When I first started my journey in documentary filmmaking, I went to LA and talked to several award winning producers and directors. I was fortunate to find a woman producer who mentored me. The most important thing she told me is “You’ve got to tell a story, Carolyn. That’s the key to any great movie!”
Here are ten green documentaries that I love. Most are very funny, and every single one is smart and story-driven.
1. The Real Dirt on Farmer John by Taggart Siegel This film is number one on my list. Taggart Siegel began filming Farmer John 25 years ago, back in the 60s, when he was a counter-culture artist hanging out on his farm with his hippie artist friends. John Peterson is not your typical farmer, he wears feather boas while plowing the fields dresses up as a bee as he sings songs with his sweetie. The film takes you on John’s journey through his own serious depression, the crisis with small farms in America and the resurrection of John’s farm as a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). It has won more “best documentary film” awards than any doc in the world. It’s heartwarming, heroic, and very funny movie. |
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2. Upstream Battle by Ben Kempas I just saw this film at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival 2009. Wild & Scenic is the biggest and the best environmental festival on the west coast. Upstream Battle is an intimate story of a Native American community on the Klamath River who are fighting to save their fish (the last salmon that make it through a series of damns) 
against an energy corporation. Their struggle may trigger the largest dam removal project in history. It’s a great film. |
3. The Future of Food
by Deborah Koons Garcia |
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4. Everything’s Cool by Daniel B.Gold and Judith Helfand Everything’s Cool is an upbeat entertaining documentary that follows leaders in the climate change movement who are working against the clock to save the planet from climate catastrophe. Daniel B. Gold and Judith Helfand, Toxic Comedy filmmakers, make good use of humor in their films–it’s a fantastic delivery device for challenging information. The film shows the most dangerous chasm ever to emerge between scientific understanding and political action around Global Warming. You get intimate, up-close looks into the lives of folks like Ross Gelbspan and Bill McKibben and their different point of views about America’s struggle to deal with this mother of all issues. |
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5. Blue Vinyl: The World’s First Toxic Comedy by Daniel B. Gold, Judith HelfandThis film won at Sundance Film Festival and is one of the most entertaining and informative eco-docs I have ever seen. The story is cleverly woven around Judith trying to get her parents to take the vinyl siding off her their house. Judith, who is like Michael Moore in a woman’s body, goes to great lengths to get her parents to understand everything you every wanted to know about Vinyl Chloride and its deadly impact on the world. It’s an absolutely humorous, adventurous and intimate story. Blue Vinyl is one of my all time favorite documentary movies. |
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6. Who Killed the Electric Car? by Chris PaineI just love this film. It begins with a solemn funeral…for a car. Chris Paine’s lively and suspense-driven documentary is fast-paced, and a real-life mystery drama. As narrator Martin Sheen notes, “They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust and ran without gasoline..why should we be haunted by the ghost of the electric car?” Paine proceeds to show how this unique vehicle came into being and why General Motors ended up reclaiming its once-prized masterpiece and secretly shredding them. It’s hard to believe that a car could be the main character in a film and keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who committed the murder. One of my favorite documentaries! |
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7. The Forest for the Trees by Bernadine Mellis Filmmaker Bernadine Mellis follows her father, a famed civil rights attorney, Dennis Cunningham who took on the court case of Judi Bari, Earth First! who was bombed in her car and then charged by the FBI for the bombing. After 12 years, Judi Bari v. the FBI finally gets a court date. Knowing this is one of her father’s most important cases, Mellis is there at strategy meetings, at breakfast, driving to and from the court, documenting her morally driven, very tired dad. A very important and compelling documentary. |
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8. Saviors of the Forest by Terry Schwartz, Tod Darling Tired of filming TV commercials, two well-intentioned Los Angeles “camera guys” decide to do their part for the environment by exposing the villains responsible for destroying the rainforests. It’s real and it’s wonderful–a great example of the power of good storytelling. |
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9. Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action by Roberta Grossman The film tells the inspiring stories of four Native Americans battling through issues related to their land and sovereignty. It’s a powerful documentary and gives you an intimate look into the lives of these activists who are trying to save their homes and land from corporate interests. |
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10. Texas Gold by Carolyn Scott Of course I have to include my own film in this list! Texas Gold is about Diane Wilson, a woman who stands up to the giants of the petrochemical industry in the most toxic place in America. She does 30-day hunger strikes, climbs petro-chemical towers and chains herself there and sank her shrimp boat on an illegal toxic discharge in her bay. She has faced death threats and been imprisoned, she feels that the health of her bay and the people in her community are more important than money. This self-proclaimed “unreasonable woman” is so full of life and courage. Peter Coyote does a funny commercial about Diane bottling toxic water for the businessmen that made it. |
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Thank you for this list — I just knew in my heart of hearts that there are folks out there who are doing ‘something’ about getting this message across. All we hear is the problem – not the solution — and the first step to that solution is ‘awareness’ — thanks for the awareness!!! I think these books should be on a must list in all the schools for our children from age 9 on. They are the ones who will have to face even more disgusting habits of Greedy Corporations.
Hi Maggie,
I agree about focusing on the problem vs. working to support solutions. It’s a very important that we educate people about the great sustainability models already out there. I have that information and more great eco- films on my non-profit website Reel community Action. http://www.reelcommunityaction.org
thanks for caring, sharing & daring!
warm cheers,
Carolyn
I found this list so inspiring that I connected it to my Facebook page. Now I can just look forward to the opportunity to watch these movies. THANK YOU so much for the list!! It is really something to look forward to. Entertainment is a great way to raise awareness about these issues – and these issues are affecting everybody’s lifestyle (specially when it comes to food…) Any environmental groups worth joining ? Best wishes for a great Holiday Season from sunny South Africa. Anicanora
Hi Anicanora,
Say hello to sunny & beautiful South Africa for me…it’s great to hear from you. I agree about films being a great way to entertain and educate people. A powerful documenary can, in 1+ hours tell you more about a subject than you could learn in 2 years at grad school or 5 years as an investigative journalist. My team just started the Imagination Film Festival for this reason – to show great films and get people engaged in local campaigns. Perhaps you would like to bring it to South Africa? Our goal this year is to watch 5 great documentaries at as many venues as possible (schools, colleges, churches, community centers…) – beginning Earth Day/week 2011. You just need to get a local eco-organization to participate. The best way to find that group is through WiserEarth http://www.wiserearth.org – which has an exhaustive database of environmental and human rights groups all over the world. Find a group or organization that rings your bells. In other words what issues moves you most – where is your passion? And then follow your heart. Or start your own group! Thanks Anicanora – I would love to stay in touch.
warm cheers,
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for your message. I checked out WiserEarth, and I am amazed at the volume of information they provide, and I am truly looking forward to the opportunity of putting it to good use. I would love the chance to bring the film festival to South Africa, and I believe I have the right connections to do so. How can I go about organizing some funding for this project? It would be a lot easier with some financing. Looking forward to hear from you, ANICANORA
Hello everyone! If you enjoyed Carolyn’s movie recommendations, please also check out her new list, 10 must-see documentary films: Important, powerful, and inspiring.