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How to Change the World | |
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Directed by | Jerry Rothwell |
Written by | Jerry Rothwell |
Produced by | Al Morrow Bous de Jong |
Starring | Robert Hunter |
Narrated by | Barry Pepper |
Cinematography | Ben Lichty |
Edited by | James Scott |
Music by | Lesley Barber |
Distributed by | Picturehouse Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
Countries | United Kingdom Canada |
Language | English |
How to Change the World is a 2015 documentary film directed and written by Jerry Rothwell ( Deep Water ). It documents how the founding members of Greenpeace created the green movement.
In 1971, a small group of activists sailed from Vancouver, Canada in a fishing boat to try to stop Richard Nixon's nuclear bomb tests in Amchitka, Alaska. Their actions caught the attention of the public and this eventually led to a worldwide green movement and pioneered the foundation of Greenpeace. [1]
The film centers on activist Robert Hunter and his part in the creation of Greenpeace, which is structured by the five rules of engagement from Hunter's writings.
The documentary first premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing and the Candescent Award. [2] [3] A first trailer was released on July 30, 2015. [4]
On September 9, 2015, Picturehouse screened the documentary in 120 U.K. and 70 U.S. cinemas, (presented with Fathom Events stateside), followed by a satellite Q&A with Rothwell, fashion designer and Greenpeace supporter Vivienne Westwood and daughter of the first president of Greenpeace, Emily Hunter. [5]
The film received positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 86% approval rating, with a rating average of 8/10.
Dennis Harvey praised the film in Variety noting, "The goldmine of 16mm color footage, whose propagandic value participants were quite cognizant of at the time, is in mint condition, showing the excitement and fun of the movement in its earliest days." [6] Kate Taylor from The Globe and Mail gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, adding that "Whatever you think of Greenpeace's less well-considered antics over the years, How to Change the World is a compelling story of one environmentalist's remarkable combination of prescience, grit and timing." [7] The Toronto Star wrote "Almost a "found footage" movie, it makes excellent use of 1,500 archived 16 mm reels supplemented with fresh interviews and some animation." [8]
The film has received various accolades such as those listed below. [9]
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Sundance Film Festival | World Doc Special Jury Award: Editing | Won |
Candescent Award | Won | ||
2015 | Sheffield Documentary Festival | Best Environmental Documentary | Won |
2015 | Sebastopol Documentary Festival | Best Feature | Won |
2015 | Portland EcoFilm Festival | Best Feature Film | Won |
2015 | Hot Docs | Top Ten Audience Favourite | Won |
2016 | 4th Canadian Screen Awards | Best Feature Length Documentary | Nominated |
Best Editing in a Documentary | Won |
Robert Lorne Hunter was a Canadian environmentalist, journalist, author and politician. He was a member of the Don't Make a Wave Committee in 1969, and a co-founder of Greenpeace in 1971 and its first president. He led the first on-sea anti-whaling campaigns in the world, against Russian and Australian whalers, which helped lead to the ban on commercial whaling. He campaigned against nuclear testing, the Canadian seal hunt and later, climate change with his book Thermageddon: Countdown to 2030. He was named by Time as one of the "Eco-Heroes" of the 20th century.
Kirby Bryan Dick is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing documentary films. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature for directing Twist of Faith (2005) and The Invisible War (2012). He has also received numerous awards from film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival.
Picturehouse is an American independent entertainment company owned by CEO Bob Berney and COO Jeanne R. Berney. Based in Los Angeles, the company specializes in film marketing and distribution, both in the U.S. and internationally. Its releases have included La Vie en Rose (2007), which earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for Marion Cotillard, Metallica Through the Never (2013), and Adam Wingard's Sundance Film Festival selection The Guest (2014), an Independent Spirit Award nominee starring Dan Stevens.
Dinosaur 13 is a 2014 American documentary film directed and produced by Todd Douglas Miller. The film premiered in competition category of U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16, 2014.
To Be Takei is a 2014 American documentary film produced and directed by Jennifer M. Kroot. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014.
The Wolfpack is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Crystal Moselle. It is about the Angulo family, who homeschooled and raised their seven children in the confinement of their apartment in the Lower East Side of New York City. The film premiered on January 25, 2015, at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize.
Hot Girls Wanted is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus. The film follows the lives of several 18- and 19-year-old pornographic actresses. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was released on Netflix on May 29, 2015.
The Russian Woodpecker is a 2015 documentary film written, produced and directed by Chad Gracia following Fedor Alexandrovich's investigation into the Chernobyl disaster. It is Gracia's directorial debut feature. The film premiered in the "World Cinema Documentary" competition at 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2015 and won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the festival.
Listen to Me Marlon is a 2015 British documentary film written, directed and edited by Stevan Riley about the movie star and iconic actor Marlon Brando.
Jerry Rothwell is a British documentary filmmaker best known for the award-winning feature docs How to Change the World (2015), Town of Runners (2012), Donor Unknown (2010), Heavy Load (2008) and Deep Water (2006). All of his films have been produced by Al Morrow of Met Film.
3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, also known as 3 1/2 Minutes, is a 2015 American documentary film written and directed by Marc Silver. The film is based on the events surrounding the 2012 murder of Jordan Russell Davis and examines the shooting itself, as well as the subsequent trial, media coverage and protests that resulted from the shooting.
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Werner Herzog. In it, Herzog ponders the existential impact of the Internet, robotics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and more on human life. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and was sponsored by the company NetScout. The film contains interviews with Bob Kahn, Elon Musk, Sebastian Thrun, Ted Nelson, and other leaders of the technology world.
Fátima is a 2020 faith-based drama film directed by Marco Pontecorvo. It stars Joaquim de Almeida, Goran Višnjić, Harvey Keitel, Sônia Braga, Stephanie Gil, Alejandra Howard, Jorge Lamelas and Lúcia Moniz.
Time is an Academy Award-nominated 2020 American documentary film produced and directed by Garrett Bradley. It follows Sibil Fox Richardson and her fight for the release of her husband, Rob, who was serving a 60-year prison sentence for engaging in an armed bank robbery.
Be Water is a documentary film that premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is directed by Bao Nguyen. It is about Bruce Lee, a famous martial artist. It uses significant amounts of archival footage, and focuses on Lee's 2 years in Hong Kong spent filming 4 feature films. Reviewers think it is a compelling film. It is part of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series and the film tackles racism in America. In a GQ interview, Nguyen talks about how this film represents protest and fits the zeitgeist, with many more Asian-American films being released as contemporaries. As of February 19, 2021, it is on Netflix. It won the Gold List Award in 2021.
Us Kids is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kim A. Snyder, following members of the March for Our Lives movement after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Marilyn Agrelo.
Becoming Cousteau is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus. It follows the life and career of Jacques Cousteau.
The Princess is a 2022 British documentary film about Diana, Princess of Wales, directed by Ed Perkins. The film is produced by Lightbox in association with Sky and HBO Documentary Films.