Films can do more than just entertain: They can shake up, shock, explain, or inspire. We show particularly impressive documentaries that everyone should have seen. You should also play the new Aviator Game
These are the best documentaries on the climate crisis, species conservation, food, and more – from David Attenborough to Greta Thunberg:
Tomorrow (2016), Plastic Planet (2010), I am Greta (2020)
Global warming, exploitation of resources, population growth – our planet is dangerously close to a tipping point in many respects. This is what moved actress Mélanie Laurent and French activist Cyril Dion to make their film ‘Tomorrow’. For the film, they traveled to ten countries, spoke to experts, and visited projects and initiatives around the world that pursue alternative ecological, economic, and democratic ideas. Can the world still be saved? Anyone who sees ‘Tomorrow’ will believe afterward: Yes, it is – if only we work for it.
Plastic Planet (2010)
Plastic is cheap, light, practical – and everywhere. We even have plastic in our blood. Director Werner Boote showed back in 2010 in his investigative documentary ‘Plastic Planet’ that plastic has become a global threat. This film made a decisive contribution to raising public awareness of the issue of plastic avoidance.
I Am Greta (2020)
‘I am Greta’ shows how the school strike of a 15-year-old girl from Sweden became a global climate movement.
‘I am Greta’ – this is how many of the young Swede’s speeches begin. Her alarming words have gone around the world, and Time magazine named her Person of the Year in 2019.
Documentary filmmaker Nathan Grossmann accompanied the activist with his camera from the very beginning – from her first sit-in in front of her school in Sweden to her speech at the UN Climate Change Conference. The result is a moving film about the climate protection movement ‘Fridays for Future’ and its face, Greta Thunberg.
The Game Changers (2019), Now (2021), More than Honey (2012)
The Game Changers (2019)
An injured UFC fighter sets out in search of the ideal diet for athletes’ recovery and performance – and comes across many myths and surprising answers. He talks to scientists and top athletes – and lets research results speak instead of emotions. The documentary was produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and Lewis Hamilton, among others. ‘Game Changers’ is not just exciting for athletes, but for anyone who is even remotely interested in healthy eating.
Now (2021)
With ‘Now’, Jim Rakete gets to the heart of the young generation’s demand: climate protection now. The documentary film takes a look back at 2019 – the year of young climate activists and global protest movements.
Rakete manages to capture the seriousness and optimism of the protests through captivating images. The big message of the film is not just the present, but also: we can still do this. The film focuses on the strength of the young activists. Six of them are portrayed in the film, including Luisa Neubauer (Fridays for Future) Felix Finkbeiner (Plant for the Planet), and Marcella Hansch (everwave).
More than Honey (2012)
‘If the bees die out, four years later the humans will die out too’ – whether Einstein ever really said this is debatable, but it is now clear that the consequences of bee extinction could be dramatic. Thanks in part to this film, director Markus Imhoof explores the phenomenon of global bee mortality. In spectacular shots, he follows the life and death of bees and their significance to our society.
A Plastic Ocean (2016)
‘A Plastic Ocean’ shows in impressive images how dramatic the plastic waste problem in the oceans is – and reminds us of the destructive consequences of our throwaway culture for the planet. The team spent over five years filming in 20 different locations around the world. The result is beautiful and shocking footage that documents the global effects of plastic pollution. However, the film shows possible solutions that have the potential to improve the situation.
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Tags: A Plastic Ocean, Documentaries, Films, I Am Greta, More than Honey, Movies, Now, Plastic Planet, The Game Changers, TV-series