Sustainable Rossmoor’s Film Series
Each month we highlight one or more films that inspire or advocate for environmental causes around the world. We choose films that educate us about the breadth and depth of sustainability and prompt us to make better choices. All movies will be shown in the Peacock Theater. The standing featured movie time is on the second Wednesday of each month at 7pm. English subtitles will be shown whenever available.
November Film: DIVIDE IN CONCORD
When: November 14 at 7 pm Where: Peacock Theater
In 1775, Concord patriots fired the ‘shot heard round the world’ that began the Revolution.
Over 200 years later, Jean Hill is ready to fire the next shot, and it’s directly at the bottled water industry. 84 year old Jean has spent three years trying to get her town to ban single serve bottled water, and this is looking like her last attempt. With strong opposition from local merchants, and a town that has already voted against her three years in a row, will it ever be possible for Jean to win?
“A fascinating, entertaining look at how persistence and citizen action still mean something in a corporate-controlled society.” Michael Moore
Trailer: https://youtu.be/TCve9xVj_yg
82 minutes. SDH captions. READ MORE >>>
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October Film: OIL & WATER
When: October 10, 7:00 pm Where: Peacock Hall
This multiple award-winning documentary film is an intimate portrait of two young people finding their voices and trying to beat the incredible odds presented by fighting a corrupt government and Big Oil interests as they confront one of the world’s worst toxic pollution disasters in Ecuador and the Amazon Rainforest. The film is 72 min. long and has captions.
For decades U.S. oil companies colluded with a corrupt Ecuadorian government to recklessly pollute the land and waters of the Amazon Rainforest. Native tribes were displaced, much of the local culture destroyed, and cancer and other disease rates increased.
To see a trailer, go to http://www.oilandwaterdocumentary.com/ and click on the documentary’s lead photo.
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PREVIOUSLY SHOWN FILMS IN THIS SERIES
Many of the movies previously shown as part of the SR Film series have been donated to the Rossmoor Library and can be checked out by residents. Ask at the front desk for information on recent donations and the location of the SR collection.
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September Film: NO IMPACT MAN
When: September 12, 7:00 pm Where: Peacock Hall
This award-winning documentary tells the story of author Colin Beavan, who went completely “green” in NYC, giving up virtually all of the comforts of modern living — electricity, gas-powered transportation, non-local food and landfill waste disposal — in a drastic effort to curb his environmental impact.
The camera captures many joyful moments, such as stomping on laundry in the bathtub and shopping at a dairy farm, as well as the toll this well-intentioned, year-long project takes on Beavan’s wife and 2-year old baby daughter. Ultimately, it saves them over $1,000/month and brings this family closer together.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/D58kZfqTrjY
92 minutes. Captions READ MORE >>>
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August Film: Civil DISOBEDIENCE, fighting for Our Environment (Includes Panel Discussion afterwards)
When: August 8, 7:00 pm Where: Peacock Hall
DISOBEDIENCE is a persuasive and handsomely produced documentary from the activist organization 350.org. Disobedience tells the David vs. Goliath tale of front line leaders battling for a livable world. Filmed in the Philippines, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Cambodia and the United States, it weaves together these riveting stories with insights from the most renowned voices on social justice and climate. Disobedience is personal, passionate and powerful – the stakes could not be higher, nor the mission more critical.A panel discussion will follow this 41 minute film. Residents who’ve been brave enough to step up and risk being arrested will share their stories. We’ll ask the questions: When is it justified? Does it help or hurt a cause? Does it have a lasting benefit?
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July Film: To the Ends of the Earth (2016), 82 minutes
When: Wednesday, July 11, 7:00-8:30 pm Where: Peacock Hall
Sustainable Rossmoor showed TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH — a new film about extreme oil extraction deep under the Arctic, from the Alberta tar sands, and from oil shale under at the Colorado River headwaters. This award-winning film is narrated by Emma Thompson and details the environmental problems resulting from the use of extreme oil extraction technologies. It also reveals the struggles of concerned citizens living at the destructive frontiers beyond traditional energy, and interviews those who fight for a different future with environmentally sensitive energy solutions.
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmynS5zkbQM
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There was no Sustainable Rossmoor film for the month of June.
