Movies about climate change

Roman Bazaliy

Scientists sound the alarm. Young people go on strike. Countries around the world signed a climate agreement to join forces in combating the problem, and some have even begun to proclaim a state of emergency in the field of the environment. Everyone is alarmed by global climate change and the deepening of its negative consequences, which are already being seen today.

What is actually going on? It is not easy to understand what the problem is, what the consequences are (if any), why this has happened and what to do about it. You have to spend a lot of time reading lengthy scientific reports, looking at tables and graphs, studying statistics.

Fortunately, this has already been done for us. And it has even been easily, affordably and beautifully translated into fiction by making a bunch of movies about climate change. We’ve selected for you the best films for all tastes, from family documentaries about animals to apocalyptic action films, so you can quickly and easily understand the subject matter.

Save the Planet / Before the Flood (2016)

A documentary from National Geographic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, known for his active environmental stance. “The further you take an interest in an issue, the more you realize how much you still don’t know,” Leo says. Yet we’ve known about climate change for decades and still deliberately continued to delve into it. Leo asks experts and connoisseurs to find out how far we’ve come and if there’s anything we can do to stop it.

For three years, the authors traveled the world documenting the devastating effects of climate change and assessing our ability to confront them. “We wanted to make a film that would create a sense of urgency, that would make the audience understand exactly what would help solve the problem,” commented DiCaprio, who happens to be the UN’s Climate Change Messenger of Peace. And this film is probably one of his biggest messages.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

A documentary about the causes of climate change and potential solutions to the problem. The main narrator and also the scriptwriter is American politician Al Gore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize the year after the film for his work on the environment and his research on climate change. The film also became the first documentary to win two Oscars at once: Best Documentary (directed by Davis Guggenheim) and Best Original Song.

By the way, this is the first carbon-neutral documentary. After its release, all the CO2 emissions caused by its production (including transport emissions) were calculated. The damage caused to the environment was compensated by investing in renewable energy.

The authors call it “the worst movie you have ever seen,” because what could be scarier than the truth?

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Apocalyptic sci-fi action film about a world where climate change has unexpectedly led not to global warming, but to a new Ice Age. Climate scientist Jack Hall foresaw this development, but no one wanted to listen to him. Now he is trying to save his son, who is stuck in New York City in the epicenter of the disaster.

Scientists and critics alike consider this film to be scientifically inaccurate. However, it clearly conveys the idea: all of our values collapse when faced with the forces of nature. It is not for nothing that the original poster for the film depicted the Statue of Liberty crumbling and covered with snow.

The film was the first carbon-neutral film ever made. Like the writers of An Inconvenient Truth, The Day After Tomorrow director Roland Emmerich was so deeply involved with climate change and its threat that he offset the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the filming out of his own pocket. He invested in renewable energy and landscaping.

Arctic Tale / Arctic Tale (2007)

This family documentary from the same National Geographic tells the story of climate change in a less apocalyptic, but just as emotional way. It is based on two stories: a polar bear cub and a walrus. The viewer follows them through their life journey: through growing up, through all the hardships, snowstorms and life’s twists and turns.

Climate Change – The Facts (2019)

The planet’s most famous naturalist and author of the most popular nature documentaries, Sir David Attenborough, this time talks about climate change and possible solutions to this global threat. In conversations with leading scientists, he explores recent extreme weather events such as extreme storms and wildfires, and describes the consequences of climate change for humanity and the environment. The film even features the young activist Greta Thunberg, who inspired thousands of global climate strikes around the world and was nominated for the current Nobel Peace Prize.

The documentary has a lot in common with An Inconvenient Truth. By comparing the two films, one can vividly trace the catastrophic pace of climate change and how its impact on our lives and environment is deepening. For example, in Al Gore’s time the hottest year on record was 2006, but for Sir Attenborough it was 2016, which set a new record for heat waves.