there are no special effects, its real people telling their story, raising awareness for their cause. Kinda like what we try to do here on the blog. So in honour of Oscar weekend here is a rundown of my favorite documentaries that are both eco and socially conscience.

Food, Inc.
Simply amazing. It really makes you rethink what you eat and how it affects, not just the planet, but the economy and the people within the food industry. It raises many questions about the future of our food supply and the repercussions of genetically modifying our food. It also really focuses on the business side of the equation and how there are very few corporations controlling food production. Gives you a lot of food for thought, insert groan here:)

The Corporation
Did you know that a corporation is legally a person? Well I didn’t until I watched this movie. The filmmakers endeavor to find out what kind of person a corporation is by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual psychiatrists use and citing case studies. They conclude that corporations are psychopaths that dominate and control the world on an economic, political and social level. This is my go to movie for inspiration to continue to be green and less of a consumer.

The Cove
If you are an animal lover this will be difficult to watch. It shows how a team uncovers brutal dolphin massacres in Japan. It’s very powerful.

Home
This movie was shot using the same type of camera as the Planet Earth series and its is stunning. It details our planet, our home, from its origins to present day and the environmental and socio-economic impact we have had on the earth. The really amazing thing about this movie is you can watch it for free here. And the filmmakers did this on purpose so everyone can watch it and be inspired to do something. This movie is also carbon offset, meaning they calculated the CO2 emissions they made and offset them by funding clean energy.

An Inconvenient Truth
This the Al Gore movie. I really enjoyed it. I found that his science was solid and he put global warming in terms that anyone could understand. It was also interesting to hear his story and why spreading the word is important to him.

The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See
Odum found this on YouTube, apparently it went viral a few years ago. Its nothing special and not a real movie, its like 10 minutes. But this ordinary guy is a freaking genius! Whether you think humans have caused climate change or not, you can not help but agree with his logic: we need to do something to be prepared for the worst. Seriously he should be some sort of government advisor.

These last two aren’t really eco-conscience but more socially conscience.

Anything by Micheal Moore
Usually you can’t go wrong with Micheal Moore. I haven’t seen the newest one yet, Capitalism: A Love Story, but my favorite is probably Sicko. He does a really excellent job of getting real life stories, talking to people on the front lines of issues like health care, and rallying people together. And there’s always a funny little antic he pulls to make his point.

Autism: The Musical
This is a really powerful documentary following five families with children on the spectrum. One of the moms forms a theater group for a group of children with autism and her goal is to have them preform a musical. Its very raw and very real. It looks at the parents relationships, advocating for your child and the range of emotions parents go through. But most important it shows these kids accomplishing an incredible goal.

I’m not the greatest review writer, but I hope you check out these movies. And if you have any to suggest to me fire away!