Bored of channel surfing? Forget it! Tonight we recommend a list of films and documentaries on the environment and sustainability. Just sit down on the couch and enjoy a wonderful evening of cinema.
Let’s forget the Mass industrial tourism and the deafening noise of cruise ships. With these 10 Must-See films and documentaries rediscover a way of traveling that allows us to be in contact with nature and local culture. Let’s re-evaluate the way we travel, trying to be more sustainable for the environment. We can take inspiration from the cinema, which has always been the ideal place to travel. I know, these days you can’t travel, let alone go to the cinema. What do you miss most about cinemas? The popcorn-filled auditoriums? Or the fantastic middle seats in the middle of the auditorium? I miss the films the most.
Here’s a selection of movies that show us how, by changing some of our habits and learning more about the nature around us, we can adopt a more sustainable lifestyle in harmony with the environment. It also allows us to relive those sensations that only a journey can give us. The only detail: as an alternative to the fantastic central seating in the middle of the room, you can use your own sofa.
1. Anacondas: Trail of Blood
This Amazing documentary it’s an experience inside the Amazon forest and in her biological activity in continuous fermentation. The protagonists, Colombian-Canadian writer Wade Davis and anthropologist Martin von Hildebrand, accompany us to discover unexplored areas of the Amazon, meeting communities who are trying to counteract the passing of time through the preservation of local traditions.
“It is a journey through the past, through a lively present, a moment of hope… but it is also a window to the future”
2. The Magical Andes
This incredible documentary takes us through the various countries of South America to discover the local people who have a close and profound relationship with the majestic Andes. Let’s go into the wonderful scenery of South America.
“The mountains are hypnotic, they have different sizes and shapes, profiles that change with the passing of the hours”
3. A plastic ocean
Plastic has long been one of the main enemies of the ecosystem. This documentary, directed by Australian journalist Craig Leeson and supported by the Plastic Oceans Foundation, shows us the consequences and effects of the disastrous plastic pollution on our planet.
“The ocean for me is my church, my temple, my synagogue, my mosque. It’s where I feel most spiritual. It’s where I go to work, where I go for pleasure and where I go to think[…] ”
4. Mountain Miracle – An Unexpected Friendship
Young Amelie’s precarious condition worries her parents, who one day decide to have her asthma treated in a specialized clinic in the Alps, in Alto Adige. Here, together with an unusual traveling companion, she decides to embark on an adventure to the summit that will perhaps cure her.
“Did you really make it to the top? If you want, I’ll take you with me next time”
5. Basilicata Coast to Coast
The protagonists of this amazing comedy, surrounded by the landscapes of Basilicata, otherwise known as Lucania, will guide us along a unique itinerary to rediscover a wonderful land.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we set off ten days ago from Maratea, on foot, avoiding the main road, taking alternative routes…maybe even a little too alternative […] “
6. The Salt of the Earth
One of the best documentaries of all the time, according to critics, starring the photographer Sebastiao Salgado. We follow his journey and his work, revealed through the gaze of his camera, to discover unexplored and grandiose places.
“For him it all started in the small town of Aimorés, in the centre of Brazil. There was his father’s large cattle ranch, under an immense sky, with the vast Atlantic rainforests, the river still washable… in those days. But, above all, there were the long trains that went by, full to the brim with ore and iron, which from there would arrive all over the world”
7. Salar
A non-stop race across the largest salt desert in the world: the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. Nico Valsesia and Marco Gazzola are the protagonists of this incredible feat, never attempted before, covering a long crossing at an altitude of 3,600 m on the Bolivian plateau. Giovanni Storti (from the trio “Aldo Giovanni e Giacomo”) also gave moral support to the two runners. The difficulties were many, but these two athletes show us how it is possible to face a great physical and emotional challenge.
“You can discover new places by running, but in my opinion you also need to have the right mindset to do it”
8. A Walk in the Woods
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are the protagonists of this journey through the Appalachian hiking trail (in the United States), which is nothing more than an educational path in which nature plays the leading role.
“Bryson, I was wondering, what do we do now?”
9. Grizzly Tour
Ready to pedal through the most remote areas from Canada to Mexico? This is the long and arduous adventure undertaken by Silvia and Linda along the Great Divide: 4,000 km of unspoiled nature and breathtaking landscapes. Riding their bikes, in total autonomy, these two young girls teach us how important it is to face limits and insecurities togheter.
“When I proposed to Linda to go on this cycling trip, I never thought she would accept. Because it’s a very long, demanding and dangerous trip. But here we are”
10. The Biggest Little Farm
Finding a balance in your life is crucial, but achieving it requires perseverance. That’s what two young modern-day farmers John and Molly Chester show us in this must-see documentary. At a certain point in their lives, they decide it’s time to follow their dream: to create a farm and start living in total harmony with nature, with all its surprises and wonders.
“We promised each other we would have common goals. And for Molly there was no doubt: we would find them… on a farm”
