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environmental documentary

364 movies and shows

Koyaanisqatsi

Koyaanisqatsi

Wed, 27 Apr 1983

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

Okavango: A Flood of Life

Okavango: A Flood of Life

Mon, 15 Feb 2021

A great flood arrives in a desert kingdom, transforming a dustbowl into a vast and lush wetland, in one of the most diverse habitats on earth. This breath-taking blue-chip natural history film is a journey through Okavango’s seasons, seen through the eyes of an indigenous River Bushman. Our storyteller guides us through the course of Okavango’s flood and into a savage drought, interweaving intimate and spectacular wildlife stories. The arrival and disappearance of precious water determines the destiny of the millions of animals that call Okavango home. For many, the flood is a lifeline. For others, it brings the greatest challenges. Everyone lives or dies by this epic event. It is the heartbeat of the Kalahari.

The Stand

The Stand

Thu, 03 Oct 2024

On a misty morning in the fall of 1985, a small group of Haida people blockaded a muddy dirt road on Lyell Island, demanding the government work with Indigenous people to find a way to protect the land and the future. In a riveting new feature documentary drawn from more than a hundred hours of archival footage and audio, award-winning director Christopher Auchter (Now Is the Time) recreates the critical moment when the Haida Nation’s resolute act of vision and conscience changed the world.

Der Sturm - Tiere bei Blitz und Donner

Der Sturm - Tiere bei Blitz und Donner

Wed, 13 Sep 2023

Violent squalls, hail, waterspouts, lightning... storms put animals and plants to the test. At a time when climate change is multiplying extreme weather events, this documentary plunges into the heart of a storm, from the heavy, dry atmosphere that precedes it to the deluge that follows.

The Year Earth Changed

The Year Earth Changed

Thu, 15 Apr 2021

Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.

How We Forgot to Save the Planet

How We Forgot to Save the Planet

Tue, 19 Oct 2021

Ahead of the COP26 climate change summit taking place in Glasgow, Kieran Hodgson presents this irreverent documentary in which he and an all-star cast of comedy actors explain how people may have left it too late to save the planet - and what it will take to fix it.

A Town Without Flies

A Town Without Flies

Thu, 01 Jun 1950

A teaching film for social studies, which was developed as a new educational subject in 1947. At an elementary school in Hokkaido, children have started a fly extermination campaign to improve school hygiene. In order to eliminate the causes of flies, the entire town is working to improve the sanitary environment. The short was filmed with the cooperation of Mizukaido Elementary School in Joso City and is the first film in the "Social Studies Teaching Film System" by Iwanami Film Productions.

Fracking the System: Colorado's Oil and Gas Wars

Fracking the System: Colorado's Oil and Gas Wars

Sun, 25 Feb 2024

Fracking the System is a political thriller documentary from the front lines of climate justice activism in Colorado. When a fracking mega-site gets moved from a White neighborhood to a BIPOC neighborhood, a concerned mother fights to try and stop it. This is an investigative exposé about the harms of fracking, the lengths to which the government is complacent with industrial pollution, and the nefarious tactics that the oil and gas industry uses to undermine democratic elections.

When Oceans Threaten Cities

When Oceans Threaten Cities

Thu, 10 Nov 2022

Devastating hurricanes, torrential rains, the inexorably rising waters: coastal megacities are now up against the wall. The filmmakers have chosen three emblematic cities: New York, Singapore and Rotterdam. Cities that each face unique problems and must revisit their relationship with water in order to survive on the long run. In 50 years, all surge barriers in the world will be out of order. What solutions will then remain for coastal cities?

Herbicide Trials

Herbicide Trials

Fri, 01 Jun 1984

In 1983, fifteen Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, landowners went to court to stop the spraying of herbicides by the local subsidiary of a Swedish multinational on forests adjacent to their properties. They found that the testimony of scientists and the support of public opinion, both here and abroad, were not enough to win their case. The film shows their ordeal and the landmark Sydney trial. Concerns raised included potential conflict-of-interest situations where a government must protect citizens' health while supporting certain kinds of industry; the relative value of the political and judicial processes in mediating social problems; and the need for a public forum for debating environmental issues. The film contains outstanding footage from chemical-industry films of the 1950s and recent material about Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange.

Nature : pour une réconciliation

Nature : pour une réconciliation

Tue, 11 Feb 2025

Combining poetry, science and emotion, this film traces the history of life, from its cosmic origins to its evolution on our planet, through the wonders of biodiversity and the contemporary challenges it faces. Through spectacular images, Yann Arthus-Bertrand questions the paradoxes of our times and urges a collective transformation to reconcile humanity with nature.

Seafighters

Seafighters

Sat, 21 Oct 2017

Living among the percebeiros of the Coast of Death (Galicia), this documentary shows a unique relationship between man and his surroundings, man and the sea. At the end of Europe, years after the Prestige oil spill disaster, these fishermen face an uncertain future.

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

Thu, 03 Jun 2021

David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.

An Inconvenient Truth

An Inconvenient Truth

Wed, 24 May 2006

A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.

The Alps from Above: Symphony of Summits

The Alps from Above: Symphony of Summits

Sat, 13 Dec 2014

The most important mountain range in Europe is more than a holiday destination for sports and relaxation. The Alps are not just an unpredictable force of nature against which humans have to assert themselves again and again, or an area steeped in history, but also a landscape that enchants. The documentary takes a foray through the history and geography of the Alps.

Eating Our Way to Extinction

Eating Our Way to Extinction

Thu, 16 Sep 2021

With searing insight that shines light in dark corners, EATING OUR WAY TO EXTINCTION is a compelling feature documentary that opens the lid on the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about. Confronting and entertaining, this documentary allows audiences to question their everyday choices, industry leaders and governments. Featuring a wealth of world-renowned contributors including Sir Richard Branson and Tony Robbins, it has a message of hope that will empower audiences.

Glorious Bustards

Glorious Bustards

Sat, 01 May 2021

Confessions of a CEO: My Life in an Out-of-Balance World

Confessions of a CEO: My Life in an Out-of-Balance World

Fri, 10 Jan 2025

A bare-knuckled critique of corporate America told through the powerful true story of a toxic CEO who evolves from a profits-over-people, philandering executive to an unorthodox leader, populist messenger, and mentor to American influencers. It’s a story of growth, redemption and the impact of self-awareness on leadership and life.

When Fish Begin to Crawl

When Fish Begin to Crawl

Sat, 15 Apr 2023

Co-directed by filmmaker Morag McKinnon and composer Jim Sutherland, is a thought-provoking meditation on the climate crisis and humanity's relationship with nature. With a focus on Scotland's Flow Country, it blends art and science to reflect on present-day eco-emergencies within the context of geological deep time.

The 11th Hour

The 11th Hour

Fri, 17 Aug 2007

A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolse