Shortly after having her first child, French actress and director Mélanie Laurent, a star of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, read a report by several leading scientists stating that man’s environmental impact on the planet had reached a critical stage that could threaten human life as we know it. Wondering what kind of world her young son would grow up in, Laurent gathered a group of friends to make Tomorrow, a documentary about our environmental challenges. The film’s triumph lies in the choice not to frighten—though the facts are sobering—but to inspire; to go beyond the disaster scenarios to share real-life solutions. Traveling to ten countries, from the urban farms of Detroit to an English town that strikes its own David Bowie currency to encourage local spending, from a completely sustainable model village in southern India to the progressive schools of Finland, Laurent and her colleagues introduce viewers to people making a difference in the fields of food, energy, finance, democracy, and education. Their ideas make this one of the most essential and unexpectedly inspirational viewing experiences of our time.
LUMIÈRES FRANÇAISES
Lumiéres Françaises highlights an exciting new generation of rising French-language talent on both sides of the camera, from rebellious comedies to exquisite dramas and vivid documentaries.