Watching movies about environmental issues and environmentalism are crucial for raising awareness and inspiring action. These films often present complex topics in an engaging and relatable way, making it easier for audiences to understand the challenges our planet faces. Although the movies are fictional, the environmental issues and certain ideas portrayed are very real. Continue reading this blog post to learn about environmental issues and environmentalism on film.
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Weathering with You, directed by Makoto Shinkai reminds us that climate change is an emotional topic. This movie is set during an unusually heavy rainfall and follows student Hodaka Morishima who escapes his difficult life in the countryside and travels to Tokyo, where he forms a friendship with an orphan girl who has the ability to control the weather. This movie helps the audience understand that as we continue to pollute our planet, severe weather will be more frequent and severe.
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Directed by Paul Schrader, First Reformed explores the complexities faced by a minister of a small congregation. He struggles with his past and pressing societal issues, including climate change. The film illustrates the sense of despair and anxiety that many individuals experience in the face of environmental crises. This film invites viewers to reflect on the intersection of faith, morality, and the challenges of contemporary life.
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Animated by Japan’s Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this film follows a prince on a journey to cure his cursed arm and the conflicts he encounters along the way. This movie illustrates the effects of industrialization on the environment, emphasizes the importance of living in harmony with nature, and presents forest spirits and animals as essential components of the ecosystem rather than mere resources for exploitation. Ultimately, it serves as a compelling critique of overconsumption and deforestation.
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Starring Julia Roberts and directed by Steven Soderbergh, this dramatized biography covers Erin Brockovich, a law firm secretary and single mom who discovers a utility company’s deadly cover up. Throughout the film she discovers that water contamination was hidden and works to get justice for the small town that’s been effected by pollution. This film highlights the importance of environmental justice and demonstrates that pollution can ruin lives.
5. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is another Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki with environmental themes. This film is set in an apocalyptic future where much of the world’s ecosystems have been devastated. The protagonist, Princess Nausicaä, embodies both a warrior spirit and a pacifist heart as she strives to prevent warring nations from destroying each other and further harming their already dying planet.
Mia Terek is a senior at Indiana University double majoring in Environmental Management and Sustainability Studies with minors in Urban Planning and Community Development and Geography. This is her second semester working at Media Services and is planning to graduate in the Spring.
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