FOOD FOR CHANGE
Wednesday, May 2, 7:00-8:30 pm, Where: Peacock Hall
The Vegan Club and Sustainable Rossmoor are cosponsoring the film FOOD FOR CHANGE. In a time when ‘local,’ ‘organic,’ and ‘sustainable’ are terms regularly used by large grocery chains to create an illusion of a healthy food delivery scheme, it’s worth looking at a contrasting economy that truly delivers on the promise – the American food cooperative – and the role that co-ops have played for generations connecting consumers to farmers with democracy, honesty, and transparency. FOOD FOR CHANGE examines the role food co-ops played in their pioneering quest for organic foods, and their current efforts to create regional food systems. It shows cooperatives’ focus on local economies and issues of food security.
We take a look back at a time in America when food cooperatives were commonplace during the Great Depression but were threatened by the post-WWII consumerism and large agri-businesses. Industrial farms grew bigger in size and smaller in number, relying on synthetic chemicals and mechanization to grow cheap food and reap maximal profits. Two million family farms were driven out of business.
But during the tumultuous events of the 1960s, food co-ops re-emerged as an alternative to factory farms and corporate-owned grocery chains. Food co-ops were seen as a force for dynamic social and economic change in American culture. What began as an obscure stance from a counterculture has resulted in a market for natural and organic foods valued at over $100 billion annually. Today they are turning to a new cause and niche market: locally sourced food.
The film profiles several food co-ops that have revived neighborhoods and communities – right in the shadows of corporate agribusinesses and supermarket chains. It’s an inspiring example of community-centered economies thriving in an age of globalization.
This 82 minute film has SDH Captions and will be followed by a discussion and a raffle. The film was made possible by a donation from the Rossmoor Farmers Market. The Market celebrates its re-opening on Friday, May 20th from 9 am until 1 pm.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/98561491
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Films shown May 9: (a “double feature”)
Wednesday, May 9, 7:00-9:00 pm, Where: Peacock Hall
WHO OWNS OUR WATER? “Parched” by Nat’l Geographic, Episode 1 “Privatization: The California Water Heist”
Taken from the series PARCHED produced by National Geographic. It follows the trail of powerful water moguls as they take over precious water resources in shady backroom deals. Through multiple investigations, the documentary reveals how a few powerful and politically connected men exploit the state’s most precious resource, while drought and a groundwater crisis leave consumers desperate for better solutions. The future of our state’s agriculture – which provides over half the country’s fruits, nuts and vegetables – has become uncertain. Californians and the world are waking up to a stark reality: water is a commodity, and it is becoming more and more valuable. As a Porterville resident warns us, “You’re going to be next. Just watch, you’re going to be next.”
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/218449210 (37 sec)
and
“Over Troubled Waters”
This documentary, produced by Restore the Delta, is back by popular demand. It played during Sustainable Rossmoor’s recent Earth Awareness Week. Narrated by Ed Begley Jr., it details the dangers to the largest estuary on the west coast as it becomes more salty, more shallow, and warmer with its wildlife dying off as a result of canals taking northern CA water to the Central Valley and Los Angeles. It focuses on the water wars between the farmers and the cities, and between Northern and Southern California.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/39638832 (5 min!)
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THE NUCLEAR OPTION by NOVA (2017)
When: Wednesday April 11, 7:00-8:30 pm Where: Peacock Hall
Five years after the earthquake and tsunami that triggered the unprecedented meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, scientists wonder: what’s next for Fukushima? What’s next for Japan? What’s next for a world that seems determined to jettison one of our most important carbon-free sources of energy? Despite the catastrophe, a new generation of nuclear power seems poised to emerge phoenix-like from the ashes. NOVA investigates how the realities of climate change, the inherent limitation of renewable energy resources, and the optimism and enthusiasm of a new generation of nuclear engineers is seeding a Renaissance in nuclear technology. What are the lessons from Fukushima and how might we be able to build a safe nuclear future? (One hour film with optional discussion after.)
Trailer: http://youtu.be/u1wKpZsU2-o
Q&A Afterwards: Nuclear energy engineer, Vicki Swisher will be the film’s discussant. She has over 40 years experience in the commercial nuclear industry, and has worked in almost every area of nuclear development including design, construction, plant startup, licensing, and project management during her career. Vicki is a Rossmoor resident and a director in Fourth Mutual.
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TIDEWATER and THE BURDEN
WHEN: Wednesday, March 14, 7:00-9:00 pm
WHERE: Peacock Hall
There are two short documentaries co-featured for March, Presented by Sustainable Rossmoor and Cosponsored by Informed Rossmoor Voices. Both documentaries focus to varying degrees on the impacts on military preparedness and national security resulting from fossil fuel dependence and climate change driving rising waters. They highlight how our military is responding to climate change and is at the forefront of innovation and providing leadership to our government. These films have been screened at the White House, the Pentagon, the US War College, NATO Headquarters in Belgium, and are in the Annapolis Naval Academy curriculum. Our special invited discussant, U.S. Marine Major Jonathan Morgenstein will be at the showing to respond to your questions. This event is free of charge and open to invited quests.
TIDEWATER
is a personal story of a community accustomed to hardship and sacrifice through its military service. Hampton Roads, Virginia, a region relatively unknown nationwide, is especially vulnerable to sea level rise and its effects on military readiness and our overall national security. With 14 military installations spread across 17 local jurisdictions, it has our highest concentration of military assets in the country, where 1 in 6 residents are connected to the military. Their homes, schools, hospitals, and families are increasingly struggling to keep up with the effects of rising waters, and the military and all the surrounding municipalities are working toward solutions. They are coming together to create a new approach to building a resilient America, ready for the environmental realities of the 21st century. If Hampton Roads succeeds, it will strengthen national security, enhance economic prosperity, and create a powerful template for success — a model other regions can use to prepare for the inevitable.
The second film, THE BURDEN,
has been called the most effective communications tool ever made for shifting the debate on clean energy as one of urgent national security. It is the first documentary to tell the story of our dependence on fossil fuels as the greatest long-term national security threat confronting the U.S., and how the military is leading our transition away from oil. Renewables are redefining the meaning of energy independence. The troops are crying out to unleash us from the tether of fossil fuel. But is Congress listening?
Our special invited discussant, U.S. Marine Major Jonathan Morgenstein
will speak about the issues raised in these films and answer audience questions. He is a specialist in national security policy and conflict-resolution training and has focused on Security Sector Reform, Clean Energy, and Human Rights — particularly in the developing world including the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. He has appeared on ABC, Al Jazeera, BBC Arabic, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. He has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Politico, The Hill, and other publications.
Film trailers:
https://www.amresproject.org/tidewater-film/
https://www.amresproject.org/the-burden/
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WILD WEATHER
WHEN: Wed, Feb 14, 7:00-8:30 pm; WHERE: Peacock Hall
WILD WEATHER by NOVA (2015).
The best way to truly understand weather is to get inside it. Sustainable Rossmoor screens WILD WEATHER at Peacock Hall on Wednesday, February 14 at 7 pm — a fresh and informative documentary produced by NOVA that introduces a global group of experts who risk their lives to demonstrate the power of wind, water and temperature, taking these simple “ingredients” and transforming them into something spectacular and powerful for everyone to understand. Maverick experts and renowned specialists from around the world reveal a whole range of fascinating new discoveries from the cutting edge of science.
Despite scientists studying it for thousands of years, we know far less about how weather works than anyone might expect. We hear that global warming is causing Extreme Weather –exacerbating both cold and hot atmospheric conditions, and excessively dry or wet ones. But, understanding the mechanics of the basics is still a challenge. Sometimes crazy and fun, watch these professionals as they explore the mysteries of hurricanes, sandstorms, and icy cyclones. They change the way you think about whether forever. Captions included.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/BXa68-y3GJE
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ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
WHEN: Wed, Jan 10, 7:00-8:30 pm; WHERE: Peacock Hall
DESCRIPTION: Plastic is everywhere — for better and worse: floating ocean swirls as big as Texas, artificial organs, water bottles, and wind turbines. This film explores the history of plastic and how it came to dominate our lives. From styrofoam cups to automobiles, plastics are perhaps the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence and presence. But this progress has come at a cost.
No ecosystem or segment of human activity has escaped the grasp of plastic. ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a global journey to investigate an industry worth $375 billion/year in the US alone. Review what we really know about the material of a thousand uses and why there’s so much of it. On the way we discover a toxic legacy and about some of its effects on our health.
We also meet some men and women dedicated to cleaning it up — groups dedicated to physically cleaning up the beaches and the oceans. We learn from experts about cutting edge solutions in recycling plastic and what actually happens when newer plastics biodegrade. These solutions will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic. It’s also an opportunity to examine our role in a throwaway culture.
85 minutes. Captions.
Trailer: http://youtu.be/daSFXZT-HYk
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Future subjects will include species loss, ocean acidification, pesticide pollution, the problem with plastic, and wiser consumer purchasing choices
Members of the Film Committee include:
Carol Weed, Barbara Coenen, Herb Salomon, and Ron Gallin. New members, new titles, and additional subjects welcomed. Contact: carol4ofa@gmail.com