vernon film society
Bringing the best in world and Canadian film to film lovers of Vernon and the North Okanagan
THE 11TH HOUR
Director: Nadia Connors, Leila Connors Petersen
Narrated by: Leonardo DiCaprio
Runtime: 91 minutes
Country: USA
Language: English
Rating: PG
Reviews: www.metacritic.com/film/titles/11thhour
Several recent documentaries addressing environmental issues have met with unprecedented critical and commercial success – a response, it seems, to the long overdue recognition of one of the most urgent crises of our age. In AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH – a tremendous hit on the Film Circuit across the country – politician-turned-activist Al Gore imparts a strong message urging people to pay attention to the devastating way we are treating our planet. The Canada-France co-production THE WHITE PLANET explores the beauty of the Arctic with unprecedented cinematographic access to the region, reminding us of natural wonders that are increasingly imperiled. THE 11TH HOUR, which had its world premiere at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, promises to be equally provocative. Narrated and produced by Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio, THE 11TH HOUR is an engrossing and comprehensive documentary that sets its sights on a myriad of issues affecting humanity and the state of the planet’s ecosystems.
Seventy-one authorities are interviewed, including scientist, environmentalist and activist David Suzuki; professor and author David Orr; professor and author Stephen Hawking; politician and activist Mikhail Gorbachev; environmentalist Gloria Flora; and founder of the Green Belt Movement and human-rights advocate Wangari Maathai. The diverse material and approaches to the subject throw the interrelatedness of human activity and environmental consequence into stark relief.
The issues discussed include air pollution, ocean degradation, climate change, human thought capacity, sustainable design, world economy, renewable energy, biodiversity, consumerism, media and religion. The filmmakers are not only interested in examining what is going wrong today, but in determining how we’ve arrived in this situation and what we can do to get back on the path to a better future. The personalities alone make for fascinating viewing. THE 11TH HOUR presents a balanced, nuanced and remarkably far-reaching account of our planet’s current state from scientific, philosophical, humanitarian and creative perspectives. What truly comes across is that a vision for the future will not be found in one place, but will require the world’s various cultures and schools of thought to work together, in good faith, to find encompassing and workable solutions.
“11th Hour presents the viewer with reams of depressing data, loads of hand-wringing about the woeful state of humanity and, finally, some altogether fascinating ideas about how to go about solving the climate crisis.” – Justin Chang, Variety
“Considerably less slick than "An Inconvenient Truth," and no less urgent.” - Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
