Lights, Camera, Action!
6. November 2006 | Von atsil | Kategorie:English Read the WorldIn early October, Al Gore premiered his film, “An Inconvenient Truth” in Germany. While the film itself was very good and is clearly based on scientific facts, the premieres were badly attended and the film has not had such a large audience in Germany, one of the “greener” and more environmentally conscious countries in Europe, if not the world.
So why is it that Germans are not flocking to see this whirlwind of scientific info that confirms their way of life? Perhaps it is because environmentally conscious Germans – who ride their bikes, take public transportation, and buy lots of organic food, have known these facts for many years and this message is not really as much for them as it is for Americans who have been sleeping through this impending reality for over a decade.
It is fantastic to see Al Gore realize his leadership potential through this most important global mission – I applaud him and his team for their work. Now that there is more attention on this issue in the U.S., the challenge is to engage a range of partners – including governments, businesses, local communities, and NGO’s – to act in concert on climate change and to maximize this precious window of time.
Moving past Hollywood corporate support and gaining additional corporate players is critical because the market place is such a large determinant of future success. At the German film premieres, corporate support was missing in that corporate leaders were not present and green corporate sponsorship was almost non-existent.
Additionally, implementing a clear U.S. grassroots strategy that organizes around the film’s message and offers concrete solutions is another important component. Other films, such as last year’s Robert Greenwald documentary about Wal-mart, “Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price” ( “http://www.walmartmovie.com/“) worked in concert with local community organizations to, in many cases, successfully support local action and change.
Gore galvanizing U.S. and global action is a super start for some and an affirmation for others – but there is clearly much more work to do until this issue becomes ingrained in the American conscience. To see how you can do your part, please visit www.climatecrisis.org.
Actually, the number one reason the film didn’t draw in the crowds here is the same reason NO film draws in crowds in Germany: Germans don’t go to the movies. I’m surprised that there are still movie theaters here. The movies that get the biggest crowds are children’s films.
It would have been better to screen it at the Berlinale in February. It would have received far more press and excitement nationwide and would have secured at a least a week long of people cattle-rushing in to see it.
Germans might be more environmentally aware than Americans, but I think it’s a far fetched idea to believe that they care more.
The Germans have a horrendous recycling system. I know that most recycle out of pure habit than out of caring. That might sound like a harsh stereo-typical critique of Germans, but in this case it’s a truth. Most Germans hate the recycling system, especially of refund bottles and cans because of the constant changes and inconvenience of it. But they do it and that’s good.
The “bio” stores and products are beginning to pop up quicker than Starbucks. You can even get stuff at Lidl. The move for people to buy more eco-products came from fear and not thinking globally. With all the scares over BSE, foot and mouth disease, bad meat, and other such scandals constantly in the media, it’s no wonder. We should be careful though. The laws allow the bio symbol for food that is not really 100% bio. The bio-trend has also led to a new form of anorexia. But I also think having it more accessible is good. Germans love to buy cheap food. I’m not a fan of that. So if they have the choice to buy bio at good prices, you will have more making that choice.
Germans still ride bikes? Interesting. I notice more cars, more SUVs, more households with more than one car, more starting the car just to go down the road. Starting to be more like the Americans. Scary. But at least one can still ride a bike or walk here as forms of transportation without the pressure of it looking bad like in the States. Public transportation here is also pretty good. I’d like to see more of these eco-friendlier buses.
Anyway, I honestly feel that though it may appear that Germans are environmentally conscious, and there are good steps in place, it’s not something mentally in place in most people. I am sure that most Germans DON’T know the facts in the movie, especially about global warming and climate changes. If they did, they wouldn’t seem so baffled by the weather. One minute it’s freakishly hot and they are out in the cafés lapping it up, then two days later when a storm is ripping up the place, they can’t make heads from tails out of it. And while they are complaining about it, they light up their cigarettes, turn on the heater full blast, watch the newest news about Paris Hilton, and eat their McDonald’s cheeseburger. Globalisation is growing faster than global awareness.
But I bet that plenty of Germans have seen the film (read: downloaded it) and many more will when it comes out on DVD.
I heard that for the first time ever, the youth in America voted environmental issues as the number one concern on a poll. I wonder if the German youth would vote the same. Or perhaps in Germany, it’s better to find out from the old, since demographically, they are the ones that determine such things here. That’s another issue altogether, but perhaps an important one when considering how the Green party is losing grip on things.