A Billion Lives

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A Billion Lives
A Billion Lives.jpg
Social film poster
Directed byAaron Biebert
Produced byJimi Jake Shaw
Jennifer Biebert
Aaron Biebert
Shem Biebert
Jesse Hieb
Narrated byAaron Biebert
CinematographyJimi Jake Shaw
Edited byAaron Biebert
Jimi Jake Shaw
Jennifer Biebert
Music bySteven Pitzl with Timothy Wolf, Antics, [1] The Other Shapes [2] & The Royal. [3]
Production
company
Attention Era Media
Distributed byAttention Era Media
Release date
  • May 11, 2016 (2016-05-11)(Doc Edge Festival)
Running time
95 minutes

A Billion Lives is a 2016 documentary film directed and narrated by Aaron Biebert. The film stars "Winston Man" David Goerlitz, former president of the World Medical Association Delon Human, and former executive director at the World Health Organization Derek Yach.

Contents

The United NationsWorld Health Organization projects that a billion people will die prematurely from smoking this century. In the next 20 years, there will be nearly 1.6 billion smokers around the world. A Billion Lives takes a critical look at the history of smoking and the corruption that has led to the current situation where safer, healthier alternatives are banned or heavily restricted in most countries, while the cigarette trade is continually protected. The film examines major conflicts of interest and corruption between governments, big pharmaceutical companies, and public health officials. It also takes a look at the history of e-cigarettes, as well as the role vapor technology and Swedish Snus has played in the current health crisis.

Synopsis

As the film begins, viewers are confronted by a claim that "this century a billion people are projected to die from smoking." [4] The film continues to show the depth of harm tobacco can cause to human health, including increased risk of lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A Billion Lives continues by outlining the history of the tobacco industry, focusing primarily on tobacco corporations' attempts to hide the deleterious effects of tobacco and tobacco products. Many shots are accompanied and framed with interviews of the former Winston Man, David Goerlitz; Goerlitz, formerly the main model in a campaign by Winston Cigarettes to glamorize smoking, publicly denounced the tobacco industry in the late 1980s.

The second segment of the film shifts focus from the tobacco industry to the e-cigarette and vaping industry. Showcasing interviews and talks by Dr. Derek Yach, a former World Health Organization tobacco control chief; Clive Bates, a prominent anti-smoking activist; and many other experts, Biebert narrates the possibility that e-cigarettes may be able to save a majority of the billion lives that could be lost to tobacco.

The final section of the film centers on the attempts the tobacco industry has made to stop e-cigarettes from encroaching on the money-making abilities of the large multinational corporations involved. Set as an exploration of the reasons many people are critical toward vaping, the third act of the film shows how money is integral to the tobacco industry's survival. Tackling issues such as the involvement of pharmaceutical corporations and even governments in dealings with tobacco companies, the documentary reaches out to find out why there is such a negative bias toward vaping. Culminating in an extensive breakdown of how much money lies in the hands of tobacco industries, A Billion Lives covers a wide range of topics related to smoking.

Development

The development of this documentary was led by Biebert; a filmmaker and director based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A director and executive producer at Attention Era Media, Biebert previously consulted and helped produce music videos, event films, sport highlight films, and social media storytelling films. A Billion Lives is his first feature film. Biebert first became interested in the vaping and tobacco industry when scouting ideas for his first feature film. After researching medical facts about tobacco and vapor and finding that one billion people were projected to die from tobacco this century, Biebert became passionate about documenting the subject. In an interview with Vape Craft Incorporated, he stated: "I became angry ... since those initial feelings, the topic has become very personal to me". [5]

Release dates

A Billion Lives was showcased at its world premiere, held at the prestigious Doc Edge Film Festival in Wellington, New Zealand, on May 10, 2016, where it was a finalist for Best International Feature.

North America

A Billion Lives had its North American premiere August 6 at the historic Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the movie was shown to a full movie theatre of about 1,400 people. Among the guests where Senator Ron Johnson, The Winston Man - Kurt Loeblich og Radiovert no:Herman Cain and Caty Tidwell from US magazine Vapun. After that they had the movie shown in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on August 11, 2016.

