Cli-fi films: An accessible way to talk about climate change

Want to get friends and family thinking about climate change without completely putting them off? Check out these films…

Climate change is a hard topic to start a discussion about for a number of reasons. Even for those who care about the climate it can be really hard to put on an intense, factual documentary. Instead, here are a wide variety of movies that tackle different climate change issues, ranked from most approachable to least. 

Moana

Not only is this movie about Ancient Polynesia, the story is also focussed on a young woman embarking on a quest to stop her island from being destroyed by a curse that is laying waste to life around them. At the beginning of the film, Moana’s island is dying: the crops are failing, the coconuts have turned black and there’s no fish to be caught. The filmmakers traveled to the South Pacific, hired a team of Native consultants to advise on the production and lots of cast members are Polynesian. This is a perfect movie to introduce big topics like climate change to resistant or younger friends and family. 

Erin Brokovich

This charming and lighthearted movie directed by Stephen Soderburg presents the real-life story of environmental activist Erin Brokovich. Despite having no formal education in law, Brokovich was instrumental in building a case against the Pacific Gas & Electric Company of California in 1993. The film stars Julia Roberts and talks about the contamination of drinking water with hexavalent chromium. 

Okja

Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja tells the story of Mija, a young girl from South Korea, who raises a genetically modified pig named Okja on her grandfather’s small farm in South Korea. After the evil Mirando Corporation takes Okja to be slaughtered in America, Mija embarks on an epic quest to save Okja and return her to the farm in South Korea. Especially towards the end, it’s clear that the movie is a criticism of green-washing corporations and the livestock industry. Okja is action-packed, wholesome and asks some big questions: it’s definitely for an older/teenage audience but is overall a very enjoyable film. 

Interstellar

Interstellar follows Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, an engineer-turned-farmer making do in a land ravaged by environmental crises. The conditions have wiped out wheat and okra crops, while dust storms threaten corn. The government now assigns farming careers to children by age 15. Cooper finds himself having to embark on a space odyssey for a new habitable planet. This post-climate change perspective is unique to Interstellar and for some viewers, could be easier to understand than statistics and documentaries. Overall, the movie is an entertaining watch and paints a portrait of a world where we don’t tackle climate change.

Children of Men

Adapted from the 1962 novel by P D James, Children of Men flopped when released in 2006. But I think it’s an intriguing exploration of the bleak and overwhelming realties of the climate crisis. It’s difficult to watch at points, because the semi-authoritarian British government, climate disasters and refugee crisis (or ‘Fugees’ in the movie) seems disturbingly possible. The film has beautiful cinematography and glimmers of hope but is definitely made for an older audience. 

Snowpiercer

In another film from Bong Joon-Ho, Snowpiercer takes place in a futuristic world where a failed climate-change experiment has destroyed the world. The only surviving life is on board the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe. This incredible film showcases a number of social issues that are intertwined with climate change: class, education, propaganda and capitalism. What’s even more great – Snowpiercer appeals to a wide audience, young and old, action-lovers, arthouse fanatics and people who like something thought provoking. 

The Day After Tomorrow

Out of all of the movies on this list, this is definitely the most explicit ‘cli-fi’ film. Despite being made in 2004, some lines are scarily similar to recent discussions and thoughts I’ve had. The Day After Tomorrow is framed like a disaster movie, but takes an idea of climate catastrophes out of our imaginations and puts it onto the screen. While it doesn’t have the best performances or plotlines and isn’t scientifically accurate, this film is a blockbuster with a dash of climate change commentary and is really useful for understanding the scale of the crisis. 

Author

Sadhana Narayanan

Sadhana Narayanan Contributor

Reviewer. Creator. Soldier. Spy.

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1 Comments

  • Hector Macduff

    On 4 June 2021, 11:20 Hector Macduff Kickstart Team commented:

    Yes! to all of these films! I would add WallE is another film with a great message, without berating the audience... Also in a way Water world (a really weird film but a fun concept) is a another post climate meltdown scenario forcing the audience to think about a world where humanity is forced to live on open ocean and no dry land remains - it's a lot like a wetter Mad Max.

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