The movie was also awarded a Silver REMI award at WorldFest Houston All 2016 WorldFest prize winners (PDF) [6] 2016

The movie had its Hollywood premiere at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills October 28, 2016, as well as its New York City premiere the same day, in Cinepolis, Chelsea. [7] Its Canadian premiere was at the HotDocs Theatre in Toronto. [7]

Kathy Ireland CEO of Kathy ireland Worldwide was the chairman of the Charlotte, NC premiere on December 8, 2016. She commented "'A Billion Lives' is an incredible reminder of the lethal dangers of smoking. Aaron Biebert takes his audience on a journey that will not be forgotten." [8]

The movie premiered on the online streaming platform Fearless on November 1, 2019. [9]

Europe

The documentary premiered in Europe to a completely filled theater on June 16 at the Palace of Culture in Warsaw, Poland. It was a strong opening to the Global Forum on Nicotine where they got a Dorn Award.

The movie was screened in Paris, France September 11. at Le Grand Rex.
The movie was also screened in Paris, France September 25. at "et la Geode Paris"/Vape Expo. [10]

The movie had its UK theatrical premiere October 26 at Odeon theatres. [11] November 12 the movie is screened at hu:Uránia Nemzeti Filmszínház in Budapest, Hungary. [12]

November 14: Screening at Cinemateket Oslo in Norway. For tickets, follow link: [13]

Australia/Oceania

The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival showed the film on July 10, 2016, where Biebert won Best Director and they got the "Supreme Jury Prize". [14]

New Zealand: The movie became available on Demand.Film from October 26. [15]

Australia: The movie became available on Demand.Film from October 26. [16]

Africa

Official selection at the 5th annual Jozi Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. Screenings September 16 and 18. They won the prize for "Best International Documentary" [17]

Prizes and awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco industry</span> Persons and companies that produce tobacco-related products

The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all continents except Antarctica.

Truth is an American public-relations campaign aimed at reducing teen smoking in the United States. It is conducted by the Truth Initiative and funded primarily by money obtained from the tobacco industry under the terms of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement reached between 46 U.S. states and the four largest companies in the tobacco industry.

Winston is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands, subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside the U.S. The brand is named after the town where R. J. Reynolds started his business which is Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As of 2017, Winston has the seventh-highest U.S. market share of all cigarette brands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maxwell Report.

Tobacco harm reduction (THR) is a public health strategy to lower the health risks to individuals and wider society associated with using tobacco products. It is an example of the concept of harm reduction, a strategy for dealing with the use of drugs. Tobacco smoking is widely acknowledged as a leading cause of illness and death, and reducing smoking is vital to public health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic cigarette</span> Device that vaporizes a liquid nicotine solution for inhalation

An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or vape is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid, which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking in New Zealand</span> Overview of smoking in New Zealand

The use of tobacco for smoking in New Zealand has been subjected to government regulation for a number of decades. On 10 December 2004, New Zealand became the third country in the world to make all indoor workplaces including bars and restaurants smoke-free. The smoking rate in New Zealand was about 8% as of 2023 when the new government planned to eliminate the nation's smoking ban to fund tax cuts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobacco in the United States</span>

Tobacco has a long cultural, economic, and social impact on the United States. Tobacco cultivation in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1610 lead to the expansion of British colonialism in the Southern United States. As the demand for Tobacco grew in Europe, further colonization in British America and Tobacco production saw a parallel increase. Tobacco use became normalized in American society and was heavily consumed before and after American independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking in the United Kingdom</span>

Smoking in the United Kingdom involves the consumption of combustible cigarettes and other forms of tobacco in the United Kingdom, as well as the history of the tobacco industry, together with government regulation and medical issues.

Tobacco smoking in Pakistan is legal, but under certain circumstances is banned. If calculated on per day basis, 177 million cigarettes per day were consumed in FY-14. According to the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey, 46 per cent men and 5.7 per cent women smoke tobacco. The habit is mostly found in the youth of Pakistan and in farmers, and is thought to be responsible for various health problems and deaths in the country. Pakistan has the highest consumption of tobacco in South Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoking in India</span> History, culture, legality and prevalence of smoking in India

Smoking in India is one of the oldest industries and provides employment to more than five million people directly and indirectly. India is the second-largest producer of tobacco in the world. Smoking has been known since at least 2000 BC when cannabis was smoked and is first mentioned in the Atharvaveda. Fumigation (dhupa) and fire offerings (homa) are prescribed in the Ayurveda for medical purposes and have been practiced for at least 3,000 years while smoking, dhumrapana has been practiced for at least 2,000 years. Tobacco was introduced to India in the 17th century. It later merged with existing practices of smoking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of electronic cigarettes</span>

Regulation of electronic cigarettes varies across countries and states, ranging from no regulation to banning them entirely. As of 2015, around two thirds of major nations have regulated e-cigarettes in some way. A 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 34 countries had banned the sale of e-cigarettes.

Pax Labs is an American electronic vaporizer company founded in 2007 that markets the Pax vaporizers. The company developed the Juul e-cigarette. Juul Labs was spun out as a separate company in 2017.

The use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) carries health risks. The risk depends on the fluid and varies according to design and user behavior. In the United Kingdom, vaping is considered by some to be around 95% less harmful than tobacco after a controversial landmark review by Public Health England.

The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking, weaken measures to control tobacco, and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes, because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits, but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did, as a result of chronic exposure", among other things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vape shop</span> Shop selling vaping products

A vape shop is a retail outlet specializing in the selling of vaping products, though shops selling derived psychoactive cannabis products have increased in the United States since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. There are also online vape shops. A vape shop offers a range of vaping products. The majority of vape shops do not sell vaping products that are from "Big Tobacco" companies. In 2013, online search engine searches on vape shops surpassed searches on e-cigarettes. Around a third of all sales of vaping products in one US state took place in vape shops. Big Tobacco believes the independent vape market is a threat to their interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juul</span> American electronic cigarette manufacturer

Juul Labs, Inc. is an American electronic cigarette company that spun off from Pax Labs in 2017. Juul Labs makes the Juul electronic cigarette, which atomizes nicotine salts derived from tobacco supplied by one-time use cartridges.

Ray Story is the founder and owner of The United Tobacco Vapor Group (UTVG) USA as well as UTVG Europe BV, an electronic cigarette company. He is also the creator of Flavor Vapes, Premium Vapes, Vape Master Cigar, Wanna Vape, and E-Hitter, all of which are brands under the UTVG name. The company's products are sold globally online and in store.

David Goerlitz is an American actor, writer, educator and a male model. He is best known as the "Winston Man", appearing in advertising for Winston cigarettes for 8 years in the 1980s.

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an organization focused on smoking harm reduction founded in 2017. In May 2024, it changed its name to Global Action to End Smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) urged not to collaborate with this front organization of the tobacco industry.

Electronic cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than cigarettes. In the 2010s, large tobacco businesses accelerated their marketing spending on vape products, similar to the strategies traditional cigarette companies used in the 1950s and 1960s.

References

  1. "Your Antics". Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  2. "The-other-shapes". Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  3. "The Royal". YouTube .
  4. "World Health Organization -Tobacco Fact Sheet". World Health Organization. June 2016. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  5. "VapeCraft, Inc's Interview with Aaron Biebert". Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. 1 2 North America & Canada abillionlives.com [ dead link ]
  8. "Charlotte Premiere Of Award-Winning Film "A Billion Lives" To Salute Local Firm's Leadership In The Vaping Revolution" . Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  9. "A Billion Lives". Fearless. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  10. Archived copy Archived October 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  11. UK premiere abillionlives.com [ dead link ]
  12. Hungary abillionlives.com [ dead link ]
  13. Tickets for Oslo, Norway. A Billion Lives Archived October 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  14. The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
  15. New Zealand abillionlives.com [ dead link ]
  16. Australia abillionlives.com [ dead link ]
  17. 1 2 A Billion Lives wins award at Jozi Film Festival iol.co.za [ dead link ]
  18. "Winners of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2016". Asian Film Festivals. July 12, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  19. Hunter Todd (May 31, 2016). "REMI-vinnere" (PDF). WorldFest Houston. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  20. DocEdge filmfestival
  21. "GFN 2024: 13 - 15 June 2024, Warsaw, Poland". Global Forum on Nicotine. Retrieved March 23, 2024.